Tent Travels: The jewel of the Wild Coast

IF there is one place that sums up everything that is beautiful, unique, unspoilt and priceless about the Wild Coast, it is the Mkambati Game Reserve.

This 7 700ha chunk of conserved land, a wild and wonderful strip of rugged coastline still miraculously untouched by development, is bordered by two great rivers, the Msikaba on its southern boundary and the Mtentu on its northern boundary. The dramatic Mkambati river, which gives the reserve its name, cuts its way through it.

This unique coastal reserve is a wondrous place of breathtaking natural beauty, of rugged hills, distant mountains, deep valleys, remnants of swamp forests and magnificent rolling grassland that sweep down to the sea. It is also a rugged, rather harsh place, the grasslands broken by rocky platforms, crystal streams, big rivers, dramatic waterfalls and rugged outcrops of grey, weathered rocks that offer gnarled trees shelter from fire. The deeply incised, forest-filled gorges and steep ravines that the reserve’s major rivers have carved into the rocky earth are among Mbambati’s most striking features.

Perhaps, for many visitors, its crowning glory is its rugged, jagged, wave battered, element-sculptured coastline of massive boulders, rocky cliffs, broad river mouths, pristine beaches and stepped waterfalls that crash straight into the sea. The name of the region – the Wild Coast – says it all. In this crowded world of ours few coastlines remain as magnificently wild and totally untamed as this.

Perhaps because of the condition of the access roads and the roads within the reserve this gem of a conserved place is one of South Africa’s lesser known secrets. You really do need a 4X4 or at least a vehicle with high clearance, plus the patience to travel slowly and enjoy the trip. It is, however, greatly valued by a number of people who are passionate about wild and remote places and who have discovered the Wild Coast’s magic.

It really does deserve to be better known but the people who love and value it would hate to see it unwisely developed and commercialised.

As much as we believe it should be more on the tourist map we selfishly tolerate the bad roads, knowing that they keep away the madding crowds. They don’t keep away Mkambati’s true fans, though. Even with the access problems we know we need to book early for the Gwe Gwe cottages as they are very popular with nature lovers and the fishing fraternity.

This cluster of basic little rondavels is idyllically situated, overlooking the Gwe Gwe mouth and a particularly wild and wonderful stretch of shoreline.

One evening when we were staying in a rondavel, a herd of shy eland suddenly appeared, almost magically, on the beach below us. They didn’t stay long. They turned around, and headed back the way they came, seemingly melting into the swirling sea mist. They are such mystical creatures, so at home in the rather other-worldly coastal reserve. If we hadn’t found their hoof prints on the beach the next morning, we might have doubted that we’d really seen them there at all.

The ghostly eland are usually fairly easy to find and there is quite a bit of general game. Birding is good, too, and might well include sightings of the resident Cape vultures or the long-lashed ground hornbills that are always such a pleasure to see.

However, the reserve is part of the Pondoland Centre of Endemism and falls within one of only 34 floral hotspots in the world. Not surprisingly, for many nature lovers its greatest value is its vegetation.

In summer I am always bowled over by the wild flowers and the amazing variety of plants you find intertwined in the different grasses. The trees and bushes are special, too, and tree huggers should look out for the endemic Pondo coconut or Mkambati palm. The south banks of the reserve’s two major river are the only places on earth where these rare plants grow in the wild.

The reserve is well watered with rivers and streams crisscross the undulating grassland. The most beautiful of them all is the Mkambati, with its wide terraces and waterfalls and crystal pools. Eventually, the river drops several metres over the last set of falls and into the sea. Its mouth is edged by some amazing rock formations.

Apart from the dicey roads , Mkambati is a visitor-friendly reserve, staffed with friendly, helpful people. The Gwe Gwe cottages are fairly basic but have recently benefited from a revamp and are very comfortable and attractive. Nearby, the River Lodge offers comfortable accommodation for up to 20 people and I have heard that there lovely old stone lodge near Msikaba Beach is being refurbished and will soon be available for hire, too. Apart from the good fishing that attracts many visitor, there are more than enough lovely hikes and drives to keep the visitors out and about and busy.

Perhaps, one of the main reasons for visiting Mkambati, though, is the chance to do sit outside a rustic rondavel, watching the waves pound the rocky shores, drinking in the amazing views and doing absolutely nothing at all.

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