Misplaced Pages

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34-683: Klapmuts is a little town just off the R44 road between Stellenbosch and Wellington , as well as the R101 road between Kraaifontein and Paarl . It is well known for its surrounding wine farms. In 1683 the Dutch East India Company and established a cattle stock-farm at Klapmuts. Finding Khoisan to trade with proved a difficult task so the VOC employed a chieftain named Klaas (Rank Capt) to find Khoisan and negotiate trade deals on behalf of

68-631: A barrier between the Cape Town metropolitan area and the southern Overberg coast. The range is primarily composed of Table Mountain Sandstone , and forms a large range between the Cape Town outlying suburbs of Somerset West and Gordon's Bay to the west, and the large Elgin valley to the east. Sir Lowry's Pass is the only crossing, in the form of the N2 motorway, which is the primary route out of

102-528: A large variety of birds. Helderberg Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Somerset West. on the southern slopes of the Helderberg mountain. Its 398 ha consist mostly of Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos (a highly species-rich vegetation type ) with smaller patches of Boland Granite Fynbos and Southern Afrotemperate Forest . Altogether about 600 species of plant have been recorded here, including

136-594: A new pass was constructed on the current route that would allow ox wagons to navigate the pass without difficulty. Construction began at a site about 2 km to the south of the Hottentots Holland Kloof, by the engineer Charles Michell using convict labour. The new pass was opened on 6 July 1830, and named after Sir Lowry Cole , the Governor of the Cape Colony at the time. Local media in

170-470: A surviving fragment of critically endangered Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos vegetation. Harmony Flats was originally established to preserve a habitat for the rare and declining geometric tortoise ( Psammobates geometricus ), which is now locally extinct, but the reserve still protects about 220 species of plants, many of them endangered , as well as a range of animal species, such as the tiny parrot-beaked tortoise ( Homopus areolatus ), various snakes and

204-508: A wide range of proteas . Particularly prominent plants include the pincushion proteas ( Leucospermum sp.), cone bushes ( Leucadendron sp.), sugar bushes ( Protea sp.), heaths ( Erica sp.) and the waboom tree ( Protea nitida ). Animals that can be found there include the Cape leopard , caracal , grey duiker , Cape grysbok , steenbok , mongoose , angulate and padloper tortoises and over 170 species of bird . Part of

238-522: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Helderberg Helderberg refers to a planning district of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, the mountain after which it is named, a wine-producing area in the Western Cape province of South Africa , or a small census area in Somerset West. Originally known as the " Hottentots-Holland " area, it was renamed "Helderberg" by

272-655: Is a small marine conservation area on the north-eastern side of False Bay , the mouths of the Lourens River in the Strand, and the Eerste River in Macassar. The MPA is in the warm temperate Agulhas bioregion. The shoreline is sandy beach with mobile dunes, and the seabed is low sandstone reef with kelp beds and sand sediments. The areas nearest to the river mouths are in relatively poor condition due to pollution of

306-693: Is a very scenic ocean drive. The section between Gordon's Bay and Stellenbosch via Strand and Somerset West is a dual carriageway. The R44 is co-signed with the R46 between Gouda and Hermon in the Berg River valley. The R44 begins in Piketberg at a roundabout junction with the N7 national route and the R365 road . It begins by heading east-south-east as Kerk Street to leave the town. It heads for 24 kilometres to

340-409: Is greater than anywhere else in the world. Part of it is in the Helderberg region. Lourens River Protected Natural Environment is a section of protected land along the Lourens River. Its upper reaches are relatively undisturbed and are privately owned. However, the lower part of the river flows through developed areas as well as past fynbos and plantations of invasive alien trees. This natural area

374-546: Is threatened by pollution and by invasive alien weeds. The Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary is contained within the protected area. Beside the protected area is the Vergelegen Nature Reserve . Macassar Dunes Conservation Area is a 1,116-hectare (4.31 sq mi) coastal nature reserve in Macassar, which protects the unique local Cape Flats Dune Strandveld vegetation with its dense evergreen thickets, flowers, shrubs and trees. The last remaining forest of

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408-413: The City of Cape Town following concerns about possible racist connotations in the name (see Hottentot ). However, many people who live there still refer to it by its former name. The Helderberg consists of Somerset West , Strand , Gordons Bay , Macassar and a few other towns. The district takes its name from the mountain of the same name , which is Afrikaans for "clear mountain", referring to

