Arniston
is a small fishing village that hugs a hillside on the southern tip of
Africa. Humble, thatched cottages dot the shoreline, and rare shells
lie in the surf.
Arniston inherited its name from the transport ship H.M.S. Arniston
which ran aground here in 1815. Only six of the 378 people on board
survived. Many of the homes here boasts a beam or two from the Arniston.
The village's official name is Waenhuiskrans, named after a
cave in the area which was big enough to house several ox-wagons in,
and which could be explored at low tide.
Waenhuiskrans
has good fishing from the shore as well as from boats, and people of
the Overberg area are quite at home here.
For over 200 years, local fisherman have been setting out to cast their
lines at first light. And so have people been watching whales, when
they come to frolick in the shallow waters.
To many outsiders, who remain forever entranced by the village's unspoilt
serenity, it is a perfect place to relax and reflect.
