Horseback Adventures on the Cape Whale Coast ...
August was a crazy month from a weather point of view, but our guests, volunteers, horses and ourselves still had loads of fun on trail.
Flowers, flowers, flowers! Once again I’m totally bowled over by the astonishing number and variety of beautiful flowers the Fynbos has to offer at this time of the year! Namaqualand is so often pitched as the floral capital of South Africa, but we get to see a similar amazing display right here on our doorstep in the Overberg. And with some timeous late-season rain interspersed with lovely Summery days, the plant kingdom has outdone itself this year. I find new species (for me) on every horse trail, some flowers only lasting a day or two, whilst others put on a crazy, colourful show for weeks at a time.
And with this multitude of bright colour, our birdlife has also come to life, feverishly building nests, hunting, foraging, feeding and egg-laying. The Summer visitors are arriving including for a month or so, a flock of delicate pink Flamingoes in the Uilenskraals Estuary, swallows and swifts, and many more. This Spring awakening also includes our reptile life, from the tiniest frogs and lizards, to busy tortoises and basking snakes.
We are so lucky and privileged to bear witness to this abundance of Nature every time we set hoofs on trail, whether to the pristine white beaches of Pearly Beach, or winding our way up into the surrounding Fynbos-clad mountains. It is a huge delight for me to share this beauty with both our local and overseas guests, who so often do not have the opportunity to kick back for a few hours and really get in touch with the marvellous outdoors experience on offer here on the Cape Whale Coast, Western Cape, South Africa.
