Tuesday, 7 July 2015

Spring in the Western Cape in search of Flamingoes

I've visited Cape Town many times. I've also driven the entire East Coast and Garden Route, but I'd never made it to the West Coast. I'd also never seen Flamingoes in their natural habitat and really didn't want to leave without seeing them. We were leaving South Africa in December 2014, so with there being no time like the present, I booked a return flight from Johannesburg, car hire and accommodation for one and left a week later.


September in South Africa is spring. They joke that spring lasts until midday on September the 1st then it's summer. However cape Town has a completely different climate to Johannesburg, which is a 2 hour flight away.

I arrived in the early evening and after discovery the accommodation I'd booked and received confirmation for in Green Point was double booked, I ended up on the other side of the city at Green Market at The Glam Hotel. There were restaurants within a very short walk from the hotel and a wide selection.


I'd made my way from the airport to Cape Town by bus, collecting my car hire in the morning. The reason being is that the Avis car hire from the airport was limited mileage, whereas collecting from the city centre wasn't. I've no idea why this is the case but that's how it was.

View from Bloubergstrand


Driving out of Cape Town, Table Mountain was visible in the rear view mirror for around 70kms, until I started to drive a little inland. There were plenty of places to stop for photos and coffee on route.



View from Yzerfontein

I stopped for breakfast at West Coast Farmstall and could've quite happily spent the day here. It was so pretty inside, staff friendly, food fantastic and beautiful gardens. There was also a farm shop and I stocked up with some snacks and drinks for the next few days.



I opted to drive through, rather than round, the West Coast National Park, taking advantage of my SANPark Wild Card.



Arriving late at my Absolute Beach Accommodation, in Britannia Bay. I was shown to my room and understood why their advertisemnt stated it was ideal as a retreat. I had a double room with en suite and the most amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean and I was treated to a whale sighting during my stay.







A full English breakfast was served with a wide range of drinks and freshly baked muffins. Each Self contained room had a veranda and there was a shared TV room with fully equipped kitchen and a small pool. I opted to eat out in the evenings at a near by hotel.





After breakfast I set off in search of Flamingoes at the Lower Berg River Wetlands, I wasn't disappointed, pulling over on the side of the road I was able to take as many pictures as I wanted. I ended up seeing quite literally hundreds of Flamingoes during my 3 day trip.









I then drove down to the harbour to locate a coffee shop, I came across a wonderful souvenir shop, a bar and restaurant and a variety of coffee shops.





I travelled South from there to Vredenburg where there was a mall for lunch and to buy my dinner to eat at the accommodation that night.

Heading back to Britannia Bay, I decided to visit Pasternoster I'd watched a documentary on the area and wanted to see it for myself. There is plenty of accommodation in the area, the scenery is stunning, but apart from a hotel and a sea shell shop and being a very expensive location to holiday in, you would need to be committed to just relaxing, walking, photography or art.


I spent an hour explore the rock pools before heading back to Absolute Beach.


Leaving early the following morning I made my way back slowly to the airport in Cape Town, my flight was at 8pm, so I drove through the West coast National Park and stopped to take numerous photographs, sit and watch the other wildlife.




 The roads were quite literally covered with these caterpillars and insects






I marvel at the stupidity, these were Puff Adders, there are also Cape Cobra's in the area and you really wouldn't want to encounter either one of them.




My drive back to Cape Town can only be described as Scenic 


I visited Darling Cellars to sample a cheese basket for lunch (I was driving)



Heading into the town of Darling, I was slightly disappointed to discover that the famous Spring Flowers had almost finsihed their season, but the rains had started a couple of weeks earlier than normal. parts of Darling and the Postberg Section of West Coast National Park are only open during August and September for the spring flower season.

 Postberg










Darling







My journey ended with a final stop to capture yet another photograph of Table Mountain, although I'm returning to South Africa in October and November, I will be staying in Johannesburg to work with a charity and I doubt I'll ever return to Cape Town.


14 comments:

  1. Wow what views! This is an area I would love to visit one day. I'm so glad that after the double booking disaster at the start that you had such a good time. Such sights - I bet you'll never forget them.
    Thanks for joining in and sharing lovely x

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    1. I truly enjoyed every minute of my life in South Africa, so many opportunities and I'd live there again if we could

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  2. Wow - flamingoes. So many of them too! And Table Mountain, such a beautiful sight. what a great trip.

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    1. I lost count of the number of flamingoes I saw on that trip

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  3. And a third wow here - so much wildlife and such beautiful flowers in gorgeous scenery. How wonderful and varied our world is. We actually had 2 flamingoes living on the marches of North Kent when I first met Simon - he didn't believe me and thought they were a plastic bag (they were a long way away). A view through the binoculars proved who was right mind you. I believe they were escaped captive birds but lived happily there for many years!

    Many thanks for adding some of S Africa's wildlife to #AnimalTales

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    1. I used to love the flamingos as a child at Flamingo Land in the UK when i lived in Yorkshire as a small child

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  4. Sounds like an incredible trip and I can't believe how unspoilt it is. I love the flamingo photos, but I'm not so fussed on the snakes - eek!

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    1. I'm not a big fan of snakes either but I was more sensible and took my picture from the car

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  5. Wow what an adventure, I'd love to do and see all that, the sights are really beautiful! It sounds like you had a really great time there x

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    1. it was lovely and id love to revisit and catch the flowers at the start of spring

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  6. What a fabulous trip. I can see why you wanted to visit before you left South Africa. The red-billed birds look like choughs but I didn't realise they are found so far south.

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    1. it's sad to think i'll probably never visit there again, it was wonderful

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  7. South Africa has been on my list to visit since forever, the summer after I met my husband my plan was to embark on London to Cape Town overland - I met him and that dream disappeared for a while hopefully it's one that I can get him onboard and sometime do it.

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    1. Cape Town is a completely different world to Johannesburg and the Garden Route has to be on everyones bucket list

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