Plettenberg Sessions

Hi all. So much seems to have happened since the last blog it’s hard to know where to start this one. Our time in Plett has been absolutely wonderful and we’ve taken full advantage of everything this beautiful area has to offer.

Our first few days were spent with Jon and Dona Henry from the International Surf School. The steeper and more powerful waves of the Plett coast together with the intensive coaching by the Henry pair proved just perfect for the guys to take their surfing to the next level. It wasn’t all smooth sailing though, as some of the guys had to bounce back from a few good wipe-outs, but that’s all part of the game, as they say.

On Saturday we finished off our lessons with the Henry’s in decent conditions at Solar beach. Everybody managed to get a few good waves, particularly the girls who all had an absolute screamer of a session. For the afternoon our initial had been to do the long awaited bungee jump, however, strong winds from a closing front meant that we had to put our plan on hold. Instead, we visited the nearby Tenikwa small cat sanctuary. As a nature guide I relish any oportunity to get back into the bush so this outing was just as much a winner for me as it was for the guys. Tenikwa looks after a number of threatened and endangered species of cat including Caracal, Serval, Cheetah and Leopard. Our guide took us for the grand tour of the enclousures, taking us in with some of the animals. It was quite something to have a pair of cheetahs, creatures normally found hunting game on the wild, African plains, playing at your feet without a care in the world.

We woke on Sunday morning to an ominous set of weather conditions. The wind was howling and the clouds were moving in fast. The swell readings were off the charts which meant we had to spend the day on land. By Monday though, the weather had cleared and it looked like we were going to be in for a classic day! With sunny skies and gentle winds we decided to revisit our bungee plans and made our way to the Bloukrans bridge on the border between the Easteren and Western Cape. At 216m the Bloukrans bungee is the highest commercial jump in the world. The only thing more scary that the anticipation of throwing yourself off of one of the highest bridges in SA is actually throwing yourself off of one of the highest bridges in SA. It was a daunting prospect, but everyone put on a brave face as, one by one, they made the plunge. It was all smiles as everybody came in off the bridge. It’s not everyday you get to something as crazy as that!

After the jump we made our way to the Tsitsikamma National park for a hike in the reserve. Our trek took us along a portion of the Otter Trail, a famous 7 day hike that takes you through rocky enclaves, sandy beaches and indiginous coastal forests. Our hike took us to the top of a cliff overlooking the reserve and the Storms River mouth. It was quite a long haul getting up there, but well worth it for that view! On the way home I took the guys along a scenic detour, showing off a few more of the natural beauties of the Garden Route. Just another epic day in Africa!

This morning we were back on the road in search of waves. With the swell still big from the storm we headed out for one of the protected bays nearby. Fortunately for us, the angle of the swell was such that the brunt it moved out to sea while the waves that got into the bay were small, gentle breakers which peeled down the point and onto the beach. Perfect for our little crew to get in a good few hours in the water. We spent the rest of the afternoon meandering our way back to Plett, stopping at a few of the view points along the way.

And that brings you all up to speed with what’s been happening here on our African Road Trip. Never a dull moment as we make our way east along the most beautiful coast in the world! Well I think so any way. Till next time…

Take Care
Bevan