TRAVELBUCKET

TRAVELBUCKET

Tag Archive: Wilderness

WANDERING IN WILDERNESS

When you visit the beautiful village of Wilderness, that lies in the heart of the Garden Route, you will experience rivers, lakes, beaches and forest, all within easy reach of each other.  With many accommodations to choose from this is a perfect base to explore from.   You can spoil yourself with some good eateries, adventure activities (kloofing, abseiling, paragliding), excellent farmers markets and beach strolls.  So, why NOT visit Wilderness? This is South Africa’s own lakes district.  There are various bird hides along the lakes system that you can, well, hide in, to watch some bird life along the lakes.  Find Gullilule and Malachite Bird hides for some splendid bird activity along the lakes. The chances are good that you will be the only person in the hide.  By far one of the best kept secrets still in the Garden Route! Stop at Dolphin’s Point and enjoy the view both… Read more >

CATCH OF THE DAY

This holiday we were exploring our own region to see whether there are still spots that we have not visited before and to my astonishment we did found such a place – Gullilule bird hide near the Fairy Knowe Hotel! The Pied King Fishers is one of my favourite birds as they have magnificent hovering and diving skills.  With their black and white plumage, they are not as colourful as the rest of the King Fisher family, but still very pretty. On arrival we found a pair perched on some dry branches right in front of the hide and shortly thereafter they started their display for us.  It was time to get out the camera and start clicking! First their super hovering skills were displayed, then with perfect timing a quick dive into the water was executed (alas too quick for me to get the shot) and when it surfaced… Read more >

BROWN HOODED KINGFISHER TRAIL

Situated on a gravel road close to Island Lake, Wilderness this is an easy to medium rated walk (depending on the water levels) which even the small ones in the family will be able to cope with.  The entrance to the walk reminds me about stories of fairies and gnomes, but decide for yourself. We tackled the route in peak summer and even then the lush 2.5 km (5 km return) trail, which follows the course of the Duiwe River, provided enough shade for a nice walk.  The entire route is clearly marked with blue markers and is easy to follow. There are a few river crossings which normally are very easy with no need to take your shoes off, but do take care over wet slippery rocks when traversing the streams – unless you want to cool down; which is also not a bad idea! While walking be alert… Read more >

MALACHITE BIRD HIDE

If you follow the sturdy wooden walkway deep into the reeds you will stumble upon this tranquil birding spot on the northern shore of Langvlei in the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park.  Langvlei is part of the sensitive lakes system and is connected via the Touw river to Rondevlei and Island lake. Most of the times when you go there you will have the whole hide to yourself.  Put up your feet, relax and enjoy the view.  If you are a keen bird photographer this is a good spot to catch water birds early morning or in the late afternoon.  Remember to check water levels beforehand as this will determine how close the birds will get to the hide. On our last visit we were lucky enough to spot some adorable Red-knobbed Coot hatchlings learning the ropes while their doting mothers keep a close eye on them…. Read more >

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