All language subtitles for The.World.From.Above.S09E06.South.Africa.Stellenbosch.to.Mosel.Bay.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-alfaHD_track3_[eng]

(wind blustering)

(uplifting music)

(uplifting orchestral music)

- Our journey
begins at Stellenbosch,

in the heart of the
Cape Wineland District.

From here, we explore several vineyards

before heading south to
the coast at Hermanus,

one of the best places to see right whales

during the mating season.

At L'Agulhas, we find
the southernmost point

of the African peninsula.

Along the coast at Pinnacle Point,

are caves where early man once
lived thousands of years ago.

We then follow the dramatic coastline,

as rolling waves batter
the shore, to Mossel Bay

and its impressive lighthouse.

One of the most beautiful
beaches can be found at Noetzie,

along with some interesting
castle-like houses.

Our journey ends at Robberg Peninsula,

a very popular place to walk, swim,

and perhaps glimpse the seal colony,

also enjoying the peninsula.

Stellenbosch is the second
oldest European settlement

in the Cape District after Cape Town.

The name translates as Stel's bush,

after the founder, Simon
van der Stel in 1679.

Within 10 years, Huguenot refugees

had settled in the area, and
had started to grow grapes.

Today, Stellenbosch is the center

of the South African wine industry,

and its university even has a
degree course in viticulture.

The region has a Mediterranean climate,

with hot, dry summers,
and cool, wet winters,

ideal for growing vines.

And the Cape Fold mountain
range provides soils

favorable to wine making.

(upbeat African music)

Rustenberg Winery has a history
going back to the 1680s,

though the estate has
changed hands several times.

By the late 18th century around 3000 cases

were being produced.

Which by the early 19th
century had been doubled.

Today the winery is run
by the Barlow family

who have been producing
a variety of wines here

for the last 70 years.

Perhaps the best known winery
in the region is Boschendal.

Which also has a history
from the late 17th century.

The beautiful Dutch inspired
design of the estate owners

house, which is typical of
the region, was built in 1812.

In the late 19th century
much of the area suffered

a catastrophic vine disease

that almost destroyed the industry.

And it would be decades
before the newly imported

American vine stock would take hold.

In 1897, Boschendal along
with 20 other farms,

was bought by Cecil Rhodes
after he was forced to resign

as Prime Minister of the Cape colony.

He transformed his land into fruit farms.

Introducing modern methods of pruning,

grafting, and irrigation.

They planted 200,000
deciduous fruit trees,

pears, apricots, plums, and peaches.

Along with new refrigerated
ships, his fruit could now

be exported worldwide.

As the new vine stock gradually took hold,

the winery slowly began to
produce top quality wines again.

Today, the winery is a
major tourist attraction.

Where people can taste the
wines and tour the estates

manor houses and gardens.

(chamber music)

Sir Herbert Baker, who
was the architect of many

of the great government
buildings in South Africa,

including the parliament
buildings in the capital Pretoria,

also designed a more humble
cottage for Cecil Rhodes,

under the Simonsburg Mountain at the end

of this connecting avenue
from his Boschendal estate.

It was designed to be a
simple country retreat.

It has recently being
restored and is now available

for visitors to rent.

Rhodes cottage is a South
African National Heritage site.

(chamber music)

Close by is the Bellingham
winery, which was bought

by the Podlashuk family
as a near derelict estate

during the second world war in 1943.

They then enlisted fourteen
Italian prisoners of war

who had experience of both
farming and vine growing

to replant the vineyard.

Bellingham produced the Cape
regions first Rosé in 1949.

And have been producing
fine wines ever since.

We now head north
towards the town of Paarl

and the Taal monument,
commemorating the Afrikaans language

which had influences from Dutch,
Malay, Portuguese, French,

German, as well as indigenous Khoi

and other African languages.

The monument was completed
in 1975, fifty years

after Afrikaans replaced Dutch

as a South African official language.

The town of Paarl, was begun
shortly after Stellenbosch

in the 17th century.

But its real claim to a place in history,

is that it was here in
1990 that Nelson Mandela

walked to freedom.

