South Africa and in particular the Western Cape is rich in its geological history and reads like an adventure book when you explore the "secret" language written into the rocks.
Gantouw Tours and Excursions revel in sharing this story with guests of all ages.
Our next journey is a 5 day excursion all the way from Cape Town through the fabulous Boland Mountains to the Great Karoo. We will spend much of the time investigating the rich geological setting of this region before heading down to the famous fold mountains of the Swartberg Range. Our last day will see us journey through the Little Karoo all the way back to Cape Town again.
Tour package
R629900 Sharing
R689900 Single rate and includes;
4 nights accommodation all meals transport and entrance/conservation fees
Tour Date;
16 to 20 October 2021
RSVP - 10 September 2021
Space limited so book early.
Itinerary:
Day 1 : We start our tour at Sea Point near Cape Town where there is a famous geological contact zone and rock formations. A special site which left a mark with Darwin. From there we travel north to Blaauwberg Beach and on to Yzerfontein to view 2 very distinctive volcanic and igneous formations. We then head inland towards the famous Cape Mountains near Ceres and Worcester to explore the Cape Supergroup Formation and its various sub-formations and deposits. Travelling further north along the N1 we pass through De Doorns where finish at our accommodation at the Karoo 1 Hotel.
Day 2 : The second day see us venturing into the Karoo Supergroup and the famous town of Matjiesfontein explore the glacial rocks of the Dwyka Formation. Then it's of to Laingsburg where we have the Ecca Shales and fabulous fossil of a tree trunk preserved in the rocks. After that we travel through the Beaufort Group rocks all the way to Beaufort West and the Karoo National Park to explore its rocks and walk along its fossil trail. Our accommodation at the end of the day is at the Wagon Wheel Country Lodge.
Day 3 : We travel and explore the rest of the Beaufort Group enroute to Fraserburg via the fabulous De Jagers Pass where excellent exposures can be seen. At Fraserburg we will be taken on a fossil tour where we can see footprints and fossils of the famous Karoo reptiles that pre-date the dinosaurs. In the afternoon we travel back to our accommodation at Beaufort West.
Day 4 : We now venture south again to the quaint little town of Prins Albert at the foothills of the famous Swartberg Pass. After booking into our accommodation we will set out on our next field trip into and up the Swartberg Pass to view the Cape Fold Mountains and the geology in its full splendour!
Day 5: Our last day will see us travelling into and through the spectacular Meiringspoort to view an excellent example of an over-thrust fault. We continue onwards then to the town of De Rust and will follow the back roads onto Oudtshoorn and the Little Karoo. The Enon Formation provides some unique geology in this landscape and worthwhile exploring. After Oudtshoorn we travel slowly back to Cape Town while viewing and exploring the geological setting of the Little Karoo.
For more information tour itinerary or to book contact Andreas at [email protected] or on 0724360638. Also visit http://www.gantouwtoursexcursions.co.za/index.php for more information.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Karoo, Beaufort West, South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa