The drive to Potberg took us through Heidelberg where we stocked up at the local Spar before taking the road past Slang River and then to Malgas where we got onto the Ferry. Gideon and Booi were the operators. They were their normal jovial selves ... - I felt that their good nature and friendly banter was worth the extra R10.

On the last section we saw a number of Blue Crane and even a Secretary Bird. We stopped off at the Trading Store at the intersection leading down to Cape Infanta where I asked a chap in a Landrover (Brian) to confirm the direction that we were taking. He became so excited about talking to us that he jumped out of his vehicle and nearly lost it as he had forgotten about a small detail called a Hand Brake. He then told us about the 10 Whales that were cavorting at Cape Infanta. As we approached Potberg I did my traditional stop for Ostrich Feathers (which I had done the last time we were here). The Bontebok that one sees close to the fencing are quite spectacular with their white rumps and deadly looking horns.

At Potberg we parked our vehicle next to the huts and started to offload only to be greeted by a distraught Gerald who told me that the organisers now supply boxes that we had to use to load up all our stuff instead of the suitcases that we had thought that we would use. In the end we took a few extra boxes and coped quite well. Another feature that took us by surprise was that, at every overnight hut, we were supplied with a complete set of cutlery, can opener, plates, pots, gas stove and cups. They also have dish washing facilities with hot water, hot showers and flush loos.

While the hiker is expected to clean up after each day, there is a cleaning team that will empty bins and make certain that the hut is in pristine condition for the next day’s hikers. Ian and Jenny arrived a little later and we set up our cooking for the evening. Robin took on the duty as chief fire man for that evening and retained the duty though-out the hike.  I, for one, had a stunning evening after enjoying some snacks, drinks and a delicious supper. The hiking banter began early as we told the same old boring stories that we always tell but find incredibly funny & interesting every time they are told.

Wednesday 14^th November Morning.

The Team!

We had decided to leave at 07.00 and after some tight packing and rearranging of stuff we managed to get going on time. Barbara and Jenny were left all alone. Barbara commented later how empty she felt as she saw us heading off on a five day adventure and she had a long and lonely drive home.

The day starts off through some invasive aliens, Australian Eucalyptus and Wattle trees before heading uphill. The natural fynbos soon takes over and I found it interesting listening to Ian, the American, telling all of us South Africans that the Fynbos consists of four main plant types: the Protea, the Erica, The Restio and the Geophytes.

Most of us know the Protea Family quite well and can recognise the plant as being a protea. There are huge varieties and we would be very knowledgeable to be able to identify even a fraction of this variety. The Erica is tough stemmed with small flowers and round leaves. Here too there are wide varieties. The Restio is the grassy looking part of the fynbos that often grows in clumps. The Geophytes are the bulbous and often very pretty plants such as the Arum Lilies and the Watsonias.

As we walked up the pathway we were fortunate to see some Cape Vultures as they circled lazily in the clouds above us. The fortunate thing about climbing high like this morning is that we get closer to this elusive bird. Robin took a bit of strain going up the hill. He became quite out of breath and dizzy. Robin is a regular hiker doing day hikes almost every week. Fortunately he knew how to handle himself and took it easy until we finally reached the top of the Potberg (5km) after a hike of about 2.30hours.

Out came the Cell phones and refreshments. Ian called Jacques to confirm building operations at Wildcliff. We were able to check up on loved ones before setting off again. Barbara told me that both she and Jenny had reached Heidelberg safely and that she was now on her way home. We walked the ridge of the mountain with the Breede River to the East and some deep gorges to the West. I wonder if there are such vast protea fields anywhere else in South Africa? They stretched as far as the eye could see. I think that both Roger and Tory were battling with their boots until they fastened their laces which helped to stop the jarring of the downhills.

Robin called the lunch spot. It is important to know that it is the second crossing of the Melkhout stream where the hiker must stop as this is a much better and bigger place for a picnic. This is the one and only time that we could fill water bottles during the day. A couple of us had a cool off in the water before we enjoyed our snack and a short nap. This is the 10kay mark and here after we headed up hill. Robin was again struggling and he and I brought up the rear. Dawn was on a roll and charged off into the sunset ahead of us.

We reached the hut around 3.00pm and then went off for the compulsory swim in the dam. The water was great and a wonderful cool down after a hot day of walking. We saw some men across the dam also enjoying the afternoon at the water. As we had approached the Cupidoskraal hut, Robin had been telling me about his bridge lessons that he had been taking.

