Helderberg Nature Reserve

View from the dam on the reserve

On Wednesday 15 September, Jacqui and I took our first walk around the Helderberg Nature Reserve. It started off as a cloudless but cool day, with a very mild breeze, but the clouds came in while we were walking. Ideal for photographs.

Total cost for our one-time visit, 2 pensioners plus one car, was the princely sum of R45 (R15 each)! For those who might be interested, annual memberships are very reasonable at R140 per annum for ordinary members, and R80 per annum for the over-sixties.

Both Jacqui and I are very unfit, and so we decided to start off with what is the shortest trail. It is the "Sugarbird walk" and is supposed to be just under 3 kilometres long. Ya well no fine, if they say so, but I can tell you that it felt more like 10 kilometres! From the parking area it was a steady but gentle climb to to top, and then happily downhill all the way back! 

Then again, I can't swear to it that what we did was the Sugarbird walk. The paths are not nearly as well-marked as we expected them to be, and so there were times when we chose a path more by instinct than anything else. Maybe we missed a turn or something, so next time we will definitely spend some time asking questions at the Information office before we set off.

And we will be back, even though it took me about three days to get rid of the stiffness so that I could walk normally again! It was lovely being out in the fresh air and being surrounded by the natural and diverse vegetation that Cape Town with which is blessed. 

To end off, some photographs taken along our walk.