Lovely Kirstenbosch

My first trip to Cape Town was a whirlwind one day affair to help out at an ASI course. So when I got the chance to go back again, for our next fully booked course in January, I made sure I had a bit of spare time for one specific reason, to visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

Being a bit odd (okay, maybe more than just a bit) I had no interest in The Waterfront, Camps Bay, Vineyards or any of the other conventional tourist locations. But Kirstenbosch has been a “must-see place” for ages, on my long and ever increasing list.

Although my visit was only a brief Sunday morning meander, through the easily accessible and popular spots (I did manage to avoid the crowds) It was well worth the visit!

I arrived early and had the whole of the conservatory to myself. It was surreal. And felt a bit like walking onto a documentary set, I half expected Sir David Attenborough to appear from behind the foliage and provide a soundtrack to the visual delights.

Plants from a whole range of biomes, all neatly clustered and labelled fill every section of the conservatory. I spent far too much time there, lost in a botanical enthusiasts dream.

By far the best, for me, was this display of Flame Lilies (Gloriosa superba) Such spectacular plants!

A slow meander up Camphor Avenue, across the famous concert lawns and through the Arboretum brought me out at the Boomslang Walkway. Obviously, when one works with snakes on a daily basis, this walkway is a “must see” too, even if it’s just to say you’ve done it. But the view is stunning and it’s great to get a better idea of the vastness of the gardens from there.

I exited the walkway just as it started getting crazy busy (score for me) and made my way past Pearson’s grave, towards the cycad garden.

From across the valley came the unmistakable booming voice of a tourist guide.

There was a large conglomeration of tourists in the cycad garden. Just as I was making plans to avoid them, my ears were hit by the nasally twang of the tour guide talking about Cape Cobras. I stopped dead in my tracks to listen to what info he was giving out and, surprisingly, it was largely accurate. Another large tour group walked towards the first, and they were avidly warned about the cobra, that had just disappeared into the bushes. The groups didn’t hang around long, and I took a slow walk through the cycads in the hope of catching a glimpse of the snake, sadly, to no avail.

I had no actual idea as to the layout of the gardens, and daftly had not paid any attention to the map at the entrance. So I was winging it, meandering to anywhere that looked interesting and uncrowded.

And that’s how I came across this super scene… The Erica Garden!

I’d never seen Ericas planted en masse before, this was an awesome sight. Whilst walking along the path, absorbing this scene, I heard a rustle in the leaves behind and to the left of me. I turned to find an Angluate Tortoise scuttle across the path, closely followed by another. I’d had my head in the clouds and was quite taken aback by their sudden appearance, but managed to get a brief video of the one before it disappeared.

My time in the garden was drawing to an end, and as a last stop I went through the useful plants and fragrance garden, before heading for the gate. (Mental note to dedicate more time to these on my next visit)

I had a most enjoyable morning, and look forward to visiting Kirstenbosh again and seeing more of what it has to offer. Not bad Cape Town, not bad at all.