It’s a little over a year since we moved to the Overberg region of the Western Cape. To celebrate this anniversary, here is a random round-up of some the photographs taken when we were out and about during the course of the year.

The Overberg (‘berg’ means mountain or mountain range) is so-named because it is literally ‘over the mountains’ from the Cape Town side. The Hottentot Holland mountains rise up from the lowlands or flats to the east of Cape Town and, stretching from the coast and inland towards Franschhoek, they form a high barrier to the Overberg.

Map showing the Overberg District Municipality – from Google Maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Overberg_District_Municipality/

The Hottentots Holland mountains start at Rooi Els (indicated on the above map) on the coast and range inland in a north-easterly direction past Grabouw and beyond towards Franschoek. Sir Lowry’s Pass, on the N2 national road between Cape Town and Grabouw, provides access over the mountains.

The Atlantic Ocean is to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east. The southernmost point of Africa at Cape Agulhas (just south west of Struisbaai on the map) marks the official dividing line between the two oceans.

This photo is taken from Clarence Drive on the Cape Town (western) side of the Hottentots Holland mountains. The view across a section of False Bay is towards the mountains that form a dramatic barrier to the Overberg on the other side. Klein Hangklip mountain, at the southern end of the Hottentots Mountains at Rooi Els (near Pringle Bay), can be seen in the distance at the extreme right

The Overberg has a long coastline so photos of the sea, such as this one with kelp visible in the foreground, are inevitable

The Western Cape coast is well known for being a whale-watching destination, with a section of the Overberg coastline centred on Hermanus dubbed the Cape Whale Coast. Good viewings from cliffs or high dunes offer excellent land-based opportunities to watch southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) that visit the bays along the coast between June and late November. Some arrive to mate in the sheltered bays, and pregnant females arrive to calve and raise their young in warmer waters before migrating back to cooler southern waters where they feed on krill. Also along the Cape coast are humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae)and Bryde (Balaenoptera brydei) whales, which are less commonly seen from the Overberg shores.

Whales are not easy to photograph. Unusually, this southern right whale (photographed from De Kelders near Gansbaai) showed itself above the water from head to tail. Some callosities are just visible on its head. Typically, adults are in the region of 15 m (49 ft) in length. Southern right whales do not have a dorsal fin

From a popular vantage point on the cliffs at Sievers Point at Hermanus, using my cell phone I snapped this photo of a nearby southern right whale repeatedly tail slapping while it was close-by at high tide. There were many whales in the bay that day, with several engaged in tail slapping (known as lobtailing) while other whales we saw breaching on the far side of the bay

A surprising diversity of plants grow right down to the rocks on the sea shore. Many coastal plants are spectacular when in flower (the header photo was taken close to Danger Point near Gansbaai in September last year), and year-round the coastal vegetation provides food and shelter for birds and animals.

A rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), known locally as a dassie, watching us somewhat warily from the safety of coastal vegetation. Dassies, predominantly herbivores, occur throughout sub-Saharan African and the Middle East in a variety of habitats

Looking out over coastal vegetation across a small bay to the promontory named Danger Point. The name is due to the offshore rocks and reefs that are dangerous to ships travelling near to the coast where there have been many shipwrecks. The Danger Point Lighthouse is visible on the horizon

The road to the Danger Point lighthouse passes through thick coastal fynbos vegetation. The Danger Point lighthouse has been operating since it was built in 1895, following the sinking of the troop carrier HMS Birkenhead in 1852 after it struck an uncharted rock. Of the estimated 643 people on board the Birkenhead only 193 survived

Flowering at the edge of the bay near Danger Point, we saw these cheerful daisies, which I think are likely to be the hardy coastal groundcover species Dimorphotheca fruticosa. Their semi-succulent leaves enable them to survive salty sea spray and gale-force winds

A pair of African oystercatchers (Haematopus moquini) – also known as African black oystercatchers – foraging on rocks between Danger Point and Kleinbaai. These oystercatchers are endemic to the southern African coast, with breeding sites on the off-shore islands and along the Namibian and Western Cape coasts and eastwards to Mazeppa Bay in the Eastern Cape. Non-breeding birds occur on Kwa-Zulu Natal and Angolan coasts. For more about these birds see here

Hartlaub’s gulls (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii) resting in a sheltered spot and enjoying some midday sunshine, also near Danger Point. For more on Overberg gulls see here

We saw this blacksmith lapwing (Vanellus armatu) – also known as blacksmith plover – foraging in coastal vegetation alongside the sandy-rocky strip where the gulls were resting. Blacksmith lapwings also occur inland across the country where they are mostly associated with inland water systems, both natural and artificial. They breed close to water, for example on mudflats, and forage on moist short grassy area such as around dams, and in opens spaces like sports fields and heavily-grazed lands. Their name derives from their call that sounds a bit like a blacksmith striking an anvil. Recordings of the call may be heard here

I snapped this photo of three kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) at Walker Bay, which is 20 minutes’ drive along a mostly dirt road from Stanford

And moving away from the coast, this pretty valley is inland from Gansbaai – not far from the small village of Baardskeedersbos

Canola fields in flower – photographed through the window of our car while travelling near Swellendam. The Overberg is considered to be the breadbasket of the Cape, and wheat, barley and oats are grown in the region. The fruit orchards in the Elgin area produce predominantly apples and pears. The Overberg vineyards and wine route are attracting increasing attention. Livestock farming also forms part of the diversity of farming activities in the region

Two grey herons (Ardea cinerea) perching on a nest situated in the reeds at the Vermont Salt Pan. Two other herons were also coming and going from the nest site. Grey herons have a wide distribution in two hemispheres and occur on the Iberian Peninsula, in the United Kingdom and parts of Scandinavia. They also occur in Asia, including in China and Japan and in India. On the African continent they occur in the north-western region and over much of sub-Saharan Africa and on the island of Madagascar. In southern Africa they are pretty much resident rather than migratory

The Vermont pan is located slightly inland and is not directly on the coast. Although known as the Vermont Salt Pan, it is really a mildly saline wetland with the amount of water in the pan varying across the seasons. The wetland system attracts many birds seasonally even though it is in the residential suburb of Vermont, which is on the western side of Hermanus. Vermont dedicates 20% of its area to conserving local vegetation in greenbelt areas or corridors that protect endangered fynbos. The Vermont Salt Pan falls in one such corridor.

A breeding platform for cormorants is situated in the middle of the pan, where we saw several white breasted cormorants (Phalacrocorax lucidus) nesting. Perched on a rock on the edge of the pan, we saw this smaller cormorant, which is either a reed cormorant (Microcarbo africanus) or a crowned cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus). Apparently both species have been seen at the pan.

This vista with the Klein River below and fynbos in the foreground, is from the slopes of the Klein River Mountains at the Phillipskop Mountain Reserve, which is about 10 km (6 miles) east of Stanford

And providing a small taste of the fynbos, most strikingly in flower when we went on a short hike in the Phillipskop Mountain Reserve during December, were numerous red everlasting (Phaenocoma prolifera) plants. This species is the only member of its genus. The leaves are small and knob-like, almost as if they are tightly furled

Rock formations in the Klein River mountains at Phillipskop Mountain Reserve

This small selection of photographs is not exactly an Overberg overview, but perhaps provides some idea of land- and sea-scapes in the region.

And leaving the Overberg towards Cape Town – approaching the top of Sir Lowrie’s Pass on the N2 before descending into Somerset West at the foot of the pass

Posted by Carol