Page 272 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

270  THE EAST C O AST AND INTERIOR

1 The Wild Coast The statue was unveiled by
Nelson Mandela in 1997 to mark
The appropriately named Wild Coast is an outdoor paradise the 20th anniversary of
with rugged cliffs, sheltered bays and dense coastal forests. Biko’s death.
The region roughly stretches 280 km (175 miles) from East The East London Museum,
London to the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve next to Port established in 1921, has an
interesting collection of natural
Edward in KwaZulu-Natal. Much of the land is communally and cultural exhibits, including
owned by the Xhosa, whose rural communities live off the fossils found in the region. There
land and adhere to age-old traditions. Spectacular beaches are also displays on maritime
front a section of the Indian Ocean that is notorious for history and on the Xhosa people.
its shipwrecks.
E East London Museum
319 Oxford St. Tel 043 743 0686.
Open 9:30am–4:30pm Mon–Fri
(to 4pm Fri). & 7 =
∑ elmuseum.za.org
Morgan Bay and Kei Mouth
Road map E4. Off the N2, 85 km
(53 miles) E of East London. * 400.
n Morgan Bay Hotel, Beach Rd, 043
841 1062. ∑ morganbayhotel.co.za
These coastal villages lie on a
stretch of coast renowned for its
scenery. At Kei Mouth, a pont
transports vehicles across the
East London’s Orient Beach is popular with bathers and surfers Great Kei River to the for mer
Xhosa “homeland” known as
Exploring the Wild Coast position as a river port was soon Transkei. The Morgan Bay
The resorts, reserves and villages recognized. Today, the second- Hotel adjoins the beach,
are accessible from the N2, and largest city in the Eastern and the Ntshala Lagoon
most of the roads are tarred, Cape is predominantly offers safe swim ming.
though some are not in great an industrial centre, Walks along the cliffs
condition, and potholes are a but it does have afford superb views
hazard. There is no public good swimming of the sea. Further
transport to speak of, but buses beaches, washed by south, at Double
ply the N2 and some of the the warm waters of Mouth, a spur
resorts arrange transfers. the Indian Ocean. overlooking the
Among several ocean and estuary
East London historic sites is the provides one of
Road map E5. * 720,000. ~ R347, statue of Black the finest views in the
12 km (7 miles) W of East London. Conscious ness leader whole country.
£ Station Rd. @ Oxford St. Steve Biko in front of Rock angling is a
East London was originally the City Hall. Born in popular sport Kei Mouth to
founded as a military camp on the Eastern Cape, he Mbashe River
the banks of the Buffalo River died under dubious circum- Road map E4. 95 km
in 1847, and its strategic stances while in police custody. (59 miles) E of East London.
The Kei River marks the start of
Coelacanth the Wild Coast. Twenty rivers
enter this 80-km (50-mile) long
In 1938 a boat fishing off the stretch, along which is strung a
Chalumna River mouth near East succession of old-fashioned
London netted an unusual fish. family hotels. Kei Mouth is only
The captain sent it to the East an hour’s drive from East
London Museum, whose curator, The coelacanth London, making it a popular
Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, weekend destination.
contacted Professor JLB Smith, ichthyol ogist at Rhodes University. Further north, Dwesa Nature
The fish belonged to a species believed to have become extinct Reserve extends along the
with the dinosaurs. The re ward offered for another Latimeria coast from the Nqabara River.
chalumnae was claimed only in 1952, when one was netted off The reserve is home to rare tree
the Comoros Islands. The coelacanth is steel-blue and covered in dassies and samango monkeys.
heavy scales; it is distinguished by its six primitive, limb-like fins. The grassland, coastline and
forest are all pristine. On the
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp388–9 and pp406–7

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