442-672: The Helderberg region of the City of Cape Town , to pass through the western part of the town of Somerset West , where it reaches a junction with the M9 metropolitan route west of the town centre. It proceeds southwards to cross the R102 road (Old Main Road) and the N2 highway , bypass the Somerset Mall and enter the town of Strand , where it passes through in a south-easterly direction. At

476-628: The Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve lies within the boundaries of the City of Cape Town above Somerset West. Kogelberg Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of 3,000 hectares (12 sq mi) in the Kogelberg Mountain Range , to the east and south of Gordon's Bay. It protects a large portion of Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos and about 1600 plant species, giving it a floral diversity per unit area that

510-804: The Cape Town area for travellers heading east along the coast of South Africa. Peaks: Schapenberg is a foothill of the Hottentots Holland Mountains that separates the catchments of the Lourens River and the Sir Lowry’s River. The rocks are of the Tygerberg formation with granite of the Stellembosch pluton. Strand and Gordon's Bay are known for the strength and persistence of the South-easterly winds in summer, while Somerset West has areas that are sheltered from

544-588: The Cape built a rough pass called the Hottentots Holland Kloof Pass following the Gantouw route. The first recorded crossing was in 1664, and by 1821 the pass was seeing 4500 ox-wagons per year crossing into the interior, but the route was so severe that more than 20% of them were damaged. The ruts left by these wagons being dragged over the mountains can still be seen, and were declared a National Monument in 1958. Starting in 1828,

578-515: The Company. In 1684 trading posts were established at Kuilen, Diep River, Vissers Hok, Riet Vlei, Hottentots Holland, Tygerberg and Klapmuts. Klapmutskop, the isolated hill which stands over the town, is a unique combination of Shale, Sandstone, Granite and Conglomerate. Its natural vegetation is a complex mixture, due to the underlying soils. It is predominantly the threatened Swartland Shale Renosterveld as well as several other vegetation types on

612-582: The South-easter. Rivers: Paardevlei There are several conservation areas in the Helderberg region: Dick Dent Bird Sanctuary is an isolated 10-hectare (25-acre) bird sanctuary in the Lourens River Protected Natural Environment near the estuary of the Lourens River in Strand. Harmony Flats Nature Reserve is a 9-hectare (22-acre) enclave of protected land between Strand and Gordon's Bay, which protects

646-768: The Steenbras River valley. The Helderberg is a mountain of the Cape Fold Belt , east of the main range of the Hottentots Holland Mountains , and south of the Stellenbosch Mountains . The upper parts are Table Mountain Sandstone , on a base of Tygerberg formation rocks and part of the Stellenbosch granite pluton . Peaks: The Hottentots Holland Mountains are part of the Cape Fold Belt . The range forms

680-551: The endangered White Milkwood tree ( Sideroxylon inerme ) on the Cape Flats is found on this reserve. 178 plant species are recorded from the area. Animal species found here include small antelope, tortoises, porcupine, hares, mongoose and a variety of birds. Silwerboomkloof Natural Heritage Site is a small, protected valley (“kloof”), near the Helderberg Nature Reserve, conserving an isolated forest of

714-583: The farmhouse and continue to produce wines. Somerset West was founded in 1822 on part of the historic farm, Vergelegen. The town was originally named Somerset after the British governor of the Cape Colony during the 1800s, Lord Charles Somerset , with the suffix 'West' being added after 1825 to differentiate it from Somerset East , a town in the Eastern Cape. Strand was established as a holiday and fishing resort in 1714. Before being known as Strand,

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748-402: The historic Cape Dutch style by Willem Adriaan van der Stel , governor of the Cape and son of Simon van der Stel , who gave his name to the nearby town of Stellenbosch . Willem Adriaan was later sent back to Holland after being charged with corruption and cruelty towards local Dutch farmers. The farm is now owned by a subsidiary of the large mining company Anglo American , who have restored

782-745: The junction with the M153 metropolitan route (Main Road), the R44 leaves Broadway Boulevard to become Main Road towards the south-west and enter the Strand CBD. After a kilometre, the R44 becomes Gordon's Bay Drive towards the south-east to follow the False Bay coastline. The R44 heads south-east for 5 kilometres as Gordon's Bay Drive, then as Faure Marine Drive, to pass through the CBD of Gordon's Bay . It then leaves

816-646: The largest dynamite factories in South Africa , owned by the AECI group. This area is being redeveloped into a large new mixed-use urban development, Paardevlei , and current tenants include Cheetah Outreach. The mountain crossing of the Hottentots Holland range was known by the indigenous Khoi people as the Gantouw or Eland 's Pass, and was used as a stock route. The Dutch and British settlers at

