Hellshoogte Pass

[William Walker]

This is outside Stellenbosch in South Africa.

[RSL]

A really quite splendid landscape, William. Good shooting.

[Alskoj]

Very nice lighting!

[farbschlurf]

This is outside Stellenbosch in South Africa.

Lovely. I know the wine from there, never thought it's this beautiful. It's getting fall down there, right?

[William Walker]

Lovely. I know the wine from there, never thought it's this beautiful. It's getting fall down there, right?

Yes, autumn is on the way, there is a serious drought here - 50 litres per day, per person!!
We have winter-rain so it better be a good season otherwise we will be in real trouble this time next year.

Willliam

[Tony Jay]

Hi William,

Splendid shot - the light is just gorgeous!

Last time I saw this view was in 2006.

Used to have family who pastored a small Anglican Parish in Groot Drakenstein, just a km or so down from where Helshoogte Road meets the R45.
The first time I saw the Western Cape was at the age of 11 when we went to visit the relatives in the mid-70's.
I will never forget my introduction to the beauty of the Western Cape by way of the Hex River valley - my jaw just dropped that day! And it just got better and better from there. The old Du Toit's Kloof pass was special too, and then came Paarl, Franchshoek, and the Franschoek valley, swimming in the Berg river, Stellenbosch, and that beautiful Helshoogte Road that we travelled so often during that visit.
Thinking about that trip still brings tears to my eyes.

As I said the last time I was in the Western Cape was 2006, the beauty is still there - and so are the memories!
Your stunning image is the cause of waves of dopamine and serotonin to wash through my brain accompanied by an extraordinary pleasurable sensation - thank you!

[William Walker]

Hi William,

Splendid shot - the light is just gorgeous!

Last time I saw this view was in 2006.

Used to have family who pastored a small Anglican Parish in Groot Drakenstein, just a km or so down from where Helshoogte Road meets the R45.
The first time I saw the Western Cape was at the age of 11 when we went to visit the relatives in the mid-70's.
I will never forget my introduction to the beauty of the Western Cape by way of the Hex River valley - my jaw just dropped that day! And it just got better and better from there. The old Du Toit's Kloof pass was special too, and then came Paarl, Franchshoek, and the Franschoek valley, swimming in the Berg river, Stellenbosch, and that beautiful Helshoogte Road that we travelled so often during that visit.
Thinking about that trip still brings tears to my eyes.

As I said the last time I was in the Western Cape was 2006, the beauty is still there - and so are the memories!
Your stunning image is the cause of waves of dopamine and serotonin to wash through my brain accompanied by an extraordinary pleasurable sensation - thank you!

Hi Tony,

Thank you for your very kind comments! I really appreciate them.

We now live in a small village called Riebeek Kasteel which is about an hour outside Cape Town. It is in the heart of the Swartland, which is our equivalent of the Palouse which we see so often here on Lula.

To me, it is the most beautiful part of the Western Cape: the mountains are just far enough away to be beautiful to look at, without spoiling the relatively flatness of the Swartland.

Make sure to pop in next time you are here!

Regards

William

[William Walker]

A really quite splendid landscape, William. Good shooting.

Thanks Russ! I always value your opinion!
I hope you are well?

Regards
William

[kers]

Beautiful landscape, William and photo of it - like a dream...

My lover wants tot visit Cape Town since a long time - this photo is good advertisement!


and i like wine... did not know the wine area is so close to it.


greetings! PK

PS- nice to read al these old Dutch names... i am from Amsterdam

[William Walker]

Beautiful landscape, William and photo of it - like a dream...

My lover wants tot visit Cape Town since a long time - this photo is good advertisement!


and i like wine... did not know the wine area is so close to it.


greetings! PK

PS- nice to read al these old Dutch names... i am from Amsterdam

Hi Pieter

We have many visitors from the Netherlands and there is even a small Dutch community in our village!

...and our wines are very good too - Andrea Mullineux  - a local lady - was voted World Wine Maker of the Year  https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/03/the-worlds-most-influential-women-in-wine/9/ 

we look forward to seeing you!

Regards
William

[Rajan Parrikar]

What are those beautiful mountains to the right? Do they catch early morning (or late evening) light?

[Tony Jay]

What are those beautiful mountains to the right? Do they catch early morning (or late evening) light?

Both!
The mountain range is the Hottentot's Holland Range.
The area where this shot was taken that range is orientated northwest to southeast.
The road from which the image was taken runs roughly perpendicular to the mountains through a pass.

However, in this part of the world mountain ranges, and beautiful valleys for that matter, are two-a-penny....
If don't don't see what you are looking for - just try around the corner!

Tony Jay

[John R]

Incredible light and landscape well captured. Painterly is the word for that light.

JR

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Evokes the words like "pastoral" and "bucolic."

[Rajan Parrikar]

Both!
The mountain range is the Hottentot's Holland Range.
The area where this shot was taken that range is orientated northwest to southeast.
The road from which the image was taken runs roughly perpendicular to the mountains through a pass.

However, in this part of the world mountain ranges, and beautiful valleys for that matter, are two-a-penny....
If don't don't see what you are looking for - just try around the corner!

Tony Jay

Thanks, Tony. I Googled the mountain range - a veritable playground for the photographer.

[William Walker]

Thanks, Tony. I Googled the mountain range - a veritable playground for the photographer.

Hi Rajan,
Sorry for the late reply, I've only just popped in here now....!
I think Tony is correct - I know the Hottentots Holland mountains for the other side! So this looks like the "back" of them!

[Riaan van Wyk]

I spent a whirlwind two days in Stellenbosch for a conferrence, the first evening I was late for dinner as I was so stunned by the light that I could just sit and watch. It was a symphony for the eyes!

Your photo reminds me of that light, hope you know how fortunate you are to now live there as a photographer I'm rather jealous.