Darling ~ Wild Flower Reserves

Good morning friends. The spring wild flower season continues here with various towns hosting their own wild flower shows. On Friday I took to the road to visit the town of Darling. I decided to take the R27 again and then turned off onto the gravel road know as the Darling Hills Road. The sign post on the R27 does not state Darling Hills Road but merely indicates the flower route to Darling. Do not take the Atlantis turn off but carry on the R27, and take care as it is not clearly visible when travelling from the Cape Town side, but that is the Grotto Bay turn off towards the sea, in the back ground!

The road is fairly good and if I can do it in my little car with tiny wheels then you should be fine. My little Renault's wheels are so small that my car is called Noddy! Anyway, not 30 metres down the road after turning off I came across a jewel next to the road...

Take a closer look at the Cancer Bush or Sutherlandia Frutescens.

It is very striking and I love the colour and the leaves.

Luckily, I had the road all to myself as Noddy was brought to a halt every few hundred metres so I could jump out and snap away!!

The fragrance was heavenly...

Blue Cranes

 

The road meanders through the farms and the fields are a feast to behold. In some places the road got a bit rough and I prayed that Noddy's wheels would stay on and that I would not get a puncture. Honestly, to remove the spare wheel, which is on some fancy pulley system, you need a degree in Engineering and a loada patience!

 

The sheep were freshly shorn...

And, the insects were feasting on my open flesh and I had to find an aloe pronto for the itch!. Which I did...

Please note the sign behind the aloe, which thankfully was next to the road, as the sign warns that it is private property and threatens you with extinction should you ignore the warning! Anyway, I broke off a piece of the aloe and doused the stings with the gel to stop the itch!

Fortunately the road became smooth again and there were so many things to stop and admire....

Brilliant in the sunshine...

The cattle were ...um...active...

The fields ablaze with colour...

Arum lilies as far as the eye can see....

There's Noddy , patiently awaiting my return from climbing over a fence to get some pictures!

Well, there was no sign this time , so I took a chance!

At the end of the road I found the sign that declared it to be the...

I turned left towards the town of Darling to find the flower reserves..

That's it folks!

Next, I will share my finds in the Flower Reserves as well as a visit to Duckets Orchids which was de lovely!

I had made it to the tar road with all the wheels still on Noddy and was relieved to say the least!

Relieved but very happy with the two hours I has whiled away on this short stretch of road...

I headed towards the town but my heart sank when I saw no less than 10 large tour buses whizz past in the same direction as I was just about to go!

I guess I couldn't expect to have it all to myself, now could I?

Live the Cape Town Vibe !

Veronica

Joining Mary for Mosaic Monday at Dear Little Red House here

I will be linking this post to Our World Tuesday here. Please visit us over there to experience our world through the eyes of very talented bloggers.

as well as

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer here

all images are my own

Thanks for stopping by and please leave me with your thoughts in the comment box below....