SOUTH AFRICA OUTDOORS
The Strandloper Trail
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The Strandloper Trail P.O.Box 86 Kei Mouth 5260 South Africa Tel/Fax: +27 (0)43 841 1046 Email:strandloper@net4u.co.za
The Strandloper
Hiking Trail and
STRANDLOPER HIKING TRAIL GAINS GREEN FLAG STATUS The Strandloper Hiking Trail between Kei Mouth and Gonubie, one of the first trails in South Africa to have been officially recognised as an accredited hiking trail, has now gone a step further and recently achieved the status of a Green Flag Trail.Again, one of the first South African trails to do so. Under the guidance of Prof. Leon Hugo, a Board member of the South African Hiking Trail Owners’ Association (SAHTOA) and a specialist trail auditor, the Green Flag trail system, comparable to the internationally known Blue Flag system for beaches, ensures that trail usage does not lead to environmental degradation and controls the quality of the hiking experience. Operators of Green Flag trails are required to –
The Strandloper Ecotourism Board is a non-profit organization committed to developing community ecotourism initiatives in the coastal region between Kei Mouth and East London
Environmental education is part of a developmental strategy to fulfill one of the Board's main objectives and to meet a growing need focused on coastal environmental and outdoor pursuits.
The Ecocentre at Cape Morgan has been specifically designed to accommodate learners. A museum concept and audio-visual corner has been incorporated into a refurbished generator room and learners are under the formal facilitation of an education officer specifically trained in coastal environmental education.
The Strandloper Trail was started in the 1980's by the Wildlife
Society as an informal hiking trail. Donations from the Kei Mouth TLC, the Amatole Regional Services
Council, Small Projects Foundation, the East London Museum, Iscor and the East
Cape Nature Conservation provided the base for the revival of the Strandloper
Trail. |
The Strandloper Trail has been described as "the
one trail where you can
 savour
the feeling of solitude on an unspoilt beach and down a bar lunch in a cosy pub
barely an hour later." The trail is almost 60 km in total and takes 4 days to
complete. It is clearly marked with little painted yellow footprints and can be
walked throughout the year. The best weather is between February and May, which
have warm windless days.The Trail Manager will issue you with a tide table to assist you in planning your river crossings at the Quko, Kwenxura, Kwelera and Gonubie rivers. Include strong watertight bags and rope in your pack. There are braai places, water and ablution facilities at all huts, except at Cape Henderson which is situated in a State Forest and no fires are permitted. This is a one way trail, so shuttling is required - the Reservations Manager will supply you with a list of shuttle services. Strandloper Sundowner Trail
You want to hike along the
coast and enjoy the beautiful scenery and fauna and flora - but you don't
want to lug your backpack along and stay in basic overnights or suffer cold
showers! You don't want to make any meals... ShipwrecksThe wild waters of the
south-eastern coast of Africa have caused many ships to founder along the shore.
Of special interest are the very early Portuguese carracks, three of which came
to grief along the Strandloper Trail. The wreck sites have been distinctively
marked by the presence of shards of porcelain which have been observed and
collected by beachcombers for many years.
The StrandlopersThe term Strandloper derives from the Dutch, Strand meaning beach and Loper meaning walker, and refers to a way of life rather than a distinct linguistic or racial group. It
embraces all who have roamed our shores, combed our beaches and foraged and
fished on the rocks from earliest times to the present; including the Bushmen,
the Khoi and the Xhosa as well as shipwrecked sailors and seaside settlers. |
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