It takes less than 90 minutes from Cape Town on the R27 highway to reach Velddrif, where flocks of flamingoes and pelicans wheel around the Velddrif Bridge in welcoming you. Bring your fishing tackle and binoculars with you when you come and enjoy the best yachting, fishing and birding experiences on the West Coast. The marches of the Berg River estuary are alive with the most exciting variety of waterbirds in South Africa, from the rare little Blue Heron and Redshank to thousands of Curlew Sandpipers and Plovers. Here Otters and Water Mongoose mingle with the flocks of feeding birds on the tidal river, which is navigable for many kilometres upstream.

In these wide open spaces with their pristine sanddunes and beaches,
man feels as one with nature. In spring the surrounding veld is alive
with the Flowering treasures of the Sandveld. The nearby Rocher Pan
reserve has a freshwater lake and is home to many species of animals,
plants and birds.

The fishing waters are the heartbeat of the environment. Fishing boats
and yachts use the safe harbour entrance to sail into fishing paradise
of St Helena Bay. At sunset the boats return heavily laden with their
catch of the day and if one has not caught one's own fish, now is the
time to buy a fish for the coals.

Fishing is the chief industry of the area and fish is canned or made
into fishmeal in local factories which can be visited. On the banks
of the Berg River bokkoms are still prepared and hung up to dry as
in the old days. Salt is also a local industry and the Cerebos
factory will organise a tour of their works.