One of the reasons for choosing Morukuru Ocean House or Morukuru Beach Lodge is that there is so much to do ...or not. From mountain biking; bird watching to walking; relaxing at the pool to catching up with a great book. We don’t suggest you do anything … except consider all the options and choose one which offers you the most amount of fun. (The Great Outdoors) ( Marine Walk Blog).
For guests wanting to explore the region – let our team plan a day trip out of the reserve - taking in Struisbaai, Cape Agulhas and the Black Oystercatcher Winery. The Overberg is packed with loads of local attractions - so if you summon up the energy and inclination to explore the region, our knowledgeable staff can put together an itinerary accommodating your wish list.
We took a leisurely hour and a half drive to Struisbaai, which out-of-season, is the perfect, quiet, seaside hamlet. We were keen to experience some up close whale watching and decided on a private whale watching charter. (Whale Watching) The boat had a capacity for 10 passengers and we were out on the clear, turquoise water for about an hour. Struisbaai is an excellent location to spot Southern Right Whales and our qualified marine guide told us also to look out for Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals, African Penguins and Sharks. Being out on the ocean is a great opportunity to get in some bird watching - this area is rich in marine birds and we had some wonderful sightings. (Bird of the Year - Black Oystercatcher ).Getting so close to the whales is a completely different experience to land based viewing and the brilliant hospitality offered by out hosts made our boat trip just fantastic!
Back on land we discovered that Struisbaai harbour has a busy little harbour and home to an unusual attraction, Parrie the Stingray! Initially lured to Struisbaai harbour because of the scraps thrown overboard by fisherman, Parrie has become a regular at his sunny spot and can be approached and fed. We bought a couple of pilchards and tracked down this unique mascot. He is practically tame and very friendly and happily ate our treats...but watch out for that swaying tail!
Image sourced
Next we took a short 10 km scenic drive to Cape Agulhas - taking in on one side the wild and rugged coast and inland the yellow glow of the late-blooming Canola fields. (Fields of Gold) This is the Southernmost tip of Africa and the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and is marked with a small stone monument and plaque. A not-to-be-missed souvenir photo for your album! Another interesting attraction is the Agulhas Lighthouse which is the second-oldest working lighthouse in South Africa and as such was declared a National Monument in 1973.
We had now worked up a serious appetite and decided on lunch at the Black OysterCatcher Wine Farm which is situated between the small towns of Elim, Bredasdorp and L’Agulhas. Here visitors can enjoy wine and craft beer tastings as well as a lovely, contemporary restaurant serving fresh, seasonal, produce grown in their own vegetable gardens. We tucked into a lovely lunch surrounded by the relaxed country atmosphere and of course a couple of glasses of the boutique wines, which complimented our menu selections perfectly!
