Hluleka Nature Reserve A WARM WAZI WELCOME TO EASTERN CAPE PARKS PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVES The Eastern Cape is Yours to Explore and Wazi, representing the welcoming, friendly spirit of the people of the Eastern Cape, is your guide to exploring our magnificent provincial nature reserves - managed and protected for you by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency. Wazi indicates the main feature of each of the 16 provincial nature reserves showcased in this visitor guide. From camping and caravanning to wildlife safaris and birding, Eastern Cape provincial nature reserves offer something for everybody. This visitor guide makes it easy for you to match your interests with the ideal nature reserve for you to explore. Biodiversity & Heritage reserves offer unique biodiversity features and WARNING recognised heritage sites - such as internationally acclaimed • DO NOT FEED baboons Baviaanskloof with its Word Heritage Status. The Game or monkeys. Management & Recreation reserves provide additional • STAY IN VEHICLE at recreational activities. The Marine and Coastal reserves all times on self-drive feature fantastic stretches of coastline that make the Eastern game drives. Cape so unique and provide excellent viewing opportunities of • Comply with all reserve whales and dolphin. rules. Book online at www.bookonline.ecpta.co.za See pages 66 to 67 for or contact our friendly Reservations Team information on accommodation options on +27 (0)43 492 0883/4. and amenities at reserves. Please note: information in this brochure may change without notice. CONTENTS BIODIVERSITY & HERITAGE 04 Baviaanskloof 08 Great Fish River 12 Groendal 16 Island 1 18 Thomas Baines 22 Waters Meeting GAME MANAGEMENT & RECREATION 24 Commando Drift 28 Double Mouth 32 Mpofu - Fort Fordyce 36 Ongeluksnek 2 40 Oviston 44 Tsolwana MARINE & COASTAL 48 Dwesa - Cwebe 52 Hluleka 56 Luchaba 58 Mkhambathi 3 62 Silaka 66 INFORMATION & 4 ACCOMMODATION 5 68 TERMS & CONDITIONS Matatiele Sterkspruit 10 R56 11 Lady Grey Mount Fletcher ALIWAL NORTH R58 Venterstad Rhodes Mount Ayliff Barkly East R394 Mount Frere Bizana Burgersdorp R61 Jamestown N2 Maclear Flagstaff Wild Coast Sun N6 Ugie R56 R394 Steynsburg Qumbu R61 R56 R56 Elliot Molteno Dordrecht R56 Lusikisiki R56 Mboyti 16 Middelburg Sterkstroom Indwe 15 R61 R61 N9 Hofmeyer Libode PORT ST JOHNS Lady Frere Ngcobo MTHATHA Umgazi Mouth N10 N6 17 Bethesdaweg Nieu-Bethesda R61 Queenstown Qamata N2 R61 14 R61 Elliotdale R61 Tarkastad R67 Cofimvaba Tsomo Coffee Bay INDIAN OCEAN Dutywa Hole in the Wall Cradock Whittlesea Graaff-Reinet 7 12 R351 13 R351 Cathcart Willowvale N9 R337 Butterworth N10 N6 The Haven Aberdeen Centane Qora Mouth Seymore Pearston Stutterheim Mazeppa Bay Bedford R67 Hogsback R63 N2 Qolora Mouth R63 Adelaide Kei Road Komga Kei Mouth R337 Somerset East Cookhouse 9 Morgan’s Bay AliceR63 BHISHO 8 N9 Golden Valley Fort Beaufort N6 R335 King William’s Town Cintsa Mouth Jansenvile Berlin Gonubie Middleton R345 Klipplaat R350 N2 Bonza Bay R75 R67 2 EAST LONDON Peddie R72 Kidd’s Beach N10 Kaysers Beach Willowmore Wolwefontein MAKHANDA Steytlerville Hamburg Kirkwood Patterson R67 5 Bathurst N2 Salem6 Mpekweni Addo R67 Fish River