TAKE A HIKE
Forget about work and commitments for a couple of hours on this circular coastal trail.
The Roseate Tern Trail in Port Elizabeth is the perfect family outing – go show the kids the Cape Recife lighthouse.
ROSEATE TERN TRAIL, PORT ELIZABETH
With its lovely beaches, iconic lighthouse, tidal pools and bird hide, the Cape Recife Nature Reserve – just south of Port Elizabeth – has much to offer visitors. And if you go in on foot, you don’t even pay an entrance fee! The best way to explore Cape Recife is to follow the circular, 9 km Roseate Tern Trail, named after the regionally endangered bird of the same name, which breeds in the Algoa Bay area. From the entrance gate, follow arrows down to the beach, kick off your shoes and enjoy the wind in your hair. After about 600 m, the trail turns inland to a bird hide. Stop and rest here for a while. The pond that the hide overlooks – part of the Cape Recife Reclamation Works – is home to numerous ducks and waders including little bitterns, gallinules and black crakes. On my last visit I was fortunate to spy a Cape clawless otter swimming around. From the hide, the trail winds around the pond and onto a causeway between that and a higher pond. You’ll cross a wooden bridge and then, just before the 2 km mark, you’ll turn left and hike through reed beds back to the coast. Keep your eyes peeled for bush pig spoor and look out for small antelope. Once at the beach, turn right and walk along golden sand all the way to the lighthouse, which was the first in the Eastern Cape, built in 1851. The 24 m-high tower originally had two painted bands of white and red, but in 1929 these were changed to black and white so that it was more visible against the background vegetation. Still, numerous ships have come to grief off the point, notably on Thunderbolt Reef, which is easily identified by breaking waves. Try to time your hike to arrive at the lighthouse at low tide (this also makes the beach walking easier) and spend some time exploring the rock pools that brim with colourful starfish and sea anemones. A variety of seabirds, including African black oystercatcher, frequent this section of coast. There’s a tern roost near the lighthouse – one of the best places in South Africa to see a roseate and, in winter, visiting Antarctic terns.
LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS. Much of the Roseate Tern Trail is along the beach so try to walk at low tide when the sand is hard (above). Look out for dolphins along the way (opposite page, top): PE is the bottlenose dolphin capital of the world.
LOOK AT THE BIRDY (opposite page, bottom) The birdlife is a highlight of this trail. African black oystercatchers are regularly spotted, but the real treat is spying the trail’s namesake, the roseate tern. If you’d like to see penguins, combine your hike with a visit to SANCCOB’s rehabilitation centre, in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve.
Continue over a rocky outcrop to a shell beach. You’re about 6 km from the entrance gate now and the trail soon turns inland again, climbing through sand dunes covered in coastal scrub and sweet-smelling fynbos. Take in the views before crossing a road to reach the ruins of an army barracks and a World War II observation post – a good spot for a breather while you survey the reserve and the bay. Humpback and bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen in the waves. A short walk over vegetated dunes takes you back to the ponds and the causeway that you crossed earlier. Retrace your steps until the trail splits and follow the left fork through a rooikrans forest back to the gate.
Distance: The circular route described here is 9 km long and should take about three hours. It’s an easy walk, with lots of possible short cuts and diversions, which makes it a great family outing. Where? The trail starts at the entrance gate to the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, on Marine Drive, Summerstrand. How much? Free if you park outside the gate. A weekly vehicle permit costs R68 from Pine Lodge Holiday Resort just before the entrance gate, which is waived if you visit the SANCCOB penguin rehabilitation centre inside the reserve (entrance R40 per adult; R25 per child; keep your receipt to show to the official at the reserve gate). A fun outing is to park at SANCCOB, do the hike, then take a tour of the facility with coffee and lunch afterwards at the Flying Penguin Café. SANCCOB is open from 9 am to 4 pm. Contact: 041 583 1830; sanccob.co.za Opening times: Vehicle access from 6 am to 9 pm; hikers can enter at any time. Maps of the reserve are available at Pine Lodge and at SANCCOB. Water? None available on the trail. If the Flying Penguin Café is open (it isn’t always), you can buy refreshments there.
TIP Bring your binoculars and bird guide. The reserve is one of the best birding spots in the Port Elizabeth area.
IT’S ALL IN THE BILL. The roseate tern might be widespread globally, but it only breeds on three islands off the coast of South Africa: Dyer Island near Gansbaai, and St Croix and Bird islands in Algoa Bay. The local population size is estimated at fewer than 250 mature individuals. Terns are hard to tell apart. The easiest way to identify a roseate is by its comparatively long and drooped bill.