Milnerton

Milnerton
—  Suburb  —
Milnerton Location in the Cape Town metropolitan area
Milnerton Location in South Africa
Coordinates: 33°52′S 18°30′E / 33.867°S 18.5°E / -33.867; 18.5Coordinates: 33°52′S 18°30′E / 33.867°S 18.5°E / -33.867; 18.5
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Municipality	City of Cape Town
Population (2001)[1]
- Total	7,153
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
Postal code	7441
Area code	021

View from Milnerton beach towards Cape Town, showing Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill.

Milnerton is a suburb of Cape Town in South Africa situated on the Atlantic Ocean 11 kilometres to the north of Cape Town city's centre.

The Milnerton area of Cape Town includes Cambridge Estate, Century City, Du Noon, Joe Slovo Park, Lagoon Beach, Milnerton Ridge, Royal Ascot, Sanddrift, Tygerhof and Woodbridge Island.

Milnerton lagoon

One of the most identifiable features of Milnerton is its lagoon, formed where the Diep River enters the sea, with palm trees adorning the lagoon banks. The lagoon is used by canoeists from the Milnerton Canoe Club, which is the oldest Canoe Club in the Province. The club runs Time Trials every Wednesday evenings during the Winter months. Paddlers have paddled down the Diep River to the sea from as far up stream as Malmesbury. The lagoon also boasts extensive bird life.

Woodbridge Island

Two bridges join Woodbridge Island to the mainland of Milnerton proper. The wooden bridge (after which the island is named) is now a national heritage site and, although was once used for general traffic, is now restricted to all forms of traffic including pedestrians. A local school has changed its name from Zonnekus Primary to Woodbridge Primary in honour of the landmark. A newer bridge allows cars to cross to the island. The Milnerton lighthouse is also a popular landmark found on the island.

Milnerton beach

Milnerton's beach is well known for its views of Table Mountain and is a popular spot for walkers and surfers. The wave size varies from small to large and tends to barrel, with the best waves occurring when there is a South-Easter blowing. The water is generally cold, the result of the Benguela current that flows along Africa's western shore. The beach is a favorite for water sports - including the very popular weekly Wednesday evening Downwind Dash Surf Ski And SUP race during Summer from Milnerton to Blouberg beach.

Nature reserves

Milnerton is the location of two nature reserves which are owned and managed by the City of Cape Town.^[2] The Rietvlei Wetland Reserve, which includes the Milnerton Lagoon, is situated between Milnerton Ridge, Table View, Dolphin Beach, Sunset Beach, and Woodbridge Island.^[3] The Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve is situated inside the race tracks of the old Milnerton Racecourse, which is now the Royal Ascot residential precinct.^[4]

References

• Milnerton.info. Accessed 28 April 2006.

1. ^ "Milnerton". Census 2001. City of Cape Town. http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/stats/2001census/Documents/Milnerton.htm. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 
2. ^ http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/environmentalresourcemanagement/Pages/default.aspx
3. ^ http://www.friendsofrietvlei.co.za/index.html
4. ^ http://www.royalascot.co.za/

External links

• Live web cam of Milnerton Beach and others
• Milnerton.org - Latest news and information about Milnerton
• Live web cam views onto the Milnerton Lagoon and Cape Town