Cape Point Reserve is one of my favourite hiking places - you cannot get further away from everything than the beach down at Strandbank where the rusted remains of the once-proud vessel Thomas T Tucker lie strewn across the rocks and covered or uncovered by the shifting sands at the whim of the prevailing winds. Today the breeze was gentle and the sun was warm, a far cry from the storms for which our Cape is named, but a deep low pressure in the South Atlantic had sent a swell of 6 or 7 metres to show that the sea is boss in this region of the world, and we spent a pleasant half hour watching the breakers pound the coastline - rather like the mesmerising flames of a campfire.
A variety of game was spotted along the road down to Olifantsbos - the ever-handsome bontebok in large numbers, ostriches and a zebra - and the spoor of smaller animals were spotted on the beach but have yet to be identified. Good to know that wildlife continues to flourish in this important wilderness. A gigantic (naturally) whale vertebra provides a resting place near the wreck, and a slightly smaller and possibly much, much older one lies wedged between a rock and a dune on the trail, stepped over by most who presume it to be a weathered log. Always something interesting to see on our walks!
The climb up to the ridge was a gentle gradient compared to most, and the weathered sandstone rocks on the plateau were wild and fantastic among the soft greenery of the recovering fynbos - the serruria villosa in particular love this area of the Reserve and will soon be a mass of flowers to delight the eye. A few isolated ericas and tiny lachenalias were spots of colour in the veld. In Spring the plateau will be covered in flowers and another walk at that time is a must!
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