Walking today were Paul, Sue and Joana from Portugal, who is back to do her PhD on penguins. (
Click here for a summary of all the different penguin species.) Richard also came with Josie, and Emily from Arizona, who is here to study
cormorants. Alice and Maddie were not here as Maddie has a cough. It was the Alph's first walk since getting back from the land of eucalypt leaf-eating possums, koalas and wombats,
who would all feel right at home in the gums that we trudged through in the early morning sun on our way up the mountain. (In the foreground is Slangbos, which is now no longer
Stoebe but
Seriphium plumosum - a member of the daisy family.)
We walked up Robbie's walk which is looking lovely especially as more and more of the gums and pines are being harvested and the indigenous fynbos is returning. This is one of the
Muraltia shrubs, probably
Muraltia heisteria, coming up everywhere
. 
Tea on a knoll overlooking Cape Town. There are still lots of pines that escaped out of the plantations and now grow in inaccessible spots on the cliffs - but SANParks are doing a great job cleaning up and the Food Lady hopes that they continue to do so.
Lots of lovely water in all the streams and waterfalls. I went extreme adventuring up one of the waterfalls, until the spoil-sport Food Lady called me down.
Paul photographing the waterfall and trying to avoid tripping over that large fat Rottweiler with a heart-shape on its behind - similar to some of our human nieces and nephew's jeans with funny messages like 'BONG' written on their behinds.
There were dainty white Rice Ericas (
Erica lutea),
and luminous Green Proteas (
Protea coronata),
lovely paths overlooking Kirstenbosch with good smells,
and Green Protea Beetles (
Trichostetha fascicularis) and honeybees feasting on pollen and nectar in the flowers of the Waboom (
Protea ntidia),
stripey Autumn Pipes (
Gladiolus brevifolius),
and some fiery-bright Rooipypies (
Gladiolus priorii),
as well as a few nasties - like this alien invasive weed, Woolly Nightshade,
Solanum mauritianum.
Its green berries are very toxic to humans and no doubt dogs too, although it is the favourite food of the African Olive Pigeon or Rameron Pigeon.
Some cheerful little winter oxalis flowers - possibly
Oxalis commutata, were enjoying the damp conditions,
and there was lots of frothy foam in the rivers and streams.
Some of us chose to cross the stream over the bridge,
but I chose to swim across. Actually it was rather deeper than I expected but it was very exhilarating! I think I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie. What exciting thing shall we do next week?
We decided not to do the long walk today for various human reasons that we Scotties can't quite understand, but were just deliriously happy to be out and about. 
Alice and Maddy came and we were all deliriously happy to see them too.
We climbed up the #**#berg, stopping to look back over the Constantia vineyards towards False Bay. A really beautiful day - like midsummer! We were glad to have had our hair cut yesterday.
A snary spider.
We found a water hole that Maddy got right into as we were all rather warm.
Tea at the #*#*enberg Beacon.
Alice and the Alph having a little botanize! Yes, really!
We did a loop round towards Constantia Nek and back up to where we started from. Lots of pink ericas about,
and a large Garden Locust (Acanthacris ruficornis) with ferocious spines - enjoying the sunny weather. I like to eat them. 
A rock-sculpture Scottie on the vlaktes of the *#*#enberg.
It was a relief to get back down into the shady Silver Tree forest on the slopes. Apparently these Silver Trees (Leucadendron argenteum) came up in their hundreds after the great fire of 2000. (Click here for Tony Rebelo's comments on iSpot)
The Food Lady thinks they are amazingly beautiful, 
each leaf covered in silky hair.
A tiny little Tabakrolletjie or Common Slugeater (Duberria lutrix subsp. lutrix) on the path. Luckily we didn't see it as we would have chased it. They are quite harmless and eat slugs and snails.
And look who was waiting for us when we got home. The "little" kitty!
Australia is the land of possums which interests us 
A photo for the Food Lady of a 
The 
The Conference Centre in warm (sun-damaging) and leafy (too much carbon dioxide in the air from all that fossil-fuel burning in Oz) Brisbane. (Oh yes, and its official, sunscreen doesn't give you rickets.) When the conference was over, our 
Not to be outdone by 
A city CAT! Yikes!
I'd be careful in one of those Nicky!
The city from the 
and a visit to the off licence, and they were away ...
Following in the steps of the late lamented Crocodile Man of Oz up north - and more beer!
Some Australian 
An iconic Ozzie sign. (I wonder if kangaroos are as good as baboons to chase? Dougal thinks not as good as possums.)
Then south for a dip in the Gold Coast sea.
And here are some photos of friends and family ... the next door dogs looking a bit skinny - obviously not allowed to eat possums. Health and safety and all that you know.
Mike and Dee Bradshaw on their way to work ... 
