With Heritage Day on us, there are plenty of ways to explore teh Western Cape’s history while still having fun.
Imagine racing along a whaling history trail in the south Peninsula, learning about the area’s fascinating whaling history as well as facts about the large, graceful sea mammals.
For the first time, A Whale of a Heritage Route will host a family-friendly history hunt on Saturday, along what they call “The Old Whaling Trail”. The trip, on foot and by train, will take its clue hunters through Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek.
The Good Weekend spoke to project manager Alan Lindner to find out what is in store for the day and the point of it all.
“What we are trying to do is get kids and families to understand that the threat to whales has changed from harpoons to plastic and ropes,” he says.
Older people interested in joining may want to bring along some tech-savvy youngsters and make a family affair of it. Lindner says on previous hunts, youngsters with internet-enabled cellphones have come along with parents or grandparents, solving clues very quickly.
“It’s amazing watching them working together across the generation gap.”
Besides pollution and artefacts, he says the hunt will cover maths, showing people a technique to calculate the volume of a whale.
The journey starts at 9am on the corner of Church and Palmer roads in Muizenberg. Participants will be given a few sheets of paper containing clues, background information and Metrorail train times. The clues will introduce you to Southern Right whales, the whalers who once hunted them, whaling boats, factories, ships, whale bones and where to see a whale skeleton in Cape Town.
No cars are allowed as a train ticket must be produced along the course.
The trip goes through Kalk Bay, an area Lindner says is rich in whaling artefacts. Participants will have to find a whale scapula in a shop there. Then it’s on to an area known as The Great Whalery in Fish Hoek. There, whales were dragged up on to rocks. Off Sunny Cove, two eyebolts can be seen, presumed to have been used to secure whales.
The trip will also take you to the Fish Hoek Valley Museum, which has a whale jawbone. Look out for two restored whalers’ cottages.
The day ends with a train trip back to False Bay Station to re-assemble at the starting point at 1.15pm.
If you get stuck along the hunt, you can SMS a request for a tip – but only once. Tour guide Brian Smith, who specialises in whaling history, will be along for the trip to help participants.
Lindner says the fun the starts when papers are marked. Participants get to bargain for points which are awarded for things like taking pictures of sights such as the whalers’ cottages or even whales – a possibility as whale spotting season is peaking. The prize is a meal voucher for two at Utoo Coffee Shop in Claremont and a book on whales.
I asked Lindner why it is important for people to learn about threats to whales.
“A live whale creates more revenue than a dead one. When people visit whale-spotting areas, there is a economic spin-off for all the businesses in the area.”
l The hunt costs R75 a person, which includes a hop-on/hop-off train return ticket. It is advisable to bring along cash for refreshments before, during and after the hunt. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Due to roadworks this event is not wheelchair, pram or guide-dog friendly.
To register or for more information e-mail [email protected] or call 079 391 2105. - Sunday Argus