05 June 2012

Summery June on Muizenberg Beach



Date: 3 June 2012

Location: Muizenberg

Walkers: Michele & Helen

Check out the Muizenberg Beach archive for all walks here.



Between the cold fronts Cape Town typically has wonderful weather in June: still, crisp and clear, and surprisingly warm in the sunshine. Today was one of those days. Michele and I walked while some friends surfed.



A little plane buzzed past.



The fisherman were out trying their luck.



Snail trails on the sand...



... shells...



... even a paper nautilus (sadly not a whole one).



Even the water was warmish. We paddled!



I'd borrowed Dorothy's new toy: a Fitbug pedometer. I want one!


.

The Day Fades on the Prom



Date: 1 June 2012

Location: Sea Point

Walker: Helen and Dorothy

Archive of all Prom walks here.

We started our walk along the Sea Point Promenade in glorious sunshine.



But the days are short now, and by the time we reached Saunders Rock and turned around the sun was gone and a chilly sea mist was coming in.




And there was a beautiful moon up above.


.

Brittania Bay to Cape St Martin

Date: 13 May 2012

Location: Brittania Bay, up the West Coast

Walkers: Dorothy, Claudia, Michele, Taryn & Helen

*** Route plotted here ***

Our second day at Brittania Bay started drizzly and misty and stayed that way all day. However by late afternoon it brightened just enough to encourage us to wrap up warmly and venture out. Again we walked out onto the beach, but this time we walked in a westerly direction.



Grey, grey sea.



As we reached the rocks there were several clumps of the Euphorbia known as Medusa's Head.



It's a wacky plant!



Other coastal plants spotted hereabouts:



There was a lot of seaweed around. Stinky stuff.



Looking behind us, back to Brittania Bay.



The mist rolled back in and it was seriously gloomy.



Cormorants and herons sat on the rocks.



And other sea birds. There... then gone.



After a while we came across a large ugly compound with high security. Found out later is a perlemoen (abalone) farm.



And a bit further on we came to the Cape St Martin lighthouse.



On the flat land around there... tiny yellow flowers and clumps of bright red.



Not sure what the yellow one is. Shy little flowers.



The red one is a lachenalia, possibly L. rubida.



I particularly like their spotted leaves.



We continued to wander down the coast.



Plenty more lachenalia here too - with a sea view!



Rocks in the far distance.



And rock pools nearby.




We also saw more than one remains of a seal.



And beautiful iridescent perlemoen shells everywhere.



After a while it was time to wander home again, to the heater and some tea.


.

Brittania Bay

Date: 12 May 2012

Location: Brittania Bay, up the West Coast

Walkers: Dorothy, Claudia, Michele, Taryn & Helen

*** Route plotted here ***

A group of us went up the West Coast for a girls' weekend away. After a delicious lunch at Paternoster we travelled on to Brittania Bay, to our holiday house right on the dunes. It was late afternoon, but there was just enough time for a quick walk on the beach.



Lots of these houses are holiday homes, most of them empty in winter.



It's a pretty little bay, with a wide flat beach, strewn with kelp.



I went down to the water's edge to feel the ocean... brr!



We'd walked east, direction Shelley Point. We were heading for the rocky outcrop at the end of the sand.





Beach flora spotted on the way:




Round rocks catching the late afternoon rays.



We walked just far enough to see Shelley Point round the corner.



And then we turned back. Such a pretty bay!



And a spectacular orange sunset.



.