Cape Point. The peak on the horizon across False Bay is Cape Hangklip(English literal translation:Cape Hanging Rock

Then President of Russia Vladimir Putin at Cape Point in September 2006.

Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town are close to the northern extremity of the same peninsula. The cape is located at 34°21′26″S 18°29′51″E / 34.35722°S 18.4975°E / -34.35722; 18.4975Coordinates: 34°21′26″S 18°29′51″E / 34.35722°S 18.4975°E / -34.35722; 18.4975, about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) east and a little north of the Cape of Good Hope on the southwest corner.^[1] Although these two rocky and beautiful capes are very well known, neither cape is actually the southernmost point in Africa; that is Cape Agulhas, approximately 150 kilometres (90 mi) to the east-southeast.

Peaks[link]

Map showing the Cape Peninsula, illustrating the positions of the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point.

The peak above Cape Point is higher than that above the Cape of Good Hope. The rugged sandstone (Table Mountain sandstone) ridge that rises from Cape Point at sea level develops into two peaks. There is a major peak that dominates the skyline locally but there is also a smaller peak about 100 m further south. The higher peak has the old lighthouse on the top. The Flying Dutchman Funicular runs from a car park to the north up to slightly below the level of the old lighthouse and a short flight of steps leads to a viewing platform at the base of the lighthouse. From the end of the railway a second path leads to the lower peak.

Lighthouse[link]

The new lighthouse is at a lower elevation (closer to sea level), for two reasons: the old lighthouse could be seen 'too early' by ships rounding the point towards the east, causing them to approach too closely. Secondly, foggy conditions often prevail at the higher levels, making the older lighthouse invisible to shipping. On 18 April 1911, the Portuguese liner Lusitania was wrecked just south of Cape Point at 34°23′22″S 18°29′23″E / 34.38944°S 18.48972°E / -34.38944; 18.48972 on Bellows Rock for precisely this reason, prompting the relocation of the lighthouse.

The new location cannot be seen from the West until ships are at a safe distance to the South. The light of the new Cape Point lighthouse is the most powerful on the South African coast, with a range of 63 kilometres (39 mi) and an intensity of 10 megacandelas in each flash.^[2]

Cape Point is situated within the Table Mountain National Park, within a section of the Park referred to as Cape of Good Hope. This section covers the whole of the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula and which takes in perhaps 20% of its total area.^[3] The Cape of Good Hope section of the park is generally wild, unspoiled and undeveloped and is an important haven for seabirds. The vegetation at Cape Point consists primarily of Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos.

View over Cape Point; the lighthouse's white dome is just visible. The Cape of Good Hope is behind the camera.

Cape Point is often mistakenly claimed to be the place where the cold Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean and the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian ocean collide. In fact, the meeting point fluctuates along the southern and southwestern Cape coast, usually occurring between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point. The two intermingling currents help to create the micro-climate of Cape Town and its environs. Contrary to popular mythology, the meeting point of the currents produces no obvious visual effect; there is no "line in the ocean" where the sea changes colour or looks different in some way. There are, however, strong and dangerous swells, tides and localized currents around the point and in adjacent waters. These troubled seas have witnessed countless maritime disasters in the centuries since ships first sailed here.

Fishing is good along the coast but the unpredictable swells make angling from the rocks very dangerous. Over the years scores of fishermen have been swept to their deaths from the rocky platforms by freak waves. False Bay, which opens to the east and north of Cape Point, is the location of the well-known naval port of Simon's Town. The bay is also famous - or infamous - for its great white sharks, which hunt the Cape Fur Seals that live in the area.

Climate research[link]

Cape Point is the site of one of the Global Atmosphere Watch's atmospheric research stations. In the early years of the 20th century icebergs from Antarctica were occasionally sighted from Cape Point. There have been no authentic recent sightings of ice, which some climatologists and experts have attributed to global warming.

See also[link]

• Cape of Good Hope
• Cape Peninsula

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cape Point

First State is a project of Sander van Dien and Shane Halcon. First State has released numerous singles, remixes and albums and compilations, most of which gained recognition within the world wide Trance scene. Ralphie B, left the group in 2009 and Shane Halcon joined soon after.

