Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Take a stroll through the Petrified Forest
IF AN overseas holiday is out of reach, but you’re amped to get out of town, then Port Edward is where you should be heading.
There are many fantastic activities to keep busy with as you rediscover the town, and one such hidden gem is the “Petrified Forest”.
On the South Coast, visitors can enjoy the beautiful and unspoilt beaches and explore the mysteries of the Petrified Forest while staying in nearby accommodation.
The forest is not a traditional forest that stands tall, but is rather underneath – as you walk, you see 80-million-year-old fossilised trees and deposits on the rocks.
An oblivious person walking along the beach would be completely unaware of what lies beneath their feet; therefore, a tour guide is essential to appreciate the history and sights from the Cretaceous period and volcanic remains.
Tour guide Lonwabo Dlamini, who is highly knowledgeable, takes visitors through the petrified trees, fossilised rocks, shells, animal and dinosaur fragments with great excitement, as if we were his first tour and not his 100th.
The meeting point for the tour is the parking of the Wild Waves Water Park and down a short path on to the beach where the two hour 2km tour starts.
Kick off your shoes, walk along the rocks and discover the tree and log formations, as well as beautiful examples of tightly coiled ammonites, echinoids (sea urchins) and bivalve shells, with the Indian Ocean on one side and a 10-metre cliff on the other.
Petrified Forest guided tours are R90 a person. Contact Bheki Nzimande on 063 338 8766. Tours are aligned to low tide, so times vary.
Tips
● Apply sunscreen.
● Wear slops, as you walk through water and would need to carry your shoes.
● Pack lightly if you pack anything at all – you only need water if it’s a hot day.
Hiking Tours
For hiking enthusiasts, there are options of 8km half-day tours or fullday tours that range between one day and eight days, where visitors will hike between 15km and 21kms a day.
All full-day tours start inland, hiking through the wilderness, and end on the beach with the Petrified Forest, and are R100 a person a day.
The four-day hike is 83kms and hikers will spend their nights in homestay villages and experience the hospitality of the locals.
R4 000 a person gets you catering in the villages, packed lunches and transport back to Wild Coast Sun.