Paddling on the Bushmans

Blue skies, no wind, flat water, warm winters day... Sounds like the perfect day to paddle on the Bushmans River at Kenton-on-Sea.  Or at least sit on a jetty and watch somebody do it like we did.

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An Express Holiday In(n) Umhlanga

Everybody knows I like to explore and in South Africa we really have so much to discover.  So when an invitation to visit Umhlanga and bring the Damselfly along came from the Holiday Inn Express Umhlanga, I jumped at the chance to see a new place and share it with my wife.  With two nights in the hotel it meant that we had a whole day to explore the coast around Umhlanga Rocks on foot and really take in what…

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Driving between Wilderness and George along the back roads

Last Thursday morning I did a presentation at a tourism stakeholder workshop in the Tsitsikamma and after lunch moved on to George for a weekend exhibit.  Having had some time on my hands I decided to veer off the main road and pick up a few Geocaches along Bo-Langvlei Road, the dirt road running behind the lakes between Sedgefield and Wilderness.  The plan wasn't to do the whole road but only the last section of it starting between Bo-Langvlei and…

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Sunset at the Qora River Mouth

Don't let the name of the Wild Coast put you under a wrong impression.  The Wild Coast isn't all rough and tumble with storms and shipwrecks.  It's also a place of beauty, untouched pieces of coastline, stunning river mouths, beautiful beaches, villages on rolling hills overlooking the sea and Nguni cattle on the beach.  I really wish I had the opportunity and time to go and visit it more often to see more of it than the two or three…

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Qora River at Kob Inn

The Wild Coast is famous for it's beautiful and rugged coastline and one of my favorite aspects of it is all the rivers that flow through the area and into the sea.  I got to discover another one for myself when I stayed at Kob Inn recently.  The Qora River Mouth is located only two or three hundred meters south of the hotel.  To cross the river you have to make use of a local in his boat and unfortunately…

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Paddling on the Sundays River

The Sundays River Valley and Addo is synonymous with the Addo Elephant National Park and have never really been a holiday destination unless you went to visit the Addo Park.  But this has all changed.  The Addo area is about so much more than just elephants these days.  It has actually developed into a holiday destination all on its own.  Addo and its elephants are still the big attraction, but the area around the park has also turned into an adventure and activity mecca.  Zip…

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Carlisle Bridge and the Fish River

Road tripping means discovering new places, often places you will never see otherwise.  This was once again the case when I had to drive to Bedford for a meeting and decided to take the scenic route via Grahamstown.  About halfway between the two towns I passed over the mighty Fish River and pulled over to have a closer look.This spot really is in the middle of nowhere with not much to see yet beautiful in it's own way.The original bridge was built…

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Checking the Kouga Dam overflowing

A week or two three ago we spent the weekend at Tia Ghee Tented Camp in the Gamtoos Valley and heard that the Kouga Dam was still overflowing after good late winter and spring rains.  We immediately decided to take a drive up to the dam for a look and we definitely weren't disappointed. From the tar road, very close to where it becomes dirt going into the Baviaanskloof, there is a dirt road turnoff to the left and about 7…

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Exploring the old Storms River Pass

I have a special connection with the Tsitsikamma forest.  It is where I go to plug in my soul for a bit of a recharge.  It doesn't even have to be an extended recharge.  Just a couple of minutes sitting in the forest next to a stream taking in the forest with all my senses is enough.  There are various ways to explore the forest with trails being the most effective way to leave everything behind.  One of these "trails", the biggest…

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The mouth of the Bushmans River

The coastal Sunshine Coast town of Kenton-on-Sea is flanked by two tidal river, the Bushmans River and the Kariega River.  Normally the area is a quite and peaceful area until the summer holiday arrive.  That is when mostly inland holiday makers flock to the area with a lot of them bringing their boats to enjoy the river with.  The Bushman's River, on the western side of Kenton, is the 2nd-longest navigable river in South Africa and offers a 22km stretch of…

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