Cape Town - In general I prefer hikes that are remote, circular and perhaps involve a bit of rock scrambling, even a modicum of risk. I love being out in the mountains, up high where the view of the world is reduced to a toy town. There is something both humbling and majestic about the experience.
Perhaps this has led me to ignore some more placid strolls which may not be quite as exhilarating but offer wonderful opportunities to commune with the natural world.
Such wanderings allow time for quiet reflection on the glorious bounty of nature without serious exertion and can be found right in the middle of urban environments.
Last weekend, with temperatures soaring too high for serious adventure, and limited time, I thought I would take in such trails close to home and on reasonably level ground.
The first was a walk around the Clovelly wetland reserve squeezed between Clovelly and Fish Hoek on the lower reaches of the Silvermine River. This circular walk is ludicrously close to home, yet I had never wandered any of its pathways.
Not only is it easily negotiated but offers wheelchair access on well laid out paths and boardwalks, making it a suitable venue for those less able, dog walkers and families with small children.
The concept for this wetland came about in the 1980s, mostly as part of a battle to avoid the canalisation of the Silvermine stream, and was ultimately a co-operation between various bodies and the city council to establish a naturalised river system that could control potential flooding and still provide a natural habitat for a variety of bird and mammal species.
Today the area boasts a good number of resident bird species including herons, grass birds, bulbuls, sunbirds, waxbills and weavers as well as providing a home for the threatened leopard toad, Cape clawless otters, mongoose, grysbok and arum lily frogs.
Sadly, much of the standing water has been inundated with indigenous but invasive reeds which limits the opportunity to see various waterfowl, but there is still a lot of birdlife to look at and even more hidden in the foliage, twittering madly to remind you that they are there.
It made for a lovely hour or so of walking in comfort and I was able to see some of the bird life, including a pair of Cape sugar birds which came and perched conveniently close at one point, their long tails fluttering in the wind like knight’s pennants.
I suspect many visitors to the nearby beach don’t even know this little gem exists, and a short hike with your children around the wetland would provide an easy and enjoyable interaction with nature.
Rather enthused by my semi-urban explorations, I moved to another hidden gem of easy walking, one even closer to my home, and visited Park Island in Marina Da Gama, again a place not visited in years.
It seems to be a general failing that we tend to ignore amenities close to us in favour of more distant venues – a case of imagining the grass is greener further afield, perhaps.
In reality we are fortunate that there are many areas of natural beauty hidden among the houses in a variety of locations, along urban streams, green belts and such, which are well worth our time.
Park Island is popular with dog walkers but offers far more than a simple stroll with your pets. A circular wander around the island offers unrestricted views of Sandvlei and the surrounding mountains of Muizenberg Peak, Silvermine and Constantiaberg.
The reserve is host to many indigenous plants and there is a lovely bird hide positioned at the northern end where you can sit quietly and get up close with the waterfowl that inhabit the vlei. You may well get sight of the local fish eagle, or at least hear its wistful and emotive cry.
I watched coots and moorhens bobbing for breakfast in the ruffled waters and a pair of crested grebe, favourites of mine because they always look so regal and during the mating season engage in the loveliest synchronised swimming with their chosen partners.
You can also expect to see weavers, cormorants of various kinds, ducks, kingfishers, pelicans and more during a quiet morning walk, and again this semi-urban environment offers the chance to introduce your children to nature in a safe and un-taxing environment.
There are plenty of such locations around the city, hidden pockets of natural wonder among the houses and the urban sprawl offering a taste of nature and the opportunity to get some moderate exercise.
I have neglected them in favour of more adventurous hikes but perhaps you shouldn’t; with an hour or two to spare you can be immersed in nature more easily than you might imagine. - Sunday Argus