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Where the river drops into the sea
Waterfall Bluff, Eastern Cape
Waterfall Bluff on the exotic Wild Coast.
© Chris Marais
Did you know?
Waterfall Bluff is 1 of the Gondwana ‘tear-away’ spots that once connected us to Antarctica.
A bird’s-eye view of Waterfall Bluff south of the Mkambathi Nature Reserve along the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape would reveal one of Africa’s greatest coastal rock formations.
One minute you’re flying past seaside developments that make up the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, the next you’re on the Wild Coast as deep green lands spread out below you.
Your fly-over takes you on a marvellous game drive: eland, blesbuck, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest canter lazily away down there. The grasslands are studded with wild banana outcrops.
You hover briefly over a particularly lovely tannin-stained river – the Mkhambathi – that descends in a series of waterfalls directly into the Indian Ocean. There are very few places in the world where you find such waterfall formations.
The rivers that empty into the waters beyond the Wild Coast rise in the Drakensberg. In the northern areas, these flows are met with rocky crags.
The most rewarding way to see Waterful Bluff, however, is on a Wild Coast hike. The whole trail is 280 kilometres long (most people only do shorter chunks of it) and will take a seasoned hiker 25 days to complete.
Right next to Waterfall Bluff is the free-standing, pyramid-shaped Cathedral Rock, rising out of the sea.
The geography you hike through consists of a series of secluded, pristine beaches, deep coastal forests, rocky shores and estuaries. You will also see the miniature coconut palm called the Mkambathi palm – a drift-in from another continent.
Offshore, there’s a sliver of cold water pushing its way north in the winter, bearing a great migration of sardines, pursued by gannets, sharks and dolphins. It has been dubbed ‘the greatest shoal on Earth’.
In this 8 000 hectare reserve, birdwatchers should look out for the red-shouldered widow, the yellow-throated longclaw, the croaking cisticola, Gurney’s sugarbird, and the tiny, yet dazzlingly beautiful double-collared sunbird.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Wild Coast Holidays
Cell: +27 (0) 84 267 6354
Email: admin@wildcoastholidays.com
East Cape Parks
Tel: +27 (0)43 701 9600/ or 086 111 3320/
Email: reservations@ecparks.co.za
Port St Johns general info:
John Costello
Outspan Inn
Tel: +27 (0) 47 564 1057
Email: outspan@wildcoast.co.za
How to get here
Waterfall Bluff is best-accessed via the Mkambathi Nature Reserve.
Tours to do
There are also horseback trails on offer in the area - see the relevant sites for details.
Get around
A heavy terrain vehicle (4X2 at least) is needed to negotiate some of the roads in the area, but it's likely you'll get around on foot (hiking) mostly.
What will it cost
See the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism site for Mkambathi accommodation rates; also the Wild Coast Holidays site for hiking rates.
Length of stay
Most hikers to the Wild Coast spend at least a week in the area.
What to pack
Take local advice on what hiking gear and supplies to pack.
Where to stay
Stay at Mkambathi Nature Reserve or in Port St Johns, in which case you will need guided transport to the Waterfall Bluff area.