The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle Has Landed! In this case, an Airforce Helicopter I don't know the exact name of. It looks like a practice run for the local sea rescue and fire fighting teams, but nonetheless enough of an unusualness to draw a huge crowd. Hermanus has a fire season, normally in high summer from January to March, when the slightest provocation such as a cigarette butt carelessly thrown out of a passing car window can result in a huge blaze and thousand of hectares of fynbos destroyed, not to mention the millions of rands of damage. However, fire is necessary for fynbos to thrive. Every year after a fire you see new species of fynbos that haven't been spotted for years.

View From The Top

One of the most splendid scenic drives in Hermanus is certainly Rotary Way, with its entrance next to Mount Pleasant. It curves right to the top of the mountain, with several lookout posts to stop at and savour the beauty that is all around. Surrounded by thousands of different fynbos species, it is a haven of peace and tranquility sitting on one of the benches. On the sea side Hermanus is laid out, and on the mountain side the Hemel en Aarde ("Heaven and Earth") valley spreads out. On the photo, the Maanskynbaai ("Moonshine Bay") estuary can be seen. At the moment the lagoon is open right onto Grotto Beach.