From what was then called
the Victor Verster prison

ending 27 years of imprisonment.

Paarl is another center
of the wine industry

and is surrounded by well-tended vineyards

producing a variety of different wines.

Many of them go back to
the late 17th century

with the state houses
from those early days.

(classical music)

The third center of Cape
wine making is at the end

of this valley, Franschhoek.

The name means French corner in Afrikaans.

As the area was settled
by French Huguenots.

Some of the families became
successful wine makers,

and the town grew in prosperity.

Today it's famed for having
some of the top restaurants

in the country and is now often described

as the food and wine
capital of South Africa.

There is a monument to
the cultural influences

that the Huguenots brought to the area

during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The monument was completed in 1945.

The three high arches
symbolize the Holy Trinity,

the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It confirms their Protestant
faith after their persecution

and banishment from Catholic France.

Inscribed on the monument
is the Protestant motto

"After darkness, light."

(classical music)

With dramatic clouds building over

the Drakenstein mountains
along with high winds,

it's safer to go around
them as we head south

towards the coast.

South Africa has always had a love of golf

and can boast a whole host of
world class course resorts,

such as here at the
Arabella Country Estate.

The resort lies between
the Palmiet mountain range

and the Bot River Lagoon.

South Africa has produced
world class golfers

from Bobby Locke to Ernie Els and perhaps

the greatest of all, Gary Player.

One of the glories of South
Africa is its coastline

which stretches for an enormous

2,500 kilometers.

Onrus, in the town of Onrusrivier
translates as restless,

referring to the pounding
surf on the rocky coast.

As our journey follows this
varied and dramatic shoreline.

(gentle music)

From around the world
visitors come to the town

of Hermanus to see the right whales.

Back in the 19th century
when whales were spotted,

the boats were put to sea
and the killing would begin.

Today when whales are
spotted, it's cameras

that shoot the whales.

From the shore it's
possible to see right whales

from June through to
December, as they arrive

to calve in the shelter of the bay.

These huge barnacled
creatures often with calves

could be seen close to
the shore quietly drifting

with the tide.

Though out at sea, they
can be seen breeching,

an action that is still
not truly understood.

By talking, playing, or
just scratching an itch,

whatever the answer it's
a truly dramatic sight.

This is the majestic beach in
the Walker Bay Nature Reserve,

which has a 24 kilometer hiking
trail along its shoreline.

(gentle piano music)

It ends at the De Kelders caves.

Formed millions of years ago
through the erosive action

of underwater streams
and much later opened up

along the coastal cliffs
by rising sea levels

and pounding waves forming huge caves.

These would become the home
of the late stone age people

known as the Khoikhoi.

Excavations in 1969 revealed
2,000 year old pottery,

stone, and bone artifacts
and the remains of shellfish,

fish, and other animals that the

Khoikhoi bushman had discarded.

The Khoikhoi or people-people
are an historical division

of the Khoisan ethnic group,

the native people of Southwestern Africa.

The Agulhas National Park
is a windswept, ruggedly

beautiful coastal plain at the
southernmost tip of Africa.

With it's rich, cultural,
and natural heritage,

it was proclaimed a national park in 1999,

due to it's huge
biodiversity with many plants

unique to this location.

The area is also known
as the Cape of Storms,

because over the centuries
many ships were wrecked

on these rocky shores as
early explorers braved

one of the most dangerous
sea crossings of the age,

and the meeting of two seas.

(gentle music)

These people are standing at
the southernmost tip of Africa

and the official meeting
point of the Atlantic

and Indian Oceans.

(gentle music)

Nearby is the Agulhas
lighthouse, the second oldest

lighthouse in South Africa.

It was built in 1848 to
aid the early explorers

on their passage through the
rough seas of Cape Agulhas.

71 steps lead up to the lantern.

Stone mined from the
adjacent limestone quarry

provided the raw materials
for its construction.

The lighthouse is no longer
in use but it does house

a unique lighthouse museum,
as well as stunning views.