In 2010, the record label First State Music was announced together with First State Deep and First State House. Three new partner labels of Black Hole Recordings. First State Music is owned and managed by Sander van Dien and Shane Halcon.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• 2007 Time Frame
• 2010 Changing Lanes

Mix Compilations[link]

• First State's Crossroads Yearmix 2010
• The Whole Nine Yards

Singles/EPs[link]

• "Sacred"
• "First State" [In Trance We Trust]
• "Falling"
• "Rhapsody"
• "Sierra Nevada"
• "Evergreen"
• "Your Own Way"
• "Off The Radar"
• "My Sanctuary"
• "Exeo"
• "Surrounds Me" (Feat. Elliot Johns)
• "Cape Point"
• "Cross The Line" (Feat. Relyk)
• "Mojave"
• "Reverie" (Feat. Sarah Howells)
• "Butterfly Effect"
• "Breathe On Me" (Feat. Elliot Johns)
• "Primate"
• "As You Were"
• "Skies On Fire" (feat. Sarah Howells)
• "Maze" (feat. Tyler Sherritt)
• "Reloaded"
• "Backstage"

Aliases

• "Devoid – Cremona / Arella"
• "Sander van Dien – Terms"
• "Sander van Dien - Aurora"
• "OneWorld - Isla Blanca / Lingus"
• "OneWorld - Green Bay"
• "OneWorld - The One That Got Away"

Co-productions

• "Shane Halcon - North Gate" (Intuition Recordings)
• "Shane Halcon - Solid Ground" (Intuition Recordings)
• "Shane Halcon - Valletta" (Intuition Recordings)
• "Shane Halcon - Must Have Fallen" (feat Tiff Lacey) (First State Music)
• "First State ft Tyler Sherritt - Maze" (Shane Halcon Remix) (Magik Muzik)

Remixes[link]

• 2005 - Solar Stone "Eastern Sea" (First State Remix) (Solaris Recordings)
• 2006 - Midway "Cobra" (First State’s First Aid Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2007 - Tiësto "Ten Seconds Before Sunrise" (First State Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2008 - 4 Strings "Catch A Fall" (First State Remix) (Maelstrom Records)
• 2008 - Tiesto "Ten Seconds Before Sunrise" (First State's A Global Taste Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2008 - Armin van Buuren "Unforgivable" (First State Remix) (Armada Music)
• 2009 - Bobina Feat. Tiff Lacey "Where Did You Go?" (First State Remix) (World Club Music)
• 2009 - Vimana "We Came" (First State Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2009 - Ton TB "Dream Machine" (First State Remix) (In Trance We Trust (label))
• 2009 - First State feat. Sarah Howells "Brave" (First State's Crossroads Remix) (Magik Muzik)
• 2009 - 3 Drives "Greece 2000" (Sander van Dien Remix) (Massive Drive Recordings)
• 2009 - Jonas Steur Feat. Julie Thompson "Cold Winds" (First State Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2009 - Mac & Mac "Solid Session" (First State Remix) (Magik Muzik)
• 2009 - Filo & Peri "Ashley" (First State Remix) (Vandit)
• 2009 - Dash Berlin feat. Emma Hewitt "Waiting" (First State Remix) (Aropa Records)
• 2010 - Dash Berlin feat. Solid Sessions "Janeiro" (First State Remix) (Aropa Records)
• 2010 - Tiesto feat. Tegan & Sara "Feel It In My Bones" (First State Remix) (Musical Freedom)
• 2010 - George Acosta feat. Fisher "Love Rain Down" (First State Remix) (SongBird)
• 2010 - Robbie Rivera feat. Lizzy Curious "Departures" (First State Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2011 - Blake Lewis "Till We See The Sun" (First State Remix) (Black Hole Recordings)
• 2011 - First State feat. Sarah Howells "Reverie" (First State's Pounding Club Mix) (Magik Muzik)
• 2011 - Jason van Wyk & Audien "Someday" (First State Remix) (First State Music)
• 2011 - Jes "It's Too Late" (First State Remix) (Magik Muzik)

External links[link]

• Official Homepage (English)
• Official Twitter
• Myspace
• Official YouTube
• Integrity AM (First State's Booking Management)
• last.fm