SA17 The Wild Coast-Dwesa, Cwebe, A goat track to The Hole in the Wall
Monday, 2 May 2016
The back roads towards the Wild Coast leads us past isolated settlements made up of the round houses or rondarvels.
Here a living is made from the land.
Maize, Cattle, Goats and Sheep with the odd vegetable crops
Wild Coast or ‘Transkei’ in inhabited by the Xhosa people and we found them very friendly, more often waving to us before we wave to them.
The camp site just beautiful, as was this albino monkey which we just caught a glimpse.
A063: Dwesa Camp
Cost: R 212/site
Altitude: 2 metres
S 32* 18.249 E 28* 49.740
Today: 107 + 19 Km
Trip Total: 11,020 Km
Monday 2nd May 2016:
This morning the Vervet Monkeys invaded camp. Leave a door open for a second or two and they are inside the camper, tool box... everything.
and YES they do like Vegemite.
The surrounding country is what I would describe as ‘African Jungle’ !
Thick, dark and beautiful.
Close to the coast you break out of the vegetation into grassland, and the beaches are great and provide good exploring.
This track leads to Cape Dwesa where a walk up the beach to the rocky Mendu Point where in 1916 the O’Bell ship sunk.
On the same point is this set of massive whale bones
We loved this place and stayed another night.
Tuesday 3rd May 2016:
In an effort to follow the Wild Coast more, we had to drive inland 30kms to cross the Mbhashe River returning to just the other side of its mouth at the Cwebe Nature Reserve.
They do not offer camping, but asking nicely we were treated to camping, hot showers and the run of the resort.
A064: Cwebe/The Haven Camp
Cost: R 100/vehicle
Altitude: 51 metres
S 32* 14.423 E 28* 54.609
Today: 81 Km
Also a smorgasbord dinner R90 (A$9 ) / person
Very nice dinner and place, we stayed 2 nights
Walked to the old lighthouse built around 1880, then a great beach walk on to mouth of the next big river -The Mbanyana River.
Mbanyana Falls.
More signs of disrepair and infrastructure decline. This is/was the park entrance on the northern side.
Now following lesser tracks that drive past the many local houses.
We get some strange looks but then lots of waves.
Our track is now no more than a goat/cattle track where the ‘road’ once existed.
We push on through the scrub, then cross a stony river.
Hole in the Wall
Our camp is in Coffee Bay, so named because a ship carrying coffee beans was wrecked here and some started to grow.
A065: Coffee Bay Camp
Cost: R 120/person ! = R240/night
Altitude: 13 metres
S 31* 59.264 E 29* 08.918
Today: 86 Km
Trip Total: 11,188 Km
The next morning the ladies were selling beads, etc, and this purse made from a discarded orange juice container.
Just north of Coffee Bay the mouth of yet another river.
No point going anywhere so vegged out.
The locals also kept us entertained !
A066: Port St Johns Camp
Cost: R 80/person
Altitude: 25 metres
S 31* 35.115 E 29* 31.580
Today: 147Km
Trip Total: 11,336 Km
Do Monkeys like Vegemite?