How much do we love thee? Let us audit the ways.

In November last year many Capetonians got a bit misty-eyed with pride as their very own Tafelberg was apparently voted in as one of the seven new “wonders of nature” after an extensive international voting competition run by the Swiss New7Wonders Foundation.

Immediately, naysayers (this one included) pounced on the validity of the title and selection process, which apparently drew over a 100 million votes from over 220 countries in selecting the seven new natural wonders.

Well, our criticism has been served in some capacity by today’s news that an international audit of the votes has confirmed Table Mountain’s place as fifth of the seven new wonders of nature, shifting its “provisional” status to “official”.

The other sites that have received official status after audit are Halong Bay in Vietnam, the Iguazu Falls between Argentina and Brazil, Jeju Island in South Korea and the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines. The Amazon Rain forest and Komodo Island remain on the provisional list.

Officially the fifth of seven New Wonders of Nature ™

Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille welcomed the title as “a great accolade for a unique wonder of nature that belongs to all the people of Cape Town, South Africa, Africa and the world.”

She told News 24,

the New Seven Wonders title has great long-term marketing value for Cape Town and South Africa.  The wonder becomes part of school curricula, it becomes a ‘must see’ and ‘bucket list’ item for travellers and explorers.

Similarly, the confirmation of the title looks set to further boost visitor numbers to the mountain. Sabine Lehmann, chairperson of the Table Mountain official supporters committee was positive that Cape Town would see the same up turns that other “official” sites had, saying,

Visitor numbers to Table Mountain reached record numbers after the mountain was named on the provisional list of seven sites on 11 November 2011, and we expect the official confirmation to further boost visitor interest locally and abroad.

View from the top!

[Sources: News 24, McGrath Collection, Cape Town Daily Photo, Rhino Africa]