The 26th August saw the end of the nine day Trail Guiding course for the guides of the Cederberg Heritage Route in the northern Cederberg. In all ten guides successfully completed the intensive course and received their accreditation which is a huge success. Once they have received their first aid course they will be the first official Trail Guides in the northern Cederberg. The Cederberg Heritage Route comprises 3, 4 or 5 night walking trails through pristine mountain fynbos in the Cederberg. Walkers are guided by members of the local community (who have now become accredited trail guides) and stay overnight at the picturesque mission villages of Heuningvlei, Brugkraal and Wupperthals as well as Clanwilliam. See the Cederberg Heritage Route website for more info…

The Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show opens this evening in the ‘Flower Church’. Best flowers are to be seen in Ramskop Nature Reserve, and also on the R364 from the Englishman’s Grave turnoff all the way to Wupperthal and also in the Bieudouw valley. The Old Cape Road along the Clanwilliam Dam over the Nieuwoudt Pass to Algeria is also looking good. The N7 between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam as well as the Markuskraal/Paleisheuwel road off the N7. The R364 over the Botterkloof pass towards Nieuwoudtville also has some beautiful flowers, as does Nieuwoudtville itself.

A new cookery book, A touch of Rooibos, has just been launched which focuses on using Rooibos in recipes. What makes this book unique is that 14 of South Africa’s top chefs, all of whom have a passion for local cuisine and local ingredients, have made contributions. The beauty of this compilation is the wide variety of recipes and styles making this collection perfect for both food connoisseurs as well as aspiring cooks.

A  touch of Rooibos offers a tantalising menu of 104 recipes. The book is available locally both in English and Afrikaans from selected book stores and from kalahari.net. For more information visit www.rooibosltd.co.za or call Rooibos on 027 482 2155.

There will be a guided rock art tour of Sevilla Trail and Salmaanslaagte on Thursday 20th August. The tour will start and finish at Yellow Aloe coffee shop & guesthouse on the corner of Main Road and Park Street, Clanwilliam. The tour will include a light lunch and costs R120 per person.

The tour will be given by Ian Forbes, a member of the Archeological Society in Cape Town and a fundi on the rock art of the Cederberg. It promises to be a great event.

You should come with plenty of water, snack, comfortable walking shoes as the terrain is uneven, hat and sunscreen. Please book with Cheryl at Yellow Aloe on 027 482 2018

Unfortunately like the rest of the Cape, we are heading for some bad weather in the next couple of days (Tuesday & Wednesday) but it should be clearing by Friday. Flower displays are still very good in the Ramskop Nature Garden at Clanwilliam as well as at the old cemetery (drive along Park Street and keep going as it turns to gravel).  You can still visit the Bieudouw Valley but the flower displays are not as good as in recent years!  Other possible drives are the old Cape Road along the Clanwilliam Dam, over the Nieuwoudt Pass to Algeria and then back to Clanwilliam via the N7 (for a circular drive).

Nearer to Citrusdal, the Markuskraal road and Boschkloof road are well worth a drive. Further north we recommend the Botterkloof pass towards Nieuwoudtville the Nieuwoudtville area as well as Loeriesfontein and Calvinia.

On Saturday 22nd August, there’s a “Dawn of the Daisy” Art exhibition at Yellow Aloe Coffee Shop and Nursery at the corner of Main Street and Park Street.

The collection of unpretentious images show the spring flowers as seen on a wonderful weekend with good friends. View the photos and then head out to see the flowers in their full natural splendour – a true feast for the eyes.

The exhibition starts at 5pm and will last until the end of the Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show. Tickets on sale at the door with wine tasting by The Bad Habit. Tel 082 893 4899 for more info.

The Clanwilliam Wild Flower show opens on Thursday 27th August at 6pm followed by a dinner at Reinholdts (R90pp). Tickets are available on 082 694 7356.

On Sat 29th August at 9am, there’s a 12km walk from Pakhuis Pass to Heuningvlei. En route you can see the rare and endangered Clanwilliam Ceder and fynbos. On arrival, lunch will be served by residents of Heuningvlei mission village. Walkers are transferred back to the Pakhuis pass by donkey cart (or you can walk back if you are fit). R80pp for the walk incl permit & lunch, R200pp for the walk, lunch and donkey cart ride back. Bookings essential on 027 482 2763 or email paterson@lando.co.za

The flowers are starting to come out in full force. If you are coming to the Cederberg to see the flowers then you will start to see flowers on the road from Citrusdal to Clanwilliam. Ramskop Flower Garden in Clanwilliam is looking fantastic. From there, you can continue on the road along the Clanwilliam Dam and then turn left to take the country road up to Algeria Forest Station. (You can then take the pass road back down to the N7 to make a lovely circular drive. ) You can also take the Pakhuis pass into the Agter Pakhuis area of the Cederberg and head to the Bieudouw Valley. You will need to go right into the Bieudouw valley and drive as far as the river to see the flower displays as they are just beginning. On your way back, perhaps turn right at Travellers Rest and take the road over Nardouwsberg pass and back to Clanwilliam via Bulshoek dam. If you have more time, you can also continue on towards Calvinia up the Botterkloof Pass as the flowers are lovely there too.

Have a look at our map in order to check out these routes. Have a great weekend!

The Cederberg Heritage Route has launched a fourth trail, the Pakhuis Trail, to join their other popular slack-packing routes. The Pakhuis Trail is a 3 night trail suitable for keen walkers. This circular trail offers some of the most pristine walks in the Cederberg mountains from the top of Pakhuis Pass to the Boskloof Valley, up the dramatic Krakadouw Pass and ending with the popular donkey cart trail from the picturesque mission village of Heuningvlei. Contact Cedarberg African Travel for more details on 027 482 2444 or see the Cederberg Heritage Route website for a full trail outline.

Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat has been voted the Best Hotel in the World in the 2009 US Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards reader’s survey. The exclusive 5 star wilderness retreat at the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains, north of Cape Town, also took pole position as Number 1 Lodge/Resort in Africa and the Middle East. Visit their website at www.bushmanskloof.com