(seagulls squawking)
(gentle music)

The coastline is endlessly varied as we go

from a rocky shoreline to pristine beaches

backed by sand dunes.

This is the De Mond
Nature Reserve which is at

the mouth of the Heuningnes River.

It is an area for bird watching
as well as great hiking

through the various trails
across the shifting sand dunes.

(gentle music)

Where the Duiwenhoks River meets the sea

is a cliff side hideaway known as Puntjie.

It is known only to those who stay here.

You won't find it on a map and
it's not on travel brochures

or tourist routes.

To have a house here, you
need to have had a history

in the area.

Houses often remain in the
same family for decades,

consequently there is a long waiting list.

The truss style houses have no walls,

there is no electricity,

and the latrine is in its
own thatched building.

(gentle acoustic guitar music)

But what Puntjie does have
is nature at its finest,

and absolute peace and
quiet from the modern world.

Except that is for the thunderous noise

of the breaking waves as
they pound the sandy shore.

(waves crashing)

On this stretch of coast
they can reach heights

of well over 15 meters,
making it ideal conditions

for skilled surfers.

(waves crashing)

High winds were the reason that in 1601

the Dutch explorer Hollis Van Carden

was forced to seek refuge in
a sheltered bay to the east.

He was pleased to discover
that local Khoi people

were willing to trade
their well-fed livestock

for scrap metal and other fancy
Western articles and goods.

He then named the place Vleis
Bay, the old Dutch word.

Directly translated into
English this means Bay of Meat.

Today, the town is a
seaside vacation destination

with most houses used as holiday retreats.

It's also on a very popular walking trail

known as the Oyster Catcher hiking trail

which takes visitors
along some of the finest

stretches of the coastline,
including Fransmanshoek Point

jutting out into the Southern Ocean.

It's a beautiful and
unspoiled part of the coast.

Fransmanshoek translates
as Frenchman's corner

and named after the French ship La Fortune

which was stranded on
the rocks here in 1763.

The peninsula is a
protected nature conservancy

and well known for its unusual sharp edged

orange rock formations.

(gentle music)

Back in the bay, great sand dunes pile up

along the Oyster Catcher
hiking trail giving walkers

a great view out to sea.

And from the top of the
dunes it's also a good place

to spot right whales as well as dolphins.

Heading east along the
coast is Pinnacle Point,

close to the town of Mossel Bay.

And on the headland is
one of South Africa's

newest golf resorts.

It was constructed in
2006 and was declared

one of the top 10 new
courses in the world.

Darren Clarke, the 2011 open
champion, described the course

as, "The best golf course on the planet."

Apart from the golf,
the breathtaking scenery

over the cliffs could inspire
you to take up the game.

Though a bad shot could
land your ball in the sea.

The resort also offers the
very rich luxurious villas

with views across the
links and out to sea.

(string music)

But how many golfers realize
that underneath their feet

homo sapiens may well have
first evolved in Africa

thousands of years ago.

These caves have revealed
occupation by stone age people.

After debating for decades,
paleoanthropologists now agree

there is enough genetic and
fossil evidence to suggest

that homo sapiens evolved in Africa

around 180,000 years ago.

And at that time, much of
the world was in an ice age,

and Africa was dry and arid.

As archeological sites dating
to that time period are rare

in Africa, scientists analyze
geological formations,

sea currents, and climate
data to pinpoint likely

archeological sites, one
of them was Pinnacle Point.

Back in the days of
fully manned lighthouses,

one of the best postings in
South Africa was to be assigned

the light keeper of the
Capes St. Blaize lighthouse.

Because it stands right next
to the bustling seaside town

of Mossel Bay and not in some remote place

miles from anywhere.

It was completed in March 1864,
and up until the late 1970's

the lens turned on a
clockwork system, which meant

that a light keeper had to climb the tower

and wind it up every three hours.

Today it's open to the public,

and the view from the
lighthouse tower of the cliffs

and ocean are spectacular
and well worth the climb.

Many of the workings of
the lighthouse are now

fully automated but there still remains

a senior light keeper and
two assistants who help

with radio watches and
meteorological duties.

