Year 3 -28 July 2026 – Trip out of Cape Town -South Africa
We woke quite early and had breakfast at the hotel as I was meeting the car hire man at 9.00am outside the hotel. The wind had been howling in the night and we could hear it outside our window and it was still blowing but at lesser strength.
I met the car hire man and the car was an old Renault Clio which had 175,000 odd miles on the clock. As long as it gets us from A-B then it is fine. Once we got the car we left it in the car park and headed over to Stormbird where we met Chris Bock and they were starting to take the mast apart. When I spoke to him last night he said we could keep the boat there. He said it was possible but there was a boat on the hard which wanted to spray paint their deck and so they wanted us to move as Stormbird could be effected by the paint spray. Alex, Chris and I then took Stormbird back to the marina and in a way I feel it is better it is in the marina.
Once it was settled we went back to the hotel, checked out, and then got in the car and headed out on the road out of Cape Town. We headed out on the dual carriageway which took us most of the way to Stellenbosch a major wine area.
Alex had wanted to go to Babylonstoren, a hotel and winery near Stellenbosch.
Babylonstoren is a wine estate in the Drakenstein Valley in the Cape Winelands, South Africa. As one of the oldest Cape Dutch houses in South Africa, the estate is a popular tourist attraction, particularly because of its garden, designed by Patrice Taravella, inspired by the historic Company's Garden in Cape Town, and was described as "the Versailles of vegetable gardens" by the Sunday Times. The estate was founded in 1692 and has been owned by billionaire Koos Bekker and his wife Karen Roos since 2007. Monty Don has been here and it featured in one of his programmes.
We arrived and there was real fire in reception which gave a nice smoky smell. We were too early to check in so we had some lunch in the Greenhouse. There are enormous gardens here all laid out in rows an orderly ranks.
Once we had lunch we drove off to the Morganhof Estate. We are in the heart of the wine area here and as you drive there are wineries each side of the road with a beautiful mountain backdrop framing it.
I wanted to take Alex there as I had tasted the wines as the Royal Cape Town Yacht Club and had bought some of the Cabernet Sauvignon.
For over three centuries, Morganhof has stood at the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands. Founded in 1692, the estate reflects a legacy shaped by the land, the vine, and generations of thoughtful stewardship. Today, Morgenhof continues to evolve with renewed intention, honouring its Cape Dutch heritage while embracing a fresh vision for wine, hospitality, and life on the estate.
We got to the estate and they were closed for tasting but I mentioned that I had met Cameron at the Royal Cape Town Yacht Club and he came out to see us. He said he would arrange a tasting for us.
We tasted 4 whites and 4 reds including the Cabernet Sauvignon. This was very enjoyable and Alex approved of the Cabernet Sauvignon and really liked it. We bought a few more bottles.
We returned to the hotel and then went to the pool and spa area to relax. This was some luxury which I have not had for a while.
Once showered we walked around some of the gardens before the sun finally went down. They are very extensive and there are many fruits and vegetables and it is very impressive.
We had supper in the Old Bakery which was an Italian Evening and the food was delicious. They have water buffalo on this estate and they make cheese from their milk and mozzarella.
We will visit the Waterford Winery tomorrow.
The picture of the day is of Alex and I wine tasting at Morganhof.
Need/Opportunity Year Three
I am now on the way to Durban and will then head for Cape Town and then on to St Helena, Azores and back to the UK.
The blog will continue as we continue the journey. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog then do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com