I'd never been to Bontebok National Park (it's the smallest at just over 6 000 Ha) before so checked that out, lovely camp but not much shade. Also popped in to Swellendam, tatty camp but lots of massive oaks. So with no firm decision made it was back to the Baai, where the temp in the van was 36 C - secret weapon though, it has aircon. My neighbours were an odd couple who had been cycling around Africa for yonks and decided to settle back in Mosselbaai as he was born here. Settling down entailed pitching the smallest tent you can imagine and buying a couple of vespa-type scooters. During the hottest part of the day they would disappear with-intent (sorry) as there was no shade on their site - quite how their brains weren't fried I'm not sure.
I went out early one morning as I'd seen a spot with a nice little wave that I thought I could handle but had no kit, and of course as I had the kit there was no wave. Bumbling along the beach front I noticed a lot of activity and pulled in for a squiz. Numbers of nubile young maidens really got my attention, it was the local surf club having a competition - highly energetic bunch.
When handing in my keys I got talking to the owner of the park who recommended that I avoid Swellendam and head for Robertson, but I'd heard on the radio that they were due for a 40 degree day so settled for a couple of nights in Bontebok, and the first animal I saw........
............... and the Ag shame.
So why's is not a Blesbok? It has a definite sheen to the coat and the facial blaze is supposed to be continuous (though on this one it doesn't appear so) and finally it has a lily white ass like me. Took a drive around next morning and among a lot of other interesting things found this beauty - Erica ceririthicoides or Fire heath
Although the reserve is mostly fynbos, it borders the Breede and has a lovely mountain backdrop. Birdlife wasn't particulaly prolific but I did see the majestic Denham's bustard - twice.
Next it was off to Gansbaai to check out the three caravan parks there and on the way I just had to stop for this shot - so South African.
The first two parks were both municipal and a bit run down but Strandskloof was magnificent and I immediately paid for a week. Returning to Bontebok I came across this guy.....any guesses?
I've done many lectures on raptors and I have assured scads of people that though Steppe Buzzards have many colour morphs there is ALWAYS a line on the breast separating the blotched uppers from the barred lowers - well, nature loves to make a fool of you.
When I arrived at Strandskloof with the van I had a major problem locating the DSTV satellite, I kept finding strong signals but the decoder didn't like any of them. I finally moved the dish to the next site, locked on and was on my way back to see if I had picture when I noticed the problem, one of the cables had come loose where they plug into the back of the van - very frustrating. When I was putting up thr awning a couple of old tops (well older than me) wandered over and offered to help which was how I met Frik. He told me that his wife and himself had decided they were tired of living in "prison" in Pretoria, so rented the house and hit the road. Five years later they thought it was time to settle down again but just couldn't get used to it. So they sold the house and headed for their favourite camp and he said "It felt like we were on parole". He then spoke to Riaan, the owner, as he didn't want to have to move camp every month or so to save the grass and asked if he would throw a slab, which was promptly done and he is now resident AND employed - he runs the shop over weekends. When I told him I was going to house sit for three months he said "Well when you get out on parole you can come back here"
Strandskloof is about 10 k's past Gansbaai near Franskraal and Kleinbaai. From the camp you can make out Dyer Island, which has seals, which are the favourite food of Great Whites, and boy is it big business taking people cage diving. The harbour is so small that the boats have to be trailered after each trip so not only do they sport at least two 250 HP Yamahas most of them have tractors to haul them out - major bucks but obviously worth it. The biggest I saw, called Dreamcatcher had four Yamahas and took out 32 people when I saw it depart. As the cage only holds four it must take quite some time to cycle everyone - not my cup of tea, the sharks must be totally habituated by now.
A trip to Hermanus to find what the boffs are calling an Elegant-type Tern as there is lots of argument about whether it's a hybrid or not was disappointing but not a total loss as there was a pod of Common dolphins very close inshore. A further 4 visits have still not produced the tern!
And this is where I want to live when I retire.
On the far side of town I found a road that headed up into the mountains and was eventually rewarded with this stunnning view looking back to the lagoon - thousands of birds but rather smelly.
Though the fynbos was pristine there wasn't much in flower except these almost luminescent everlastings. I initially thought Helichrysum but when I looked them up they are actually called False everlastings - Phaenacoma prolifera and they certainly were prolific.
Further up the coast towards L'Agulus I came across Buffelsjagbaai (bet the English girls have fun with that) where there is a small coloured community and a large Abalone (Perlemoen) farm. These are popping up all over the place with most near Hermanus and one conducts tours which I intend to do sometime. Just look at the colour of the water in the bay though.
On the way back I noticed a couple of splashes of red next to the road which turned out to be one of the Paintbrush Lilies, Haemanthus coccineus.
I also took a drive to Kleinmond to check out the caravan parks there as potential next stops but they were both a bit disappointing so decided to stay on here until I move to Cape Town at the end of the month. On the way back I passed the Kogelberg Nature Reserve and decided, as the habitat looked right, to see if I could locate a Cape Rockjumper or two. That was a total failure but I did find something really interesting
Nivinia stokoei, which I only managed to find in the book because I thought it looked like an Aristea. The distribution is a tiny little dot centered on Kogelberg, so I considered myself extremely fortunate.
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Atlassing took me to a small reserve near Franskraal called Grootmelkbos, where I flushed a Spotted Eagle Owl and though birds were scarce I managed to find a number of these Brunsvigia orientalis which has the magical name of Koningskandelaer, which I believe translates as King's chandelier.
