WHALE TRAIL NOVEMBER 2003

Whale Trail. 29th October 2003 to 3 November 2003
Cape Nature Conservation.
dehoopinfo@sdm.dorea.co.za
028 542 1126/7
Bill Corkill (082 556 0012)
Ruth Stasiak (041 585 8147) stasiak@telkomsa.net
Trevor Lloyd (083 966 0636)
Peter & Barbara Giddy (082 550 3174) pgiddy@hinet.co.za
Jap & Christine (Wasmuth) Coetzer (082 880 1453) japcoetzer@cybertrade.co.za
Peter and Judy Adams (082 600 6411) peter.adams@schenker.co.za
Gerald and Pat Scheepers (082 788 0522) marmow@telkomsa.net
Voetsac Hiking Club

Post hike reunion for Hikers and family alike will be held at Peter and Barbara (23 Mill Park Road) in the form of a Bring & Braai on Friday 14th November 18.00. We will swap stories and photos. Please call to confirm.

This trail was introduced to our running group over a year ago when Graham Richards came back from an epic trip in which he and his group had been snowed in the mountains of the Western Cape. We reserved our place in the hike over a year in advance. Bill spoke about the trail during our runs and Gerald and I immediately registered our interest in the form of a deposit. It was to be Gerald and Pat’s first long hike.

Our pre-hike meeting was held at the Westview sports club. During this meeting another group from the Voetsac club gave a report back on some of their experiences. One of the main problems seems to be that the directions to the start of the hike are not clear from the website or the hike map. Gerald and Pat were assigned to our Combi as were Jap and Christine. Barbara & I visited J & C to be sure that we knew where to go to collect them in the morning. By consensus we decided to leave at 05.00am on the Wednesday morning. This would give us plenty of time to find the hike and to do a bit of exploring in the reserve as well.


DAY ONE---PE to POTBERG

P & B left home at 04.45, filled with petrol, bought a coffee, collected G & P then J & C and we left PE at 05.30. Storms River was the first stop. We filled up with coffee and snacks. Then onto Mossell Bay where we had a filling Wimpy breakfast. Heidelberg (487Kays) was our last chance to make our final purchases of biltong and water. 3Kays out of town we turned left to Slangriver. Malgas (Malagas on the local signboards) is 45kays from Heidelberg on a dirt road. Alfred who has pulled the Pontoon across the Breede River for 20 years is accompanied by Gideon and William. They are employed by the Overberg Municipality. The R15.00 trip across takes about 7.5 minutes. 5Kays after Malgas we spotted 4 Cape Vulture. They were amoungst some sheep. We speculated that they were either interested in a dead sheep or in the afterbirth of the sheep that were lambing. The Dirt road to Potberg is fairly well signposted but should not be undertaken after dark. Our group was fortunate to be able to see the local farmers busy with their combine harvesters as they worked in their fields threshing and collecting the wheat. These farmers also farm Canola, Barley, Oats and Ostrich. I collected some Ostrich feathers for Christine but they were grey and scraggly and I don’t think that she was at all impressed. Another feature of the drive to Potberg was the Blue Crane and Bontebok with their young. The Bontebok in this area is the result of a farmer who realised that the buck were almost extinct with only 27 left. He set aside an area for them which has grown in size to the Bontebok game reserve. There are now over 1500 of the beautiful white faced buck in the area.

