Flower season along the West Coast takes place Annually between August and September. As the season changes, nature begins to bloom and flowers of all colours spring up along the Landscape accompanied by fauna, enjoying the sunshine. The Postberg Nature Reserve is situated within the West Coast National Park in Langebaan in the Western Cape. It is closed for most of the Year, but is opened to the Public during Spring (August – September) where one can view the exceptional carpet of Spring flowers in the Reserve. As the reserve is only open at a certain time of Year, there are often queues to get into the Reserve, so going during the Week is definitely recommending and even if you don’t, the carpet of flowers will more than reward you for your patience! Whenever you do decide to go, make sure you go early as the Postberg section is limited to a certain amount of visitors per day. Another positive aspect of the limited opening times is that there is game here that hasn’t quite learned to shy away from humans. Keep an eye out for Zebra, Wildebeest, Antelope, Ostrich, Mongoose, Rock Hyrax, Snakes, Birds, and Tortoises. The picnic and braai spots along the coast are fantastic for whale watching.
The Langebaan Lagoon was proclaimed as a marine Reserve in terms of the Sea Fisheries Act in 1973 and later in 1985, was proclaimed Langebaan National Park with the name later being changed to West Coast National Park. It was on 25 April 1988 that the Langebaan Ramsar site was declared.
The initial purpose of the park Area was to protect the key conservation areas of the Langebaan Lagoon and associated Wetlands as well as the offshore Islands in Saldanha Bay. In 1987, the first expansion of the Reserve occurred, including a dune reclamation scheme and the portions of Farms: 'Geelbek; Bottelery, Schrywershoek and Abrahamskraal', were reclaimed! In the same Year, some 1 800 Ha of land around Postberg was included on a contractual basis and a Hotel site in Langebaan was also included into the Park.

The Limietberg Nature Reserve, near Paarl, which is part of the Boland Mountains. The Nature Reserve covers an Area of 117000 Hectares and is home to: Baboons, Dassies, the Cape Sugarbird, Black Eagles, the sweet little Protea Canary and is the where you’ll find the Krom River Trail!
"Steep kloofs and deep valleys are what every blog post mentioned as I googled the Krom River Hiking Trail – I simply had to experience it for myself. Our hike began with a huge fright from a baboon rushing past us, but then afterwards the route winds along the river, with a variation of flat surfaces and a few inclines. The hike is moderately challenging, but we came across many different age groups, varying from young and old, on the trail. You will be surrounded by dense vegetation and views that stretch out to the valley. Other hiking trails on the nature reserve include the: 'Bobbejaans River Trail, Eland River Trail, Happy Valley River Trail and the Rockhopper River Trail'. The trail allows you to swim in river pools surrounded by indigenous forests. The first rock pool is the deepest and you have the option of setting up here for the day with your picnic baskets or proceeding. We proceeded to the main waterfall. Getting to the waterfall is no child’s play. At least, it certainly wasn’t for me. You use chains to pull yourself up to the top and it is here that I began to question my fear of heights. Once we reached the waterfall, we had a big picnic feast and relaxed alongside the river for a good three hours before making our way back to the start of the trail. Heading back there was less pressure to see the waterfall so we took our time to admire the green bushes and our surroundings. The Krom River Trail is definitely one to add to your bucket list."

The Cape St. Francis Lighthouse, also known as Seal Point Lighthouse, is a beautiful white Building that forms the focal point of Cape St Francis, in the Eastern Cape. Named after St. Francis, who is the Patron Saint of Ecology, this Architectural marvel was completed in 1878, and built to ward off ships from the dangerous reefs that stretch out more than a Kilometre out to Sea. On July 4th 1878, the lamp of Cape St. Francis Lighthouse was lit for the first time. Since that day it has sent forth its beam of light to guide mariners along a stretch of Coast that has claimed numerous Shipwrecks! According to a report of the; 'Coast Lighthouse Commission' dated 1 December 1871, Captain Skead accompanied by Captain Perry R.N. and Lieut. Taylor R.N. set out from Port Elizabeth on 21 November 1871 to inspect Cape St. Francis and vicinity for the purpose of selecting a Site for the erection of a Lighthouse. Travelling in a "hired van" the party stopped for the night at Van Stadens and arrived at Humansdorp on the 23rd where they were met by the Civil Commissioner, who assisted them to reach the Beach near Cape St. Francis. An ox-wagon loaded with tents and camp gear was sent ahead. Construction of the Lighthouse commenced on 17 March 1876 when Joseph Flack, a clerk of works employed in the Public Works Department of the Cape Colonial Government, set out the works. He was not destined to see the Lighthouse completed though! Flack died at Seal Point on 14 November 1876 and he is buried in the Cemetery in Humansdorp. He who also partook in the building of many of the structures on Robben Island!
Although Cape St. Francis Lighthouse is only 30 km from Humansdorp it was, until recently, the most isolated attended Station situated on the Mainland. Not so long ago the 5 km journey from Goedgeloof on the Krom River to Seal Point over the sand dunes and along the Beach had to be done on horseback and by ox-wagon and took 3 Hours.
Only in 1957 was the ox-wagon replaced by a four-wheel drive vehicle which followed the same route. Although it was quicker by jeep, the trip on the ox-wagon was more comfortable, several of the light keepers owned horses. They were able to travel by car as far as Mostert's Farm, on Goedgeloof. From there they proceeded on horseback to the Lighthouse. When the new Houses for the staff were completed in 1948, one of the old quarters was converted into stables. In 1964 the gravel road which ended on Goedgeloof, was extended to Seal Point and the trip from Humansdorp to the Lighthouse could be done comfortably in half an hour. A radio beacon was established at the Lighthouse in 1964. Despite its slow disintegration, the lighthouse remains standing. Added to this is the fact that it acts as a lightning conductor of note, shattering window panes on the three occasions this happened up to 1921.
The Lighthouse is manned by a senior light keeper and two light keepers. In recent years a Township has been developed near the lighthouse which is no longer the lonely outpost it used to be. In the foreseeable future Cape St. Francis will, no doubt, also succumb to automation and when that day dawns the resident staff and their families will say farewell to the peace and quiet of Seal Point. The Lighthouse at Seal Point, was declared a National Monument on 11 May 1984.
The circular Lighthouse structure is the tallest masonry tower on the South African Coast. It is 28 metres in height and the focal plane of the light is 36 metres Above Sea Level, giving it a range of 28 sea miles. The stone for the tower was blasted from the reefs some 200 metres East of the site and it was cut and dressed to size and shape on the spot. The original optic was a second order dioptric apparatus comprising 8 lenses with upper and lower refracting prisms and provided a single white flash every 20 seconds. It was equipped with a 3 wick burner and produced a light beam with an intensity of 15 000 candles. In May 1906 the flash rate was accelerated to one flash every 5 seconds and a petroleum vapor burner installed, resulting in the candlepower being increased to 120 000 candles. The candlepower was further increased to 2 750 000 candles in 1931 when a 4 kw incandescent electric lamp replaced the mantle burner. Power was provided by diesel electric generators and an electrically operated fog signal installed at the same time. The present illuminate is a 1,5 kw lamp giving the light a range of 28 Sea Miles.
Until 1959 the revolving light was driven by clockwork, actuated by a set of weights suspended from a chain. The motion was regulated by a governor fitted with a brake and weighted lever attachment to keep the apparatus in revolution whilst the weights were heaved up manually. This had to be done every 4 hours by the duty light keeper. The old mechanism has fortunately been preserved as a curiosity of days gone by! The cost of the lighthouse tower was R 23 688 and that of the original dioptric apparatus R 9 954.