Across Mossel Bay is George Airport

and a very convenient place
for us to land and refuel.

It was built in 1977 to
service the growing popularity

of the area and the increasing
number of holiday makers.

In 2003, the airport
served 154,000 passengers.

And 10 years later, the figure
had risen to nearly 570,000.

(upbeat classical music)

Taking off to the north
towards the Outeniqua Mountains

we come across another
helicopter, though this one

is somewhat larger.

This is a Kamov Ka-27,
developed for the Russian Navy

for ferrying and anti-submarine warfare.

Design work began in 1969
and the first prototype

flew in 1973.

Like other Kamov military
helicopters, it has coaxial rotors

meaning two layers of rotor blades

spinning in opposite directions
which removes the need

for a tail rotor.

The Ka-27 has also been certified
for commercial operations

throughout the world and is
chiefly used for construction

purposes as it has a high lifting capacity

due to its powerful engines.

(upbeat classical music)

Over these hills is the river
Kaaimans, and at the mouth

is the railway bridge.

The wonderfully named
Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Heritage

steam trains ran across here until 2010

when the line became uneconomic.

We are now joining the Garden
Route which is a stretch

of the southeastern coast
which extends from Mossel Bay,

in the Western Cape, to Storms
River in the Eastern Cape.

The name comes from the abundant
and ecologically diverse

vegetation encountered here.

The route has an oceanic climate
with mild to warm summers

and mild to cool winters.

It's said that it has the
second mildest climate

in the world after Hawaii.

Temperatures rarely fall
below 10 degrees Centigrade

in winter and seldom climb
beyond 28 degrees in the summer.

This makes it a very
attractive place to live,

or have a holiday house
with many expensive homes

overlooking the sea.

This is the Noetzie
River as it gently winds

its way to the sea through lush

and pristine natural forest.

Aware of its beauty the
local residents applied

to have the area made into
a conservancy in order

to protect it from further development.

They won, and in 1999, on
the eve of the millennium,

Noetzie was officially protected.

(African choral music)

The river empties into the
thunderous sea across golden sand

overlooked by a series of, castles.

Which are not as some think,
the ancient haunts of pirates

but built in the 1930's.

The story goes that the
owner had no intention

of building a castle but
simply used the local stone

for practical reasons until
a friend jokingly suggested

that he add a few turrets
and turn it into a castle.

So he did.

Other buildings copied the style

and today there are five
castles which are a mixture

of private homes and luxury hotels.

(African choral music)

(dramatic music)

The coastline of the garden
route is one of the main

tourist attractions in South Africa.

However, most of them will
never see it like this.

Our unique view from a
helicopter gives us the feeling

of seeing it through the eyes of a bird,

as we swoop low, past the
rugged and dramatic coastline.

(tribal music)

Over thousands of years the
sea has carved out caves

and in some places
spectacular rock arches.

(tribal music)

We now come to our final
location, the Robberg Peninsula.

It's situated on the east
side of Plettenberg Bay

and is not only a nature reserve

but also a national monument
and world heritage site.

Rocks from this region date
back over 200 million years

and there is later evidence
of stone age habitation

found in a few of the
caves along the peninsula.

For today's visitors,
there are stunning views,

fantastic hiking and swimming
from the sandy beaches.

The Robberg Peninsula is home

to a large cape fur seal colony.

Which can often be seen in
the surf off Robberg Beach.

Though they prefer to live
on rock ledges and reefs.

They are the largest and
most robust of all types

of fur seals.

They have a large and broad
head with a pointed snout.

They have external ear
flaps and their whiskers

are long, especially in
adult males and can be found

right around the South African coast.

Their main predator is
the great white shark

and they too can be spotted out at sea

like patient visitors on the headland.

They may also glimpse
Southern right whales,

orca killer whales, and
three species of dolphins.

Robberg Peninsula is one
of the many highlights

of the Garden Route, where
people can get a true experience

of the natural world and a
great place to end this journey.

(uplifting music)

(whoosh)

(whoosh)

(whoosh)

(whoosh)