Picnic lovers can once again look forward to the popular summer full-moon picnics at the Taalmonument on Paarl Mountain, with unbeaten sunset and night time views of the valley.

The first picnic will take place on the last day of the school term, Thursday 23 September. Sunset will be at 18:43, which leaves about 15 minutes of darkness until moonrise at 19:01. Guided tours of the Monument will start at 18:30 and 19:30.

Full-moon picnics are also scheduled for 23 October (sunset 19:06, moonrise 19:46), 20 November (moonrise 18:35, sunset 19:32) and 21 December (sunset 19:57, moonrise 20:15).

Entrance fees at the gate are R12 for adults, R5 for students and R2 for children and no bookings are required. Visitors are reminded to bring a torch and warm clothes. Safe parking is available and access is controlled.

Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets or they can order a picnic basket from Volksmond Coffee Shop’s picnic menu (tel. 021 863 2800 or volksmond [at] taalmuseum.co.za). Coffee will be available from the tuck shop on the lawn. No dogs and fires are allowed. The Monument will be open until 22:00.

The Monument’s operating hours will be extended until 20:00 for the summer season from October to March. For more information about events at the Taalmuseum or Taalmonument, call 021 872 3441 or visit www.taalmonument.co.za.