East London - Set on the shore of the Indian Ocean on South Africa’s Southern Coast, lies a hidden gem called Tsitsikamma.
Home to the oldest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Africa, the thunderous waves and timeless tides welcome you to the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) as you snake your way down through the Tsitsikamma forest to Storms River Mouth Camp, in the Tsitsikamma section of the park. The GRNP celebrates the launch of this year’s South African National Parks Week, as well as Tsitsikamma’s 50 years as a Marine Protected Area.
Tsitsikamma is a Khoisan word meaning “place of much water” and the Tsitsikamma section of GRNP stretches 80km down the coast from Storms River Mouth to Nature’s Valley at the Western end of the park. A relatively young park in the South African National Parks (SANParks) stable, Tsitsikamma was amalgamated with Wilderness National Park in 2009 to form the now famous 121 000 hectare GRNP which consists of the Tsitsikamma and Wilderness sections and the Knysna Lake section. The Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route is home to unpredictable oceans, silent rainforests, meandering rivers and surprising mystery.
The MPA is the oldest in Africa and was declared as such in 1964.
It is one of the largest single unit “no take” (including fishing) MPA’s in the world, conserving 11 percent of South Africa’s Temperate South Coast rocky shoreline and provides a “laboratory” for fisheries baseline research on endangered line fish species.
The Otter trail hike, one of the most famous green flag hikes in South Africa, is found here in the Tsitsikamma section of the Park. It celebrates 46 years of existence this year and as such is re-launching.
Launched in 1968, the Otter trail hike was named after the elusive animal found in both fresh and seawater. The renowned hike is 42km long and has five stages. It is so popular that many eager hikers have to book the trail up to a year in advance if they want to try and conquer the rugged, hostile coastline.
Tsitsikamma is a place of adventure and exploring and home to the Big Tree, the suspension bridge and many other adrenalin-pumping activities. The Big Tree is an ancient Outeniqua yellowwood, estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old.
It stands 36.6m tall and has a trunk circumference of 9m. The boardwalk is well maintained and visitors can walk the 1km round trip in a comfortable 10 minutes. Two additional trails start from the same spot: one 2.6km and another 4.2km.
The suspension bridge is a sight to behold and gives tourists a glimpse into deep, dark gorges and the the untamed ocean as it smashes into the rocks.
Built in 1969 and rebuilt for safety reasons by SANParks, the bridge is an engineering marvel that stretches across the gorge.
Visit Tsitsikamma to explore this magical and mystical world of roaring oceans, lazy rivers, challenging hikes and ancient rainforests.
Pretoria News