We managed to convince Roger and Dawn into joining us for some light hearted bridge. Those who know me know that there is nothing light hearted about the way I play the game. I am both reckless and ruthless and play to win! But we had a lot of fun and had Linda as an onlooker who appeared interested.

Just in front of the braai area were some Cape Sugar birds entertaining us with their antics on the (Suikerbossie) Pincushion Protea flowers. Most of the Protea had already flowered and dried up but the Sugarbush was in full bloom. Gerald also pointed out some other Laat Lammetjies in the protea world.
We continued the evening with a wonderful fire supported by evening snacks and drinks.

                                        

Ian, Dawn and I had our chicken sosaties fresh bread with a cheese topping. Ian made us a vegetable stir fry to go with this incredible bush meal. This evening Dawn and I shared an upstairs room with Ian and Robin in the loft across from us.

I had brought a Farmers Weekly to read. Since Ian bought Wildcliff I have developed an active interest in farming matters and find this a good read. Articles of interest included building a wine brand such as Robin’s friend in Calitzdorp is trying to do and the article about this woman farmer who won awards but who was running a really poor operation. The Transfer of Wildcliff to the Wildcape Nature Trust was listed in this copy. There is an interesting article that compares business management to the game of Rugby. Our GM (Johan Sadie) at Morkels has being making this comparison for years.

Thursday 15^th November 2007.

This morning started off with a climb. Gerald & I brought up the rear. As we walked up the hill Gerald pointed put a rock that was in the shape of Africa. Maybe a bit of Deja vu but I am sure that we had seen the same rock four years ago. At any rate I now had a relatively empty backpack and could easily fit this souvenir in the bag. Gerald & I shared the load until we had proudly shown the rest of the group who did not seem nearly as impressed with our treasure as we were. In fact Roger said it looked more like South America than Africa.

At about this time it began to drizzle quite strongly and the Ponchos and covers were taken out. This meant that we walked too fast to really enjoy the walk. By the time we reached to top of the hill that looks down onto the cove of Noetsie, the group had spread out by about a kilometre. The rain stopped and we had another bright sunny day for walking.

We saw some of the rangers parked on the road below and wondered if we had done something wrong that they were coming to talk to us about. As I approached these three men I greeted them heartily and asked them why they were climbing this hill that we had just descended. One of the men turned out to be the man we had seen across the dam the previous day.

He proudly introduced himself as Tom Ambrose, 26 Comrades, 23 Oceans, 1 Rhodes and 6 Foots. I then introduced him to Gerald: 20 Comrades, 25 Oceans, 3 Rhodes and umpteen other ultra events and myself also having done my fair share of these great runs. Tom is a contractor to the Cape Nature as he sprays and cuts the Wattle and Port Jackson Willow. Benny and Oom At were the inspectors who were there to check up on his work rate. Tom also does fire control for the burning of this weed.

Shortly after crossing the road we rejoined the group for a lunch stop. They had found a bridge that was serving as a bench and were sitting in a straight stripe. I pulled out our lunch of cheese sandwiches. Unfortunately the Rock of Africa had by now flattened them somewhat but this combined with an apple and a drink of water was enough to soothe us into an afternoon sleep on the pathway. I could vaguely hear the chatter of the group as they left one by one but was too tired to take any notice.

After a short while Ian and I forced ourselves up and onwards. After this section of Port Jackson Willow we crossed a burnt field of Protea. The pathway takes hikers over a vast area of flat and round rock. The rock has a number of round holes where plants sometimes grow and I am sure that small creatures use as homes. We also passed by a section where the flow of water had eroded the rock in to caves beneath the pathway.

Ian explained to me that this was Limestone. Limestone is made of crushed sea shells and is millions of years old. Ian pointed out that when the rock breaks you can see two things: Sometimes you will see the outline of a shell such as a sea snail or mussel. But what we could see distinctly was the layers as huge temperature fluctuations had created the rock formations.

Ian also pointed out another formation that I found interesting. It is the result of many years of pressure between a variety of smaller stones that eventually bind together to form one big rock. When you see this it is clearly made up of many small stones. This is referred to as a conglomerate.

We were quite a little way behind the rest of the group and as we came to the last descent at Noetsie, a small snake slithered across the pathway. It looked like a harmless grass snake about 60cm long and brown in colour. The Noetsie sleeping accommodation is the smallest of all the huts as the kitchen and the sleeping areas are in two separate huts. We saw a number of baboons but they kept their distance and did not bother us at all.

