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When early in the morning the
streets in Cape Town are still sleeping, the harbour in
the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is already awake. Fisherman
rig their boats to go fishing on the Atlantic Sea and the
harbour staff are busy on the mainland. The Cape Fur seals
are playing in the water or sunbathe on the wooden floaters.
Llater in the day when the sun has fully emerged and everybody
starts his day, the Waterfront is the place where locals
buy their fresh fish, businessmen have conferences and tourists
do their shopping in the big malls. At night the old pubs
Ferryman's Tavern and Berties Landing are places to be.
The new chapter in South Africa's tourism industry began
in 1988 when the Waterfront Company decided to develop the
historic harbour as a mixed use area, focusing on tourism
and commerce with the continuing operation of the working
harbour.
You can easily spend several days in the Waterfront without
boring yourself. A Historical Walk through the Waterfront
is interesting and gives you a good idea of the history
behind this lively environment. In the Victoria Wharf Shopping
Centre or the Clock Tower Centre you can buy almost anything
you need. The Two Oceans Aquarium is a window on the ocean,
offering glimpses of the diverse life found off the Southern
African coastline or go to the SA Maritime Museum which
houses the largest collection of model ships in South Africa.
The Waterfront is currently the biggest tourist attraction
in Cape Town and still growing. The Victorian-Gothic buildings
have more than 400 shops, several museum's, cinemas, theatres,
over 70 restaurants and eateries, 6000 parking bays (!)
and it is open 364 days a year until 9 p.m. There is an
extensive Tourism Office inside the renovated Clock tower
centre.
The harbour was named after Queen Victoria and her second
son Alfred. On 17 September 1860 Prince Alfred, Queen Victoria's
second son, tipped the first load of stone to start construction
of the breakwater for Cape Town's harbor. The Alfred Basin
was the first dock to be built in South Africa. The Alfred
Basin could not handle the increased shipping volumes and
subsequently a larger basin, the Victoria Basin was built.
It was here where one of the most advanced industrial developments
in South Africa in the 19th century took place. The Dock
Road Café was formerly the electric power and light
station.
The first electric lights where switched on 25
April 1882. The Clock tower on the far side was the original
Port Captain's Office, completed in 1882. Next to the Clock
tower is the gateway to Robben Island ferry departure point
to where Nelson Mandela spent his years in prison.
Queen Victoria would have loved to have seen the colorful
V&A Waterfront of 2004..
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