We checked in to the hiking hut after a brief chat to Eileen who is the secretary of the Potberg camp. Nomfundo (the trail manager) was away for a while. After we had settled in and claimed our bunks we set off for a drive across to the De Hoop entrance to the reserve. We were greeted with much friendliness at the gate. From here we visited the main camp and did the circular drive. Here we saw Cape Zebra and Bontebok. The camp is perfect for those wanting some bird watching in the on the river beds and swamps. We stopped off at the Tierhoek lookout. Just outside of the main reserve is the Buchubush lodge. (028 542 1602) We were later to learn that the Buchu Bush is part of the fynbos of the area. At the lodge we were warmly greeted by Bronwyn who offered us a welcome cup of tea. It appears that Eileen’s husband has created this lodge (a set of 5 thatched self-catering luxury chalets with meals also provided in the main building) mainly for overseas visitors. The chalets cost R615 per night and sleep up to 6 people. Back to Potberg hut where we met up with Bill, Ruth, Judy, Peter and Trevor. The 12th member of the team was unable to come due to a sudden illness. Bill declared that “Happy Hour was in future to be at 17.00 and that we were a half hour late for which we were reprimanded. A little later Louise came to give us some instructions and rules of the trail. We had opted for the porterage where a suitcase per couple would be collected at each of the huts every morning and transported to the next hut for us. We would be carrying lighter day packs. For a mere R200 per bag this turned out to be a real civilised way to hike as we had luxury meals and plenty to drink throughout the five day hike. That evening we lit our fire and decided that the next morning’s activities may not begin before 06.00 and that we would start the hike at about 07.30. Bill announced that they had already spotted whales at Wilderness. Barbara confirmed that she had also seen these whales but that I had been driving too fast. MMMM? Judy and Peter had to do some repacking of their suitcases. Trevor had had two interesting encounters with people that he knew, one at the station shop in Sedgefield where they had stopped for pies and the second on the Pontoon at Malgas. The last thing I remember that evening was looking up at the Potberg Mountain that we would be climbing the next morning.


DAY TWO------POTBERG TO CUPIDO”S KRAAL 15KM

I collected the combi from the parking lot to be able to load the stuff that we would not be taking on the hike. It was at this time that the oil light started to flash. This was very worrying to me and I added my reserve tin of oil to the engine but this did not help so Jap and I walked across to the office where we found Louise who offered to buy two more pints of oil for me. After much organising and last minute packing we left the hut at 08.00 and walked up into mist. Barbara had had blood pressure problems and was feeling extremely giddy (excuse the pun) as we began our ascent. However the mist kept us cool and we were able to do the first 4 kays in about 90minutes. This took us to the beacon of the Potberg Mountain which is at 611m above sea level and is the highest point of the hike. Here Gerald proved the use of a cell phone as he was able to organise his business from here. As we made this ascent we were treated to Egyptian geese and some of the most colourful fynbos that we have ever seen. It was after the short stop at the top that we experienced the earthquake. Jap had claimed the tail of the group and was found to be madly scrambling for his camera while Bill was flat on his back in the bushes. Apart from scratched legs; no injuries. By 11.00 the mist began to lift and we were able to appreciate some of the views as we walked along the ridged summit of the mountain. We were able to see the Breede River to the East and the valleys of the Potberg to the West. Unfortunately no vultures were spotted. For the record we noticed a bit of soil erosion taking place at one section just before the 8kay mark that needs a bit of management by the rangers. For a while I led the party & had to avoid a number of black and white spotted spiders the size of a R2 coin that seemed to lay their webs across the trail and camouflaged themselves to look like the seeds of the Luca Dendron protea of the area.

13.00 was a well timed lunch stop at the second crossing of the Melkhout River. Do not be tempted to stop at the first crossing as there is far less place for twelve to gather. And on a hot day you may want to have a cooling dip. At this stream we were well past the 10kay mark but the sign indicates 5.7kay to go. This was not true as we covered this last section of the hike in just 90mins. As we reached the top of the hill we saw the dam below us and shortly afterwards the huts. This was like a red flag to a bull as the front group set off at a dash to reach the hut. We arrived at Cupido’s Kraal hut at 15.00. It was here that we saw our first sighting of the Yellow Backed Widow. A stunningly black and yellow bird that habits the mountain fynbos. We are also able to identify the Cape Sugar Bird that seems to enjoy the nectar of the Pincushion Protea that are just outside the hut braai area. This hut consisted of 4 rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. I only found out later that the upstairs rooms do not have bunks and that those sleeping upstairs have mattresses on the floor. However the mattresses are most comfortable. Trevor and I went to the dam where we had a swim, wash and a paddle in the canoe. Today Peter had been bitten by a horsefly. I heard that it is the female horsefly that seeks out blood whereas the male looks for nectar.

