This beauteous land

There could have been no better place to be this morning than strolling across the hills of Cape Point Nature Reserve - a gentle breeze at our backs and a glittering False Bay to our left as we set off from the Visitor Centre for Rooikrans and the whale watching lookout point. The pleasant, sandy trail meanders along the spine of this remote end of the Cape Peninsula, with little in the way of uphill or downhill to distract you from the splendid views up and down the rugged coastline. Yesterday's rain made for easy walking on firm, damp sand, and the early spring growth on the leucadendrons was a splash of soft pale green on the masses of bushes that flourish on the plateau. Everywhere I looked there was a tiny flower heralding the new season, bravely offering its petals to be admired, but sadly overlooked by many who don't think to look down at Nature's lesser marvels. Our fynbos is mostly so tiny that the only way to really appreciate it is to take photos that can be enlarged on a screen to take in its exquisite beauty.
The yellow pincushions were everywhere, bold and brazen as they attracted our attention and especially that of the Cape Sugarbird, Orange-breasted Sunbirds and Southern Double-collared Sunbirds that flitted from tree to tree - easy to photograph, but only if you have remembered to insert the memory card in the heavy camera you are lugging with you. I had to make do with my cellphone and mostly mental imagery to capture the awesome beauty of today's hike and thankfully technology doesn't always let me down.
We saw two humpback whales wallowing in the shallows of Buffels Bay, but Murphy must have been walking with us and no Southern Rights were seen, even from the whale watching viewpoint, but that didn't lessen the pleasantness of the morning in any way. It is a gentle although fairly long walk to the point, and a coffee break was very welcome, with the added bonus of a pair of friendly Cape Buntings who almost ate breadcrumbs from our hands.
As we headed towards the road that snakes down to Cape Point, where we would be crossing over to descend on the Atlantic side of the Reserve, there was a distinct change in the vegetation and the climate - low-lying, hardy shrubs able to resist the cold and salty sea air coming from the west, with a chill left over from the passing cold front. Leaving the calm waters of False Bay and overlooking the impressive shore break and numerous reefs that surround the Cape of Good Hope, it was as though we had passed through a doorway into a different place. There is something about a rough sea and aquamarine waves that is as captivating as watching the flames of a fire - and the salt air invigorates after a long walk, particularly when Platboom (our destination) is in sight and probably only an hour away!
This hike has to rank as one of the best (visually and general fitness level required) that I have been on and it is highly recommended for everyone.