Back to Strand Beach

Date: 25 March 2012

Location: Strand, in the Helderberg

Walkers: Helen & Aafke

Previous walk on Strand Beach here.

Strand Beach is good for walking - wide and flat. And with warm water, small waves and shallows that extend out a long way, it's a nice and safe for swimming, a good family beach. And it has an attractive mountain backdrop. We were there on a breezy Sunday morning.




Across False Bay we could see cloud swirling around mountains of the southern peninsula.



The tide was low, exposing the rocky shelf in places.



And there was seaweed! Beautiful colours.






There were a lot of people out and about. Bracing walking in the wind!



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Cape Town: City Centre Streets

Date: 21 March 2012

Location: City Bowl, Cape Town

Walkers: Dorothy, Michele & Helen

Public holiday today, and we went for a little stroll around the city centre, starting near Heritage Square on Bree Street, and meandering around Wale, Loop and various side streets, looking in store windows.



We then crossed Wale and walked up Long.






Always lots going on in this part of town: interesting shops, film shoots, trendy coffee houses, street life.




We on to the top of Bree Street... some welcome shade under the fever trees, and a host of new shops, restaurants and businesses in this area.




And lastly back down to Longmarket Street and some delicious lunch at Dear Me Restaurant.


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Lagoon Beach

Date: 18 March 2012

Location: Milnerton

Walkers: Michele & Helen



I was at the Lagoon Beach Hotel for a conference and when we finished in the afternoon Michele joined me for a walk on the beach. Although I often walk at Woodbridge Island nearby this was actually my first walk on this stretch of sand. First we walked towards Cape Town.



A short jetty about halfway along extends out into the sea. This gives one the perfect spot to take perfect iconic Table Mountain views.



Looking in the other direction we could see the Lagoon Beach suburb, hotel in the distance.



It's a very pleasant beach for walking: wide and flat.



One can't walk terribly far though, as one quickly reaches these barriers. When we got here we turned around and walked back up the beach.



In front of the hotel is the lagoon. Very popular spot on a sunny Sunday.



Across the channel we could see Woodbridge Island, the lighthouse just visible a little way further up.



The water was clean and clear, and not as cold as I expected.



We walked out as far as we could onto the sand bar.


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Back to the Silvermine River Walk

Date: 12 March 2012

Location: Silvermine

Walkers: Michele, Helen & Dorothy

**** Route plotted here ***

Previous walks along this route here and here.

Once again we left a hot and sunny city bowl to find Silvermine overcast, cool and breezy. We decided on the River Walk route as it follows the valley and is in no way exposed. And out of the cold wind it was great for walking. We followed the sandy path as it meandered along, climbing up the valley at a very mild gradient. Easy stroll, even for unfit ladies like ourselves.






Stopping to smell the flowers. This erica, in various shades of pink, had tiny little flowers and a honey-like scent.




Other pink flowers: sweet-scented Keurboom tree, Virgilia oroboides.



Spindly Indigofera filifolia.



And a different variety of erica. So pretty!

And red too: Tritoniopsis triticea, almost over now.



The second half of the walk is in the forest. Here the path runs close to the river and we saw no water running at all. The waterfall was dry. Summer is nearly over so rains should come soon - we need them.



The dam looked dark and moody, with cloud very low.



We followed the same route back down to the start.


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