September 2013
With the onset of spring and after a superbly wet winter Cape Town is at its lush verdant best. After a brief winter we cannot wait to get out there!
The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are celebrating their centenary and putting on a fine show. A photographic display taking you through the garden’s century of growth is part of the current showing as well as Free guided walks and other events (www.botanicalsociety.org.za) that celebrate 100 years of our beautiful garden. Moyo Restaurant is a welcome addition to feed the admiring visitors. The treetops tour is in its early stages of development, but upon completion you will be able to view the lesser-known arboretum from above with its indigenous. For the more adventurous, a clamber up Nursery Ravine is splendid. The recent display of waterfalls is wonderful but beware of slippery rocks. This is quite a demanding walk but worth the effort. Remember to be well prepared and if you are not doing the hike with an experienced guide let someone know your route and eta (www.capehike.co.za/nursery-ravine/).
Alternately, catch the last gush of the Palmiet River with a day out river-rafting in the Kogelberg National Park on the East coast. (Palmietriver rafting)
Not to be outdone, the West Coast is putting on a fabulous spring display of annual flowers. If you already have tickets you will be heading up to the Rocking the Daisies Festival to dance in a field of daisies. If not, console yourself by visiting the West Coast National Park where free entry is being offered for the week 9-14 September. Take a picnic and think about booking to stay overnight in one of SANPARKS’ wonderful overnight cottages (www.sanparks.org); if you have a more generous budget private homes are also available in Churchaven (churchhaven perfecthideaway).
Tripping likes to think of itself as “green” in terms of promoting environmental awareness and leaving nothing but footprints, taking nothing but photographs in our beautiful country. Now we want to do even more – by donating plastic from our trips to a recycling arts project not only are we upcycling your trash but we also support a creative outlet and potential income generation project. We have also become acutely aware of the unfortunate carbon footprint that visitors leave in their international air travel and would like to offset this by planting a tree in guerilla gardens across the Cape, or by facilitating a donation to an organization that concentrates on greening the Cape Flats for every group that travels with us.