The Cape Winelands region is world-renowned for its beautiful wine vineyards and estates.
Venture through Hermanus on the Hemel en Aarde wine route and discover a valley filled to the
brim with diverse plant and animal life! Those who love to marvel at nature's beauty will find
ample to discover in this biodiverse region of the Western Cape.
Unlike most farms in the area, Stonehaven Farm is beautifully preserved as close to its original
state as possible. This means a visit to our Eco Cabins will give you the best chance of spotting
the diverse animal and plant life of the area.
Fernkloof Nature Reserve
This dynamic nature reserve is on the northern side of Hermanus town with a 60km network of
nature trails for people of all fitness levels to venture on by foot. The courses boast incredible
views of Walker Bay, the Hemel en Aarde Valley and Maanskynbaai.
The reserve protects coastal and fynbos and a small patch of evergreen forest. Parts of the
coastal area, including the Cliff Path Nature Area, the Mossel River valley and the area from De
Mond to Kettle Point, including the mouth of the Vogelgat River and part of the Klein River
lagoon, have recently been incorporated into the Fernkloof Nature Reserve. This means that the
coastal area with its unique fynbos – different from that on the mountain slopes – and the
sensitive lagoon area, are now being included, and for the first time, mountain and coastline will
be linked.
Fynbos is one of seven floral kingdoms in the world and is endemic to the Western Cape. These
extraordinary flowers grow on the roadsides and in private gardens. Still, you can see many of
the hundreds of species in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve and along the Hermanus Cliff Path.
There is no other place on earth where so many different species can be seen growing in such
proximity. In Fernkloof, 1474 species have thus far been collected and identified!
Animal life
Hemel en Aarde is located between mountain and sea and with nature reserves in and around
the greater Hermanus area, bird watchers can delight in spotting an astonishing number of
birds. You can walk along the cliff paths, hike in the Fernkloof nature reserve or just sit in your
garden, and you’re sure to see a large number of our avian residents.
Species most likely to be seen include the Cape Sugar Bird, Sunbirds, Rock Thrush and Rock
Jumper. Raptors include the Jackal Buzzard and a pair of Black Eagle, feeding mainly on
dassies.
Limited thick scrub and forest areas alongside streams support numbers of seed and insect-
eating species such as the Rameron Pigeon, Canaries, Flycatchers and White-eyes. The
summer months herald the arrival of migrants, of which the swallows and cuckoos are the most
obvious. Many bird species have adapted to feeding on fynbos species such as proteas and
ericas, and in this way, play a vital role as pollinators.
Grey rhebok, Cape grysbok, klipspringer, baboon, mongoose and dassie are in small numbers
and can easily be spotted on one of the many nature trails and hikes.
Biodiversity
Stonehaven has made a conscious decision to preserve the indigenous plant and birdlife. On
the farm we do not use any chemicals, nor in our eco-cabins. We urge our guests to take in the
marvelous glory of our Protea Walk that takes you on a Fynbos journey through the farm. We
hope our guests leave Stonehaven feeling energised, creative and inspired to be more
conscious of preserving the delicate balance of our environment.
Book your nature getaway stay at Stonehaven Eco Cabins and Farm today, to make sure you
don’t miss out on the natural beauty that Hemel en Aarde has to offer.
