Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (4)

From top, Spier estate view, a Great White in Shark Alley, and a Stellenbosch silk spinner.

This is Part 4. Here are links to Parts 1 to 3 of this story, in case you missed them: Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (1); (Part 1) Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (2): (Part 2) Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (3) (Part 3) And — be sure not to miss the great slideshow at the end of this article.

Part 4 starts here: Gutgesell used her days off as vacation days.

“I found a brochure at the Cub House for a tour company." (Cape Wine and Leisure Tours.)

One day she went whale watching at Hermanus and saw southern right whales — and on the trip back, penguins at Betty’s Bay.

Another day she went into Cape Town (where she had been on a previous trip), to the Two Oceans Aquarium. She was impressed, "especially by the kelp forest exhibit.”

She spent a full day wine tasting around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

The tour took her to Murati winery estate and then Fairview: "They have wonderful cheese you can taste while drinking," says Gutgesell.

Editor's Note: Check at your local wine outlet for Fairview's Goats do Roam wines, which are widely available in the U.S.)

The the wine tasting tour also took her to Haute Cabriere (which specializes in sparkling wines), Tokara ("They have olive trees and both wine and olive oil tastings," says Gutgesell) and Waterford. ("We had chocolate paired with wine.")

She went with a different company to see the Great White sharks off Gansbaai. The trip was to Shark Alley. "They throw chum in the water: Fish blood and stuff like that. The water is clear and you suddenly see a shark approaching." In all, around 11 sharks.

Her conclusion? "The Great Whites are beautiful. Their backs are a bronzy-brown color.

"Of course they were much prettier with me being out of the water.”

Returning from Shark Alley, their boat passed Dyer Island with its Cape fur seals.

She spent a couple of days walking around Stellenbosch: “A beautiful university town with wonderful Cape Dutch architecture.”

She also visited Vergelegen in Somerset West (while on a drive to Cape Town) and visited Butterfly World near Paarl.

Gutgesell is eager to return to the Cape to spend a few weeks in Somerset West or Stellenbosch “because it’s so beautiful around there and I know I’d enjoy it.”

She’d like to go and look up the cubs if there's ever an opportunity. She’s curious to see if they recognize her — unlikely as she knows this is.

Story: ©: Wanda Hennig; Photos: ©: Vicki Gutgesell

Continued from: Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (1):     Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (2);     Californian puts Cheetah Outreach on her Cape wine country travel agenda (3)