Saw a lot of the wild flowering and have uploaded some pictures. Lots around a place by the unlikely name of Nababeep!
Went to see the Catholic ‘Cathedral’ at Pella (on the advice of some South Africans we met at one of the campsites). It was built by a couple of priests from a Catholic mission at the end of the 19th century. They built it from a picture apparently. We were shown around by Sister Theresa who was absolutely charming. She told us she was the youngest Nun at forty seven. It was only later in the conversation when she said that she knew how old a visiting french priest was because she was 71 at the time that I realised that she meant she was actually seventy four and not forty seven!!! She told us about the problem of alcohol abuse in Africa and of how so many visit the bottle store (off licence) when they have any money at all.
Now we are in Lamberts Bay beside the Atlantic. We visited Bird Island where there is a colony of 30,000 ganets (very noisy and equally smelly but incredible never the less). I will put some photos of it on the site to show you.
Incidentally a few days ago, when we were still in Namibia, we were flagged down by some South Africans (concerned and cautious at first at what was going on) in the middle of nowhere (we had been driving for hours without seeing a soul) because they had a puncture on their Land Rover Discovery and had no wheel brace!! How lucky were they that a Land Rover of all things (the only vehicle) came past after they had only been waiting one hour, they could have been there for days. And how crazy to be there in the first place without tools. Anyway they hadnt jacked it up safely and it toppled over with one wheel barely attached. They rectified it (although the owner had a nasty gash on his face). Anyway our good deed for the day done! They did suggest that we leave our wheen brace with them but we felt our need greater than theirs with 20,000 miles to go (and hopefully more sense than to be tool-less and as they only had one spare wheel anyway if they had another flat what use would it be to them?!)
Cedarberg area for some walking next followed by Cape Town