By the time we returned to the hut we found that Bill had brought forward happy hour by an hour. “Purely medicinal purposes” he claimed. Bill, as leader, had set some rules for the hike. One of these was that we hike together as a group. This was foreign to myself as we had often attempted to do this with our own hikes but it had never worked out but so far today it seemed to work quite well. The other rule was that everyone must put in a report for the day’s activities during happy hour. This worked well tonight but not really again as the group left the written work to me. Ruth declared that the weather had been perfect for hiking. Jap suggested that a lean-to shelter would have been perfect at the lunch stop especially for a hot day as there is little or no shade on this hike and the Protea fields can be quite stifling hot. During happy hour each evening Judy would take out her embroidery to make slow but steady progress. I discovered the Luca Dendron is the yellow tipped leafy protea that covers the fields and gives them that yellow appearance. This evening we really appreciate the fact that there are hot showers. These are powered by gas. In addition we are able to have electric lights in the evening which are powered by solar panels that recharge the batteries. Even in the overcast weather we have sufficient light in the evenings. Tonight we discover that Jap is an expert fireman as he truly sets himself the evening task of lighting the fire and keeping it going both outside in the drizzle as well as in the kitchen where we are able to boil water in the big black kettle that is provided. We are all fairly exhausted and not much sounds are heard after 21.00.

DAY THREE-----CUPIDOSKRAAL HUT TO NOETSIES HUT 15KM

This morning I cannot contain myself and am up earlier than the agreed 06.00. It looks like it will be a great day for hiking again. Slightly overcast with a slight cool breeze coming from the east. We begin the day with a variety of breakfasts. Pat makes Gerald his obligatory two cups of really strong and well sugared coffee. Combine this with a double dose of oats so easy and some “tit bits” and he is set for the days walk. I prepare our lunch which will be rye vita, liver pate, celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, dates, sugared dried fruit and sweets. And washed down with a rare vintage of game. Boy it is going to be a rough day! We start the day with a photo session. And then are off! Just outside is a suspension bridge. This has to be negotiated one at a time to avoid falling into the muddy stream. We leave at 08.20 and are at the beacon at the top of this hill at 10.00.

This is not a tough walk and the views and sculptured sandstone should be enjoyed. We were able to identify rock sculptures of pigs, Egyptian pharaohs, elephants, tortoises, and various other shapes as we walked this very colourful and interesting pathway. As we were going up the hill we saw the van that collects the baggage on its way to the hut. And were completely fooled as to where the overnight hut was to be. Jap laid down his stick and ran down to them. It turned out that he wanted them to buy him some more film. They of course were more than wiling. It was the kind of friendly service that we had come to appreciate on this hike. Jap has two cameras and I am looking forward to see the results of all his efforts. A good place to stop for tea is at the beacon at the top of the Hammerkop mountain where there is a rocky area which provides a good backrest which I, for one, need. At about 09.15 the sun makes an attempt to warm us up through the clouds but not for long as the clouds win the morning. We make our tea stop at 10.00 where we get cell phone reception. Bill and Trevor try to contact home but to no avail as their respective spouses are either busy on the phone or out spending their money on “unnecessary luxuries”. Today there is a short climb but thereafter this could be a long day if we did not have the cloud cover. A good portion of the walk is along the ridge of the mountain where there is no shade and could be tough on a hot day. Apart from the first day there is no water or streams to replenish water bottles so an additional supply of water is essential. Just after 11.00 we begin the descent along the Zorro path. We are now able to see our cove where we know the huts to be situated.