Sun 3 R343 Alexandria Port Alfred Patensie Uitenhage Kenton-on-Sea Louterwater Colchester Boesmansriviermond R62 1 Hankey Coega Misgund Swartkops Joubertina N2 N2 Kareedouw Jeffrey’s Bay 4 PORT ELIZABETH Stormsrivier Humansdorp St Francis Bay Oyster Bay Cape St Francis National & Regional Roads Rivers & Dams Towns & Cities Route Markers Nature Reserves Reserve Numbers Matatiele Sterkspruit 10 R56 11 Lady Grey Mount Fletcher ALIWAL NORTH R58 Venterstad Rhodes Mount Ayliff Barkly East R394 Mount Frere Bizana Burgersdorp R61 Jamestown N2 Maclear Flagstaff Wild Coast Sun N6 Ugie R56 R394 Steynsburg Qumbu R61 R56 R56 Elliot Molteno Dordrecht R56 Lusikisiki R56 Mboyti 16 Middelburg Sterkstroom Indwe 15 R61 R61 N9 Hofmeyer Libode PORT ST JOHNS Lady Frere Ngcobo MTHATHA Umgazi Mouth N10 N6 17 Bethesdaweg Nieu-Bethesda R61 Queenstown Qamata N2 R61 14 R61 Elliotdale R61 Tarkastad R67 Cofimvaba Tsomo Coffee Bay INDIAN OCEAN Dutywa Hole in the Wall Cradock Whittlesea Graaff-Reinet 7 12 R351 13 R351 Cathcart Willowvale N9 R337 Butterworth N10 N6 The Haven Aberdeen Centane Qora Mouth Seymore Pearston Stutterheim Mazeppa Bay Bedford R67 Hogsback R63 N2 Qolora Mouth R63 Adelaide Kei Road Komga Kei Mouth R337 Somerset East Cookhouse 9 Morgan’s Bay AliceR63 BHISHO 8 N9 Golden Valley Fort Beaufort N6 R335 King William’s Town Cintsa Mouth Jansenvile Berlin Gonubie Middleton R345 Klipplaat R350 N2 Bonza Bay R75 R67 2 EAST LONDON Peddie R72 Kidd’s Beach DISTANCE TABLE N10 Kaysers Beach Willowmore Wolwefontein MAKHANDA FROM RESERVE TO EAST LONDON Steytlerville Hamburg Kirkwood Patterson R67 5 Bathurst N2 Salem6 Mpekweni 1 BAVIAANSKLOOF 490km 10 ONGELUKSNEK 580km Addo R67 Fish River Sun 2 GREAT FISH RIVER 150km 11 OVISTON 400km 3 R343 Alexandria Port Alfred Patensie Uitenhage Kenton-on-Sea 3 GROENDAL 360km 12 TSOLWANA 250km Louterwater Colchester Boesmansriviermond R62 1 Hankey Coega 4 ISLAND 304km 13 DWESA - CWEBE 230km Misgund Swartkops Joubertina N2 5 THOMAS BAINES 180km 14 HLULEKA 320km N2 Kareedouw Jeffrey’s Bay 4 PORT ELIZABETH Stormsrivier Humansdorp 6 WATERS MEETING 160km 15 LUCHABA 234km St Francis Bay Oyster Bay Cape St Francis 7 COMMANDO DRIFT 90km 16 MKHAMBATHI 465km 8 DOUBLE MOUTH 90km 17 SILAKA 330km 9 MPOFU - FORT FORDYCE 162km MOUNTAIN SPLENDOUR Lilizela Award Winner for Scenic Beauty BAVIAANSKLOOF (WORLD HERITAGE SITE) A UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a Cape Floristic that make Baviaanskloof one of the most spectacular Region protected area, Baviaanskloof (Valley of the regions in the country. Baboons) is a magnificent mountain kingdom spanning 2 040km, boasting seven of South Africa’s nine biomes - In addition to the scenic splendour of the region, fynbos, forest, grassland, succulent Karoo, Nama-Karoo, Baviaanskloof is fast gaining recognition as one subtropical thicket and savannah. of South Africa’s premier adventure destinations. Traversing this reserve by 4x4 or on mountain bike At the eastern entrance to the reserve is the World (permission and support vehicle required), up rugged Heritage Site Interpretive Centre with dedicated displays mountain passes, through rivers and across the plateau, is that showcase the reserve. Guides are on hand to show an