Myburgh Ravine, sans waterfall

The track from Suikerbossie to Myburgh Ravine has an arduous start up through the pine forest, and it is always with a slightly heavy heart that I approach this hike. We also always do it in January/February, the hottest time of year when the sun beats relentlessly on the unshaded path and the hats of the hikers, and our eyes have to remain downcast to avoid tripping over the boulders that poke out unexpectedly from the sand, rather than enjoying the view. This, too, is hidden behind a veil of shrubbery with sudden marvellous vistas across the bay to Slangkop when a break in the trees allows. You may ask why we would hike under conditions that don't appear to make the journey worthwhile, but the goal is to see the disa uniflora that appears on the damp cliff face of the waterfall at the height of summer, and so we are prepared to trudge along in single file for this purpose.
Today was a different story. The looming buttress of the Twelfth Apostle (I presume!) cast a long shadow across the slopes, and a fresh northwesterly blew our hair back as it raced through the nek from Llandudno and kept us cool on the exposed mountainside.
Signs of a very early spring were everywhere, most notably lobostemon, babiana and asters. Many varieties of restio flourish in this damp area with deep shade in winter, and could become a point of interest all of their own, such is the delicate beauty of the golden tassels. There is so much to learn about the Cape Floral Kingdom - a lifetime is not enough.
The reason for a winter walk was ostensibly to see the waterfall, but none of us were inclined to scramble up the steep and rocky ascent, with many fallen branches to climb under or over, and so we never did get to see if it was a wondrous sight or not! But we did agree that it was a most enjoyable outing on a mild winter's day.