Eastern Cape Treasures

Middle Beach pools

2007-07-16T12:03:00.001+02:00

When it is low enough at low tide the rock pools at Middle Beach in Kenton is fantastic experience.

You can find many sea creatures there and you can also swim in 6 feet deep pools. Also it is a great way for young children & even babies to enjoy the water while still being relatively safe. The water is also slightly warmer than in the open ocean because it has a chance to be baked by the sun.

Cape St Francis

2007-06-18T13:52:00.001+02:00

Cape St Francis, South Africa
Originally uploaded by Attie Heunis

One of the best beaches in South Africa.

Boesmansriviermond spring tide

2007-06-16T10:33:00.001+02:00

Boesmansriviermond spring tide
Originally uploaded by Attie Heunis

Springgety hoogwater op die Boesmansrivier. Dit is wanneer die rivier op sy heel mooiste is!

Boknes Bell v300

2007-06-15T17:17:00.001+02:00

Boknes Bell v300
Originally uploaded by Attie Heunis

This is the bell next to the Boknes community hall. A beauty indeed!

Lightning over Kenton

2007-06-15T11:41:00.001+02:00

Lightning over Kenton
Originally uploaded by Attie Heunis

This was the hardest thunderstorm that I've encountered in the Eastern Cape. This photo was taken from Bushman's of Kenton. I think the strikes on the photo were in the Indian Ocean, but some of them were on land and close to where I was photographing.

Raw nature is astonishing!

Diaz Cross

2007-06-14T18:51:00.001+02:00

'Twas a windy day!

Diaz Cross is about a 3km (40min - an hour) walk from Boknes and a 6km (1.5 - 2 hours) from Boesmansriviermond. From Boknes it is very easy - in fact on a clear day you can see the cross from the Boknes parking area. From Boesmans you walk over (or around if the tide permits) Kwaaihoek to Diaz Cross. This walk is recommended for low tide - you'll realise why the next morning :) Look out for many marine creatures in the rock pools at Kwaaihoek; on the beaches look out for whales and dolphins.

Bartolomeu Dias planted this cross in February 1488. He was a Portugese explorer whose expedition was to endeavor to sail around the southern end of Africa in hopes of finding a trade route leading to Asia. In 1988 the 500 year anniversary of the Dias landing was celebrated.

Fishing on the Kromme

2005-10-05T22:29:00.000+02:00

There's not much that can compare with fishing at dusk from a jetty. You can fish from many jetties on the Kromme, provided you have access to the river. You will (hopefully) catch Cob, Grunter & Shad. Bait is usually prawns that you can gather in the river as well. This website would like to ask that people don't waste either the prawns or fish.

Kaamain's River Bridge

2005-10-05T22:17:00.000+02:00

This is the spectacular Kaaiman's River Bridge. The Kaaiman's River is one of the many rivers that the Garden Route crosses. The Kaaiman's River mouths out near Wilderness. This photograph was taken from the N2 road from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. You can still cross the bridge with the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe train.

Seal Point, Cape St Francis

2005-09-30T23:16:00.000+02:00

Cape St Francis Lighthouse was commissioned on 4 July 1878. The 28-metre circular masonry tower supports a lanternhouse and 2nd order revolving lantern consisting of 8 catadioptric lens panels. The lighthouse was declared a National Monument in 1984.

The lighthouse is located within the eastern sector of the Cape floristic region, a floral kingdom internationally recognised for its spectacular diversity. The vegetation supports a diversity of bird, rodent and other small animal population. It is for this reason that efforts are being made to have the area declared a Private Nature Reserve.

Seal Point is also well known in the surfing community. There are some very good waves and the angle of the coastline makes an ideal spot for surfing photography.

Thomas Baines nature reserve, Grahamstown

2005-05-02T03:46:00.000+02:00

Thomas Baines nature reserve is near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Here you can see African Buffalo, Kudus, White Rhino amongst other indigenous wildlife. They also have decent conference facilities.

Jetski paradise

2005-04-04T21:20:00.000+02:00

If you're looking for a place to really try out your jetskiing expertise than St Francis Bay is where you want to be. Because of the negative environmental impact, I don't recommend jetskiing in the river. Apart from that, it is so much more fun in the open sea anyway.

