Just inland from Dwarskersbos and near the Cape West Coast communities of Redelingshuys, Picketberg, Eendekuil, and Goedverwacht, Aurora is one of those tiny, unnoticed places.
Aurora, Cape West Coast is a quiet, inconspicuous town with a very attractive church at its centre. On Friday afternoons, people gather here under a plentiful and shady tree to observe the arrivals and departures of local café patrons and tourists.
Aurora, a typical Sandveld community with residents who are, at least on the surface, full of character and uncomplicated, is located at the base of the western flank of the Piketberg mountains. However, the town’s image as a great place to retire or get away from the grind has caught up with it, and properties here now compete with those in neighbouring seaside villages near Cape Town. As a result, the village’s periphery contains a few newer, slightly more extravagant homes than those that are situated on its main grid.
The town has a fascinating history and was named after Ceylonia Aurora Perreira, the first Dutch Reformed preacher to serve in the region (thus the size of the church). The French astronomer and geodesist Abbé Nicolas de le Caille established an observatory here, and his observations led to the conclusion that the world was pear-shaped. For decades, astronomers struggled to refute this conclusion.
But tourists flock here for the simplicity, the amazing night skies, the blooming flowers, and Helmut Wokalek, an Austrian who came for a visit and never left and now (alone) owns a restaurant so well-known that Capetonians will go outside of the city for a dinner.
Things To Do In Aurora, Cape West Coast
Bird Island Nature Reserve
Numerous cormorants and penguins find refuge on Bird Island, and Cape fur seals can still be seen basking on the rocks on the island’s seaward side. This noisy and, on the surface, disorderly group of birds has an important breeding and roosting area in the three-hectare Bird Island Nature Reserve, which also doubles as a noteworthy tourist destination and a venue for environmental education.
One of only six places in the world where Cape gannets breed is Bird Island. Additionally, it is the only breeding location that the general public has such easy access to; yet, the breakwater has also made domestic cats more accessible to prime prey, particularly the chicks and eggs.
A beautiful contemporary bird hide on Bird Island has turned the island into a kind of outdoor classroom for learning about the lives of these birds. Between April and September, one may quietly observe the gannet’s distinctive mating dances and the astounding vocalizations of thousands of these birds on their eggs.
Darling Wine Route
With her own wine route and five wine cellars that all benefit from the cold Atlantic Ocean winds, Darling is now a designated wine region.
Despite being historically a part of the Swartland, Darling is now a designated wine region with its own wine route, five wine cellars, and cool ocean breezes that help all of the vineyards produce outstanding wines with concentrated flavour, depth, and intensity.
One of the most picturesque regions in South Africa is without a doubt the Cape West Coast, which has recently gained recognition as a viticultural region with considerable promise. Only an hour’s drive separates Darling from Cape Town, making it simple to explore the cellars in a single day.