20. Kaiser’s Beach to Hickman’s River / Cove Rock

20. Kaiser’s Beach to Hickman’s River / Cove Rock

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29 January 2022 - 30 January 2022

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the planned unplanned

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[Kaiser’s Beach heading north…. Towards EL]

 

Saturday: 29 January 2022

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This hike was possible because Cath had to represent the EP Golf players at the annual Border Championships in East London. I managed to organize a lift with the ladies, who would drop me off at Kaiser's Beach around 10:30. From there, I would walk to Kidd's Beach, stay overnight in an AirBnB (which had been arranged), and then walk from Kidd's Beach to Hickman's River the following day. My friend, Leon Hechter, lives in Cove Rock which borders Hickman’s River, and I was planning to stay there Sunday night. The ladies would fetch me from there on Monday morning as they returned to Port Elizabeth.

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We left PE at 7am and I was dropped off at Kaiser's Beach around 10am - all going according to plan so far. It was an overcast day with occasional breaks of sunlight. The tide had just turned, so I started walking immediately to take advantage of the low tide and firm sand. The first stretch was however quite rocky, and I walked on soft, heavy sand for about an hour before taking my first rest. Looking back, I could still see the cottages at Kaiser's Beach and hoped the terrain would soon improve. Luckily, it did. I reached a small road and a parking area that led into the Seavale Nature Reserve. This grassy area opened up to the magnificent, expansive Christmas Rock Beach. Walking along the water’s edge on hard, wet sand, I watched a fishing crew return from sea in their ski boat, towing it with a tractor. The vast, open beach and the lonely "castle" Christmas Rock formation made my walk much easier. I took in the beauty of the calm blue sea, the kilometers of flat beach, and the iconic rock formation from which the beach got its name.

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At noon I stopped to rest, removed my rucksack, and just breathed in the fresh air, soaking up the sun and listening to the sound of the sea. Shortly after, I passed a shipwreck’s graveyard and took a photo of the exposed metal parts lying in the shallow water. Thirty minutes later, I reached the Ncera River, and was surprised to find it full and deep. My GPS showed it as a small estuary, but it was now a wide river with waves pushing in due to high tide. I followed a path along the river hoping it would shallow upstream, but it led to a private holiday resort. I spent the next two hours there, relaxing in a communal braai and lookout area while waiting for the tide to turn. Easy does it.

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I met a lady who lived at the resort, and she showed me the shallowest area to cross the river. Holding my rucksack above my head and careful not to step into a hole, I waded through the river, the water reaching almost chest height. Once across, the shore was rocky, but I spotted Palm Springs Holiday Resort nestled in the hillside among the trees. I followed a small stream trickling from the closed lagoon towards Palm Springs, and eventually reached a vehicle track that led all the way to Kidds Beach Village.

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I had arranged to stay at Breezy Inn Guesthouse, so I didn’t bring my sleeping bag on this two-day hike. By 16:30, I arrived at the restaurant and bar opposite Kidd’’s Beach and ordered a large beer. I slowly sipped it, reflecting on the walk so far before walking around the corner to the guesthouse. However, the gate was locked, and when a lady greeted me, she told me that the business had been sold and the new owners were not accepting guests that weekend. The business was closed until February 1st for handover, and since I hadn’t paid an upfront deposit, she couldn’t help me. I was left without accommodation, with about two hours of daylight remaining.

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I decided not to waste time looking for a place to stay and instead walked on. The next 7 or 8 kilometers was an easy, flat beach walk toward the Gulu River mouth. By 19:00, I met a group of fishermen cleaning their catch at the Gulu River mouth. They informed me that there was no accommodation at Gulu, and the old caravan park had been closed for years. However, they offered to take me to my friend Leon Hechter's house at Cove Rock Estate, as they all lived in East London and were headed that way. Once again, at the most critical moment, strangers appeared and saved the day. Providence was becoming something I was slowly realising I could walk into. I waited about 30 minutes for them to finish cleaning their fish and arrived at Leon’s house just after 20:00. He was only expecting me the following day but was happy to see me. I joined his family for a late supper after a hot shower.

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Sunday: 30 January 2022

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Leon kindly offered to take me back to where I had ended my walk the day before, at Gulu River mouth, about 25 km from his house. The tide was much lower at the river mouth, and I crossed easily at knee height around 07:45am. It was a misty morning, and all indications were that it would soon turn into a hot day. The walk was easy on the wet, hard sand, though the beach stretched for kilometers, making it feel like I wasn’t making much progress.

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It was pleasing to see very little pollution for miles, but suddenly, I came across a huge black plastic car bumper, abandoned in the middle of nowhere. What was once a vital part of something important no serves no purpose at all. Next, I passed Igoda Beach, another long stretch of flat sand, and the mist began to lift. As I neared Winterstrand Car Park, the beach became busier with families and dog walkers. At 09:15am I finally found a wooden bench overlooking the sea and stopped to take a video of the beautiful view.

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A footpath led through a short rocky area, and then it was back to the beach. The final stretch was about 5 km to Cove Rock, which I could barely make out on the horizon. By 10:45am I reached a small sand dune that led up to the side of Cove Rock. The walk had been long, and my legs and feet ached from the last three hours of non-stop beach walking. From a high cliff, I spotted a lonely fisherman and wondered how he would retrieve any fish he caught so far below. Leon and his dogs appeared on the beach to meet me, and we enjoyed a cold beer before walking through the security pedestrian gate to his house.

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I was really tired and sat outside for a while to cool down and recover. Reflecting on the day, I realized I was glad I hadn’t started at Kidds Beach, as I wouldn’t have been able to make the full distance in a single day. By 11:30, I had regained enough strength to take a shower. Leon started a fire for a lunchtime braai, and we were joined by a friend of Leon's who was helping with a Cape Town project in the building trade.

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The next day, Leon had some business in Port Elizabeth, so I decided to travel back with him, and Cath and the ladies didn’t need to fetch me. Despite the fact that none of the pre-planning and arrangements went as expected, it was a successful and memorable hike.

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