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| Knysna Coastline |
We are so blessed to live in South Africa where the various options of Road Trips are never ending.
Travelling the coast during summer is always a wonderful experience as there are so many small towns to visit along the long coastline. Unfortunately, time constraints work against us have weeks and weeks off but we may the most of each and every break-away.
Our first night is normally in Knysna as this makes for a comfortable drive from Cape Town
Knysna is well worth 4 or 5 nights as there is much to see and do in the area.
Have a look at www.visitknysna.co.za for a wealth of information and interesting facts!
"the Heads: Ancient History
People have always been drawn to The Heads. Although there’s evidence that Knysna was populated as much as 1.5 million years ago, the discovery of a stone tool workshop on the Western Head (uncovered by the Knysna Fires of 2017) shows that The Heads was an important location around 300,000 years ago. The large cutting tools and choppers found at the site were made at a time when sea levels were much lower than they are today. The coastline lay more than 90 km to the south, and the Knysna River trickled lazily across the plain that’s now the Knysna Lagoon – and tumbled through the gap between the cliffs, making The Heads an ideal ambush spot for early hunters"
Next up we braved the gravel road to SkuitBaai, Eersterivierstrand (between Plettenberg Bay and Jeffrey's Bay) and part of the Tsitsikamma National Park. The turn-off is way past Storms River. For new travellers, do stop in the village of Storms River or take a hike to the river mouth in the National Park. It is so very worth a few days stay actually. The gravel road to Skuitbaai was very muddy as it had rained the night before and there are numerous potholes. But we made it. The Private Estate also boasts a golf course (Fynbos) so I would imagine that many of the folk who have holiday homes here are either golfers or fishermen. It is a small area surrounded by fields. The flies, unfortunately, drove us insane - they were practically indestructible, sitting on everything and anything. Whether this happens all year round, I am not sure but it did make for a very unpleasant stay. The views of the ocean are stunning and the sunsets even more so. The coast is very rocky but there is a tidal pool for safer swimming.
From Skuitbaai we headed towards the Wild Coast and our accommodation at the Areena Resort about 25 km beyond East London. It was a 5 hr drive. However, the N2 was fine except for a section where there are roadworks for a new section of road. Everything was very lush and green, despite being in January, and the views are beautiful. The highway was very clean which was great to see.
Areena Resort is ideal for families with children or very active adults as they offer numerous activities on site. We had a stunning room (11) and this made for a relaxing base to explore further north. Areena offers game viewing on quad bikes, abseiling, Zipline, Paintball, Segway Tours, Archery and giraffe interaction! There is also mountain biking, trail running, canoeing and SUP. The resort is located on the bank of the Kwelera Tidal River with a beach called Yellow Sands Beach at the mouth of the river. The Kareena offers river cruises, or just relax with a spa treatment or a leisurely lunch at Areena Quays Restaurant and pub.
Our first outing was to the charming village of Chintsa East, Wild Coast South Africa. The wind was fierce, the cows have free reign on the beach, and in between the homes so cow pats are everywhere! There were not many on the beach as the wind was howling - just a dog walker and a cyclist. For a light lunch we visited Emerald Vale Farm and Brewery. We met the lovely owner who hailed from Austria many, many years ago. The homes in the village are beautiful, many are holiday homes but there are locals who work in East London. With local schools, the children living here must enjoy an idyllic childhood.
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| Chintsa East Beach |
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A fun ramble today. Our first stop was at the Kei Ferry where we watched the ferry go backwards and forwards a few times. They offered us a ride.....James shook his head! We did this crossing previously with our car when we stayed at Trennerys. Then to the Kei Beach where it was pretty windy. A local came past, begging. She then walked down to what must be here favorite swimming hole. She stripped and ducked into the pool. Her head bobbed up and down a couple of times then she got out and dressed herself again. From Kei we took a gravel road to Morgan Bay. There was a lovely waterfall along the way. We stopped at the Yellowwood Farmers Market where we got talking to Omi Barnard. Her artwork was lovely. A retired Captain in the Police Force now living in Kei and loving it. Her hubby is a retired Colonel.
At Morgan Bay we took a short walk - beautiful beach and river with the camping site right on the river. Next up the steep hill for the views along the coast above Morgan Bay. The benches scattered around are scary - so close to the edge!
