South African Travel Pass all way Guide: Through a giant’s garden of dense forests and precipitous gorges November 1, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Map, Rail Pass, Tickets, Tour, Trails , trackbackEast of Plettenberg Bay the Tsitsikamma (sparkling water) Mountains crowd in towards the sea, ensuring a rich rainfall throughout the year. Our route leads along the coastal plateau at the foot of the mountains, through a quiet world of high, primeval forest, and deep gorges rushing clear mountain streams to the sea.
Leave PlettenBberg bay by driving past the beach and across the Piesang River, then turn right into Piesang Valley Road. Turn left after 200m into Robberg Drive — noting your kms. After 3,4 km turn left and follow this side-road to the parking area at the beginning of the Robberg peninsula.
Walk 100m along the path on the southern side of the peninsula for a view of the coast below. Then walk from the car park just 25 m through the fynbos to the northern side of the peninsula, for a grand vista over the entire Plettenberg Bay region to the Tsitsikamma Mountains in the distance — the particularly beautiful stretch of country that you are about to explore.
Robberg to Nature’s Valley
Drive back towards the town, but turn left into Piesang Valley Road. Pass by the road to the Country Club, then turn right onto the N2 at the T-junction. The N2 offers fine views over the Keurbooms River lagoon.
Cross the Bietou River, then the Keurbooms River, and turn left at the far end of the Keurbooms River bridge, into the Keurbooms River Nature Reserve. An old track leads up-river, offering a pleasant walk (allow 45 min).
From Keurbooms River the road climbs fairly steeply and turns inland. Several parking areas along the route offer attractive views back over the bay and the lagoon. Turn right onto the R102 for Nature’s Valley (there is a huge sign), avoiding the N2 toll road.
The R102 winds down through indigenous forest to the Groot River lagoon. At the bottom of the downhill stretch, turn right for Nature’s Valley. After 1 km the road forks — take the left road to a large parking area. From here it is a short walk to the gently shelving beach and along the side of the lagoon. (Strong currents make it unsafe to swim near the river mouth.)
Nature’s Valley to Storms River Mouth Return to the R102 and turn right. There are shaded picnic sites where the road crosses the Groot River. After this the road climbs steeply out of the Groot River valley. At the top of the uphill stretch, as the road swings to the right, park in the small area on your left for a view back over the valley and lagoon.
Continue on the R102, passing over the N2 toll road, down into the Bloukrans Pass. The road is narrow, and twists through dense indigenous forest. Looking up from the bottom of the pass you will see the Bloukrans Bridge (part of the toll road) high in the sky above you.
On the final pull up out of the pass, soon after the white-walled hairpin bend, a poorly defined road on your right leads to the shady Rugpos picnic site on the forest’s edge. There are braai places here and short forest walks.
The R102 continues past the sawmilling centre of Coldstream, which has a shop and a petrol station. When you reach the T-junction turn left. 6,8 km after this, turn right for Storms River Mouth and the Tsitsikamma National Park. This side-road leads through plantations and into the National Park (small entrance fee), then winds through indigenous coastal forest to Storms River Mouth. The road ends alongside a restaurant, noted for its fresh line fish. There is a short walk from the restaurant along the shore and through indigenous forest to a suspension footbridge across the river mouth (allow 1 hr 30 min).
Storms River Mouth to Paul Sauer Bridge Return to the N2 and turn right, noting your kms. After 5,2 km park off the road on your left at the sign to the ‘Big Tree‘. There are two parking areas, one near the road and a second deeper in the forest. An interesting 15 min walk, the Big Tree Trail, leads from the first parking area to the second. The ‘Big Tree‘, an Outeniqua yellowwood, is just a few metres from the second parking area.
Continue along the N2 for 1 km before turning right onto a gravel road signposted ‘Picnic spot’. Drive past the picnic sites near to the road and when the road forks, turn left. You are now on the original Storms River Pass road, built by Thomas Bain more than a century ago. It winds down through dense indigenous forest to a low bridge across the Storms River, and next to this is the shady Oubrug (old bridge) picnic site.
Retrace your route to the N2, watching carefully for the fork where you turned left — it looks quite different when you are coming from this direction. Turn right onto the N2, and after roughly 2 km, as you approach the Paul Sauer Bridge, park in the large parking area on your left. There is a restaurant here, also a shop and a petrol station. From the restaurant there is an attractive circular forest walk known as the Tree Fern Trail (allow 1 hr). Along the route there is a gigantic fallen yellowwood and a reconstruction of an old-fashioned saw-pit.
Return towards Plettenberg Bay on the N2. Take the toll road if you are in a hurry, or follow the signs onto the R102 if you have the time to retrace your outgoing route through the Bloukrans Pass and past Nature’s Valley. If time allows, return to your first stop of the day, the beginning of the Robberg peninsula, and walk to the north-facing viewsite to look out over the bay in its evening colours.
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