Augusta De Mist Featured in House & Garden

We at Augusta de Mist are proud to announce that we have been featured as a travel destination on pages 113 and 114 of the April issue of Conde Nast's House & Garden. Don't walk to the stand, run to it right now!

All you need to know about De Hoop Nature Reserve

De Hoop Nature Reserve is situated in the Overberg region near the southern tip of Africa. The reserve is approximately 36 000ha in size and one of the largest natural areas managed by Cape Nature. It is a favourite destination of hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and, during the winter and early summer months, whale watchers. The Marine Protected Area, which extends three nautical miles (5km) out to sea, is one of the largest marine protected areas in Africa, providing a sanctuary for a vast and fascinating array of marine life.

History

It is believed that many thousands of years ago, Stone Age people hunted game in the De Hoop area, followed by Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers who lived off the veld and coastal resources. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the nomadic Khoi or Khoekhoen inhabited most of the southern Cape and their middens can be found along the De Hoop coast. The Overberg region was colonised in the early eighteenth century and over the next 100 years it become well known for merino sheep farming, horse and cattle breeding, and grain farming. The earliest registered owner in the De Hoop area was Pieter Lourens Cloete who established a successful Spanish horse stud operation on what was known as Hope Farm. The Cape Provincial Administration bought the farms De Hoop in 1956 and Windhoek in 1957. De Hoop Nature Reserve was proclaimed in 1957 and subsequently enlarged by further acquisition of land. The reserve was initially utilized as an experimental wildlife farm where rare and endangered species, such as bontebok and Cape mountain zebra, were bred for restocking reserves and sale to private landowners. Since the early 1970s, however, the primary objective of De Hoop has been to conserve natural ecosystems typical of the Western Cape coastal region. The Marine Protected Area was proclaimed in March 1986, contributing significantly to the conservation of this region’s coastal marine resources.

Animals

De Hoop’s many terres trial habitats support a diversity of animal groups. The reserve has 86 mammal species, most notably the rare Bontebok and Cape mountain zebra, as well as eland, grey rhebuck, baboon, yellow mongoose, caracal and the occasional leopard. The marine environment is likewise home to a variety of life forms. Marine mammals such as dolphins and seals occur in the waters off the coast, and southern right whales calve and mate in the sheltered bays of De Hoop each year between May and December. At least 250 species of fish occur in the Marine Protected Area.  De Hoop is famous for its variety of resident and migratory bird species and more than 260 species have been recorded on the reserve. The De Hoop vlei attracts large numbers of water birds and the only remaining Western Cape breeding colony of the rare Cape vulture occurs at Potberg.

Photos by Tony Phelps

Climate

A typical Mediterranean climate prevails in the region – summers are warm and winters mild. Annual rainfall is about 380mm and August is usually the wettest month. Sea mists also occur. The most frequent summer winds are east, west and southeast, while westerly and southwesterly winds prevail in winter.

Vegetation

De Hoop Nature Reserve forms part of the world’s smallest and most threatened plant kingdom - the Cape Floral Kingdom. Fynbos is the dominant vegetation within this kingdom – largely confined to nutrient-poor soils in the winter rainfall areas of the Western Cape. Fynbos is adapted to fire and drought, and characterized by four growth forms:

• proteas - tall shrubs with large leaves

• ericas - heath-like shrubs

• restios - wiry, reed-like plants which are always present in fynbos

• geophytes - bulbs that store moisture in fleshy underground organs

De Hoop is important for the conservation of lowland fynbos as it contains the largest conserved area for this rare type. The Bredasdorp/Agulhas and Infanta area, which De Hoop is a part of, has an estimated 1500 plant species of the approximately 9000 species found in the Cape Floristic Region. Ofthese 1500 species:

• 108 species are rare or threatened • 34 species occur only on De Hoop Nature Reserve and nowhere else• 14 species were recently discovered and are still undescribed.

Photos by Tony Phelps

DE HOOP finest examples of inter-tidal ecosystems in the Western Cape when snorkeling in De Hoop’s large, clear rock pools. The Marine Protected Area encompasses the breeding grounds of the southern right whale. It is estimated that about 120 individual whales return to the waters of De Hoop every year to calve and mate. The sight of these massive mammals leaping out of the sea or simply wallowing in azure waters is definitely one of the highlights of a visit to De Hoop. The high dunes at Koppie Alleen offer an excellent vantage point for whale watching. 57km of either route is along gravel roads.

Weddings at De Hoop Nature Reserve

Wedding congratulations…

Gary & Emmelia Fouche

I’d like to thank you so much for making our special day perfect! It was everything we dreamed of and better! The venue was beautiful, the staff VERY welcoming and the service FANTASTIC. We have had such good feedback from friends and family about the whole weekend; I wish you and De Hoop all of the best for the future. As mentioned in my speech, it really is a special place on earth which everyone needs to experience! We will definitely see you guys again.

Nic & Efi Ray

Fly out to De Hoop Nature Reserve for Lunch

Swellendam Fly-In – 3 March 2012 

ROB TAYLOR, PILOTS POST

“They came in numbers. Saturday the 3rd of March was hot and dry in Swellendam but this didn't deter over sixty small aircraft from gathering for a fly-in at The Swellengrebel Airfield.

 It was certainly a sign of the times and a pointer of the direction that recreational flying is taking. The “for fun” pilot can no longer afford to get his flying fix from the expensive and over regulated “Witchita Wonders.” Cessna, Piper and the other big corporate manufacturers can no longer compete with the choice and affordability of the likes of Bantams, Kitfoxes and a host of other types that have become available to the recreational pilot. Even South Africa's very own Sling was represented. 

The Sun beat down unmercifully but the club must have had a hot line to the weather gods as they had erected a large restaurant area under shade cloth and this took the edge off the heat. No big wind or thunderstorms made it a great day weatherwise. All the participants and spectators could at least enjoy their food and drink under the shelter of shade cloth awnings.

A wide spread of types were represented, from a Warbird with a massive radial engine, a turboprop powered fire bomber with its long sleek nose to a host of autogyros, microlights, ultralights and homebuilts…”

 

News from Montagu Country Hotel

  P-J Basson who has been the GM of Montagu Country Hotel for the last 12 years, has become a shareholder and director. He has been working together with Gert Lubbe, the other director, for the last 15 years.

  

  We have installed handrails to all areas of the hotel gardens to make access easier for people with walking problems. We also have 100% wheelchair friendly room with a wheel-in shower, toilet raiser, and grab rails in bathroom.

·  

   Finally, we hosted our first gay wedding in February!!  The couple were from Britain and they made an entire weekend out of their special day with their guests.