Tsitsikamma day trip

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We were hoping for a good one after the previous day’s mixed bag and were off to Tsitsikamma National Park.


The drive itself was pretty stunning with dramatic hill ranges to our left and the surging waters on our right, though know that some of the drive is a toll road so you pay for the privilege. We entered the park at Storms Rivers Mouth and drove for another 4km before we hit the coastline - that’s some lucky people who got to camp or stay in some of the most awesomely situated cottages I’ve ever seen. Metres from the sea, which crashed against the shore, buttressed by sky high mountains, you felt dwarfed by nature, made all the more atmospheric with the gusty wind blowing. I put on my layer, a sorry looking long sleeved top, and followed the other one for the 1km walk to past a small sandy cove to the newly renovated rope bridges that hung spritely from the darkly forested cliff sides. Gingerly, I stepped on the longest bridge, and shuffled along like Herman Munster hoping the wonderful views distracted other tourists from my clumsy progress. Thankfully, there were no pesky kids to start jumping up and down in the middle to unbalance my yin and yang and I made it across - eventually. The other one might even have beaten me.

Heady from our success (really extreme sports people we’re not) we ventured in the direction of the sign that indicated there was a lookout point. Up, up and up we went and then we went up some more again. My thighs were starting to take against me so when we came across a bench precariously near the mountain’s edge with a view to the horizon that you could never tire of; clear skies, cliffs and rolling surf, I felt that my work was complete. But no, the path continued, which meant we had to too ( I always have to see what may be round the corner).

It was another half hour before we reached the top and had our reward of standing on a rusting iron platform stuck to the side of the cliff, hanging on for dear life in the wind, trying not to die in the name of getting a really good photo.We drunk in the views until I could stand it no more and had to go pee.

By the time we descended again, it was way past lunchtime and way past time to do the 3km walk to the waterfall (what a shame). We said goodbye to Tsitsikamma and headed back for Knysna.

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