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South African (Off-Topic) Quiz


DamhuisClan

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Table Bay

 

Originally called the the watering place of Saldanha - Antonio de Saldanha, a Portuguese admiral anchored his fleet in 1503. First recorded ascent of Table Mountain, the Portugese shunned it as they lost some men to the locals there, the British only described the bay and the Dutch gave it the name Tafelbaai.

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Brittania Bay?

 

Britannia Bay was named after an British ship named Britannia that struck the notorious Britannia Reef, which lies about 3 miles west of the present day Britannia Bay, on the 22 October 1826 - so long after the one I am looking for - but must say you are persistent Carbon Hunter!

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Cape point? Or Gordon's Bay?

 

Gordon's Bay Named for Col Robert Gordon the Dutch garrison comander in 1795 - he committed suicide after Britain took over the Cape in that year - the town used to be called Vischhoek, but was changed to avoid confusion with the one across the bay!

 

Also not Cape Point - I guess it would originally have been called Kaappunt

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Chapmans Peak?

 

Well done Wazat - John Chapman was the Ship's Mate of the British ship "Consent" who, in a small boat, landed ashore on what we know today as Hout Bay's beach, on the 27th July 1607. He quickly established that the Bay was in fact a safe anchorage and that fresh water was available, but probably little else.

It was dusk and he had to return to his becalmed ship lying off the majestic cliff we know today as the Sentinel. What he did not know was that he had stumbled across a "Garden of Eden" which even to this day ranks as one of the most beautiful bays on Earth.

The subsequent charts described the Bay as "Chapman's Chaunce" and it was only after Jan van Riebeeck's arrival from Holland, some 50 yrs later , that it became known as Hout Baeitjen and eventually Hout Bay. However, the name "Chapman" has remained to this day associated with the imposing mountain we now know as Chapmans Peak.

 

sorry looked at Discombob's answer first, but you were correct!

 

You have the floor

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The oldest bridge still in use in SA?

 

In a way yes. But i will give it to you. It is the oldest "stone" bridge in South Africa still in use today. Yep there is also a cache at the bridge and it seems to be a tough little cache to find too. Cincol the floor is all yours.

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rooibos tea?

 

Yebo Gogo - well done!! Rooibos tea - our very own indigineous tea unique to the Cedarberg. :blink:

 

It will be interesting to have some more information on this. I know it is grown around that area, but what is the extent of the area that it grows natuarally?

 

This question is slightly misleading. A quick look at Oziexplorer 1:250000 maps shows "Cederberg" to be the mountainous area that most of us recognise as the place folks go hiking in - roughly the mountains to the right as you drive from Citrusdal to Clanwilliam. The tea is also grown towards the left of that road, though. Apologies if it sounds as if I'm nitpicking - just adding to the discussion.

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rooibos tea?

 

Yebo Gogo - well done!! Rooibos tea - our very own indigineous tea unique to the Cedarberg. :blink:

 

It will be interesting to have some more information on this. I know it is grown around that area, but what is the extent of the area that it grows natuarally?

 

This question is slightly misleading. A quick look at Oziexplorer 1:250000 maps shows "Cederberg" to be the mountainous area that most of us recognise as the place folks go hiking in - roughly the mountains to the right as you drive from Citrusdal to Clanwilliam. The tea is also grown towards the left of that road, though. Apologies if it sounds as if I'm nitpicking - just adding to the discussion.

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I know he measured the first South African arc of the meridian......

 

Well done GlobalRat - his conclusion was that the world was pear shaped, but this was due to a miscalculation of I believe the influence of the massive mountains on his measurement. It was finally proved round by Thomas Maclear (the highest point of Table Mountain has a beacon named after him). There is a cache near the northern end of La Caille's line near Aurora (GCRP1N)

 

So over to you.......

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