Driving along the N2 through the Tsitsikamma you have to pass over the Storms River Bridge with most visitors stopping at the Petroport for a view of the bridge from the view site or into the gorge from the bridge itself. To get to the walkway on the southern side of the bridge you have to first go under it giving you this slightly different view of it.
For my last post in this week's series on the Tsitsikamma I featuring a thing and not an activity. The Big Tree is probably one of the best known landmarks in the area and a very popular stop for tourists. An easy 500 meter boardwalk takes visitors to one of the giants of the forest. I haven't been to the Big Tree for a couple of years and one of the things I noticed while there was that the signs no…
One of the "soft" adventures one can participate in while visiting the Tsitsikamma area 160km west of Port Elizabeth is a Segway tour into the forest. The Segway is a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle and to me the next best thing since sliced bread. Anybody can do it (read here about my family doing it about a year and a half ago) and it is lots of fun. This time around I was on an educational trip with a colleague…
Probably the most popular adventure activity in the Tsitsikamma is Storms River Adventures' Canopy Tour. Imagine gliding along through the treetops in the indigenous Tsitsikamma forest. Its more than just a dream. Its a reality. The 2 1/2 hour adventure starts with a safety briefing and getting kitted out before heading for the trees. Ten slides between the forest giants taking you as high as 30 meters up and over 90 meters on the longest slide. Something not to be…
Continuing with this week's series on activities in the Tsitsikamma. The old Storms River Pass built by Tomas Bain in the 1880's following the elephant trails through the gorge is only accessible on foot or by bicycle. The only other way to explore it is along with Storms River Adventures on their guided Woodcutters' Journey. The tour follow the old pass down to the picnic spot next to the low water bridge over the river. Along the way you pass tree ferns, stinkwoods, yellow…
After visiting the Tsitsikamma twice over the last two weeks I decided to do a short series on things to do and attractions in the area. Obviously those mentioned will be those I got to go to and unfortunately the Tsitsikamma National Park wasn't amongst them. Doesn't matter though as there are load of other things to do and see in the area. Travelling along the N2 to and from Port Elizabeth most people tend to stop at the Storms River Bridge Petroport. …
Most people associate the scenic Tsitsikamma with indigenous forests, river gorges and a rugged coastline. It also has the beautiful Tsitsikamma Mountains running parallel to the coast and on the eastern side big green open fields used for diary farming. And that's just the scenery.....
The Otter Trail is probably South Africa's premier hiking trail covering 5 days and 42 kilometers between the Tsitsikamma National Park at Storms River and Nature's Valley. On the last day when hikers reach The Point, the end of the trail is in sight but not before descending down to Nature's Valley beach and then walking the length of it to the Nature's Valley Restaurant and Trading Store to kick off their shoes and have a welcome cold one.During our Sho't Left…
Tourism in South Africa isn't just for international visitors but also for locals. Yes there are places that most locals would never be able to afford to visit, but there are more places that are affordable to visit and even more things that you can do that actually doesn't cost you anything. South African Tourism encourages locals to travel through their Sho't Left campaign. "Sho't Left" is derived from everyday South African "taxi lingo" where a commuter wanting a ride to a…
Geocaching is the ideal activity for people who love to travel and discover new places. Yes I know I've said it before and I will say so again many times in the future. On a visit to the Tsitsikamma I went in search of a cache called Elands Delight (GCX2QF) and even though it was raining (yes we geocache come rain or shine) I was very keen to find it. The coordinates took me onto the old road a couple of…