Plettenberg Bay to Port Elizabeth

The motel at Plettenberg Bay was set in spacious grounds at the foot of the coastal cliffs and was a good place to stop as the rooms were quite spacious. Last night's meal was ordinary but this morning's breakfast was good with freshly cooked hot meals on demand. We headed off around 8.15am traveling north on the N2 to Monkeyland. I had serious doubts about this place prior to arrival but they were quickly dispelled when we set off with our guide. Monkeyland is set on 12 hectares of native vegetation and is a place of refuge and rehabilitation for a large number of primates. They bring in 300 kegs of fruit per day to feed their animals and this is placed on feed stations so it is always possible to see the animals at close quarters and more importantly how they interact with the vegetation. Hopefully, the accompanying photos will provide a glimpse of some of the species.

The route to Port Elizabeth along the Garden Route takes you through a variety of vegetation types influenced by soil types and the width of the coastal plain. The latter is fairly narrow until you get to Jeffrey's Bay and then it widens to a broad relatively flat plain that supports a thriving dairy industry. There has been quite a lot of farming along the whole route today. We often complain about feral plants in Australia, some of which come from South Africa. However, we have more than paid them back with vast stands of Black Wattle out of control and Eucalypts providing a love/ hate relationship. They are quick growing for timber needs but in many places are also out of control. We did see a lot of native larger species of trees today including the Yellow Wood and the Saffron Tree but a significant amount has given way to pine forests which are also grown for harvest. There were several cantilever bridges across deep ravines on this coastal plain and it is obvious that large quantities of water sculptured the plain in geological history. The biggest bridge was over 400 metres long and had the highest bungey jump in the world.

Our stop at the Storms River mouth in the Tsitsikaam National Park was well worth it and many of us walked to the suspension bridge near the mouth. This river is quite black and stained from tannin and creates a contrast as it enters the sea and for me it was reminiscent of the rivers around Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. From there to a lunch stop near a bridge over the Storms River and then on to Port Elizabeth. The coastal plain opened up near Jeffrey's Bay and became quite flat and lush with large herds of dairy cows. The hotel here is old but well placed near the sea and the room is quite comfortable.

Notes about the photos: the peculiar tree is actually a mobile phone tower with fake trunk and leaves. I couldn't resist dipping my toes in the Indian Ocean.