A Cave Called Wolfgat

Apart from the restaurant building dating back some 130 years, the placement of Wolfgat is especially meaningful to us because of the location of the Wolfgat cave on the premises – a site of immense archaeological and geological significance.

According to leading archaeologist, John Parkington, the Wolfgat cave is “…a substantial chamber lying under a unusually large calcrete shelf. Almost certainly, the chamber, and passages leading into it, owe their origin to underground stream erosion that has removed softer sand from below the cemented shelf.”

An initial archaeological survey of the cave revealed ceramic remains and sheep bones dating from some time in the last 2000 years. Bone, marine shell, ostrich eggshell, ceramics, beads and stone artefacts were also found, and patches of bedding and hearths are also expected to be buried here.

Local legend has it that the underground passages of Wolfgat cave extend some kilometres inland, and some even say that it stretches all the way into Cape Columbine reserve, with more than one southern exit.