Trappieshoek

Marijke suggested a nice short two hour walk. We headed for Trappieshoek, a new route for me, which starts at the Kalk Bay end of Boyes drive and rises gradually (at first!) to a saddle overlooking Sun Valley and Noordhoek (above).

Then you take sharp right and head for the mountain. Small Agapanthus africanus appeared near our path.

 Erica mammosa with its deep pink tubes, close-clustered and collectively pointing down. 

By now we were moving vertically, scrambling and rock climbing while I made frosty editorial remarks about "short two hour walks". This was mainly to keep my spirits up. I have a thing about edges.

We spotted an interesting and solitary erica quite at home between two high rocks on a shaded face. Above, Marijke's turn to photograph it. 

Ericas are the famous heaths of Scotland, yes.  The rest of Africa and Europe boast 76 erica species that occur naturally. South Africa  has over 650*.

(*Source: Ericas of South Africa, Dolf Schumann, Gerhard Kirsten and EGH Oliver. Fernwood Press, 1992.)

I shall post this to iSpot, to see what the experts say. It seems unusual. A wonderful site. Thanks to Lyn MacCallum for telling me about it.

[According to the iSpotters, it is Erica annectans, and known for growing only above Kalk Bay in this specific area. It is on the Red List of South African Plants, meaning that it is threatened. I feel lucky to have seen it.]

And a wonderful view. Wow. Totally worth the scramble and the heat. Wow. The white bite of beach is Fish Hoek. Gorgeous sand and water. Great whites have eaten two people here. I swam there as a child. Shark bait.

Thanks to long-legged Marijke for the new views, interesting erica and for tearing herself away from her sweet new blue-eyed baby for a couple of hours.