We then had the crazy idea of going to Haga Haga Hotel for a light lunch. Eish - 13 km of not so nice gravel! And then another 13km back to tar. It doesn't sound far but when all your bones are rattling, trust me, it's far!
31 degrees today so we arrived back at Areena rather hot and bothered.
But a great day, nonetheless.
Wild Coast South Africa.
From our Wild Coast travels we headed back down the coast to the famous Addo Elephant Park.
The drive was uneventful, with not much traffic. The wind was fairly chilly in Addo after the heat of the Wild Coast. The water holes look rather dry and we saw many ellies at Marian Baree, Spekboom hide and Hapoor dam. We always use the southern gate of the park - turn off near Colchester.
The park receives less than 445..of rain per year so it is classed as semi-arid. Rainfall is usually between February and March and again October to November. However, rain can occur at any time of the year! We have found that the elephants are very scarce during wet days so we normally visit in January if we can. With no natural water in the park, all the water holes are fed by borehole water.
As with any of the parks in South Africa, don't expect to see animals on every single drive. These parks are huge, Addo is the 3rd largest park in South Africa and the animals roam. There are approx. 600 elephants and 400 Cape Buffalo. There are only 6 lions in the park so sightings are not a given! Burchells Zebra are very photogenic - we can watch them for ages! Spotted hyena's, Red Hartebeest, Eland, Kudu and bushbuck all roam and glimpses are often just for a split second as they leap across a road. So please do adhere to the speed limits - they are there for a reason. Warthogs are fascinating the way they knee when they are eating and their babies are adorable. Please don't ride over elephant dung - two reasons - thorns could puncture your tyres and you truly do not want to squash the very hard-working, flightless dung beetle.
There was a dominant male in the park for 24 years - 1944 to 1968 - the dam is called Hapoor as this elephant had a nick in his ear (Hap in Afrikaans) and oor (Ear in Afrikaans). It is thought that the nick in his ear was caused by a hunters bullet. Hapoor hated humans and was very aggressive. A bull eventually ousted Hapoor as the dominant male and drove him from the herd. Sadly, Hapoor was shot after he managed to climb an "elephant proof" fence in 1968.
Our next day was a total "ellie" day!
#AddoElephantNationalPark 6 hrs in the park, 401 photos, 38degrees, hundreds of elephants at the various waterholes. Hapoor Dam must have had hundreds today at various stages. Just a totally awesome day watching these magnificent animals. The herds all wait their turn without fighting, then they have a rest before moving on into the bush again. Apparently, a teenager broke into the water supply pipe at Hapoor dam , deciding he/she wanted fresh water! So it was a panic to get more water into the dam due to the extreme heat in the park today. A totally magic day! Sadly, all good things come to an end, and we headed off to our next stop early the next morning.
We spent another night in Knysna and caught up with our friends at Art Cafe on Queen.
This is a hidden gem and we enjoyed lots of laughter while listening to a crazy Kiwi expanding on his next cycle adventure!
There are so many delightful beach towns along the coast - Port Alfred, Kenton on Sea, Cannon Rocks, Jeffreys Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Buffeld Bay, Wilderness, Victoria Bay, Sedgefield, Great Brak, Little Brak, Herolds Bay, Mossel Bay. Time is never enough.....!
We based ourselves in Herold's Bay for a few days of tranquillity. The beach is ideal for swimming, surfing, and just enjoying the sunshine. There is a tidal pool and life guards during the summer months. There are a number of food trucks - the one lady said they operate throughout the year although they do stay away if the weather is really bad!
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Santos Beach Mossel Bay
It was a toss up whether to go into George for food supplies or head the longer way into one of my favourite towns. Mossel Bay won the toss. The beaches are fabulous, swimming is great and the town explodes during the summer holidays. Mossel Bay has an interesting history. Bartholomeu Dias arrived in Mossel Bay in 1488 near the spot where the Dias Museum complex is today. The beautiful pavilion on Santos Beach was a meeting place during the period 1920's and 1930's. The Pavilion hosted Prince Edward on his visit to South Africa, way back in 1925. The Mossel Bay Point area is extremely popular and the "Poort" is popular with swimmers. The Zip line crosses over this natural swimming hole.
The old worlde charm of the town and the good sea water temperatures drawn visitors from around the world.
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So, once again, the brief holiday reaches the end and we have to head back to Cape Town and work!
South Africa is a beautiful country and it truly does beg to be explored.
Until next time....
For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa
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