My late friend, Richard Britow, used to say, as we would pull into that parking lot just below where the overnight huts are, 'Home, sweet home'. Because, of course, that just so happens to be the parking lot for the 'Krantz. Rooikrantz is directly below.
We used to live in that reserve, fishing every weekend when the weather allowed it, and by weather I don't mean rain, I mean wind, as in a gale force southeaster. That was the only circumstance that kept us grounded!
We would spin for yellowtail in the summer months, and fish for galjoen on the Atlantic side in the winter months, as were those fishermen we happened to pass by on the beach.
This was a magnificent hike, and no, familiarity does nor breed contempt, not at all. I had almost forgotten how good 'Home, sweet home' can be! There were so many different wild flowers in bloom that I could not possibly photograph all of them. And I am no botanist, gotta getta connection at the botanical institute to verify some of the plant names. And, I discovered this weekend, the flower guide, 'Wild Flowers of the Table Mountain National Park', the new improved Umpugi's edition, still hot off the press, is by no means complete - not by a long shot. I was amazed to discover proteas and ericas, that are obviously Cape Peninsula species, missing from its pages, and there are no restios in this guide at all, can you believe it?
I would have loved to have Caitlin with on the hike, but, in retrospect, I think perhaps it would have been just a tad too tough for her. It certainly put my creaking old bones through the grinder!
Some of the usual suspects were sorely missed: Paul, Justin, Wally, Tanya, Stephen, Amanda, Jeremy, Celeste - I'm sure I speak on behalf of all of us when I say, 'Oh oo oo oo oo, wishing you were there........'.
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