PARAGLIDING, BUNGEE JUMPING, MICRO-LIGHTING AND AIRBORNE ACTIVITIES IN HERMANUS, CAPE TOWN AND THE WESTERN CAPE

Hermanus, Cape Town and the Western Cape region offer so many high adrenaline adventure sports, that you are spoilt for choose.

Airborne pursuits are so varied and very popular, from - Paragliding, Bungee Jumping, Micro-lighting, Hang-gliding, Sky Diving, Hot Air Ballooning, Helicopter flips and even Military jet flights at the speed of sound.

So if you wish to fly with the birds, then these activities will most definitely satisfy your airborne desires.

Paragliding is a gentle sport, where you are strapped tandem to a professional pilot, with a long “sausage” shaped parachute above you. When you are firmly strapped in, then all you do is jump off the nearest high mountain ledge and you float off into the clouds. Depending on the thermals, you can easily rise up to 500 metres to a kilometre above the ground. As there are so many high mountain ranges here, then you can choose your paragliding launching spot from – the Lions Head in Cape Town, Sir Lowry’s Pass at Somerset West or the Hermanus mountains. Hang-gliding is also done from these spots too.

Bungee jumping is not for the faint hearted. The Western Cape has 2 major spots where you literally fall off a very high bridge. In fact one of these venues is the world’s highest bridge bungee jump at 216 metres, recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.
All you do is have large (and long) elastic bands strapped to your ankles, count to 3, shout “BUNGEE” and you free fall over 200 metres, with the ground literally rushing towards you at 120 mph. As you are just about to shout “I better stop now” the elastic brings you to a stop and you bounce back - upwards. As soon as you hit that maximum ascent, you again fall back downwards. This occurs about 3 to 5 times, before an able bodied instructor is lowered to retrieve you from your upside down, blood-rushing-to-your-head position.
A slightly less body altering pursuit, but still as exhilarating and based at the same location is, the Flying Fox. This is where you zip horizontally along a thick steel cable, strapped into a harness, from the cliffs edge to the middle of the bridge.

Micro-lighting and 3 seater Cessna airplane flights are a fabulous way to view Walker Bay and Hermanus. The beauty of being in a powered aircraft is that you are able to descend very close to the terrain and sea, or rise up into the cloud base. Between June and December you will definitely see many Southern Right Whales playing in Walker Bay and all year round you will witness seals, sharks and occasionally dolphin. Infact your pilot is also employed to do the weekly whale count for the Hermanus Times newspaper, with a record breaking 172 whales being spotted in October 2006. What with the vast mountain range of the Klein Riviers, the Hermanus lagoon, beaches, farmland, wine farms and wild natural open spaces below you, the scenery is incredible.

Sky Diving is mainly situated around Cape Town and is another tandem sport, where you board a light aircraft, rise up to 10,000 feet, are strapped to an instructor and jump out of the planes open door. This free fall is breath-taking as you rush to the ground at 120 mph, before your instructor pulls the cords for your parachute to unfold above you. As you are so close to Cape Town, the views are spectacular of Table Mountain, Table Bay, the city centre, the 12 Apostles, Blouberg and the surrounding landscapes.

Based at Cape Town International Airport is the most hair raising activity of them all – Military jet flights. These will have you feeling like Tom Cruise in Top Gun, as these jets fly at the speed of sound. Due to this amazing speed, your pilot will zip you over a considerably large section of the Overberg region, usually hugging the coastline over False Bay, past Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond, Hermanus, Gansbaai, Pearl Beach and Walker Bay, before doing a U-turn to land back at Cape Town. Be warned tho’ – you had better have a fairly large bundle of cash on you, as this marvelous experience can cost up to $10,000.

Each November the Ysterplaat Military Air Show takes place just on the outskirts of Cape Town. This aviation festival has Air Marshals from all over the world attending, while showing off their multitude of aircraft. These boys-with-toys have the lot, from – old vintage, helicopters, light aircraft, reconnaissance planes to the fastest birds in the sky. Be prepared for an all mighty din in the air for this 3 day long event.

From the V&A Waterfront are all manner of helicopter flights, which will zip you above Cape Town, down the Cape Peninsular to Cape Point, the Cape of Good Hope, Constantia, Kirstenbosch and Table Mountain. These range from small 2 seaters to big American military crafts. Dreamt of re-enacting a Vietnam movie? Then why not strap yourself into one of these beauties.

For those who wish to take life a little more slowly, then how about Hot Air Ballooning? These majestic creations are very flexible on where they take off from, but mainly they fly over the Wine lands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Champagne picnics are a must to take with you, so that you can leisurely sip your bubbly, while slowly floating gently over the pretty landscape tapestry below you, before landing in remote field to unfurl your table clothes.

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