This is especially true of St Francis Bay. By hugging the coastline, you can check out some of the awesome natural spots along the bay. You can also check out some of the mansions from a new angle if you are into that kind of thing. The locals also use jetskis for scuba diving. It makes it so much easier to get excactly where you need to be for the best dives.

You can launch quite easily from the boat launch in the Kromme River.

A note of caution though, please remember to act responsibly when jestskiing.

Bushman's River Mouth Caravan Park

2005-03-27T21:14:00.000+02:00

The Bushman's River Mouth Caravan Park is an idyllic caravan park. 2 blocks away from the local shop, 5 minutes walk from the river swimming area and 10 minutes away from the sea it is very centrally located.

The only "bummer" now is that there are way to many semi-permanent homes in the caravan park.

Ben MacDui

2004-12-11T05:00:00.000+02:00

Ben MacDui is the tallest mountain in the South Africa's Cape Province. It is situated in the Eastern Cape's Northern Interior and you can (believe it or not) ski here in the winter. This was the first place that I ever saw real snow!

Bushman rock paintings can also be found in the area. This area (especially Rhodes & Hogsback) is also very well known for its walking trails.

Be sure to check out the accommodation for the Eastern Cape's Northern Interior.

Shelley Bay, Kenton-on-Sea

2004-12-09T18:19:00.000+02:00

A bonus of the ruggedness of the Eastern Cape's coastline is the occurrence of "secret" beaches. Obviously these beaches aren't really secret, but they are hidden and unless you know about them you aren't likely to ever find
them.

One of these beaches is Kenton-on-Sea's Shelley Bay (or Beach). From Kenton-on-Sea you get to Shelley Bay by driving to the Bushman's River (signposted) and then following the road until you can't get any further. At this point you will find a parking area and if it is a nice day, you will more than likely find some local cars parked there already.

Now you have to take a 20min hike over some sand dunes. It is advisable to wear some footwear here as the sand gets VERY hot in the summer. When you reach the top of these dunes, you will have a fantastic view of Kenton-on-Sea and Bushman's River Mouth. Also keep an eye out for the aloes on the dunes. These are endemic to the Eastern Cape.

Now you can follow a makeshift path down to the coastline. Be careful here because there are some sharp cliffs around. You will soon see a beautiful closed off beach. This is Shelley Bay. If it is a nice day there will almost certainly be people down there already. You might even see some topless tanners! Make your way down to this beach. Again be careful; a fall here will cause serious injury. When you reach this beach you will find that the sand actually feels quite rough and Shelley. From this the name: Shelley Bay.

Shelley Bay is known locally for its dumper waves. Because of the underlying contours the waves build suddenly and then dump onto the shore. This makes for fantastic, albeit slightly rough, body surfing. I remember bleeding from my elbows as a kid, but not wanting to get out; it was just too much fun. This was after 5 hours of dumpers it has to be said. A note for the babes out there: unless you want to get rid of your clothes, don't attempt body surfing here in a bikini - you will lose your top! The best time for these dumpers is about an hour after the tide starts coming in. See your local press for these times. At other times the waves aren't nearly as wild. Some weirdos(!) prefer this.

Something else you can "have a blast" with is the blasting holes at Shelley Bay. These are holes (about 30cm in diameter) in the rock that have been created through eons of continuous battering by the Indian Ocean. It is a local tradition to stick your behind over these holes as an incoming wave hits the shore. This gives a refreshing spray and tickles all the areas that you can't easily get to!

If you do get to Shelley Bay at low tide, you can scuba dive or explore the tidal pools & rock formations around the bay. It is a good idea to wear shoes here; these rocks can be very sharp.

Spending time in the water makes one extremely hungry and after a couple of hours hunger pangs will be driving you and yours back to Kenton to get a bite, traditionally an ice cream.

Be sure to check out some more Shelley Beach photos.

Kwaaihoek

2004-11-26T18:09:00.000+02:00

Between Bushman's River Mouth and Boknes in the Eastern Cape there is a rocky peninsula that juts into the Indian Ocean. This place is called Kwaaihoek. Directly translated from Afrikaans this means "Angry Corner", but in context it means "Windy Corner". The top plato of Kwaaihoek does get its fair share of wind, but around the base you can get relieve from both the westerly and easterly winds that occur in the Eastern Cape.

