Map Guide to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden at Cape Town, South Africa, by Tony Lourens

Map Guide to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden at Cape Town, South Africa, by Tony Lourens. ISBN 9780987040336 / ISBN 978-0-9870403-3-6

Contour Path from Kirstenbosch to Rhodes Memorial, image taken from Tony Lourens's Map Guide to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden at Cape Town, South Africa.

Map excerpt from Map Guide to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. (Blue Montain Publishers, Cape Town)

Hiker, climber and publisher of SA Mountain magazin, Tony Lourens, through his Map Guide introduces Kirstenbosch as the largest of a country-wide network of nine National Botanical Gardens administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

Tony Lourens  

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, covering 36 hectares within a 528 hectare estate, displays a wide variety of the unique plant life of the Cape Flora, also known as fynbos, as well as many different plants from the other regions of South Africa, both outdoors and in the Botanical Society Conservatory. There are over 7000 species in cultivation at Kirstenbosch, including an outstanding collection of cycads, over 450 species of trees, as well as a wide diversity of bulbous plants, annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, ferns, aloes and other succulent plants, and proteas, ericas and fynbos. The nursery at Kirstenbosch houses many important scientific collections, such as Clivia, Gasteria, Lithops. The garden also provides refuge for many rare and threatened species.

The Cape Floral Kingdom

Of the six floristic regions In the world, the Cape Floristic Region is the richest in botanical terms and by far the smallest, with the Cape Peninsula constituting about one third of all the plant species found within its borders. In this relatively small area of 440 square kilometres more than 2500 different species exist and more than half of those can be found on Table Mountain itself. Situated in the heart of this flora! Kingdom, it is small wonder why Kirstenbosch has become one of the botanical phenomenons of the world. In 2004 the Cape Floristic Region, including Kirstenbosch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it the first botanical garden in the world to be included within a natural World Heritage Site. The name Kirstenbosch first appeared in 1795, when it was listed on an inventory of property drawn up and handed over to the British occupying forces. The origin of the name is uncertain, but It seems fairly probable however that it was derived from the fact that quite a few families by the name of Kirsten lived in the area, although none of them ever owned the property or even part of It. Nevertheless, it is most likely that the land somehow became associated with one of the members of the Kirsten family, and became known as Kirstenbosch (Kirsten's Forest).

Walks up to the Contour Path

There is a network of paths leading through the Garden and some of these lead to the Contour Path, which runs along the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The walks are short and generally shaded, tree lined avenues and paths. Once through the entrance stiles find the Fragrance Garden, opposite which is the start of Smuts Track. This will bring you out on the Contour Path at the start of Skeleton Gorge, or a little way off to the right. By taking the gravel road even further to the right you can gain a path that takes you to the Contour Path just to the right of Window Gorge and at the start of the zigzags on Fernwood Buttress. Time: 25 minutes from the car.

Contour Path from Rycroft (upper) Entrance

From the Rycroft Entrance, walk straight up the paved road for about 8 minutes until you reach a fork. Take the right fork, which soon turns into a gravel track. Follow this for about 100 metres to a track leading off to the left. Take this track for a few hundred metres (ignoring a path going off to the right), until you reach a bench on the left and a stepped path going up to the right with a sign indicating Contour Path and Nursery Ravine. Follow this path up through trees for about 5 minutes to reach the Contour Path just to the left of Nursery Ravine. Time: 20 minutes from the car.

This is an excerpt from the map and guide: Map Guide to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden at Cape Town, South Africa, by Tony Lourens.

Title: Map Guide Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town South Africa
Type: Rock Climbing and Hiking Guide and Map
Author: Tony Lourens
Publisher: Blue Mountain Design & Publishing
Cape Town, South Africa 2014
ISBN 9780987040336 / ISBN 978-0-9870403-3-6
Fold-up brochure, 60 x 41 cm, both-sided print, maps and photos, Text: Englisch