SA Diversity Tour (1/03/2014) Day45

Knysna to Oudtshoorn 

With a stop at the Wimpy in Knysna, we were on our way to Karoo National Park but as the distance is not great, we had a leisurely drive there. The scenery and the flowers on the road between there and Oudtshoorn is remarkable at this time of year as there are many flowers in bloom such as this pink Erica and white Selago.

But even more so, was the sight of the hops grown in the region and used in the making of beer.

All along the route were just the most beautiful Proteas in full bloom. What a wonderful sight for me who lives in Gauteng and has almost none of the species growing there as the temperatures are too hot for them.

By lunchtime we stopped at Meiringspoort Waterfall. This is a great spot on a hot summers days to stop and cool your feet in the cold mountain water.

Stopping to look at the flowers, we found this Blue Spotted Lizard which is found on the rocks along the road. It is about 15cm (6”) in length.

Cradle of Humankind SA - Part 2

The fossil Hominid sites of Southern Africa comprises of the Cradle of Humankind, Taung and Makapan sites. The Cradle of Humankind is situated on 47,000 hectares of privately owned land and consists of 13 Palacontological sites.
The tour bigins with a boat ride which starts at the present and continues on a trip back through time, retracing the various stages of the creation of our earth. Snow-making and ice-producing machines give voyagers an indication of what the most recent ice age may have been like.

The beginning, when the earth was a fiery ball of molten rock.......

The journey goes back further into time, when the world was submerged in water,

and beyond that to the formation of the earth’s crust

and the shifting of the tectonic plates.

The ride ends dramatically in a simulated ‘black hole’. Scientists theorise that our world came into existence as a result of the collapse of the first star, creating a ‘black hole’ with a powerful gravitational pull. The force of the explosion created momentum amongst some of the dust, rocks and gas produced in the ‘Big Bang’ 14-million years ago. These particles were drawn into the centre of the ‘black hole’, gradually amassing into matter which eventually created the earth.

The boat ride ends in front of an audio-visual presentation of the formation of the earth, providing further understanding of the sensory experience of the boat.

SA Diversity Tour (25-28/02/2014) Day 41-44 Tsitsikamma

Part 4 – Tsitsikamma National Park

The four days spent there are some of the most relaxing days of the tour.

The early morning sunrise over the sea was splendid and the colours, amazing.

It was a step down from where we camped to the rocky shore to spend time looking into the tidal pools.

The water is so clear, that it is easy to see the life in it and these crabs scuttling around the rocks.

My favourite was this tiny crab who thought he could scamper into the crevice above the shell and not be seen.

Over the years the action of the waves has made many interesting formations in the rocks.

I think this grasshopper got lost as he was clinging to a rock near the water. Was he tired of eating leaves and was after some shrimp or prawns? LOL!!

Kelp Gulls were all over the rocky shores and at this time of year, many young ones were to be seen.

I really dislike cockroaches but this one was HUGE!! About 2cm (1”) in length!!

The colours in the rocks along the coastline here is magnificent.

I did not count them but I would love to know how many Rock Hyrax there are in just this small area alone. It seems that every rock had one or a family on it.

Some of the hikes in the area go passed and around beautiful areas such as this.

The Park offers a variety of accommodation to suite all tastes and preferences. This is part of the camping ground which has wonderfully clean ablution blocks.

The chalets are all build along the shoreline with tremendous views. Behind them in the bush are the Bush chalets which gives one a lot of privacy as do the other chalets which are built far away from each other.

No matter where you stay, the view is of the ocean.

This is one of the Erica’s found growing in the region and at all times of the year makes a brilliant splash of colour against the green vegetation.

 Nearby, the Paul Bridge spans the Stormsriver Mouth.

This was a very interesting find for me. I know that Woodlice are found all over including out gardens but on some low rocks in the sea, there were hundreds of them crawling around too. It seems that they have adjusted to the saltiness of the water.

The accommodation areas are built into part of the forest and small mushrooms such as these can be found there.

After four glorious days, it was time to move on and I said a reluctant goodbye to the sea.

SA Diversity Tour (25-28/02/2014) Day 41-44 Tsitsikamma

Part 3 – Tsitsikamma Suspension Bridge hike

The walk to the Suspension Bridge starts at the shop and restaurant complex and is about 1.5km in length.

 

For the most part it has walkways for easy access for people who struggle to walk.

There are handrail supports to help along in places which might be difficult for some people.

At first, the trail goes through the forest.

There are many tiny waterfalls due to the water coming out of the mountain.

Glimpses of the sea in places is breathtaking in its beauty.

Because of the lack of sunlight, all rocks and trees are covered with fine moss.

This old tree was stunning. To me it looked like it was sitting down with the roots forming the knees and legs. J

Various kinds of mushrooms can be found and I am sure at the right time of year, one will find wild orchids growing there too.

There are lovely birds in this area but of course I did not have the right lens on so these pictures are a bit blurry of the glimpse I had of one I do not know.

The suspension bridges are situated at the mouth of the Stormrivier.....

and the lookout from above is magnificent.

These are the statistics:

Going over them is not everyone’s cup of tea because of the swaying but it is worth it if you can do it as on the other side is the start to a climb to the top of a hill from where the view stretches for miles.

From the main building, you can also opt to go kayaking to the mouth with a guide to assist you along the way.

The other two bridges are shorter and much more doable for most people.

 The trail from here divides into two. You can opt for going a short distance along the coast or go back the way you came.

We of course opted to see new territory and found this lovely wild Hibiscus growing in the sunshine.

The rock formations here are so beautiful.

For anyone interested in geology, it is a place where you can spend hours exploring and find new formations everywhere you look.