The Western Cape town of Wellington was formed in 1698 and sits a short 45-minute drive from Cape Town. Driving through it feels like being stuck in a picture, and experiencing all it has to offer even more so. The temperatures are usually a little higher than Cape Town’s, so it’s the ideal place to spend a winter’s day. Here’s a pick of our favourite places to visit.
Villamar on the Oudebrug Farm
The restaurant is an island in a sea of olive trees. The portions are substantial and the prices will keep your pocket happy. The founding Marra family has a rich Italian-South African history, which explains the delicious cuisine.
Expect freshly roasted coffee every morning, and cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Italy. They are also a much-loved producer of gelato, breads, cakes and pizza. The ice cream machine at Villamar was imported directly from Italy and has never missed a day of work since its arrival. They follow a sustainable “farm to plate” philosophy. But by far, the bakery is my favourite spot on the farm.
Enjoy an Italian experience in the middle of Wellington.
The olive oil and balsamic vinegar are made farm-fresh.
Trout breakfast – Chive cream cheese, pickled red onion, trout ribbons, poached egg and hollandaise sauce.
Website: Villamar
Address:
Oudebrug Farm
Oudepont Street
Wellington Industrial
Contact: [email protected] or phone 072 617 6501
Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate
Diemersfontein is in a prime location, offering guests a panoramic view of the area that includes the Du Toit’s Kloof and Bain’s Kloof mountain ranges.
They have a busy bee hive on the property, so you may get a glimpse of the honey bees as a welcome to the farm. The farm is known for being the first to produce a coffee-style Pinotage in 2001.
Visit the restaurant PROE or enjoy the fruity and coffee wines of the estate.
The Pinotage has oaky notes with coffee, chocolate and dark chocolate flavours that will settle nicely on your tongue.
The Deli is well stocked with a variety of wine, honey, preserves, spices, desserts and cheese platters.
Website: Diemersfontein
Address:
Jan van Riebeck Drive (R301)
Wellington
Contact: [email protected] or phone 021 864 5050
Quenti Alpaca
The next must-stop in the region is the Quenti Alpaca and Mill. As you arrive, you will hear the hum of an engine leading you into a warehouse that turns fleece fibre into string fibre. The fibre harvested from alpacas is known to be the strongest fibre of any mammal on the planet.
The original farmstead has been around since 1715 and is now home to about 250 Cape alpacas that are originally from Chile, first brought to the farm between 2009 and 2011.
The animals are sectioned off by gender and age and are known to have different personalities. They are part of the Camelidae family, with camels and llamas.
Alpacas enjoying the warm Wellington sun.
There’s no denying that theses sassy alpacas have distinct facial expressions.
Machines are processing the fibre. Alpaca Wool Is durable, elastic, flame resistant, hypoallergenic and itch-free.
The Cape Alpaca products are made of pure alpaca fleece.
There are two types of alpaca fibre: huacaya and suri. Huacaya fibre has crimpy waves and grows in bundles while Suri fibre is straight, and grows in locks.
Website: Quenti Alpaca and Mill
Address:
Klein Limietrivier Farm
Palmietvlei Road
Agter Groenberg
Wellington
The Stone Kitchen on Dunstone
This child and pet-friendly bistro caters for families of any size and there are many activities to keep the young ones busy in the backyard that boasts views of the mountains.
Abbi and Lee Wallis came to South Africa from the United Kingdom in February 2002. Originally a doctor in the British Royal Navy, Lee came to work for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, and the pair fell in love with South Africa. The name Dunstone comes from the farm they got engaged on in the UK.
They are passionate about their pets, and have a whole string of them: two friendly dogs called Merlot and Rosé, the horses; Ollie, George and Whisquita; the naughty goats Aston and Martin and two pigs, Petal and Hello Kitty.
The menu has a variety of options. This is a falafel wrap with salads, Sriracha tahini and chips.
Website: The Stone Kitchen on Dunstone
Address:
Bovlei Road
Wellington
Contact:
[email protected] or phone 078 860 9721
Welbedacht Wines
Owned by rugby legend Schalk Burger Senior, this farm is worth spending a whole day on. Burger says he is in actual fact a cricket man, and only chose rugby to please his father. He loves cricket so much that he built and maintains his own cricket pitch on the estate, the Welbedacht Cricket Oval.
Schalk can be found in the vineyards, the tasting room or with his dogs. His wife Myra runs the guesthouse, Bradgate Manor House.
Their daughter Rene works as brand ambassador for the estate in Johannesburg, while their son Tiaan is an assistant winemaker and is now head of viniculture and viticulture after finishing his Agricultural studies.
Schalk Senior and Schalk Junior became the 8th father and son pair to both play for the South African rugby team.
The Tasting room dates back to the 1840s and is in one of the oldest buildings on the estate.
Website:
Address:
Oakdene Road
Wellington
Contact:
[email protected] or phone 021 873 1877
Part of Wellington’s charm is the sunset, as the sun kisses the mountains every evening turning them a light shade of pink. Locals call it ‘the blush’, and it’s the perfect end to a day well spent in the Boland.
Featured picture: Quenti Alpaca
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