On this road trip we will stop along the Highlands road to look across the valley towards the Pumba Private Game Reserve.
Look at all that beautiful space covered with natural vegetation.
We stop further along the same road for a closer view of some of the indigenous forests which are, sadly, interspersed with pine trees and wattle.
Travelling south, towards the sea, it is always a pleasure to spend time driving through the Addo Elephant National Park. The natural vegetation was cleared many years ago for farms and has still not recovered, even though these farm lands have long since been incorporated into the park.
Should we decide to travel northwards, we might pass rocky outcrops such as these near Riebeeck East.
We might decide to stay over at the Mountain Zebra National Park so that we can enjoy the open vista of grassland interspersed with acacia trees.
As the day draws to a close we can appreciate the beauty of these mountains near Tarkastad.
Of course it would take more than a day to cover all of this ground, but it gives you an idea of the kind of scenery I call home.
Something Over Tea 
Wonderful scenic photos. It does look like there were some rain clouds in the sky, did it rain after all, or did they just disappear -as they so often do in Africa?
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In typical African fashion they disappeared. We have clouds building up right now, but the strong wind rising will undoubtedly blow them away too.
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I remember sitting at the pool in Tunisia, when the first clouds came all the Eurpeans packed their belongings and marched back to their hotels. I kept on sitting, finished my drink and my book. I had been there for a couple of weeks, I knew the clouds were just a temporary tease.
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Quite the landscape! In many ways, it reminds me of the American Southwest.
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Having seen pictures of the Southwest, I am not surprised by the comparison you draw.
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Loved seeing those zebras! I was struck by your comment about how the natural vegetation still hasn’t recovered even though the land has been in the park for many years. In Maine, cleared land fills in at an astonishing rate. Perhaps it’s because we get so much rain?
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Studies have shown that approximately 92% of Albany thicket in the Eastern Cape has been degraded to some degree during the past 200 years. Early farmers cleared the land for livestock production and so its appears that it is not only the introduction of goats that caused the problem, but also the removal of mega-herbivores. The paucity of rain probably also plays a part.
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Your remark about the destruction of the natural vegetation (and also planting of pine and wattle trees) also struck a chord with me. It seems to me that humans hardly ever think through their decisions and how it will impact on the environment. Are we so totally driven by greed? Such a pity. Still, I enjoy the beauty of the open plains.
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There is a special beauty about open plains and in places like the Addo Elephant National Park these plains allow one to see a variety of game that would otherwise be hidden in the bush.
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I thought you might enjoy the glimpse of zebras 🙂
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always
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How fortunate you are to call this beautiful land home!
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I am indeed, thank you.
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It is hard to get debased land to recover well. So much changes when land is cleared.
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This is true – and this type of vegetation is particularly slow to regenerate.
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You live in a fascinating province, Anne. Be it human or natural history, the EC has it in bucket loads!
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If only the provincial and municipal powers-that-be could appreciate the tourist potential!
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Thanks for sharing these views of your beautiful countryside, Anne. I can see that the landscape is quite varied in habitats.
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Decades ago tourism posters would encourage people to experience ‘various countries in one’ – and that is what is can feel like travelling through this country: scenically, culturally, historically, gastronomically … there are so many differences.
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I love the landscapes of the EC, the shapes of the mountains and the open plains. I have not been in that area for a while!
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The landscape, and especially the vegetation, felt so ‘alien’ when we arrived over three decades ago and now I feel very at home here 🙂 🙂
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I know that feeling.
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Oos-Kaap… dis my wêreld die! Vlaktes. Rustigheid. Blou lug. 🤎💚🤎
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Hierdie is ‘n goeie beskrywing van die Oos-Kaap 🙂 🙂 🙂
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It is a beautiful home for sure. ❤
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Thank you, Gretchen. Having lived in other parts of the country, I find that over the years this place as grown on me enough for me to be happy to call it home.
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Reblogged this on Wolf's Birding and Bonsai Blog.
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