Immediately after crossing the forest road we stop for lunch. By now the sun is in full force and most of us suffer from a bit of sunburn around the neck and face. A Black Eagle was spotted at our lunch spot. Today a few small snakes slithered across our path. They were definitely no threat to the hikers. We begin the final stretch to the huts at 13.00. This is an interesting part of the hike and should not be rushed. It is the first time we come across the Port Jackson Willow. However the bird life, fynbos, geckos, dung beetles and Tok Tokkies make the walk fun. Look out for the waterfall in the kloof. Once we see the huts we have a further 45mins before we amble into them. The steep downhill to the beach again claimed Bill and he had an involuntary sit down. Boots are changed for sandals and I am able to persuade Gerald (who hates anything that is not at bath temperature) to go for a swim. Peter is already in the waves. “Most unusual for him” says Judy. But we have the most enjoyable swim both in the waves and the lagoon. Trevor and co find a swimming pool above the little waterfall near to the hut. At this location there are two huts, one is for sleeping and the other for the kitchen and bathrooms. And there is a gas cooker to add to the luxury of the hut. A negative is that the rain leaks into the sleeping area for those on the mezzanine or the top bunk under the windows. The braai area is overlooking the rocks and this is an ideal place to make your mark on the trail with some flotsam and jetsam. Ropes and other paraphernalia are added by the various hiking groups to the braai structure. I am able to find a suitable plank to add to the roof. We also found a worn plank and wrote the Voetsack name on it for following groups to see that we were a force to be reckoned with! This was to be the forerunner of our trademark.

Some of the more energetic went exploring further and others brought forward the happy hour or just settled into a bit of reading. At this hut there is a huge amount of laundry taking place. Even Gerald is seen to be hanging up his (now clean) socks. The washing lines and bushes are littered with freshly smelling (in our opinion anyway) clothes. While Bill had his CD player and Mozart to relax by. Jap did his fire thing and those who still had fresh meat made use of the fire while others used it for an excuse to mellow out until way past sunset. The jeep track leading to the hut reveals the necessity for the hardiest vehicle available. There is no cell phone reception here, so even of you run out of beers you are unable to call for rescue. This evening we experience the best sunset of the hike as we sit and watch the ocean, clouds and sun merge into a burst of colour and fire. Today Bill has taken a great deal of strain on the down hills and is clearly in pain. He announces that this is his last five day hike. Judy proves to be the bird expert and points out the Grey-back Cisticola, the Familiar Chat, Orange Breasted Sunbird and we have also seen Rock Kestrel today.

DAY FOUR-----NOETSIE TO HAMMERKOP HUT. 8km

Jap and I are up early as usual. After a quick wash and coffee Jap spots the first whale of the day but we (mistakenly ) decide that this is a large rock. Barbara confirms the whale sighting a short while later. Essential equipment for this hike is a good pair of Binoculars, a pocket bird book as well as a camera. So our first whale sighting was at 06.30am at Noetsie on 01 November 2003. Today is also a special day as the Springboks play Samoa for a place in the semi-finals and after the Samoans gave the British team a tough game we are sceptical of the Springboks ability to win this one. The rest of the morning at the hut is one of shouts of glee and “thar she blows” as we spot whales, tails and flippers. The Southern Right Whale does not have a dorsal fin. The whale is the length of 10 elephants when fully grown and 6 at birth. Binoculars are essential for a full appreciation of the enormous size of these creatures. The morning starts off with rain and so we are huddled in doorways trying to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals which we are going to see so much of later on in the hike. The choppy seas make identification of the whales and their shapes that much more difficult.