unforgettable true wilderness experience. visitors around the centre and explain all about the rich biodiversity, cultural heritage and natural wonders GATE TIMES Summer: 06h00 - 16h00 Winter: 07h00 - 16h00 DIRECTIONS OFFICE HOURS Mon to Fri: 08h00 - 16h30 Access from the east: Travel from the N2 to Weekends: 08h00 - 16h00 Patensie along the R331 and from Patensie to Komdomo on the R332 (27km). Access from the west: Take N9 from RESERVE CONTACT DETAILS George to Willowmore and from Komdomo Office: 087 286 6494 Willowmore to Coleske gate on the R332 Senior Reserve Manager: 079 496 7978 (100km gravel). BIODIVERSITY & HERITAGE ACCOMMODATION Baviaanskloof offers visitors the chance to embrace true wilderness, with campsites on the banks of the Groot River (Komdomo campsite) and in the Kouga Dam region (Doodsklip and Rooihoek campsites) - in close proximity to awesome deep river pools, ideal for swimming. Bergplaas Trail Hut is a rustic, self-catering hut with breathtaking views and is used as a basecamp for hikers. The magnificent Geelhoutbos Lodge offers comfortable accommodation in the most spectacular natural environment. KOMDOMO CARAVAN & TENT CAMPSITE (3-STAR): 27 sites with power point supply, DAY VISITOR FACILITIES ablutions & hot water (Groot River) ▪ Komdomo picnic area and bird trail DOODSKLIP CAMPSITE: 5 sites ▪ World Heritage Interpretive Centre and ROOIHOEK CAMPSITE: 6 sites (Kouga Dam region) picnic area BERGPLAAS TRAIL HUT: 2 bedrooms with bunk ▪ Poortjies waterfall walk beds, 1 bathroom - sleeps 12 ▪ Combrink Pass lookout point GEELHOUTBOS LODGE (3-STAR): 4 bedrooms, ▪ Grasnek lookout point 1 bathroom & en-suite shower with solar power ▪ Smitskraal picnic area - sleeps 10 ▪ Bergplaas Plateau lookout (Please note: a special combination code is required for Doodsklip, Rooihoek and Bergplaas.) PERMITS REQUIRED PAGE Entrance & Activity permits (camping, day visit or drive through). 05 MOUNTAIN SPLENDOUR BIRDS Hottentot buttonquail Blue crane Knysna woodpecker Crowned eagle Black harrier Orange-breasted sunbird African fish eagle Knysna turaco ANIMALS Eland Kudu Cape buffalo Klipspringer Cape mountain zebra Bushbuck Leopard Mountain reedbuck Red hartebeest Baboon Vervet monkey Duiker Grysbok Grey rhebok Aardvark Aardwolf Cape clawless otter Honey badger Bush pig Leopard Bat-eared fox Caracal PLANTS Protea Erica Cedar Pre-historic cycad Giant Outeniqua yellowwood ▪ 70 succulent species GPS COORDINATES 33°39’47.2”S | 24°32’29.2”E BIODIVERSITY & HERITAGE ACTIVITIES ▪ Camping ▪ Bird watching ▪ Swimming ▪ Cycling (permission granted & support vehicle compulsory) ▪ Picnicking at Komdomo and Smitskraal ▪ Guided tour of World Heritage Centre ▪ Guided walk to San rock-art ▪ Wildlife photography ▪ Wilderness self-drive along the R332 A MUST VISIT WORLD ▪ Cable way at Holgat pass lookout point ▪ HIKING: HERITAGE SITE! - Bergplaas Hiking Trail to Pete’s Pools (day trip hikes only from Bergplaas and only for overnight visitors) - Poortjies Waterfall Trail - Komdomo River Trail - Maqpeek Hiking Trail (day trip hikes only from Bergplaas and only by overnight visitors) OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS NEAREST TOWNS NEARBY ATTRACTIONS RECOMMENDED VEHICLE ▪ PATENSIE