TSITSIKAMMA TO JEFFREY’S BAY TO ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA—Wednesday and Thursday, March 5 and 6, 2014

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Tsitsikamma to Jeffrey’s Bay (113.8 km or 71 miles)—Wednesday, March 5th. Bright sunny day

We made our way back onto the N-2, still heading toward Port Elizabeth. A couple miles down the road, we pulled into the parking lot for the “Big Tree,” which is a 1000 year-old yellow wood tree. Parked the RV in some partial shade and showed our “Wild Card” at the entrance. We then set out to walk into the forest for “ just a short way” on a boardwalk. As was usual, the “just a little walk” was quite a ways along with many steps going up and down. We could have been walking in any moist forest environment as the ferns and other woodland plants growing here looked really familiar to us.

When we got to the tree, it was very hard to see the top since it was surrounded by forest. The trunk of the tree was not as big as I expected, not at all like the redwood trees of that age.

I sat down on my cane-chair to take a break while Valerie took pictures. As is usual for me, I looked up in the surrounding trees looking for movement of any kind. There, I spotted a small flock of Narina Trogons, which are a type of lourie. We pointed them out to the people in our RV group who were there and everyone tried to take pictures of them, but these birds completely failed posing 101 and stayed way up in the tree tops, as well. Sure are pretty birds, with bright red wings that are gorgeous when the sun shines through them in flight.

Finished looking around, and then followed the exit signs that directed us back to the entrance on a dirt road that may have been easier to walk up to the tree on, if we had known.

Got back into the RV and continued to cross large gorges as we drove along through this National Park. One thing we started to notice here, was that people standing on the side of the road, who were looking for a ride, would hold money out in their fingers to indicate what they would pay for that ride. I guess the number of mini-vans/buses (that locals often called taxis) that seat 15+ (the common transportation mode) in this part of the world, fails or is not as frequent, when the population is not as dense.

Continued our drive through cattle ranches, planted pine forests, alfalfa fields, and a big wind farm until we had driven 106 km. We exited the N-2 onto R102 toward the town of Jeffrey’s Baai (Bay).

We stopped at The Fountains Mall, just on the outskirts of town, and found a camping type store. We were looking for something to put on my arms for my itching sun-rash and for some mosquito repellant. We bought white anti-UV sleeves, like we saw some Chinese women wear on one of the cruises we took, and citronella impregnated elastic wrist bands. Went into a drug store and bought some more anti-itch medicine and some anti-bacterial hand wipes as we were almost out of both.

Then following the directions in our book, we went into the town of Jeffrey’s Bay. It is named after the senior partner of the company, Jeffrey & Glendinnings that opened a store here in 1849. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the town was a hippie hangout, from which, the now-booming surf community originated. This town is one of the five most famous surfing destinations (No.2 on the “best in the world" surfing list) and hosts the annual ASP World Tour surfing event at Super Tubes during July. Spectators and professional surfers from all over the world flock to this event. We didn’t even go down to the water here, but the surf looked quite ordinary.

We found the location of, and spent the night at, Jeffrey’s Bay Municipal Caravan Park off UYS street.



Jeffrey’s Bay to Addo Elephant National Park (142 km or 88 miles)—Thursday, March 6th. A sunny and hot day already at 8:30 am. Starting mileage is at 63,698.

Got out of the caravan park and turned right on Da Gama Weg and followed it to the N-2. This street follows the coast line and we spotted a Tube statue in a road median. We were able to turn the RV down a residential road behind the statue and park to take a picture. This is a very up-scale area with very lovely homes. One modern house we admired was made of wood and rock and had a neat thatched roof--very nice, with clean lines that fit the location well.

This road took us back to the N-2 toward Port Elizabeth. From here we climbed up and through a couple of passes and then finally came into, and drove through, the city of Port Elizabeth. This city has a lot of huge processing plants and a big port. We stopped, with most of gang, for fuel at exit 761. We bought drinks and snacks before continuing on.

We turned here toward the community of Motherwell, and drove a narrow potholed road through several townships along this route to the Addo Elephant National Park. Citrus groves are being grown near the park entrance, which must frustrate all the animals with their smell. Noticed high electrified fences around the groves. Wonder why???

Went through the process of getting into the Park at reception and through the guarded gate and found a nice spot under some trees and near the ablution block, by 12:30. We met the group on time and then we all got on a couple small buses for the ride to the game park where we were to take a guided tour.

The 4-hour tour at Schotia Safaris (the oldest private game viewing reserve in Eastern Cape), is much like any in the US, except they don’t feed the animals. It is run by the 6^th generation of the Bean Family on what was the original farm from the 1800's. Their land is right up against one side of Addo Elephant National Park, so many tourists tour it along with their visit to Addo.

It was interesting as the guides could name and tell about all the animals and birds we saw as they went along on the road tour. You need to keep in mind, however, that it is just a step up from a zoo. The animals are fenced in and provided water, all-be-it on a huge piece of land. They are managed, purchased, and moved if necessary, but are not fed nor doctored. They are NOT really wild and free.

Two things stand out about this visit. The first, was to see the result of poaching on two of their rhinos. Apparently, upon hearing that this reserve had rhinos, poachers came by helicopter and cut off the horns of both of them, and then flew away without being caught. Thankfully, they didn’t kill the Rhinos and the horns will grow back over a long time. The second, was to see two large male lions lying down on the Addo Park side of fence and a female lioness on the Schotia fence line, just laying in the road. All they could do was look at each other through the fencing--kind of sad.

Mid tour, we had “tea” of cold drinks and cookies/snacks and a potty break at one of the buildings once used for the old farm. At dusk, we ate dinner there in an outdoor lapa, which is a thatched roofed dining room. We were offered game meat (antelope of some kind) in a stew and other dishes in a buffet style.

After dinner, we were to have a “night tour” of the game reserve. Unhappily for us, it consisted of nothing more than the safari jeeps transporting us back to the entrance with their big lights shining on each side of the vehicle. No real “spotting” of animals took place. Got back on the buses for a ride back to our camp spot for the night. In our opinion, we had rather have spent the time at Addo on a self-drive or on one of the Park’s game drives than to tour this private reserve.

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