 A bit of history
Wellington is a picturesque olde world villiage in the heart of the Boland a short distance outside the urban sprawl of Cape Town and her suburbs.
It is located in a valley at the foot of the Groenberg, nearly surrounded by mountains. At the time of writing this the peaks of Sneeukop (Snow head), are covered in white snow, and the sun hangs like a copper coin in the sky. It is realy easy to get poetic over the green beauty of this place The town has been in existance for over 300 years, which makes it one of the oldest in the country. In the 1700's it was known as the Wagenmakers Valei (Valley of the wagon makers) and it is from here that all expansion into the rest of South Africa, set of. The house of early voortrekker, Piet Retief is still in existance in Church street, the main commercial hub of the villiage. Wellington was also insturmental in the early education of South Africa as the first teachers colleges and schools of theology were here. The town gains a vibrant energy from the presence of all the students we are hosting till this day. A visit to the musuem in Church street is recommended, the even have some authentic egyptian artifacts... Small Town, big thinkers
It also was the home of the biggest piano factory in the southern hemisphere, which is a big claim for such a small town. Sadly as times have changed, and the demand for pianos reduced, the factory was changed into residential appartments, but the designers went to great pains to ensure it retains as much of its old caracter as possible. We are aslo home to SAD Dried fruit, and the old Western tanning leather tannery.  Location
Wellington, quite accessible to Cape Town International Airport, is conveniently central to many places of interest across all points of the compass. There are five dramatic and scenic mountain passes nearby. All the Cape's various wine and brandy routes, not to mention the fruit routes, are an easy day trip. Spring sees the grand displays of wild flowers of the Cape West Coast, a pleasant few hours journey by car. The sophisticated delights of Cape Town City, and the sunny golden beaches of the Cape Peninsula as well as the whales of False Bay are within an hour's reach. Historic Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Tulbagh and Paarl are neighbouring towns, each full of attractions of their own.
Entertainment
 Wellington offers a mix of fabulous shopping treats to tourists. The town is well equipped with all medical and emergency services and branches of all the main banks in South Africa. Wellington boasts two leather factories producing beautiful and quality leather products such as shoes, handbags, book covers and other smaller articles. Furthermore there are towel factory shops, fruit juice kiosks selling to the public, glassware gift shops and many other places to browse around in addition to the more prominent chain stores. Art galleries, antique furniture, ceramic tiles and Bali furniture rounds off a true shopping experience. Activities
For those who like a bit of excersize, their are a number of sports fields, as well as tennis and squash courts, as well as an olympic sized public swimming pool. There is also a small ringroad called the perdeskoen (horseshoe), popular with walkers and joggers, which basicaly connects a number of farms to the rest of the villiage. The Kleinebosh turnoff is in the 'corner' of the horse shoe, on the side returing down Blouvlei weg (way). It is about 3 and a half kilometers (+- 2miles) from the end of the main residential area. A trip to the nature reserve in Bainskloof is also a must in the summer months. Awesome clear river pools with cute and highly endangered little redwing fish. Daily permits are R25 per person and can be purchased at the Tourism information bureu next to the Andrew Murry statue in Church street, or at the corner lodge at the entrance to the nature reserve.
|
