The Strandloper Trail has been described as "the one trail where you
can savour the feeling of solitude on an unspoilt beach and down a bar lunch in a cosy pub
barely an hour later." The trail is almost 60 km in total and takes 4 days to
complete. It is clearly marked with little painted yellow footprints and can be walked throughout
the year. The best weather is between February and May, which have warm windless days.
The Trail Manager will issue you with a tide table to assist you in planning your river
crossings at the Quko, Kwenxura, Kwelera and Gonubie rivers. Include strong watertight
bags and rope in your pack.
There are braai places, water and ablution facilities at all
huts, except at Cape Henderson which is situated in a State Forest and no fires are
permitted. This is a one way trail, so shuttling is required - the Reservations Manager will
supply you with a list of shuttle services.
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Day 1: Kei Mouth to Double Mouth
The trail starts at the Strandloper Ecotourism Centre at Cape Morgan, where you will be
met by the Trail Manager and issued with a permit. Highlights of today include walks in
coastal forests, a visit to the Kei Mouth Shell Museum, panoramic views from the Platforms
on Signal Hill, the Ferry, a walk down Lovers' Lane, sandy beaches and rocky ledges.
Walking towards Morgan's Bay, the Trail continues over fairly rough grass, boulders and
sandy beaches. The awesome Morgan Bay Cliff rises out of the sea to a height of 57 metres
and presents an ideal spot to observe a literal bird's eye view of sea birds and, if
you're lucky, bottlenose dolphins. While today's walk is relatively short, the crossing
over the headland is quite challenging and there are plenty opportunities to fish, collect
shells and to wander and wonder!
Overnight site: Hikers' Cabin, Double Mouth Nature Reserve
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Day 2: Double Mouth to Cape Henderson
Round the headland to the Quko estuary, the trail makes its way to the famous
Treasure or Bead Beach. After passing Black Rock (the graveyard of many ships) and a
beautiful shell beach, hikers pass the village of Haga Haga, Pullen's Bay and a long
stretch of rocky beach.
Delicious pub lunches are available en-route and shops allow one to stock up on supplies.
Overnight site: Cape Henderson Hut (Nature reserve) - No fires allowed.
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Day 3: Cape Henderson to Beacon Valley
Today's walk covers kilometres of beach backed by sand dunes - you will walk past four
beautiful estuaries, all of which may or may not be open to the sea. High dunes are the
Strandloper middens, indicating the presence of hunter gatherers (Khoi or Gonaqua) who
visited the coast to harvest mussels and other shellfish over 400 years ago. Other
highlights include bird watching sites, fishing spots and swimming beaches.
Overnight site: Settlers Cottages, Beacon Valley.
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Day 4: Beacon Valley to Gonubie
Most of today's walk is along rocky coastline with narrow intertidal beaches. The
hamlets of Glen Muir, Queensberry Bay and Glen Eden are tucked away en-route to
Glengariff. This area offers safe bathing and wonderful surfing. After passing the Bulura
River, a grass track leads to sandy beach before the mouth of the Kwelera River. After a bumpy
shuffle with Gonubie in sight, the river mouth beckons and a last swim brings you home!
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