The Wild I See

My Thursdays don't usually involve ravines, but I'm so glad this one did. Bain's Kloof is a beaut, with a delicious stretch of rapids, waterfalls and natural pools, it's a biophilic's haven for adventure. When hopping from rock to rock the pools appear as pale cups of rooibos inviting one in for a sip, and as you venture below bearing a mask and snorkel, an emerald green universe beams hello. Little redfins swim about with curiousity, 'What's this strange creature doing in our pool?'. I was really impressed with the health of this stretch of the Witte River and the communities it supports. Submerged pebbles and boulders were teeming with sensitive invertebrates, such as stonefly larvae and leptophlebids. We watched with fascination as stoneflies rested momentarily on the water's surface, only to be gobbled up by the alert redfins below. Frogs croaked upstream whilst those nearer to us splashed into the water to hide away. Dragonflies whizz...

Rachel Carson once wrote, Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for spring. Bontebok at Olifantbos. I have always been drawn to wild places and its creatures, to regularly rediscover those eternal reserves of strength that feed my life inspiration, and thus I am extremely grateful to live in a place where on any given day I can easily find sand between my toes or immerse myself in the sweet honey smell of fynbos. Cape Town is one of few cities with such incredible wilderness areas right on its doorstep. An unknown spider munches away at a snail. Fish Hoek. My good friend Lauren De Vos and I recently embarked on an adventure to capture the beauty of False Bay in the hope that it will remind others just how lucky we are to live here. Together with underwater visual...