Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Smedmore 22 August 2024

It was a cold and windy day and if you didn't have what it takes, you'd stay at home. As we drove towards Smedmore we passed Crowned cranes along the water’s edge. How magnificent these birds are. We only saw two. The die hards and the passionate joyfully got together headed to the Smedmore forests to get out of the brazen wind.

Being spontaneous and with a spirit of adventure we were open to exploring in the surrounding area and drove down the hill sipping coffee and sharing rusks in the shelter of the vehicles before going on foot. It was a seriously awful day, weather wise.

Along the edge of the forest a colony of Buchellia bubalina grew, both in orange and yellow. We found a few Watsonia mtavunae in the grassland. We crept along the forest edge cautiously and steered those too close to the edge away when trying to identify the most magnificent tree fully in flower. Uschi identified it as our endemic Homalium rufescens. Here we found Putterlickia retrospinosa growing. This too is an endemic and categorised as "Near Threatened". It's common is Large-leaved Bastard Spike-thorn. This it certainly was as when putting one's hand next to the leaf there was a similar comparison in size. I love the spines that arch backwards and not forwards. Uschi pointed out Osyridicarpos schimperianus growing along the forest edge. This green stemmed creeper grows along with Smilax anceps. This is a parasitic plant that has black spots on the leaves.

Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia was in seed, Anne's "favourite". Not. Gail's favourite was seen along the forest edge, Cryptocarya woodii.

We sought refuge out of the wind for lunch and found a rocky outcrop which we eased our way into a forest which we had not explored. Tracy pointed out Erythroxylum emarginatum which was not in flower. Here we found here orchids, there flowers still dormant and then the greatest discovery. A colony of the most beautiful Clivia's. These would have have been Clivia robusta as they had already set seed. These beautiful specimens where waist high and growing safely on the edge and safe from poachers. We nestled in between these amazing plants and ate our lunch with our spirits soaring.

Heading home we again admired a stunning Syzygium pondoense. This tree is rare on endemic. In the grasslands Anne found Bonatea porrecta! The little orchid people were playing in the grass.

It truly was a memorable and magic day. So unexpected. We were heading one way and landed up somewhere else and left with our hearts like a rainbow finding a pot of gold.