850-595: The other soil types. The crown of the hill has an ancient relict remnant of Afrotemperate forest with a population of rare Breede River Yellowwood trees - stunted by the unique environment. In 2004, a conservancy was set up over the hill by the surrounding farms, which serve as curators of the area and its wildlife. R44 road (South Africa) The R44 is a provincial route in Western Cape , South Africa that connects Piketberg with Kleinmond via Wellington , Stellenbosch , Somerset West and Strand . The coastal section between Kleinmond and Gordon's Bay

884-500: The rare Silvertree ( Leucadendron argenteum ), a striking, silver-coloured tree of the Protea family , which is actually indigenous to the eastern slopes of Table Mountain , making the population at Silwerboomkloof an isolated anomaly. This 4.9-hectare (12-acre) reserve encloses a section of Boland Granite Fynbos and Renosterveld and a total of around 220 species of plant have been recorded. The Helderberg Marine Protected Area

918-651: The river water. The beach inside the MPA is the most pristine part of the north shore of False Bay. Van Riebeeck’s outriders found a fertile valley with adequate water in what they named the Tweede Rivier, (now the Lourens River), inhabited by the Khoikhoi Chief Sousoa and his family. They called the valley Hottentot’s Holland and established a company outpost there. In 1671, the Tweede Rivier

952-636: The settlement was known as Mostert's Bay. In 1970, during the Apartheid era, all black, coloured and Asian people were forcefully removed when the town was classified as a white-only resort. Included in the communities forced to leave at this time were the descendants of Cape Malay slaves, who had escaped from Cape Town over 100 years earlier. They lost their homes, but their mosque still stands. Recent expansion and development of Somerset West, Strand and Gordon's Bay has resulted in them now being adjacent to each other. Strand also used to accommodate one of

986-737: The town in a southerly direction, following the False Bay coastline for 28 kilometres to reach Pringle Bay , where it turns to the east. It follows the coast eastwards for 18 kilometres as Clarence Drive, through Betty's Bay , to pass through the town of Kleinmond as Main Road. It then heads eastwards for 12 kilometres to reach its end at a junction with the R43 road in the Hottentots Holland Mountain Catchment Area about 9 kilometres south of Botrivier . This South African road or road transport-related article

1020-510: The town of Porterville , where it turns to the south and passes through the town before heading another 35 kilometres, bypassing Saron , to reach the town of Gouda . Just after Gouda, the R44 reaches a T-junction with the R46 road and joins it to be co-signed south-west for 17 kilometres to the town of Hermon , where the R46 becomes its own road north-west while the R44 turns to the south. The R44 heads southwards for 23 kilometres to pass through

1054-633: The town of Stellenbosch , where it is joined by the R310 route to be co-signed on Adam Tas Street through the western side of the town centre, where they meet the south-eastern terminus of the R304 road . After co-signing for 2 kilometres, the R310 becomes Adam Tas Street westwards while the R44 remains heading southwards as Strand Street, crossing the Eerste River . From Stellenbosch, the R44 heads southwards for 16 kilometres, becoming Broadway Boulevard and entering

Klapmuts - Misplaced Pages Continue

1088-435: The way in which the western side of the mountain is illuminated in the evenings, and which culminates at a height of 1137 m at The Dome. The Helderberg region is the area between the watershed of the Helderberg and Hottentots Holland mountains and False Bay. The Helderberg planning district of the City of Cape Town includes subsections Macassar, Somerset West, Strand, Gordon's Bay, Sir Lowry's Pass, Stellenbosch Farms, and

1122-501: The western part of the town of Wellington , where it turns west as Champagne Street, crosses the Berg River and reaches a junction with the R45 road . The R44 continues south-south-west for 20 kilometres to cross the N1 highway and reach a junction with the R101 road (Old Paarl Road) at the town of Klapmuts . The R44 continues southwards for 15 kilometres, becoming Adam Tas Street, to enter

1156-576: Was renamed the Breitenbach River, after Lieutenant Coenraad Breitenbach, but the name did not last long, as in 1673, after Laurens Visser, the commander of the outpost, reputedly drowned in the river, it was renamed the Laurens River in his memory, and over time the spelling changed to the Lourens River. A town developed around the Lourens River and the farm of Vergelegen (Dutch: "remotely situated"), an 18th-century farmhouse built in

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