Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Visit to Gobodweni

Up at 4:30 and off by 6:15! Winter has arrived, and it was still dark outside. With a few extra layers on, we climbed into the Jimnys. Gobodweni, here we come!

Our trusty trio of Jimnys

Mpondoland is stunning, with its dramatic waterfalls, deep gorges, and sweeping grasslands dotted with colourful homesteads. Goats graze peacefully while chickens scratch for the next tasty morsel. Nguni cattle roam the grasslands, each with its own poetic colour pattern, and the occasional pig snuffles along. Homestead dogs (Canis africanis) bark “stranger danger” as we pass. What an incredible way of life the amaPondo people live — it’s no wonder they protect it so fiercely. It’s heartbreaking that they have been sold out in the name of progress and greed, a progress that will bring long-lasting negative effects.

Breathtaking views of Gobodweni

We stopped along the way at one of the homesteads to ask permission to pass through the gate on their land. Sinegugu was our guide Thursday. We have so much love and respect for this incredibly humble man, who fights tirelessly to preserve the amaPondo way of life and their land.

Mpondoland sits on 360-million-year-old Msikaba sandstone. These ancient, nutrient-poor soils create the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism — a unique landscape home to species found nowhere else on Earth.

We followed the contour down to Vulture Stream, so named because it has long been a favourite drinking place for Cape vultures. Of course, we stopped for coffee and tea. We were joined by a young man and three young women — content creators mixed with a bit of curiosity to see what we were all about. The mood was jovial.

Acridocarpus natalitius (Moth-fruit), so called because of the fruit’s large wings resembling those of moths, were still full of bright yellow flowers. It may have been the end of a long flowering season that started in November last year.

Acridocarpus natalitius

Acridocarpus natalitius winged fruit capsule

Sinegugu led us onto a path that disappears into the forest. Coddia rudis (Small bone-apple), with its tiny pomegranate-shaped fruits dangling from the branches like Chinese lanterns, is plentiful. So too is Canthium ciliatum (Hairy turkeyberry) and Clutia pulchella (Warty clut), with its trademark tangerine-orange leaves full of tiny flowers and fruit. Oh wow — that’s the biggest Hyperacanthus amoenus (Doringkatjiepiering) we’ve ever seen; Anne is dwarfed by it! The forest is filled with birdsong.

Coddia rudis

Canthium ciliatum

Clutia pulchella

Anne dwarfed by
Hyperacanthus amoenus

The wispy seeds of Secamone alpini (Bobbejaantou) dangle from dried pods, waiting for the wind to carry them away. The deep scarlet-red fruit of Carissa bispinosa (Num-num) caught your eye in the sea of green.

Secamone alpini

Carissa bispinosa

Along the path, a Dice moth caterpillar — with a head of burning amber, dressed in bold black and white with feather-like plumes — munched away on a leaf, oblivious to us passing by. The pale pink cauliflorous flowers of Bachmannia woodii (which grow from old woody stems rather than new growth) are unique; they have no petals, and their beauty comes from striking sepals and a tassel-like cluster of stamens.

Dice moth caterpillar

Bachmannia woodii

As the trail left the forest we spotted Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata (Silky bark), easily identified by gently breaking a leaf to reveal silky threads. Alberta magna with its spectacular clusters of bright red tubular flowers is always a highlight. Out in the grassland there was little to see except that the grass was heavily overgrazed.

Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata

The silky elastic strands of latex
of Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata

Alberta magna

We wandered over to the edge to view the waterfall, but there was only a small stream cascading down. The sandstone terraces, eroded by years of pounding water, lay mostly dry. On a small rocky outcrop, the vivid orange-yellow lantern-like fruits of Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus (Candlewood) stood out — arguably its most striking feature. Cotyledon orbiculata (Pig’s ear) was coming into flower, along with Delosperma sp. and Colpoon compressum (Coastal Tannin-bush) with its lovely grey-green leaves.

Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus

Cotyledon orbiculata

Delosperma sp.

Colpoon compressum
Photo credit Dorothy

Off the path, Tracy spotted Crassula streyi, a very special endemic found on the sandstone cliffs of the Mtamvuna and Mtentu river gorges. Creeping along the large sandstone boulders was Peperomia bangroana (Round-leaf Peperomia), with its fine, intricate foliage. It has long been confused with Peperomia rotundifolia. Clutia abyssinica var. nov. with its velvety leaves and stem was plentiful.

Crassula streyi

Peperomia bangroana

Clutia abyssinica var. nov.

While some of the group opted not to go any further, Sinegugu took Anne, Christine, Hilary, Julian, and Tracy to see “The Crack” — a massive rift between two towering sandstone cliffs. What a spectacular sight! It is definitely worth a return visit to venture down the trail between the cliffs to the bottom. Twining around a dead tree nearby was Secamone filiformis, while Justicia campylostemon (Isipheka) displayed its creamy-yellow hooded flowers.

The Crack

Secamone filiformis

Justicia campylostemon

We ventured further down the trail to a colony of Clivia robusta. Sadly, some had been harvested for muti. Anne, Sinegugu, and Tracy set about replanting the ones that could be saved. A very tall Stenoglottis fimbriata (Fringed Stenoglottis), with its dainty pink flowers, clung to a rock nearby. At this point we turned and headed back up the trail for lunch. We sat in the shade of a grand Syzygium cordatum (Umdoni).

Stenoglottis fimbriata

Lunch under a grand Syzygium cordatum

After lunch we ambled over to take in the stunning view inland. A Tarchonanthus trilobus (Southern Broad-leaved Camphor-bush) stood proud at the edge. As we talked about everything we had seen, we made our way along a new trail through the forest, spotting Cassine peragua, Rhynchocalyx lawsonioides, Homalium dentatum, Nectaropetalum zuluense, Strychnos usambarensis, and Helinus integrifolius.

Tarchonanthus trilobus

One last hike to the top to take in the splendour of Gobodweni revealed a Bersama swinnyi (Bitter-bark) with clusters of pompom-like fruits. Full of wonder and a little melancholy, we said goodbye and started the journey homeward.