Cape Town - On its journey to the ocean, the Palmiet River works hard creating hydro-power for Cape Town as well as filling five irrigation dams.
It also lures leopards and monkeys to the base of the valley to drink and, where it tumbles over rocky beds, humans come to enjoy the thrill of the bumpy ride before it spills itself into the salty depths near the seaside town of Kleinmond.
The Palmiet now also services a cluster of eco-cabins with sparkling water as it finds its way through one of the world’s most important bio-diverse reserves.
Cape Nature opened their five cabins in early 2012, offering lovers of our heritage areas a unique experience in some of the most beautiful surroundings. The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (KBR) is a Unesco-proclaimed National Heritage site that spans an area from Table Bay’s east coast to the sandy expanses of Kleinmond.
We found our way in at the Palmiet River bridge where a sandy road brought us to the reception area that services day visitors and overnight guests. While we signed in, we took in the high cliffs and crusty rock that looked like marshmallow after it’s turned in the fire. The valley sides were bright green but not as shiny as the little sunbird that stole our attention with his airborne dance to bury his beak in a long-stemmed wild bloom.
The creases in the Hottentot Hollands mountains are estimated to be 300 million years old and are home to 77 endemic species of plant. In total, 1 880 different flowers and shrubs adorn the valleys and shelves of the KBR, second only to the bio-diverse Amazon jungle. The 100 000ha of beauty can be partially accessed by walking trails, bike paths and a bumpy road.
The significance of the nature park is echoed in the delicate earth-friendly footprint of the cabins themselves. After checking in, we received our keys and the surprising instruction to toss a small spadeful of compost in the toilet after use, because there is no flushing mechanism.
The self-catering Oudebosch cottages are linked by wooden walkways to a communal area. The pool is half-pond, half-pool, with a fine view of the surrounding peaks.
My daughter, who fancies herself a bit of an architect, was fascinated by the style of the cabins. The two buildings allow for natural light to penetrate the rooms through large windows.
The views were understandably magnificent. Built at intervals on a mountain slope, the cabins take in panoramas on all sides so we felt as if we were the only cabin on the mountain. Made of sustainable materials, the cabins are beautifully concealed in the grassy surrounds, thanks to the vegetation growing on the roof. The planted roofs help insulate the wooden homes.
The toilets are essentially long-drops with a normal latrine seat on which to sit and, inside, a fan created a slight breeze to deter flies from the composting hole. There was absolutely no smell.
Water comes straight from the mountain streams, heated by well-concealed solar panels and the large shower heads offer a refreshing time in the large shower cubicle.
One “wing” comprises the bedrooms: two doubles with large, comfortable beds and their own bathrooms.
Across the small, stone and grass courtyard living area, an open-plan lounge, dining and galley kitchen leads to an open terrace that allowed us to spread out our games and bird books while we enjoyed a cold beer.
We managed to do some fillet on the eco-braai outside despite an ominous gale and enjoyed it with red wine at the dining table inside where we had a fire burning.
The next morning was bright but cold so we dressed up for our two-hour walk. We chose a trail that takes visitors over a ridge and looks over Betty’s Bay. The path was well maintained, interspersed with rocks and a low carpet of tiny flowers climbing steadily up a valley. The veld either side was brimful of ericas, brunias and restios that look like a stiff grass. At the rim of the climb, we peered down at the ocean.
Between us and the sea, the Harold Porter National Botanical garden housed the best of the Kogelberg with a celebration of king proteas and yellow bottlebrush clusters growing between the ponds and waterfalls spilling out of the sandstone cliffs.
Our stay, though short, was a wonderful one-night distraction and on the way back to Cape Town along the scenic coastal stretch that hugs the mountainous cliffs, we spotted whales in the bay.
* To book for the Oudebosch eco-cabins, call CapeNature on 021 483 0190 or visit www. capenature.co.za. In season: R2 100 a night for four people. Out of season: R1 060 for two (R320 a person a night extra).
Weekend Argus