My first memories of the Tsitsikamma National Park was in 1988 on a Standard 4 school tour which took us from Johannesburg along the Garden Route to Cape Town. It was late afternoon as the sun was setting and a massive storm was building up over the sea that we entered the Nature reserve and as we sat on the bus watching the waves crash against the coastline, I remember thinking to myself what a beautiful place this was.
15 years later I entered the National Park again this time with Alan, Kerryn, Lauren, Stuart and G, and all my previous memories of this beautiful place came flooding back. It was just as I remembered. It was round about this time that I was told about the Otter Trail described as follows:
The Otter Trail is a dream come true for any nature lover and a worthwhile experience for all outdoor enthusiasts. It is undoubtedly unique, one of the most beautiful nature trails in any national park. It leads from Storms river rest camp to the Groot River, crossing ravines, skirting bays, weaving through magnificent indigenous forest and fording numerous streams. It hugs the Tsitsikamma coast as close to the pounding surf as possible, but where the cliffs drop too steeply into the sea below, the trail zig zags upwards to an elevation of 200m on the coastal plateau.
Since then I have always wanted to experience this hike. From the information I have received the cost is R525 per person bookings can only be made 11 months in advance however they take in applications 14 months prior to that. Applications get logged and the day the bookings open the system runs a random selection and notifies the applicants who have been able to secure a spot. I'm hoping our application is successful and this time next year we will be gearing up for our big adventure - hold thumbs!!
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