Pat & I had a short swim. It is best to take a pair of sandals on this hike as walking on the rocks is quite tough on the feet. Robin and I managed to rope in a couple of bridge players including Tory and Linda. I think that they enjoyed their brief and intense lesson. With a bit of practice they will become as keen as we are. Gerald took us for a short walk to see the huge log that had washed off a ship and been wedged on the beach. Roger, Ian and Tory did a bit of exploring over the nearby rocks.

    

Robin did his fireman duty and we were soon sitting around the boma area having cocktails and watching the most amazing sunset of the entire hike. There was a bit of cloud cover and this turned into bright reds, oranges and pinks before the sun finally set on the Western horizon.

Ian entertained us with a quiz: he handed Gerald a piece of limestone, a bluebottle, and a rock with Lichen on it. His question was: Which was man's closest relative. Dawn was quick to answer: “Gerald!” Ian explained that the Bluebottle consists of three organisms; the tummy is the bottle and there are two other organisms in the tentacles that do all the stinging. And the Lichen consists of two organisms: a fungus sheltering an algae-like organism. I am not sure but I think that the Lichen was the correct answer to the quiz.

This evening Dawn, Ian & I feasted on the Fillet that I had bought in Albertinia with potato with cheese and fresh carrots and tomato. We had a bottle of red wine for each evening to really make the meal special. I enjoy a cup of tea when I go to bed and am so used to it that I find it a little surprising that others don’t do the same. It did not take long after dark before everyone was in bed and fast asleep.

Friday 16^th November 2007.

This morning I thought that I was first awake and sitting on the ledge in the morning sun while drinking coffee I was joined by a pair of redwing starlings and a little field mouse wanting crumbs. Pat emerged from the East Side. She had been watching the sun rise over the ocean. We had decided that we would give Pat some time to make bacon and eggs this morning and only left at 08.30am. The distance was only half of what we had walked the previous two days. This is not a flat hike and there are continuous ups and downs to make you work. By the time we came to the Stilgat stop we were ready for a swim.

                           

After we had accustomised our eyes to the dark we walked deep into the cave and marvelled at the stalactites and stalagmites. Unfortunately many of them have been vandalised but it is still worth a look see. We then went to explore the second, less obvious of the two caves and here we were treated to some amazing sub caves and little temples created by the dripping limestone.

As we climbed out of the cove and up the ladders, we saw our first whale of the hike. It flapped its tail at us briefly. Some of the rest of the group had moved ahead. We followed and saw what was to become one of the highlights of the hike. We sat on a high ledge, just above the whales, watching two cows with their calves staying very close. We could see them clearly but with binoculars, we were able to see the barnacles and formation of the whales.

The whales were Southern Right whales which we had seen described in the overnight hut. These animals grow to the size of up to 12 elephants. The calves drink up to 600 litres of milk a day. As we watched, a pod of about 6 dolphins joined the four whales and swam around them. When the whales eventually began moving on in an easterly direction three or four of the dolphins swam just ahead of the whales as we have seen them do in front of a speed boat in the ocean.

This was truly something special for us. We had sat on rocks, at what is almost the southernmost tip of Africa. The weather was perfect. We enjoyed a cool sea breeze, isolated from the rest of the world and witnessed a spectacular natural show of some of earth’s largest and most interesting animals.

  

On the whole trip we must have seen about 15 whales but none as close or as interesting as this sighting. We must have seen a total of about 50 to 100 dolphins over the next three days. Other interesting wildlife we saw were the lizards,  including a number of the Blue Headed Ground Agama. They seemed quite confident as we approached them. They are incredibly fast and leap across rocks. Deryck spotted a pair of Klipspringer. They were quite close to us and very well camouflaged.

Today the hike ends with a short walk on the beach before reaching the overnight hut. As we sat outside the hut we had a few visitors in the form of the Southern Boubou, the distinctive white eyes of the Cape Bulbul, the happy songs of the Cape Grass Bird and a small field mouse. This afternoon some of the hikers had a sleep while others did a bit of exploring along the beach. Hannes and Gerald had a swim. It was a perfect end to the day as we all walked down to the beach to enjoy the sunset.

The fire was burning; we had our evening snacks and cocktails and persuaded Deryck to tell some stories which had us giggling like children. Ian, Dawn & I had a Pasta Supper with the leftovers of the Fillet. I was impressed to see both Pat & Gerald and Roger & Tory had a pudding each evening. I must remember this for future hikes. Not that we lacked sustenance but it just looks good.

Saturday 17^th November.

