The Scratch Patch Simonstown

I remember the joy and magic of going to the Simonstown Scratch Patch as a child and spending time scratching through the precious stones searching for the special ones that would make it into my collection. Taking my two children for the Scratch Patch experience was amazing.

My son chose only green stones – “boy colours” as he explained it and my daughter’s collection was pink, purple and white – good unicorn colours.

 

The setting is beautiful with a stunning water feature. I love the sound of running water. The ground is covered in gemstones including Amethyst, Rose Quartz, Tiger’s Eye, Agates and more.

Aside from choosing your own gemstones there is also a shop with beautiful gemstone produce including jewelry, ornaments and crystals. It is like a treasure trove, even if you don’t plan on buying anything I suggest you have a look just for the fun of it.

You can also take a walk through the factory to view how the gemstones are cleaned, sorted and polished.

There is a little shop where you can order snacks, coffee and drinks.

You can also play a round of cave golf. My kids and I had a lovely time playing cave golf. If you hit the ball hard enough it glows which provides great excitement. Just keep in mind that little kids and golf clubs can be dangerous, I got hit on the head twice by my 4 year old son!

All in all we had a lovely afternoon experiencing all that the Scratch Patch had to offer. There is also a Scratch Patch at the V & A Waterfront, but I recommend the one in Simonstown.

It is open daily from 08h30 to 16h45 week days and from 09h00 to 17h30 on weekends.

It is free to enter, if you want to collect gemstones you pay per bag from R22 for the smallest bag up to R120 for the largest bag. Cave Golf is R30 per round for each player, plus a refundable deposit for your club and the ball.