There are not a lot of swing bridges left in this modern world of ours, but it always brings some nostalgia for me. One of them are the one that spans the churning waters of the Storms River in the Tsitsikamma National Park.
If you start at the restaurant/shop follow the 900 metre wooden walk under the indigenous tree canopy to the mouth. It is a fairly easy walk, but when reaching the end of the walkway you will need to descend some steep steps into the gorge to get to the bridge ……. just remember you have to return the same way …… so if the knees are not in that brilliant state anymore take note!
After you crossed the 77 metre long bridge that hangs just seven metres above the river one arrives at a small pebbled cove which is protected from the elements and is a nice place to rest your feet before the return trip.
The original bridge was built in 1969, but was later replaced with a newer version and has become a popular place for love locks. I always wonder how many locks the authorities will allow on the bridge before it becomes too heavy and unsafe to allow more locks to be added to the bridge. Compared to some famous love lock bridges of the world such as Pontes de Art Bridge, Paris; Hohenzollern Bridge, Cologne and Mala Sterna, Prague, our own bridge at Storms River is still at the beginning of its life cycle. If you feel like it, hook yours onto the side and go and check it out again in a couple of years’ time.