The day started off with a long beach walk. This is about a five kay section and passes the Lekkerwater House that was built for former president F. W. De Klerk. There were two couples staying there who said that they were paying R5000 for the weekend. They had some small children and while we had a swim we were very careful to stay in an area where we were able to stand, it was certainly not safe for children to even approach the water.

Some of us walked in sandals and others walked barefoot. I think that Robin wore his boots the whole way. Whichever way you hike the beach, it is soft sand and tiring on the legs. Roger reminded me of a set of pistons as he had two sticks and watching him from the front was quite a sight. When we were on the sand he would sometimes tuck the sticks under his arms like a downhill skier.

Once we reached the rocks we had about 5 kays to go to the hut but wanted to stop for lunch at the blow holes. It was about here that we began to see the endangered Oyster Catchers in their pairs. We also saw many of the White Breasted Cormorants. As we walked on the ridges and sand dunes we saw the dunes littered with sea shells. Ian had explained to me that this is the remnants of tens of thousands of years ago. The sea was at this level and had left the evidence in the form of shells.

Oystercatchers are endangered in South Africa, but their numbers are recovering somewhat since 4x4's were banned from beaches in 2001.
The vehicles destroyed their nests.

Unfortunately we did not know that the path leading to the blowholes had been camouflaged and we walked right past it. It was a hot afternoon and we trudged on to the hut. Hannes set a “Ramming Speed” as he sprinted to establish his place in the hut. I think that Jacqui has to battle to stay with Hannes when he puts his head down and heads for the overnight hut. We only realised too late that we had missed the blowholes. We had some lunch (cheese sandwiches with the last dregs of the fillet) and then filled water bottles and walked back to the blowholes.

The blowholes were clearly visible from a long way off and we could not understand how we had missed them. But once we were there we were again treated to a really special show of the force of nature as the water spouts up and through the two narrow apertures creating a spectacular show right in front of us.

By the time we started our walk back to the hut the sun was low and intense. I think that I had too much sun that day and arrived back in the hut quite dehydrated and exhausted. I showered and stayed out of the sun for the rest of the day.

This evening we again enjoyed the sunset and had a really substantial meal of pasta, Tuna and a Stir fry vegetable dish that Ian made for us. On the first night of the hike we had left some money and asked the porters who carry the boxes to buy some fresh bread. As a result we had more than enough bread throughout the hike. Gerald was determined to prove to Hannes that the Vaalkrans hut is built on a cave. Fortunately this is part of the information brochure.

Sunday 18^th November.

Our final day of the hike. Roger & I were busy packing lunch and I saw that he had some biltong flakes that he was adding to the sandwiches. It seems that Tory really enjoys our biltong. Good for you girl! We will have her saying Ja and Lekker in no time. As we walked we saw an unusual looking pair of birds perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea. Tory identified them as Egyptian Geese. It was strange to see them in this environment.

We walked at a steady pace and the front group missed the point where the whale bones can be seen. I saw what I thought was a whale rib. Hannes & I looked through Gerald’s Binoculars and were still not convinced. It was only when we took time to walk down the rocks that we assured ourselves that there were 7 whale ribs embedded into the sand and rocks.

The others had walked on ahead and we found them with Ian swimming in a small cove. After the rest of us had joined him Gerald realised that he must have left his glasses at the last stop. He and I jogged and walked back to the Whale Bone cove, where we recovered his glasses and eventually rejoined the group at the parking area at Koppie Alleen where Marylyn was waiting to collect us. This means that it is the second time that I have taken the upper path. Last time Barbara & I also took the upper path by mistake. This time Gerald & I took this less attractive path as we though it would be quicker.

The drive back to Potberg was quite interesting as we saw Eland, Bontebok & Zebra. After a quick shower Ian, Roger and Tory headed back to Heidelberg and African Haven. The rest of us took the road to Swellendam where we discovered that the trailer had a flat. Although the size of wheel did not match it did not seem to make a difference. A visit to the Spar to stock up on pies and cool drinks and we were off. Hannes took the Langkloof road from George and we had an easy ride home.

While this had not been a tough hike by any means, we must not forget that there are a number of short hills over the last three days and that the first two days consist of quite long sections and a number of climbs.

For more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/ian.giddy/Whale_Trail_2007
See:  http://www.environment.gov.za/Branches/BioConservation/17Ramsar/de_hoop/de_hoop_ris.htm
for more info on the De Hoop reserve re geology, climate, conservation goals, avian fauna, etc.