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Cape Town :: South-East Cape Town South is situated on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and stretches south towards the False Bay coast. Suburbs, in order of their distance from the Cape Town city centre, are Rosebank, Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, Bishopscourt, Kenilworth, Wynberg, Plumstead, Constantia, Bergvliet and Tokai. |
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Cape Town South is the home to two famous sport stadiums, the Newlands Rugby Stadium and Newlands Cricket Grounds. The University of Cape Town is situated here and there is an excellent choice of restaurants, bars and nightlife.
Claremont has become one of the fastest growing commercial centres in the country, Especially enticing is the sophisticated Cavendish Square complex which offers a kaleidoscope of all purpose stores, speciality outlets, excellent and varied restaurants, bistros, cinemas and art galleries. The Ardene Gardens in Main Road are definitely worth a visit. The Japanese section with its fragile delicacy is beautiful, as are the magnificent exotic trees which include cedars, Norfolk pines and cypresses.
Newlands is located next door to Claremont, only 6km away from Cape Town’s city centre. It is a highly fashionable suburb that plays host to an international rugby and cricket ground. The situation of the cricket ground lined with stately trees and set against the backdrop of Table Mountain, makes watching cricket a very enjoyable experience. Touring international sides play South Africa in 5-day Test matches at this ground occasionally in the summer. However, it is the rugby enthusiast that really gets excited at Newlands, which hosted the opening match of the 1995 World Cup. The ground is a very historic and handsome venue which also caters for provincial matches.
Close to the rugby stadium is Josephine Mill, which was built in 1840 and named in honour of the Crown Princess of Sweden, who later became queen. This is Cape Town’s only surviving water mill, and is open to visitors throughout the year. Milling demonstrations on how wheat flour is produced, and how it has always been produced for the last 150 years, are held daily. On the outskirts of Newlands just off the M3 highway, are the tall trees of Newlands Forest. This is a delightful area that is ideal for picnics and barbecues, and attracts hikers, walkers and joggers.
Kirstenbosch
Nestled between the highly sought-after residential area of Constantia and the well watered southern slopes of Table Mountain, are the beautiful world-renowned gardens of Kirstenbosch. These landscaped gardens, founded in 1913 to preserve and propagate South Africa’s rich floral heritage, cover an area of about 828Ha consisting of indigenous trees and plants, as well as a small forest which creeps up the lower slopes of the mountain. Approximately 6 000 species of Southern Africa’s flora are represented, particularly that of the Cape floral kingdom, known as fynbos. Within the garden, about 60 Ha are cultivated in a fascinating wheel formation, where related plants are grouped together and radiate around a lawn in the centre. One section, the Cycad Amphitheatre, is a sanctuary for most of South Africa’s 20-odd species of plant life that first appeared between 150 million and 80 million years ago, a time that coincided with the last age of the dinosaurs. Also within the cultivated area, visitors delight in the Protea Gardens, the JW Matthews Rock Garden, a Braille Trail for the blind and a scented garden with sweet and strange smelling plants, with a guide to their medicinal uses.
Kirstenbosch generally looks very attractive in all seasons, but probably look their best in spring (September to October), when the annuals and many of the proteas are in bloom, and the birdlife is at its most animated. The gardens offer a good restaurant and delightful curio shop, as well as guided theme tours. In summer, there is usually a series of Sunday evening musical concerts, so many visitors enjoy the sunset serenades on the lawns.
