Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum Photo: Keith Jordaan
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Creative fires burn brightly
Something remarkable has happened here. If you went into a local
store in the 80's to buy wicks for paraffin lamps (Arniston had no electricity then), you'd in all likelihood
be taken to the Vicks if you asked for assistance. If you spoke
English, you might as well have arrived from Mars!
The attractions were the Spar supermarket, the Snuffelmark (really a junk
collector's dream) and the Bredasdorp Museum – a must see for all new
visitors.
Today's visitor finds a very different town. It's no longer primarily an agricultural centre. It's
been 'discovered' by city folk and foreigners who have made it their home. The largest employer is
Kapula Candles (over 300 employees and growing) followed by
BNK, the farmers' co-operative (± 150 employees). The latest creative fire to take the town by storm is
Julian's – ceramics, a gallery and restaurant.
These are two world-class businesses that are changing the way Bredasdorp thinks about itself.
Throughout the town, older buildings have been restored, frequently as commercial premises. There is a "quaintness"
that has crept in and there are many more tourism-orientated businesses. Bredasdorp has benefited from the passing
traffic to resort towns like Arniston and Struisbaai, and the southern most tip (where the oceans "meet") is increasingly
becoming a "must-see" destination for many travellers.
B&B's which previously catered for travelling reps have been upgraded and listed in Portfolio's "benchmark
of the best", and now cater for upmarket local and international clientele. Coffee shops and stores cater for
more sophisticated tastes that is the rural norm.
Responding to the demand for retirement and second homes, plans are afoot for Bredasdorp's largest property development
yet – the Two Oceans Golf Estate – which
combines secure living (±305 units) around a nine-hole golf course.
The impact of the military – SA Air Force's test centre and Denel's
Overberg Test Range (OTB) – cannot be
overlooked. Both are extensively used by teams from around the world (the Russian deputy president landed here
in a 747 recently) and uniforms from far and wide can be spotted in Bredasdorp. Oh, and the UK's Red Falcons did
parachute onto Bredasdorp Primary School's playing field!
Click here for businesses & attractions in the area.
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