Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Cascades - Umtamvuna - Western Heights (24 December 2020)

Saturday 27 February 2021

Cascades - Umtamvuna - Western Heights (24 December 2020)

Christmas was in the air and there were lots of flowers everywhere. Wishes were granted and in great Christmas spirit we met armed with cameras, magnifying glasses and bathing costumes. It was hot and humid and Cascades seemed the ideal place to botanise as well as cool off in the clearest and cleanest of waters where ground water pooled high up in Western Heights and ran into these beautiful pools and into the gorge below. Protea roupelliae dipped its heavy boughs above cool waters.

Protea roupelliae

Cascades

This was Debbie's favourite spot and as she's a teacher she doesn't have the opportunity to botanise with us as frequently as she'd like to unless it's a school holiday. She and her husband have a farm near the Umtamvuna NR and are keenly interested in getting to know more about the fauna and flora in her area. Her delight is infectious when she knows that were going swimming and like a Labrador puppy she dips into pools wherever possible joyfully.

Dorothy's family had travelled up from Gauteng to spend the Christmas holidays with her and her husband Dan and with little children in tow they gathered down with Dorothy leading the way to show them this gem of a spot in which to swim. I had not seen the water level so high as the rocks are normally exposed. How wonderful to see the water cascading down and the riverine lush.

In the grasslands we came across Satyrium trinerve, Satyrium sphaerocarpum, Satyrium longicauda, Dipcadi marlothii, Sisyranthus virgatus.

Steptocarpus formosus

Along the waters edge we saw Schizochilus zeyheri and Xyris capensis. As we walk past the Ochna and various trees one is always amazed in observing the dried grass mimicking unruly hair that's wildly wrapped around tree trunks, indicating the water level in flooded areas.