Fields of Coral Aloe

Just as the "normal" Aloes in the Karoo Heartland is done flowering, it's the turn of the Coral Aloes.  A drive through the southern Karoo Heartland (on the N10 just over the Olifantskop Pass from Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape two weeks ago had me stop a couple of times and grabbing for my camera with literally fields of flowering Coral Aloe stretching away from the road.

A carpet of orange

Just more proof that the Eastern Cape doesn't have to stand back one step when it comes to showing off it's beautiful flowers in spring.

The Aloes are in bloom

One of my favorite things about this time of the year (early winter) is the fact that the aloes are in bloom.  A little road trip through the Karoo Heartland had me stop once or twice to snap a few pictures, but mostly I just enjoyed the sight of them next to the road. 

A lot of the flowers are just starting to open up so give it another week or two three and they will be blooming in all their glory.

A quick stop at Supertubes in Jbay

A week or so ago I attended the Kouga Baviaans Surf and Safari Marketing Association's AGM in Jeffreys Bay.  It was a perfect winters day and I decided to make a stop at Supertubes before heading back to Port Elizabeth.

A deserted beach that was packed during the Jbay Open just a few weeks ago

Enjoying one of the best right hand point breaks in the world

Aloes on the coastline at Lower Point

Aloes and Supertubes

Jeffreys Bay is seen as the surfing capital of South Africa with Supertubes being rated as one of the top 10 surf spots in the world.  Supertubes is one of the best right hand point breaks in the world and one a good day can break over a distance in access of 300 meters.  Swinging past there the other day the conditions were flat with no real break.  The coastline is still stunning and with the aloe in picture its exactly as one is supposed to imagine the Kouga region coastline, an area where beach and bush meet.

Aloes in flower

Aloes of different varieties brighten up the winter landscape in the Karoo over this time of year and driving back to Port Elizabeth from Nieu-Bethesda yesterday I was just reminded of that again.  This photo wasn't from that trip though.  It was taken on the Aloe Trail just outside Port Elizabeth.

Karoo scene at the foothills of the Zuurberg

The Karoo is a hauntingly beautiful place.  A lot of people may find it boring but most see a beauty that is often described differently by every person.  Wide open spaces with blue skies above, a couple of sheep grazing on the sparse green grass around a wind pump filled cement dam, late winter aloes in bloom with a Karoo koppie in the background, farm workers' children playing in the dust close to a flat roof worker's house, somebody walking down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and so I can go on.  The scene in the picture was taken in the Karoo just north of the Zuurberg Pass. In the background is the 150 year old Ann's Villa.

Aloe trident

Aloes are amongst my favorite flowers, specially because they bloom in winter, so I'm always a bit sad at this time of the year when the flowers start to wilt and disappear. 

Aloe close up

Although there are still lots of flowering aloes about you can clearly see that the aloe season is slowly coming to an end.  I wish they could flower all year round.  But saying that, it wouldn't be as special if they did.  Here's a close up of an aloe flower for those who may have wondered what it looks like.

Icons of the Karoo - Roadside Aloes

During the hot dry summer the Karoo veld can be somewhat of a bleak affair, but during the winter it's a different matter.  Aloes bloom in all their fiery glory decorating the landscape like Christmas lights.  Aloes, like proteas, are often found in the most unlikely and inhospitable places, growing in hot temperature and low rainfall areas and not needing the delicate hands of somebody with green fingers to nurture it.  One of natures natural wonders.

The post is part of the Icons of the Karoo series including Quintessential Karoo,  Farm Gate and Sweet Thorn Sunset.

A memorable weekend

Clan Firefly spent a memorable long weekend across the Zuurberg enjoying the best the southern Karoo has to offer and as soon as I get a chance to edit the pictures and write a blog post or two I will share it all with you.  Here's a taste of what we did so long, most of which were new experiences for the KidZ.

 

 Game drives at Kuzuko Lodge...

... looking for big game. 

Learning about the history of Ann's Villa...

 

 ... and taking in the beauty of the flowering aloes.

Enjoying endless views...

... while ending the days off with breathtaking Karoo sunsets

Aloes on the Swartkops River

Clan Firefly is heading over the Zuurberg into the southern Karoo tomorrow for a couple of nights at Kuzuko Lodge and Ann's Villa.  We're starting out at Kuzuko Lodge for the first night before moving on to Ann's Villa for the next two.  Kuzuko Lodge is a 5 star lodge and lies in a private concession in the northern part of the Addo Elephant National Park while Ann's Villa started out in 1864 as an inn on the Zuurberg Pass when it was the main road north.  The whole idea behind the weekend is to get away from the city to the Karoo with its uninterrupted views and flowering aloes, where the evening silence is only broken by the howl of the black-backed jackal and sunrise is accompanied by the melody of bird song.

 

The aloes in the picture are next to the Swartkops River at Redhouse outside Port Elizabeth and seeing them just got me more excited about our trip with aloes in full bloom at the moment. 

British Settlers Family Statue

The area from Port Elizabeth eastwards, specially around Grahamstown and Bathurst, is where the British Settlers settled in 1820 (see here and here).  On top of Gunfire Hill overlooking Grahamstown is the big Settlers Monument building and just down the road from it visitors will find the British Settlers Family statue.  The statue depicts a settler family as they would have looked on their arrival in Algoa Bay. 

Along with the Xhosa and the Dutch, the British Settlers form part of the rich cultural heritage that the Eastern Cape can boast with.  One of the other symbols of the Eastern Cape is the aloe, here photographed in front of the British Settlers Family statue.

Fiery aloe vs blue sky

A great contrast.  The orange and yellow of an aloe in flower against a bright blue sky

Flowering Aloe

There are few flowers, in my mind, that comes close to the aloe when in full flower. Driving through the countryside and seeing hundreds of these magnificent flowers in full bloom makes me want to stop and pull out my camera. This one I photographed in the Gamtoos Valley west of Port Elizabeth.

Aloe silhouette

I took this pic on my whistle stop visit to the Gamtoos Valley recently. I couldn't resist sticking the sun behind the aloe and when I downloaded the pics I decided that I wanted to see it in sepia as well. I am quite impressed, even if I have to say so myself.

Aloe Ferox

The Aloe is a succulent plant that is native to Africa and very common in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. There are about 400 different species of Aloe plants.

The Aloe Ferox is found specifically in South Africa and is one of only a few that were used traditionally as a herbal medicine. Although the Aloe Vera is the best known Aloe as far as medicinal value goes, the Aloe Ferox also has various uses. Today, the gel found in the leaves is used for soothing minor burns, wounds and various skin conditions. It is also used in skin creams, shampoos and, although not proven successfully, in some herbal drinks.

Most Aloes have a rosette of large, thick, fleshy leaves. The leaves are often lance-shaped with a sharp end and a spiny edges. Aloe flowers are tubular, frequently orange, yellow, pink or red and are densely clustered.

When the Aloes are in flowers it does not just mean a visual spectacle, it also means an abundance of food for bees and sun birds. It also provides great photo opportunities to catch these little workers in action on the flowers.

Coral Aloe on Oukop

Coral Aloe is one of the many aloe species found in South Africa. Unlike most other aloe species, the coral aloe does not have thorny or spiky leaves. These aloes are in full bloom at the moment and in some areas in the Karoo the fields of aloe looks awesome at the moment. This coral aloe is growing on Oukop in Cradock.

Sweet nectar

Greater Double Collared Sunbird on an aloe taken in the Tsitsikamma National Park