The Eastern Cape province of South Africa holds many rich and varied interests for travellers, but one of the most compelling – dubbed an untamed wilderness – is the magnificent Wild Coast along its eastern coastline.
Stretching from the Mtamvuna River in the north to the Great Kei River in the south, the roughly 300-kilometre coastline offers unlimited leisure options, a rich cultural heritage, spectacular views of jagged cliffs, coastal waterfalls, sheltered bays, vast empty beaches, shipwrecks, indigenous African villages and lush rolling hills and valleys. Despite all it has to offer it is not extensively developed (hence its name), and one can rub shoulders with local farmers and chat to Xhosa tribesmen as a matter of course on any given day.
 |
| Typical Wild Coast landscape |
Ancient forests abound with cycads, yellowwood trees and bird and animal life. Approximately 320 bird species make the area their home and the rich coastline has abundant marine life packed with around 800 fish species. Deep sea, rock, surf, fly and spear fishing are much sought after activities.
The idyllic setting is home to former South African statesman, Nelson Mandela, whose home at Qunu is the area where he was born and grew up as a boy. Much can be learned about his early life in nearby Mthatha at the Nelson Mandela Museum.
 |
| Qunu |
One tour operator aptly described the Wild Coast thus:
‘It only takes a few days before the magic of the Wild Coast starts to work on your soul and very soon you catch Pondo fever (laziness fever). The rest is history.’
Mbotyi
A good place to start exploring the Wild Coast is the quaint, picturesque and historically interesting Mbotyi. The literal translation of Mbotyi is ‘place of beans’ owing to the rich, fertile soil being ideally suited to the growing of any kind of bean.
The hamlet was created in 1922 by deed of grant and is one of the few sites along the wild coast which confers freehold title upon its owners. It has changed ownership several times and was bought in 1985 by Dr Liso Mazwai, with a view to building a hotel.
Mazwai completed the hotel in the late 1980s but was forced to close the doors in 1993 following the assassination of Chris Hani and the ensuing political turmoil in the region. At the time the hotel was quickly evacuated and some guests had to abandon their cars and were flown out by helicopter. Amazingly it was never vandalized and, for almost a decade, table place settings, which remained intact, and overgrown lawns were a haunting reminder of its prestigious past.
In 2001, new owners bought the site and restored the Mbotyi River Lodge to its pristine best. The area relies entirely on the lodge as an employment generator for people living in and around the hamlet.
The place is renowned for having spawned and moulded one of South Africa’s great herbalists, Khotso Sethuntsa, reputed to be the grandchild of President Kruger’s coachman and privy to where the Kruger millions were buried. Appropriately he always celebrated Kruger Day with great enthusiasm and would invite celebrities from all over South Africa to attend. Khotso made a fortune selling his potent muti (African medicine or magical charms) and built splendid palaces outside Kokstad, Mt Frere and Lusikisiki for himself and his followers. Fascinating supernatural anecdotes (some involving Khotso) abound and can be heard at the lodge or read on their website www.mbotyi.co.za.
 |
| Khotso with banknotes - Courtesy BooksLIVE |
Mbotyi is a seaside hamlet in the Pondoland region of the Wild Coast north of Port St Johns. Among the many activities to be found in this beautiful, rugged area are birding, canoeing, fishing, hiking and horse trails, mountain biking, open landrover routes, swimming, waterfalls and the astonishing Sardine Run in June/July that can be seen from numerous vantage points when whales, dolphins, sharks, gannets and seals feed on the massive shoals of sardines along the coast.
 |
| Seascape at Mbotyi |
Hole in the Wall
The main attraction and outstanding peculiarity of the Wild Coast is the Hole in the Wall, near the busy surfing town of Coffee Bay. Known to the locals as esiKhaleni (the place of the sound), this offshore, stand-alone natural rock, with its iconic wave-worn centre hole created by centuries of pounding waves, is a geological phenomenon that explodes in sound through the valley when waves crash against it at high tide.
Xhosa mythology believes it was created by the ‘sea people’, a race resembling humans with supple wrists and ankles and flipper-like hands and feet.
 |
| Hole in the Wall |
Wild Coast shipwrecks
The fascinating and romantic history of Wild Coast shipwrecks is a story on its own and the treacherous seas in some parts of the region have claimed the lives of many victims. Some ships were thrown onto the shore while others perished beneath the waves and divers today still comb the area in search of lost treasure.
• Oceanos (1991) sunk in heavy seas near the Hole in the Wall.
• Jacaranda (1971) ran aground following engine failure in heavy seas.
• SS Waratah (1909) disappeared without trace reportedly along the Wild Coast.
• The Grosvenor (1782) struck the rocks at Lambasi Bay on her final voyage.
• The Stavenisse (1686) wrecked in the seas off Coffee Bay.
• The Santo Espirito (1608) lies off Bead Beach, its identity still unconfirmed.
• The Santo Alberto (1593) deliberately run aground owing to cargo overload and imminent heavy seas.
These are just a few of the many maritime tragedies that have occurred in the turbulent and sometimes raging seas of the Wild Coast.
 |
| The Jacaranda |
Four lighthouses at Cape Morgan, Mbashe Point, Cape Hermes and Sound Sand Bluff patiently watch over the fate of seafaring men who stray into their waters.
Exploring the Wild Coast
The most convenient way of traversing the Wild Coast and imbibing all the natural and cultural riches on offer is to take a guided tour. These are conveniently packaged to suit individual needs.
The region is a hiker’s paradise and also can be enjoyed on horseback. A multitude of 4x4 trails are available for those who prefer travelling in comfort.
The Wild Coast is renowned as one of the most beautiful places on earth and is a relatively untouched paradise. It is the heartland of the Xhosa nation.
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment