Wild Coast Trip March 2022 : part 1

The Wild Coast is a long stretch of rural coastline stretching from Port Edward in KZN down to East London in the Eastern Cape. It's undeveloped, beautiful and isolated. There are few beaches in the world so remote and undeveloped. You would do best to travel here with a 4x4. 

Saturday 19 March to Tuesday 22 March

We chose to take the Freestate route to reach the Southern section of the Wild Coast. 

Saturday

Back to the farm to pack up the caravan and enjoy a braai with Pam and Richard.

Sunday

We usually start our road trips from the farm and we like the scenery of the Free State especially in late summer when everything is green, the mielies are ripening and the cosmos is flowering.

We're always looking for comfortable and interesting places for overnight stops in  South Africa. Nic's Place in Smithfield is no exception but it is exceptional. What a nice evening we had with owners Ian and Fabrice and their dogs. 

Monday

Rhodes is an out of the way village, high in the mountains, close to the Lesotho border and one of the few places in South Africa that gets regular snow in winter. We caught up with Hanlie and Andrew at Alpine Swift, named after an endemic bird which didn't get to spot. How special to have the whole valley to ourselves, though. Especially over a long weekend.

And it rained.

Tuesday

Rhodes Hotel is another place on our list of interesting overnight stops.

What amazing mountain passes you travel from Rhodes to Barclay East. And we didn't see another car. Maybe a tractor or farm bakkie or two. 

And then you are in the "Transkei" region and seeing rural Eastern Cape life unfold as you trundle along. We arrived at Trennery's Hotel just before dark. Just time to set up camp and get the braai going.