By 09.00 the rain has stopped and we make our way back across the beach to the hill and we are soon hot from the walking and the sun. This section of the hike is for a lot of exploring and stopping. There is no rush to get to the hut and so whenever there is an interesting cove or cliff, time is taken to absorb the splendour. Also the cliff edges are dangerous so we walk slowly and take care. Today we see at various times a baboon scout near to our tea spot, Tok Tokkies (this is a scarab beetle that reacts to the tapping of a finger just behind it), Dung Beetles, rock Kestrel, gulls and crows, jelly fish and blue bottles, a chameleon (verkleurmannetjie), a few pairs of the endangered Oyster Catchers, Cape Robin, the Southern Boubou (with it’s delightful call), three Klipspringer that Barbara and Jap see whilst the rest of us see only the spoor. Gerald and I do some close up exploring of the cliff while Trevor shows his cliff climbing ability as he descends to a huge cave below. Today we make a tea stop just as the Springbok rugby team is beating the Samoans something like 60 to 10.

We reach Stilgat at 12.00 and descend the chain ladder leaving our packs at the top. Fortunately Trevor has his torch with him and we are able to explore the caves. Here we see what we think are bats, stalactites (top) and stalagmites (bottom) and strange looking caterpillars. The pools have the largest blue bottles that I have ever seen but Trevor braves these and the cold water for a swim. Jap is at the top and responds to a “dare”. He clambers down the ladder rushes across to the pool, persuades Trevor to get back into the water then promptly grabs poor Trevor’s clothes. So to our great delight and amoungst much laughter Trevor has to climb the ladder dressed only in a pair of bright yellow jocks. I find a well worn plank and a mess of rope. These I carry on to the Hammerkop hut so that we can add our mark to this hut. At Stilgat we begin our whale spotting. We also see what is known as tail lobbing. A whale quite a distance out to sea is slapping its tail repeatedly onto the water surface and then after a count of 5 we are able to hear the slapping sound. It seems that this may be a form of communication and used by whales to stun the fish. Many of the whales we see seem to be in pairs. We think that it is the mother and calf. After a short beach walk we reach Hammerkop hut. It is a beautiful hut overlooking the beach where swimming is not really possible. And as we have come to expect when we get there at about 16.00 our bags are waiting for us. A huge disappointment is that there is not hot water. We think that this is due to a lack of water pressure. Jap starts the fire and Bill takes an early dose of medicine. While sitting at the fireside we see three whales giving us a demonstration of tail and flipper slapping. These whales are very close to the shore, just off the breakers. Jap does the fire thing and he also brands the plank that I carried with the Voetsac Hiking club’s name. This is mounted at the entrance to the hut. Today was a long day. Not in distance but it was our first full day of sunshine and we did a lot of exploring so everyone is pretty clapped and shortly after sunset at 20.00 most of us are in bed.

DAY FOUR------HAMMERKOP TO VAALKRAANS HUT 8kays

This morning I walk up the jeep track for about a half hour to see if I can get cell phone reception. It is a tough walk but eventually I am able to SMS my family and the running group who are in Athens to run the Greek marathon. Bill is worried about the heat and the long beach trek that is ahead of us so we set off at 07.30 this morning. Some of us are barefoot, others in sandals or boots. I am not sure which was the best choice but I enjoyed the sand and water on my feet. We have barely started when Bill is caught by a wave and swept off his feet. And loses his stick (given to him by Round Table). Fortunately Judy finds it washed up a little further on. Today we see about 18 pairs of Oyster Catchers. We also see plenty of Terns, Gulls and Sandpipers.

