Yesterday when we went to the sea, the sun shone. Today the promised rain is not a thundershower, but very very gentle.
When the Ungardener yearns for sea air, our nearest beach is Eland’s Bay, a small town, good for surfing. We prefer Rocher Pan. Cape Nature Conservation reserve, a wetland which sweeps down to the sea, beyond the dunes. 914 hectares, the reserve, established in 1967, is a seasonal vlei, dry between March and June. The Atlantic Ocean stretch of marine reserve was declared in 1988. The hours we spent there yesterday, we had the whole place to ourselves. Just had to share with three ostriches, who disappeared in affronted horror, at Intruders, on Our Patch!! Who, why Rocher? Perde-kaf-en-koffers-a-story-from-the-West-Coast.
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| Top left the 'mountain with stormy clouds'?, right the bigger picture Rocher Pan |
There was still some water in the pan, near the thru road, the ranger’s house and the first bird hide. At the second hide the pan was dry.
A group of avocets in the distance, their upturned bills making them unmistakable. A few blacksmith lap-wings. Couple of little stints. Vivid contrast to a photo of proud Victorian hunters with a mountain of dead ducks We Just Shot.
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| Blacksmith lap-wing Avocets To the right, little stint |
He sees birds, I see flowers. This almost Euphorbia green daisy was highlighting the vegetation on the shore of the pan.
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| Pteronia uncinata Asteraceae |
Then we drove the track up the sand dune. While we had a quick picnic lunch, I discovered a mistletoe. Red berries just like a Christmas card, tho there is another species with Northern style white berries.
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| Maurocenia with Viscum rotundifolium, red mistletoe and an asparagus fern |
Then we wandered quietly along a sweep of beach. To the South in the far distance a haze of white houses at Laaiplek. To the North a deeper band of sky blue, the mountain ridge of Eland’s Bay at the sea end of Verlorenvlei.
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| Sea at Rocher Pan |
There must have been a recent, fairly gentle high tide. The beach was strewn with jellyfish.
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| Jellyfish |
That retreating tide left riffles of sand, and pavements of meticulously level and carefully spaced shell mosaic.
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| Sea textures at Rocher Pan |
One of our most endangered birds is the African black oystercatchers. Endangered because they nest on the shore, where the brain damaged roar up and down on quad bikes and bakkies to go fishing, and just because they can. This pair of birds flew up and circled round, settling again as we walked on.
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| African black oystercatchers |
The Ungardener found a sleeping seal. As he tried to get closer for a better picture, the seal woke up, yelled at him, and returned to the sea. There were dolphins, and flocks of birds gathered above a shoal of fish.
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| Seal - I was asleep! |
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| The sea and I |
Sitting alone, gazing out to sea. I see nothing but the sea. I hear nothing but the waves.
Pictures by Jurg and Diana,(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink.
Those are my links)
30 comments:
What a marvelous retreat! I've never seen a mistletoe with anything but translucent white berries. The red does look more suitable for Christmas.
I looked at everything, twice.
The jellyfish looks like a blob of hair gel to me. Glad to know that's what they look like when washed up. Thanks for the 411 from beach neophytes everywhere.
I can relate to the seal. That's just how I am in the morning.
Nell Jean - I was photographing those lovely gnarled and twisted limbs, when I found - mistletoe!
Susan - not a morning person me ;~(( But he is ;~)
It looks absolutely idyllic. I wish I was sitting beside you :-)
thanks for the link!
lovely photos.
Lily
what georgous photos - thank you for sharing - I believe I went there once as a child, and it seems not to have changed - isnt that nice.
A lovely day in a lovely place. Hopefully the oystercatchers are safe there. I remember a night on a beach in Mexico, camping on the sand at water's edge, when distant lights grew into a vehicular din aimed directly at the four of us in our sleeping bags. We barely averted personal extinction, going the way of the oystercatcher...
A lot of people who live by the sea doesn't realise how fortunate they are and that many people who don't often yearn to just spend some time there like in the last picture.
Africanaussie - I think when you and I first went there as children, that track up the dune was for hikers only. Now you can drive the short distance to the ridge, then walk thru the offroad maniac barrier, down the slope to the sea.
What a gorgeous walk on a deserted beach. To be able to walk right up to a seal like that! Mistletoe here is always impossibly out of reach, but yours looks like it was growing pretty low. Another great glimpse of your beautiful country.
Hello Diana, we also are also lucky enough to live by the sea. Rocher Pan, what a beautiful place to spend the day, and in such peaceful solitude. I do like the composition of the photograph which the ungardener took of yourself looking out to sea.
Alistair - it is like the seal, he has to sneak up on me ;~)
I'm sorry we don't have so many wild and lonely places here. Sometimes I'd need one... :)
Dear Diana, I, too, often yearn the sea, but haven't yet been able to see it this year, so thanks for sharing your idyllic day at Rocher Pan. Love the picture of you looking out at the waves! P. x
Diana, I hadn't realized how much I missed the sea and sun until I read this lovely post. It was so meditative~gail
I must down go to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
--John Masefield
Adrian - thank you for gathering us altogether in that poem!
What a restorative trip for you...there is always something levelling about the seashore. It has a different energy for us gardening types and is therefore very important, to re-charge the batteries, to slow us down!
On a different note - my husband was eyeing the waves for surfing potential....
Chris - for surfing, the best left hand break in SA Eland's Bay
All your photos are so Zen - your readers take a virtual walk along the beach with you and can almost hear the waves lapping the shore. My very favorite photo is the one with you, the beach and the sea ... it is just lovely.
Oeeee! You make me long for the sea! I once visited Elandsbaai with a friend who had bought property nearby. I know the Natal South Coast well from my youth and more recently spent many happy holidays on the endless beaches near the Fish River in the Eastern Cape. But I've not seen the sea now for over three years...
A lovely post!
Diane, he may not know his Euphorbias but he knows his surf spots and Eland's bay is 'up there' as one of the left hand surf breaks wot he must visit...
Hmm! Thank you so much. I feel SA has suddenly gone to top of the list for next season's trip afar. Bliss - plant-hunting and surfing!
PS He says to tell you he's a 'goofy foot'!
Oh my, how lovely! Beaches are one of my favorite things. I grew up along the shores of Lake Michigan, and sand dunes and beach grass are the scenes of my childhood. I still miss it. Looks like you had a great visit to the beach. Charming!
Diana, This made me just yearn for a mild summer day at the shore. Last year, I didn't get out to enjoy the beautiful Maine coast once. This year, I'm going to make a point of going to one of the many nearby state parks to walk the beach in June, when the weather is warm and sunny but the tourist season has not yet begun. -Jean
that's a great photo of you by the sea. There is nothing like the sea for reflection and wildlife observation. We don't have seals on my state's coastline. I would be thrilled to see one in its native habitat.
Lovely pictures Diana. Love the shell mosaic
A bit wonderful, this!
Lucy
Hi Diana,
What a lovely post! Full of wonderful photographs and showing a beautiful country. Our daughter is just back from three months i S.A. She loved it!!
Have a good week.
Ingrid xx
Love the photo of you! Rocher Pan is a must-visit for me in the near future. Thank you for the lovely photos you shared with us!
Diana, I've come back to this post a couple of times now, to enjoy the sheer beauty of it and to bask in your own enjoyment as well. You can feel the openness and the quiet and the vibrance from here.
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