Velddrif (150km from Cape Town) owes its name to a farming family called Smit, who drove their sheep through the ‘drift in the veld’ across the Berg River in search of better grazing. Fishing is the town’s backbone as you will no doubt gather by the odour that moves in from Laaiplek when a north-westerly breeze is up and blowing. A Velddrif tourism brochure we came across proudly points out that the town has no parking meters, traffic lights, cinemas or shopping malls. What is more, it has “never had a hijacking”. If you don’t think this is reason enough for a visit, then the Berg River and its estuary might change your mind. The birdlife is prolific, with more than 100 species including flamingo and pelican favourites. In summer, Velddrif is a farmer's coastal haven; the rest of the year, the town attracts more of the doddering camera- and binocular-carrying species.