From "Tourists
Guide to Greater Mossel Bay"
Enthusiasts
from all over the world come here to see in real life locomotives they've
only read and dreamed about HISTORICAL WRECK SITES
The
greater Mossel Bay area has a well deserved reputation among the thousands of
holiday makers who frequent these areas every year. No wonder
Mossel Bay was voted the second most popular holiday town in South Africa!
Halfway between
Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and right in the middle of the famous 'Garden
Route' of South Africa, nestles the seaside town of Mossel Bay. A bustling
holiday resort in summer and the ideal retreat in winter, it is situated on
a spectacular sun washed peninsula embraced by the warm Indian Ocean.
Dias did not complete the
journey to India as he had to turn back at the fish river to avoid mutiny.
When he rounded the Cape on his way back, he called it the Cape of Good Hope.
HISTORY
After being blown around the Southern tip of Africa, Bartolomeu Dias, in search
of a route to India, became the first seafarer from Europe to round the Cape
and sailed into Mossel Bay on 3 February 1488, 165 years before the Dutch settlement
in Cape Town.
In
1500 a Portuguese fleet, en route to India, was almost completely destroyed
in a storm. The remaining ships sought shelter in Mossel Bay, and spent some
time here. One of the sailors left a letter in a sailors boot which he hung
in a very big milkwood tree. The letter was found in 1501 by a crew member of
another ship, who took it to his family back home. This tree became the first
post office in Southern Africa, and is there to this day. The tree is an estimated
800 years old, and a mere 200 meters from where the Santos Express is today.
WHERE
DID MOSSEL BAY GET IT'S NAME FROM ?
In 1601 the Dutch captain Caerden named it Mossel Bay, after they could only
find mussels when actually looking to replenish their meat supplies. Mossel
Bay is famous for it's seafood to this day.
CLIMATE
:
According to the Guinness Book of Records, this 'Karoo-by-the-sea' town has
the second most moderate climate in the world, and has the only north facing
beach in South Africa. The sea temperature in summertime is 20 to 22 degrees
C, and in the winter 14 to 16 degrees C. The average temperatures for September
- May is 21 to 28 degrees C, and May to Sept. is 16 to 21 degrees C
EARLY
INHABITANTS :
The Khoi-san people lived in the area for hundreds of years, and in a cave many
artifacts have been discovered that date back 80,000 years and more. They even
discovered a vase of Eastern origin under 2 meters of guano !.
THE
OCEAN AND IT'S INHABITANTS :
From right in front of the Santos Express one can watch dolphins, seals and
whales at play. Seal Island is home to a large colony of seals and their cubs,
while
scuba
diving at Santos Beach opens a colorful and astonishing underwater wonder world.
Mossel Bay is also famous for marlin, sole, mussels and oysters.
STEAM
LOCOMOTIVES : The history of steam trains in South Africa is closely linked
to Mossel Bay, and it is therefor no wonder that Mossel Bay has become the biggest
centre for restoring steam locomotives of all classes in the South African rail
network.
The
history of Mossel Bay is closely linked to maritime activities. The site of
the PHILIA and other wrecks (there are 45 wrecks in the area !) was identified
for an underwater museum because of easy accessibility.
