Table of Contents
Hike to The Fernery
Dolphin Trail - Day 2
We left the comfort of the Misty Mountain Resort and set off on the second day of our hike to the Fernery, through wild garlic, curry plant, pelargoniums, yellow daisies, arum lilies and trees I have never a seen before.
We saw: iron wood (heavier than water so it doesn’t float); stink wood (used for furniture, and smells when cut) and knot wood – which looked like something from prehistoric times.
The trail meandered through banks of pretty coral fern, which is (somewhat unbelievably given its delicacy and the distance) harvested for export to florists mainly in France, Germany and Holland.
At one point, the trail turned into a scramble cross rocks for quite some distance alongside the pounding Indian Ocean. It was necessary to sit in many cases to get down safely.
This would definitely have been dangerous if the rocks had been wet – but they weren’t, so we were OK. Interesting that we weren’t asked to sign any waivers re participating at our own risk?
A snack of fruit and nuts on a rocky beach was welcome. Tim made our guide smile by teaching him how to do stone skimming. It turned out to be quite a fierce competition between the men in the group!
A very steep climb up the fynbos covered cliffs followed, rewarded by a picnic in the woods, complete with tablecloth and homemade quiche and egg custard flan. This really is luxury hiking and I like it!
Our chalet at The Fernery was even better than the previous two nights – it definitely made me re-think my log cabin dream and upgrade a bit!
Foodie Firsts
Kingklip – a delicious, eel type local fish which tasted to me rather like hake
Amarula – a local liqueur a bit like Baileys, which was turned into a panacotta.
Lowlights
Puff adders. I was VERY grateful for our two guides equipped with sticks who ushered the one we saW on its way away from the path for us.
Highlights
Champagne reception at the very luxurious The Fernery at the end of our hike.
