TAVERN OF THE SEAS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20109, 16 May 1935, Page 7

TAVERN OF THE SEAS

CHARM OF CAPETOWN

EXPERIENCES OF PRESS DELEGATES

It was the good fortune of the Australian and New Zealand delegates to the Fifth Imperial Press Conference in Southern Africa to approach Capetown just as dusk was falling and, with Table Mountain on the horizon, to see the lights of the city and suburbs suddenly switched on, thus presenting as near an approach to fairj'land as one could imagine. With the hills rising abruptly from the sea coast and the terraced streets running parallel with the shore—brilliantly illuminated —the scene presented was one never to be forgotten. Travellers to other lands expressed the opinion that possibly, next to New York’s approach, this was one of the finest sights they had seen. Capetown foreshore lighting is thus deservedly renowned, and is best described by the name under which it is known—- " The Golden Necklace.” Thus expressions of the utmost delight escaped the lips of the delegates as their vessel steamed mile after mile past this fascinating and glittering wonderland to the dockyards, from which they were disembarked the next day.

The “Table-Cloth” All were astir fairly early, and the first sight to meet their eyes was the overshadowing massive mulk of Table Mountain, rearing itself 3582 feet, its summit wreathed in mist—the “tablecloth," they call it—while around its base clustered the red-roofed houses of the garden suburbs to the east and west. Soon ashore, after a hearty welcome from confreres of the Press of Capetown, the visitors went to the ll.tel Mount Nelson, where they stayed for five days awaiting the arrival of the English, Canadian, Indian and Straits Settlements delegates. They thus had five days of sight-seeing before their fellow-dele-gates reached Capetown, and had many varied and remarkably interesting experiences in what is one of the oldest cities of the Empire, since it was founded by Johan van Riebeck for the Duch East India Company as long ago as 1652. It is thus steeped in both romance and history. It is well named the “Tavern of the Seas,” for it has played its part in the early approaches to India and the East, and for a hundred years in the development of Southern Africa. To-day it is the legislative capital of the Union, a great port of call on the world’s great trade routes, a modem city in every way, and is the centre of a chain of pleasure and health resorts stretching from the cool Atlantic western seaboard to the east of the Peninsula, with its beaches washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

On the Aerial Cableway The Australians and New Zealanders thus very soon lost their hearts to Capetown, and regarded it as one of the most beautiful places visited on their seven weeks’ tour. The weather was Summer-like; there had been no rain for five months, so a part of each day was spent in the surf at Muizenberg and elsewhere. A fascinating experience was the journey to the top of Table Mountain in the aerial cableway, which enabled the visitors to reach the summit in about 20 minutes. Here they enjoyed a magnificent panoramic view, and the sensation of going up the cable was only eclipsed by that on the journey down. With about a dozen persons in the small cage, suspended on a wire rope high above the mountain side, they felt resigned to whatever fate lay in store, but the service is efficiently equipped, and is well run, and there was really no need for any fear. Motor tours, visits to the Union Parliament, where one heard in the debates speeches delivered both in English and Afrikaans, visits to Dutch homes, and the enjoyment of unbounded hospitality, made the days pass all too soon, and, with the arrival of the remainder of the delegates, all took up their quarters in the Capetown University, a palatial building set in most picturesque surroundings. It was here, also, that the meetings of the Imperial Press Union were held. Romantic Atmosphere Capetown is rightly called the mother city of South Africa. There is ever present the romantic atmosphere of the past to add colour and interest to the present, but Capetown has not remained buried in the past. Her industries are modern and thriving, she is the first port of call on the South African coast, and a large distributing centre for the entire sub-

continent. Her harbour works are extensive. and, to meet increased trade, are being duplicated and offer safe anchorage to ships from every port of the world. Everywhere, on the motor tours on which the delegates were conducted, they saw rich vineyards, the output of which, it is claimed, is more abundant than that of the European wine countries. Here the pressmen were ntroduced to Dutch winegrowers, and enjoyed friendship and hospitality in the stately old Dutch homes, which made attractive pictures set midst the miles of vines stretching across the countryside. Magnificent motoring roads radiated in all directions across the Peninsula, which is itself encircled by the famous Marine Drive, hewn by convict labour out of the solid rock of the mountainside. Visits were paid to the Constantia wine valley, the Cecil Rhodes memorial, the stately Groot Constantia, built by Simon van der Stel, and the more modern structure of Groot Schurr, bequeathed by Cecil Rhodes to be the home of the Prime Mnster of the Union.

Sir George Grey's Statue Capetown’s population to-day is 281,667, of which the Europeans number 150,914, the other races totalling 130,753. The central portion of the city is an amphitheatre, which extends round the shores of Table Bay to the north-east and is backed on the other sides by the precipitous face of Table Mountain and its outlying masses, Devil’s Peak on the east and Lion’s Head on the west. The Houses of Parliament, the Castle, dating back to 1666, the Malay Mosque, the Koop-mans-de Wet collection of early colonial furniture, were all visited in turn, and offered never-ending attractions to the overseas pressmen. In the Botanical Gardens, the New Zealanders were interested to see the magnificent statue of the late Sir George Grey, former Governor and Premier of New Zealand and at one time Governor of Cape Colony. Everywhere In South Africa the statues of former great men are outstandingly impressve, particularly those of Rhodes, in the Capetown Botanical Gardens and in Rhodesia. Though the time was all too short, the delegates saw practically everything of interest in Capetown. They enjoyed remarkable hospitality from its citizens, and their first glimpse of this great Dominion was thoroughly and favourably impressive. With people of many races, truly cosmopolitan in character, intent both on business as well as pleasure, the Press delegates found themselves amongst an agreeable and charming people, reflecting what awaited them in the weeks that were to follow—the open hand of friendship and goodwill on every side. A ten-day’s stay at Capetown, and their route lay through Kimberley and Mafeking, and Bechuanaland Protectorate to the Rhodesias.