Thanks to my broadcasting work I do a lot of travelling, for business and pleasure. The one place I have always wanted to visit is Cape Town, probably because I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Cape Town. I have heard glorious stories about the weather, the food, the wine, the people and, of course, Table Mountain. I came with high expectations, which can be dangerous.
However, Cape Town is one of those places that offer so much more than any story you have been told about it or any picture you have ever seen of it. It is more beautiful, more dramatic, and more extraordinary than anything I had imagined. It is not often that I am at a loss for words, but that is exactly what I am on the top of Table Mountain.
It's an adventure right from the start. Waiting for the cable car, you stand, gazing up in anticipation, wondering what lies on the other side of the mountain. The ride to the top in a revolving cable car takes in 360-degree views of rock faces, vegetation and sweeping views of the city below. Within minutes you are a kilometre up and what lies before you is a whole new world.
Cape Town is majestic. It stretches out, with dramatic views all around: the city, Lion's Head and the harbour in one direction, the 12 Apostles in another, an endless view on to Cape Point, where the cold Atlantic meets the warm Indian Ocean. It is beautiful.
Up close it's even more special. I didn't think I would fall in love with a little furry animal on top of Table Mountain, but I do, a gorgeous little rock rabbit, known as a dassie, sunbathing on top of the world. I am amazed to be told that his closest relative is an elephant!
The vegetation is another surprise for me. Thanks to our guide, Bevan, and a chance to walk on top of the mountain I now have a whole new appreciation for this landscape, which is surprisingly rich. Bevan explains to me that there are more than 2,000 plant species on top of Table Mountain, which is more floral diversity on one mountain than the whole of the UK.
I now have a true sense of what makes this mountain a wonder. You could live your whole life in Cape Town and still not cover every inch of it. The cable car is just one way to get to the top; there are literally hundreds of footpaths and mountain tracks covering every inch of it, making it a dream destination for hikers and outdoor lovers.
The drive along Cape Town's Atlantic seaboard to Chapman's Peak is billed as one of the most scenic in the world. Get it on a day with not a break in the blue sky, like we do, with warm sunshine and a wonderful, cool breeze blowing off the ocean and you will not doubt that for a second – especially when that breeze is rushing past your face as you sit on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I have spent decades trying to keep my two boys off motorbikes but here I found myself weaving along a dramatic coastline dotted with pristine white-sand beaches, sparkling sea on one side, mountains on the other. We whizz past happy people everywhere, drinking in the sunshine, enjoying the restaurants, surfing the waves.
There are some days in your life that you know, as it is happening that you will always remember them. That you will look back many years from now and say "wow". Today is one of those days. Later, from the comfort of the gorgeous Camps Bay Retreat, we watch the bright orange African sun dip down towards the blue ocean, and catch the aroma of coals burning for the traditional braai we are soon to enjoy.
