Take a saunter along sunshine route
OUT-OF-TOWNERS and locals can discover the beauty of the Bay thanks to the release of the 19th Ibhayi Sunshine Saunter map.
Developed in 1998 as an arts and craft route by Jan Lodge and the late Joy Lewis, the Ibhayi Sunshine Saunter has grown over the years to become a picturesque circular route along the Western side of the bay.
You can drive through beautiful green hills or walk and explore the rugged coast and beaches from Cape Recife to Blue Horizon Bay, stop for a picnic and watch the dolphins at play.
The map essentially offers a rural countryside meander at your own pace, all within a 45-minute radius of the city centre.
Each year, Lodge and her team put together a map, available from tourism offices and hotels around Port Elizabeth, with a comprehensive list of things to do, places to eat and even where to sleep over.
The map covers a vast array of places to visit and things to do such as kiddies’ activities, 4x4 trails, game parks, restaurants, accommodation, an art gallery, diving, horse-riding, a plant nursery and more.
It provides an ideal morning or day trip for anyone wanting to escape the city.
Lodge says support from the broader community has led to the successful growth of the saunter over the years.
“The route was started 19 years ago by the late Joy Lewis and myself, but now I do it with my partner, Deline Passet. The initial idea was an arts an crafts route, but the more people we spoke to the more places of interest came on board and it became a saunter.
“We first talked to the few businesses we knew and everyone was enthusiastic – they told us to approach other places and it just grew.”
She said additions to this year’s trail included the Happy Huts Playground and Fish Finder restaurant as well as newer accommodation places such as Little Louisa, Isango Gate, Summerstrand Hotel and Murphy’s Guesthouse.
The area covered also has a historical element, with sites such as the hunting lodge of Captain Francis Evatt, the Lovemore farm and shipwreck stories of the Sacramento and the Zeerpad. The route also forms part of the Herald Cycle and the Ironman competition.