It is on wind still days though when Kwaaihoek really becomes a paradise. The best time by far is to be there at low-tide because then you will find the tidal pools exposed. You will not believe how colourful these pools can get. Especially if the water is clear. You will see fish, anemones and other marine creatures of all shapes, sizes and colours. Most of the pools are quite shallow, so you don't even have to get your feet wet. If it is a sunny day, the water trapped in the pools gets heated and is often several degrees warmer than the ocean. This makes them ideal for swimming in specially if you don't like cold water.

You will also find various marine birds hunting & searching for food in the tidal pools or on the rocks. Look out for the endangered red-billed oystercatcher. Drivers of 4x4 vehicles are responsible for the endangerment of these birds; the birds lay their eggs on the same stretch that 4x4 drivers typically use. Fortunately this kind of 4x4 driving has been outlawed in the last couple of years. And the oystercatchers seem to be responding well.

On the right day Kwaaihoek also offers some superb scuba diving opportunities. There are lots of navigable gullies that you could spot some surprisingly large fish like mussel-crackers, galjoen & stumpnoses. These gullies aren't too deep so they are relatively safe, but as with all diving anything can happen and you shouldn't do this lightly.

Because you can no longer drive on the beaches, to get there you need to walk from Bushmans (about 3km) or Boknes (about 6km). Don't let this put you off though. It is a beautiful coastline and its quite possible to spot dolphins and if you're very lucky whales.

Some things to take note of when visiting:

Be very careful on the rocks at Kwaaihoek; they can be very sharp and you can easily hurt yourself. A pair of old trainers are highly recommended. Even the seasoned locals always wear at least some sort of foot gear.

Don't underestimate the sun. The reflection of the water intensifies the sun, so make sure you have adequate sun protection.

All in all Kwaaihoek can be very stimulating and is definitely one of the Treasures of the Eastern Cape.

More photos of Kwaaihoek

Shamwari Game Reserve

2004-11-25T15:07:00.000+02:00

The Shamwari Game Reserve is a true treasure of the Eastern Cape! This private game reserve has 20 000 hectares (49000 acres) of unspoilt Eastern Cape verdant bush to explore. It was started by a local entrepreneur as well. One of its biggest selling points is that the Eastern Cape is malaria free, unlike most of the better known Game Reserves in South Africa or indeed Africa.

Something that I really like about the good folks at Shamwari is that they have a true & responsible conservation policy (see my article on false conservation). So much so that they have received numerous international awards, including the World's Leading Conservation Company and Game Reserve for five consecutive years.

Shamwari is situated along the Bushmans River, halfway between Port Elizabeth (45 minutes drive outside the city) and Grahamstown, a pleasant drive from Cape Town, forming a natural extension to the famous Garden Route.

To quote from their site: "Shamwari is about conserving a vanishing way of life and is the realisation of one man's dream, and the success of many people's passion. Steeped in Settler history, and dating back to the time when a multitude of game roamed wild and free, the 20 000 hectare reserve boasts five eco-systems, thus enabling the support of many forms of plant, animal and bird life. This is the ultimate African adventure and conservation effort coupled with responsible tourism."

One thing to realise though before you even consider Shamwari, is that this experience doesn't come cheap!

Check for accommodation at Shamwari.

Supertubes for Surfing

2004-11-21T15:18:00.000+02:00

Supertubes at Jeffreys Bay is probably known better outside of South-Africa than inside! This is a small stretch of Eastern Cape coastline at Jeffreys Bay with arguably the best right-hand point waves on the face of the planet. Every year in the South African winter some world's best known surfers like Kelly Slater arrive at Jeffreys Bay to compete for the Billabong Pro Supertubes trophy. See the photos.

Obviously this is a very busy time, but during the rest of the year Supertubes is relatively quiet. You can watch some of the local surfers strut their stuff as well. This is an especially nice spot to take surfing photos.

For nature lovers, you will also frequently see dolphins swimming up and down this part of the Eastern Cape.