This morning we hike beaches and pathways for about three hours and come to a sign with an apple. We presume that this is the location of the blowholes. I have a swim here but it is not really pleasant as there is only a shelf but helps to cool down on a hot day. This becomes a tea stop but most spectacular of all are the two blow holes that can be seen from the rocks above. The ocean rushes into these two small holes in the rock shelf creating the most entertaining water showers. Ruth is at her very best with cries of Yahooo, Oh Wow, who pee? And other exclamations of delight. After an hour we press on. I have retrieved myself another piece of rope and Trevor rescues a buoy and later on a soft children’s ball. We reach this our last hut at 13.00. This hut is situated on the edge if the cliff and it appears that we are on an overhang with very little between us and the ocean. Next to the hut is a hole. If you are prepared to stick your head into the hole you can see the sea below. Ruth discovers this phenomenon and (to the amusement of those parking out in the kitchen) calls all to marvel at this wonder of nature. Today we estimate that we have probably seen between 20 to 30 whales since Noetsie. This evening is filled with chatter and laughter. The last of the alcohol is consumed with the evening snacks which include Pringles, p-nut and raisins, smoked oysters, mature cheddar on biscuits and avocado on rye. Who says that porterage of the bags is not the way to go? This hut also has an upstairs but Peter is unable to fit through the narrow stairway so they usurp the bunks of Jap and Christine who move mattresses to the kitchen. The buoy that Trevor has carried is roped to a beam in the kitchen roof and the soft ball is adorned with our names and Jap makes a sling and this too is mounted above the kitchen counter. The wind is howling outside so there is not too much objection to those wanting to remain indoors for the afternoon after a welcome hot shower with a bit of reading and general chit chat. A problem with this hut is the flies. They are everywhere and the hut needs mesh on the windows and doors as well as fly strips or liberal quantities of Doom. Fortunately they are not evening creatures and we have a peaceful evening.

DAY FIVE------VAALRAKNS TO KOPPIE ALLEEN. 7kays

It is our last day. By now it seems that the whole team is used to an early start so by 07.00 we are ready to go. The hike today is mainly along pathways. There is a beach walk but is seems that there is not much enthusiasm for anymore soft sand walking. It is only a 3 hour walk even including some stops but we must be at the finish by 12.00 to catch the bus back to Potberg camp. The early morning excitement is a baboon spider lurking at the entrance to the hut. It is eventually left alone to carry on with its life. Shortly after we start we see Klipspringer spoor on the trail. Barbara leads the group and is able to spot the pair as they check us out from about 100meters away. Today we also see whale breaching. This is the whale jumping out of the water completely. We have also seen some “spy hopping” where the whale sticks his head out of the water to “check the scene out”.

The highlight of today’s hike is finding some whale bones on a beach below. We loosen a whole lot of them, carry them up to the trail and make ourselves a whale spinal cord adorned with rib bones. If left alone by other hikers this will make a very good photo spot. We get to Koppie Alleen by 10.00. We seem to have missed a turn somewhere and end up at the training facility so walk down to the information centre where other tourists have gathered to do some whale watching. We have ourselves a bit of lunch and while waiting for the bus we see about 12 whales passing by. The bus is a school bus from the local Ouplaas primary school which has only 25 pupils. The bus is driven by Adele Du Toit who is a “mom”, a farmer and runs a B & B. The 35km drive back to Potberg takes an hour. Adele provides a cooler box with ice cold beverages. At the gate to De Hoop Barbara and Pat purchase a badge. At Potberg we meet Nomfundo who is very responsive to written report back that I have prepared.

POTBERG TO PE ---550km

On the advice of the mechanic back in PE we check the engine to see if we can see oil which we can and so decide that despite the flashing oil light we will press on back home. Trevor is less fortunate and has a flat tyre. We decide to drive back in convoy and this reassures both of us. Before leaving Potberg we drive back to the parking area to see if there was any oil leakage where the combi was parked. There was none but what we did find was Gerald’s backpack lying next to the hut. We bid Peter and Judy goodbye as they are carrying on for a week’s holiday and tour of the wine-lands of the Western Cape. We decide to take the pontoon route through Malgas again. Here we receive an SMS that all the runners have finished the Greek marathon. Tracey says it is the toughest in her life. At Heidelberg we stop at the same little shop where we purchased the most delicious biltong and Gerald buys a memento. The drive back to PE is great in that it is uneventful. We are all home by 21.30.


Peter Giddy
5 November 2003