Zipping through Tsitsikamma

 Tuesday, February 21, 2023

We woke up to a sunny morning after rain and wind yesterday.  We had a Connie McMuffin for breakfast and headed out to our next adventure--ziplining!  Neither Jim nor I have ever done this before, and there were several in the group who were "virgins" but we were ready to go!

 They hooked up the harnesses, gave you a hard hat and gloves, and you were ready for action!

They started us on a slower line to get the hang of it, then we graduated to longer and faster lines. They gave good instructions about how and when to brake...not too soon or not too late.  I had butterflies getting onto the first run, but it was a thrill letting go and zipping through.  It got more exciting and more scenic as we moved to the various lines. This is Jim across the gorge.

There were six different lines and each one provided a different look at the river gorge below.

This is me on one of the long runs.

It was a real thrill zipping over the waterfalls and through the canyon.  There were a lot of “woo hoos” as each person slid along the line. 

What a fun experience in a beautiful place.  Now we can not only say we ziplined, we can say we ziplined in South Africa!

We came back and took a break before our next planned adventure.

We were supposed to go kayaking on the Storms River.  But, the operators cancelled at the last minute, due to the heavy rains last night which created flooding which they felt would not be safe for our group.  That was ok with us…instead we took a hike to see the suspension bridge over the river we were supposed to kayak on!  Along the way, there were beautiful views of the ocean.

We even spotted some wildlife.  These are dassies, sometimes called rock rabbits.  It looked like a mom and her babies, enjoying the view along with us.

We even saw a waterfall cascading over the rocks along the way.

And then we saw the suspension bridge!  What a sight, and what an engineering accomplishment. (That's Jim in the middle of the bridge!)

The suspension bridge built in 1969 hangs over the waters of the Storms River where it enters the Indian Ocean, and the river water churns as it meets the ocean waves. The bridge spans 77 meters, and consists of three sections. 

We walked across all three sections of the bridge and took in the magnificent views. 

There were signs warning that there should be no more than 25 people on the bridge at a time.  I think it was because of the swaying and bouncing motion that people create as they walk over the bridge. At times you had to hold on to the cables to keep from losing your balance.

The return trip was just as amazing as the trip out.

We were glad to return to the campground for a little rest. This is one of the most beautiful campground views we’ve ever had. 

Watching the waves is mesmerizing. Here is a view from our dashcam in the camper, looking out over the Indian Ocean.  Sit back and enjoy what we've been enjoying for the last few days!

We gathered for our daily travel briefing...

Then, to close out the evening, the wagonmasters and Howard cooked a great meal for us on the brai.

And we saw another beautiful sunset.

One of the unique and interesting things about this spot is that we can see both the sunset over the water to the west, and the sunrise over the water to the east!  This is the sunrise this morning!  (Couldn't post the blog last night--couldn't get connected)