Porcupine Hills: Naturally
Lying in the folds of a twisting valley, Porcupine Hills is the sort of place that makes you feel that perhaps, after all, the wild world is not completely in retreat.
Surrounded by the relentless wheat fields and orchards of the Overberg, this private nature reserve and guest farm preserves an area of renosterveld, an enigmatic vegetation type that has been all but exterminated by the arrival of mechanised agriculture.
Unlike fynbos, the vegetation that covers the craggy sandstone mountains of the Western Cape, renosterveld favours the fertile clay soils of the lowlands. In the past, these broad valleys were thick with grasses and heaved with wildlife – eland, red hartebeest, bontebok and zebra as well as their predators: lions, wild dog and spotted hyena.
The big animals are long gone but Porcupine Hills is a reminder of how things used to be. And thanks to the efforts of Cape Nature, you can now see for yourself on a series of newly-built trails that meander over several properties to create an exclusive and very unique hiking experience.
Chances are you’ll see the farm’s signature animals before you set off on a trail. No, not porcupines – you’ll be more than lucky to see one of these nocturnal and shy animals – but Verreaux’s Eagle, a pair have nested on the farm for over 15 years.
And there they were, gliding above us as we set off on a hike. I was with the Friends of the South African Museum, an amiable group of like-minded individuals who were keen to learn more about the renosterveld and whatever else came our way.
And the first thing that came our way was a steep walk up off the valley floor and onto the sandstone ridges that surround the farm. The grey-green scrub of renosterbos – the dominant species in renosterveld) gave way to fynbos plants such sugar bushes and great hedges of buchu that filled the air with their unmistakable lemon and liquorice smell.
The views started appearing as we gained height – we could see the Indian Ocean now – and the floral surprises kept coming: odd-looking proteas, some ground-hugging, others tall and bold, as well as flashy heathers (Ericas) and a droopy-headed Gladiolus. A flash of lilac-blue alerted us to an iris, member of a genus unique in the floral world in having an Afrikaans scientific name: Babiana, named for the baboons that enthusiastically dig up and eat their bulb-like corms.
Other treats were in store: we saw aardvark droppings (large, very sandy), evidence of antelope and porcupines and watched sunbirds and patrolling ravens. On the way down into the valley there were orchids to marvel at and the huge leaves of Poison Squills, a type of hyacinth, erupting out of the ground. Yellow-headed Oxalis flowers were in bloom too, one species of which is still a vital ingredient to that most traditional of Cape dishes: waterblommetjie bredie.
The hiking is easy; the trails have been sensitively built and follow the lines of the landscape, and there’s a whole range to choose from: you can take an hour’s stroll or spend most of the day out there. And with the Overberg’s growing focus on mountain biking and adventure, the hiking trails of Porcupine Hills fit nicely into a bigger outdoor experience. There is accommodation on the farm to suit all types and it’s little more than an hour and a half to get there from Cape Town, making it the perfect weekend destination, or even a day trip.
In a world of shrinking natural habitats and wildlife on the wane, it is heartening to see efforts being made not just to preserve nature but to showcase it too – otherwise how can we conserve what we don’t know? So hats off to the farm’s owners, Tony and Cha Davenport, who have opened up the secrets of the renosterveld to a wider public; with less than 5% of this vegetation type remaining, this is a conservation project that deserves the widest support.
And you never know: you may just see a porcupine.
Eco-escape in the Overberg
The Overberg, with all its natural beauty, is a true eco-escape. Here are many beautiful hiking trails, mountain bike trails, wine farms, forests, canola fields and tracts of natural fynbos making the area a wonderful nature retreat in the Western Cape. But with all the natural beauty of the Overberg, we have a great responsibility to ensure we protect the environment and promote ecotourism.
If you want to travel to the Overberg and experience this magical nature retreat, make sure you are doing it in a way that will promote ecotourism and not harm the environment.
There are various eco-friendly accommodation options in the Overberg, including Wildekrans Country House, Oak Valley and Porcupine Hills.
Hosted every two years the Overberg Eco-expo aims to encourage the local community and its visitors to live and travel more green. Other eco-friendly things to do in the Overberg includes wine tastings at Paul Cluver and Beaumont, getting up close with nature at the Green Mountain Trail and learning more about the fresh fruit produced in Elgin at Fruitways.
Experience a true eco-escape and get some tips from the Overberg community on how to live green.
Ecotourism in South Africa
The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education.” Cape Town and the Western Cape is covered with natural beauty for us to enjoy, but in order to preserve nature we have to enjoy it responsibly.
Ecotourism in South Africa has various benefits. Ecotourism according to The United Nations Environment Programme can contribute to environmental protection and can increase the appreciation of the environment. Ecotourism is also an opportunity to grow the economy by attracting more tourists and creating more jobs.
As a conservancy in the Western Cape we aim to protect and rehabilitate the area. We hope to promote the importance of ecotourism in South Africa and raise awareness of how every person, traveller or resident can contribute to conserving nature.
Here are a few tips from Green Global Travel on how you can promote ecotourism in South Africa:
- Buy local
- Don’t litter and pick up trash
- Stay on the footpaths
- Get to know the different cultures and respect them
If you are travelling to the Western Cape, have a look at eco-friendly activities in Cape Town here.
As Conservation International says, Nature is speaking and we should listen.
The rise of Responsible Tourism
Travel is the world’s largest industry, with a trillion-dollar annual footprint. This means that more than ever before travelers have enormous power and can make a real and effective contribution to how the tourism industry in a country operates. Travelers now have more choice and their vote can impact beyond just their personal experience, but have a real long-term impact on social, political and environmental change. It is therefore very important to promote responsible tourism in South Africa. Ethical Traveler is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization and a project of the Earth Island Institute. They believe that mindful travel offers many rewards, both personal and global. By “voting with our wings”—choosing our destinations well, and cultivating our roles as citizen diplomats—we promote international goodwill and help change the world for the better.
The Cape Overberg’s Nature Reserves, National Parks and strong eco-tourism offerings continue to entice growing numbers of visitors to the area. According to WESGRO these areas have seen double-digit growth in visitors – fantastic news for the hospitality industry in the area, especially those that offer something for the eco-tourist.
For those of us in the tourism industry, we need to embrace this trend, this is a time to educate travelers on how their choices can make a real difference. It’s a time to be more involved and publicly celebrate the organizations that conserve, uplift and empower the communities in your area.
