The WHS additions in July 2004 were a mixed lot in my opinion but 1 stood out for me –the “Cape Floral Region Protected Areas”. Alongside the usual litany of uninspiring/mediocre European sites (Liverpool, Muskauer and Andorra Valley?) and shady political dealings (The Koguryo China/N Korea “compromise”!) here was a site whose selection showed real imagination. A site of genuine uniqueness and justifiable preservation. Yet it took UNESCO from the year 2000 with 2 “deferrals” to get this nomination accepted! So typical of bureaucrats to concentrate on “Dotting the I’s” rather than on the value of the concept!

To quote

“Although the smallest of the world’s 6 principle floristic regions and in a temperate zone it has a degree of species richness comparable with most tropical hotspots. In less than .5% of the area of Africa it has nearly 20% of its flora and in less than 4% of the area of Southern Africa it has nearly 44% of the sub-continental flora of 20367 species. Nearly 69% of its vascular species do not occur naturally anywhere else in the world”

From within this “kingdom” 8 areas have been inscribed stretching as far as 450kms from the city of Capetown. The most famous and easily accessible is that of the Cape Peninsular itself although this is the second smallest - you will go through it if you go down to the Cape of Good Hope (as we did).

To quote again “The distinctive flora which contains 80% of its floristic richness is a shrubland known as “Fynbos”. The most famous genera found in this habitat are the Proteaciae. The Protea in its various forms is a magnificent plant often now sold in Europe for flower arrangements having been flown in from S Africa.

These, and many other wonderful plants, are easily viewable growing naturally as you drive around the Cape Region. My photo is of a stand in the flower show of a pleasant little town called Clanwilliam near to the Cederberg Wilderness area of the WHS showing a variety of Proteas.

August/September is the best time to see the flowers – we took them in as part of a drive down from Namibia via Namaqualand with its own wonderful flowers. As you drive south you “follow” the blooming of the flowers all the way until you finish up at the Cape itself – a wonderful trip!