Day 12

We were invited to accompany a Year 10 class to the Helderberg Nature Reservation where they would learn about the animals and plants unique to the Cape region called the Fynbos. It was particularly interesting to us that despite the diminutive size of the Fynbos, it had around twenty times the number of species of flora and fauna to be found in Great Britain. It was explained to us that due to forest fires and the spread of European trees alien to the South African environment that many Fynbos species are under threat of extinction.

The purpose of the Reserve is to raise awareness of this threat and to educate local pupils about how they can go about preserving their precious natural heritage. We were amazed by the ingenious ways in which the Fynbos species had adapted to the harsh conditions of the Cape area. Some plants have even developed a hard outer cone that allows them to survive even the most fierce forest fires unscathed.

Mr Coombes stayed behind at the school and enthralled Macassar learners with his knowledge of space and space travel. The learners asked countless questions and asked Mr Coombes to draw diagrams of the Solar System and its place in the Galaxy. The day ended with the group going back to their hosts for the evening.

Miss Arthur went to a family barbeque, or as South Africans say a ‘braai’, and Mr Rees was taken to see the Stellenbosch University rugby team play at the local stadium. Stellenbosch University is the primary recruiting ground for the South African national rugby team the Springboks, so we can expect to see many of the players donning the green and gold jersey in the years to come.