THE CEDERBERG MOUNTAINS Rockwood Farm is situated in the southern part of the Cederberg mountain range approximately 700 m above sea level. The Cederberg, which is one of many ranges within the Cape Fold Belt, is approximately 90 kilometres long and 25 kms wide at its widest point in the middle. It rises steeply from the Olifants River Valley in the west and stretches to Wupperthal, the Doorn River and the Kouebokkeveld in the East and extends from Clanwilliam in the north to Citrusdal in the south. Its highest peak is the Sneeuberg (2028m) which is visible from the farm and provides a spectacular backdrop to the town of Citrusdal. The range covers an area of about 130 000 ha. The Cederberg Mountains are so-named after the Clanwilliam cedar tree (Widdringtonia cedarbergensis) which is endemic to the area and is found on rocky outcrops and summits between 1000 and 1700 m above sea level. Once common it is now sadly on the brink of extinction due to overexploitation of its timber. The mountain range consists almost entirely of sedimentary rocks of the Table Mountain Group and represents four formations viz from top to bottom: Nardouw, Cederberg, Pakhuis and Peninsular Formations. The latter formation is evident wherever the upper strata have been eroded away and is recognised by the magnificent rock formations which centuries of wind, rain, ice and snow have sculpted out of the soft sandstone. The Wolfberg Cracks, the Wolfberg Arch, the Stadsaal Caves and the Maltese Cross are but a few of these imposing formations for which the Cederberg is famous.

ROCK ART OF THE CEDERBERG For millennia before European occupation both the San (Bushmen – hunter gatherers) and the Khoi (Hottentot – sheep and cattle herders) clans lived in the Cederberg area. The first white farmers settled along the banks of the Olifants River in the first half of the 18th century. Trouble soon erupted with the farmers intruding upon the traditional hunting grounds of the San. As a result, the San, harassed first by the invading Khoi and then by the settlers, retreated into the mountains and tragically, by the end of the 18th century, had left the area altogether. However they left behind a rich legacy of rock art dating back 300 to 6000 years. The Cederberg has in fact more rock paintings per sq km, than anywhere else on earth. These paintings are essentially our oldest heritage in South Africa and are therefore invaluable. They are believed to be religious paintings, which record the power and experience of the priest (shaman). Many rock art sites in the Cederberg are accessible to the public.

CLIMATE The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Most of the rain falls between May and September and our average annual rainfall on the farm is 600mm. Light snow falls regularly on the higher peaks of the mountains during winter and summer thunderstorms may occur.

ROCKWOOD FARMING OPERATIONS Our farm is a working farm where we cultivate protea flowers for the export market. Proteas are indigenous to South Africa and their beauty and uniqueness attracted the attention of botanists and plant enthusiasts early in the history of the Cape. The export of fresh blooms has its origins in the harvesting of blooms from the wild by rural communities and the sale of these flowers on the streets of Cape Town. The cultivation of proteas for fresh flowers is a relatively new industry in South Africa. Originally all cultivation relied on seed as a base material, but today a large amount of clonally propagated material is being used resulting in high quality flowers which are consistently uniform. We grow a number of different varieties of proteas on the farm but our biggest orchards comprise the Protea Magnifica species. The plant is also known as Protea Barbigera and Queen Protea. The flowerheads are large and deep pink in colour. We also have orchards of Safari Sunset and Blush both of which produce beautiful maroon red leaves and are used as fillers in bouquets.

SNEEUBERG CONSERVANCY Rockwood Farm belongs to the Sneeuberg Conservancy which is a grouping of about twenty connected farms which run along the west side of the Cederberg Mountains from the Algeria N7 turnoff in the North to our farm in the South. The goal of the conservancy is to manage farming activities in a way which ensures the preservation of the natural flora and fauna as a natural heritage for future generations and we are committed to this ideal. We have been involved in an alien plant eradication programme along the banks of the river which runs through our farm. We have removed a large number of Australian black wattle and acacia trees and are gratified to see the new growth of a wide diversity of indigenous trees, shrubs and bulbs

FLORA AND FAUNA We have many animals and birds on the farm. Check lists of the birds and flora are available. Our most common resident bird is the striking bokmakierie easily recognizable by its bright yellow throat. Bokmakieries are frequently seen on the tops of trees and bushes singing their loud trilling duets. Our most common animal is the rock dassie, a small robust animal, the size of a large rabbit or very large guinea pig. Dassies are often seen sunning themselves on exposed rocks on the farm and the sharp bark of the dominant male is a warning to those in his neighbourhood to take cover. Klipspringers and baboons are often seen on the Koppie Walk. More rarely seen are the grysbok and grey rhebok. We have natural fynbos vegetation which provides colour and interest throughout the year but in particular during the months of August to October . The most common proteas in the fynbos on our farm are Protea Nitida or waboom with grey leaves and yellow flowers and Protea Laurifolia with pale pink flowers. They both flower between the months of May to August. The Rockwood tree (Heeria argentea), after which our farm is named, grows up to 5 m in height and is always found among rocks and boulders. Further information on the great floral wealth of the Western Cape is available in this file.

WALKING TRAILS We have four walking trails through the fynbos for guests’ use. They are all “easy” walks with the Cliff and Zimry Trails being the most challenging although the Cliff Trail has been completed by an eighty year old lady! Maps indicating where the trails are located are provided and the following is a rough estimate of how long they should take. Please note that it is advisable to wear hiking/walking shoes for all these trails. Zimry Trail: 2 hours Cliff Trail: 1.5 hours Valley Trail:: 1 hour Dawid se Pad: 0.5 hour You will notice there are “no entry” signs on the maps at the start of unmarked paths. Please do not use these paths without permission from us.

SWIMMING POOLS There are two swimming pools for guests’ use. Both are filled with fresh water from the river. WATERFALL There is a waterfall on the farm which is a short walk from the cottage. Follow the white arrows on rocks along the farm road just above the swimming pool to get there and ask for directions as to how to get to the pool below the waterfall if you wish to swim there in summer.