The Fynbos Guy Blog

CLOUDS: A USER’S GUIDE
Oh, I know you know the clouds. There’s cumulus and cumulonimbus and … er … strata-something and then … hmm … Sirius? Or is that a star? Okay, perhaps it’s time for a quick guide to the clouds, and why not? Knowing your clouds – in an outdoor setting anyway – could...

THE CURIOUS CASE OF ELSIE’S PEAK
What does it take to get a bit of mountain named after you? I mean, I’ve been tramping up and down these Cape Mountains for a quarter of a century and all I’ve got are dodgy knees and a stress fracture. The thought occurred to me as I was hiking Elsie’s Peak, a modest...

FYNBOS: A CLOSER LOOK
I know you love nature but I wonder what kind of nature-lover you are. The biologist E O Wilson identified two types. I fall into the first: the ‘big organism’ tribe. We are always on the lookout for large exciting things – mammals, birds, butterflies, flowers - with...

WEST COAST WONDER: THE SANDVELD
Mention the coastal town of Blouberg to Cape Town’s metropolitan elite and you’ll be met with a chorus of disapproval. “Too windy” one will sniff; “and so sandy!” another will chime. True enough about the wind I suppose, though the kite surfers don’t seem to mind. And...