Adrenaline filled days for our GapBreak volunteers in Cape Town

So here we are in Cape Town, our final destination on our trip away. The place is amazing; one side we’re faced with mountains and forests while on the other side, a beautiful harbour surrounded with penguins and seals. Our placements and accommodation are situated just out of Cape Town, in Hout Bay. Our welcome to Hout Bay was pleasant. We were greeted by both Shelby, our coordinator, and Shannon, the lodge manager, come tourist guide for weekend activities.

After our initial tour around Hout bay, it wasn’t long until we discovered just how segregated the society here is, from the townships to the mansions. The society is split between coloured people, black people and white people all located in separate areas of the bay. For our morning placements the Antips group is split to help in the many kindergartens for children or at Sentinel, the local primary school. Jozie, Nicole, Mitch, Joni and myself are at Sentinel, while Maddy and Katie are at Little Angels, both these placements are at the Harbour side of Hout bay, home to the coloured community.
Tessa and Kireeti are placed at Siyazama, a day care centre along with Nicki and Emily nearby at Star Fish & Angels, both are in the Township. The township is home to thirty thousand people of different races. The Township is also where we spend the second part of our day volunteering at Ikhaya Le Temba which is an afternoon care centre for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. Ikhaya Le Temba meaning ‘home of hope’ is supported by sponsors across the world which has created a warm and welcoming environment for these children. We run programs there from swimming lessons, drama classes to cooking classes. Although our weekdays are full on, our placements here are very rewarding, although we are teaching every day, we are learning so much more from them in return.

Our weekends are spent trying to see as much of Cape Town and the surrounding area as we can, or at other times taking a restful day to relax after a hard week. On our first weekend here some of us chose to go on a Wine Tour seeing some of South Africa’s famous wineries where we loved driving through some of Cape Town’s most beautiful landscapes, slightly tipsy. Another weekend found some of us hiking up the famous Table Mountain, I can say on behalf of all of the hikers it was agony but the view at the end was well worth the painful scrawl up. While up on Table Mountain, Mitch and I decided to abseil down it. I couldn’t stop shaking as I realized this one piece of rope was literally my lifeline; nevertheless it was an incredible feeling and adrenaline rush. As was Paragliding which many of the others chose later that day to do.

Thanks to Joni’s mum who informed us about Madame Zangara’s Circus, we spent an amazing night being entertained both by the food on the plate and unbelievable performers. Watching dreamy acrobats dazzle while eating heart shaped ravioli, the whole thing was incredible.

Just last week a group of Antipodeans with their Aussie heads held high marched into the cricket grounds to support Australia in the Test tournament against South Africa. Although we came out with a devastating loss, Katie among other volunteers made in onto World News, seen also in Australia.

Just yesterday Tessa and Katie ventured out into the ocean to swim among great white sharks. Enclosed in a cage they saw sharks come up centimetres away from their face attacking the bait. Katie described the experience as “jawsome!!!” while Tessa tried her best to agree, even if half the time she was vomiting out her insides over the side of the boat.

All in all, these two weeks in Cape Town have been full on from the wonderful markets, adrenaline filled activities and to the children which we take time to help and spend time with, so far Cape Town has blown us away. It is a diverse place from the people we meet to the things we do, the place is a real eye opener. Despite the fact we are counting down the weeks, days and hours till we go home, it’ll be sad to leave this place, this place we’ve grown to love.

Are YOU interested in volunteering in Africa? What about teaching English overseas? Antipodeans Abroad specialises in gap year programs and education travel for young Australians. Go to our website www.antipodeans.com.au to find out more.