Cape Agulhas and the Two Oceans Hiking Trail

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

Mid-July we went way down south. To Cape Agulhas. The southernmost tip of Africa. Next stop Antarctica, which is appropriate since its mid-winter. We stayed in a chalet at Agulhas National Park.

Looking at the sea from our chalet
at Agulhas National Park

Despite the car, with lunch and a walk at Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, we arrived in good time, still light and we could enjoy the sunset.

Sunset at Agulhas

Next day we went on the Two Oceans Hiking Trail. We walked along the shore and wound thru the dunes. Driving the landscape looks deceptively flat, but on foot we wound up, and down. To limestone ridges then edging along valleys. On the shore we saw African black oystercatchers and perhaps a glimpse of whale. The chalets are graciously set back, close enough for a sea view, far enough that you can walk along the shore in nature.

African black oystercatchers, hiking trail
Willdenowia? restio, the line of chalets 

As always I came home with rocks, five pebbles from the beach, from BOTH oceans. I was intrigued by the way the waves scalloped the shore here.

Scalloped shore and pebbles at Agulhas

It is a fierce rocky shore. Agulhas (= needles) was named by early Portuguese navigators since they could rely on their compass pointing due north here.

Rough seas at Agulhas

Agulhas National Park was proclaimed in 1999. Those original 4 hectares are now 21 000 hectares. Accommodation includes the former farmhouses, some historic off-grid cottages and our comfortable (with an extra blanket please) chalets. Sadly off-road vehicles have trashed the environment and a Khoisan shell midden. The former trail goes diagonally across the picture. Bottom and left you can still see the exposed sand, top and right with kindness and care the vegetation reclaims its rightful space.

Rehabilitating damaged dune vegetation

Lowland and limestone fynbos with some renosterveld. In July Agulhas became a World Heritage site. Some I recognise, Metalasia muricata, and Erica coccinea?, a buchu. And some I don't a silvery thistle with tiny leaves.

Metalasia muricata with Erica coccinea?
a buchu, Phylica?

Red Lachenalia with spotted leaves. Yellow daisies and berries on bietou Chyrsanthemoides monilifera. An unknown bulb with sculptural leaves. Semi-parasite Hyobanche with pink furry flower spikes.

Red Lachenalia, Chrysanthemoides monilifera
mystery bulb, Hyobanche

Cape Agulhas is where the geographers answer the question - where do the two oceans meet? The east coast is the warm Indian Ocean with reefs and turtles. Ours is the cold west coast where the trawlers fish in the Atlantic Ocean, kelp forests, penguins and whales.

Indian and Atlantic Oceans

East and West coast at Agulhas

It was my 60th birthday and I chose to be in sight and sound of the sea. To spend the day hiking along the seashore and among fynbos. The bunch of flowers was a surprise there!

60th birthday at Agulhas in July

Pictures by Jurg and Diana Studer
of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

(If you mouse over teal blue text, it turns seaweed red
Those are my links.
To read or leave comments, either click the word Comments below,
or click this post's title)