Our Summer Road trip was planned around joining a group of 19 of us for this epic 5 day hike on the Wild Coast of South Africa. Read my previous Summer Road Trip post to catchup on the trip thus far.
Transfer from Coffee Bay to Port St Johns
I’ll catch you up on the transfer real quick!
Our transfer day from Coffee Bay to Port St Johns started late. We were told to meet at the Ocean View Hotel at 12.00 (where our cars would be kept safe for the duration of the hike) and then leave by 12.30pm to get on the road headed for Port St Johns. Little did we know that our drivers were on “Transkei time” (Transkei is the original name for this area during the apartheid era - again, see my previous posts)
Transkei time means they could arrive any time after the allotted time with no indication of an end time. Basically, anytime that afternoon.
We sat around on the grass of the hotel as 1.30pm passed and then 
I’m so glad we did! Instead of heading down the main beach we turned left and rounded a little rocky outcrop. The next beach that opened up before is was stunning. It felt like arriving on the island of that old movie “The Beach”.
Little did we know that this beach and its surrounding hills and cliffs were a good indication of what was to come over the next 5 days.
Eventually at 2.30pm our bus arrived and we piled in for the drive. The only way to Port St Johns is back to the N2 highway inland (an hour and a half away) then on to Umthatha (the capital of the old Transkei homeland) and then head back to the coast for another hour and half.
Our cars parked behind a “fence” for safe keeping at the Ocean View Hotel
piled into the bus for our transfer
The roads are potholed and frequented by livestock so it was slow! To top it off, after we passed through Umthatha a thick fog had rolled in and our driver seemed tired after a weekend of New Years partying. His driving was decent, but I can’t say the same for the other motorists. At 2 different times we could have died in head on collisions but our driver managed to get us out of trouble.
We arrived in Port St Johns frazzled and in need of food (and a stiff drink). Jungle Monkey Backpackers was our home for the night and we settled into our rooms and dorms quickly.
Pizza, drinks, card games and then off to bed with a little snoring from fellow hikers thrown in for good measure and our prehike night was complete.
my son Seth sitting between the front seats of the mini bus because we didn’t all fit
The next morning we were packed and ready to go by 7am and the mosquitoes were still out in full force 😳. We only had to carry our clothing, toiletries and lunch snacks as accommodation, bedding, breakfast and dinner would be made by the local Mamas in each village during the hike. We only had a short drive to the start of the hike.
A route map of Day 1
Day 1 : Port St Johns to Madakeni Village
We started at Second Beach and had a quick briefing of the day’s route.
We got off to a quick start with the group spreading out on the path with our two guides for the next 5 days, Tom and Tim who happened to be twins.
We crossed a bridge over our first river and after a short piece of dirt road turned through dense trees onto a narrow footpath.
The first narrow path
Life guards following us from Second beach to Third Beach
Flame Lilies
The next 4 kilometres wound along the coastline with spectacular views as we headed for Third beach where we stopped for our first break. A few folk ran into the sea for a quick swim while the rest of us hung out and rested our feet. Carrying a pack takes some getting used to.
Then it was a long beach walk amongst the local heard of cows hanging out on the sand. 
Heart Break Hill up ahead
We had been warned about “Heart Break Hill”. We were told it was the steepest and highest hill of the entire 5-day Hike and now it was time to take it on.
The bottom of the hill was gentle, but it quickly ramped up in steepness and the slippery mud made the going even tougher. The Wild Coast has Summer rainfall, most afternoons it pours and soaks the mud all over again making a slippery sludge.
We tackled Heart Break Hill, stopping regularly to catch our breath and find a spot of shade from the baking heat of the sun. It was only mid-morning but it felt like midday.
Eventually, all at the top, we plonked down in the long grass for water and a well earned snack.
And then we were off for a few kilometres walking the dirt roads of Heart Break village. Walking on roads is not the ideal terrain for hiking but it was a good cultural experience for us and exposed us to the first close up rural village of our trip so far.
The road the twisted down for a couple kilometres towards the uMgazi river and also where we could see tbe UMgazi resort on the hill overlooking the long beach.
We took off our shoes waded across the uMgazi river at thigh-height towards the white sands.
The Beach at UMgazi was our lunch spot unfortunately the wind came up and ruined those plans. So after a very refreshing swim we gather our stuff and marched the next few kilometres down the beach until we found a wind free corner to to enjoy our lunch without crunching on sand.
Refuelled we got our shoes on and climbed the rocks to get to the path ahead. The only problem was the high tide which meant we could only navigate along a very narrow path. And then end of that path ended in quite a dangerous climb down while clinging to grass on the cliff edge and trying to find fort holds below without being able to see! Tom and Tim made sure we all got down safely and then YES we stopped for another swim.
Our group was full of ocean loving water people and teens who have grown up in the ocean, so swimming at every chance was to be expected.
Another long beach walk lay ahead and by now
We straggled at the back and talked about our options if he couldn’t continue. The rules of hiking are that you all Hike as fast as the slowest hiker (we were in quite a fast group) and no one gets left behind. But we didn’t want to hold up the group and Gs ankle was just getting too sore to walk any faster.
We reached the big river crossing of the Umngazana River. Tom had already called the boat by the time G and I arrived and the first group was just getting to the other side.
Valmer and I took a chance and jumped on the rowboat with Goodman and his boat named “No Good” while G and my son Seth took the motor boat across.
We all got dropped off at the jetty, got our shoes on and headed up the steep steps for the last 2 kilometres of hiking on the hillside towards Madakeni Village.
Maggie tried to get a close up of the sweet donkeys that seem to dot the paths.
The 2 kilometres felt endless but we eventually found the small path that headed up the hill towards our “home” for the night.
We arrived to 2 rondawels (round huts) and a small cluster of sparsely furnished buildings. The rondawel held a double bed and 5 single beds each with a sheet, quilt and pillow. Unfortunately there was no running water or flushing toilets and the electricity had been switched off. We all headed outside and spread out our towels on the grass to spend the rest of the afternoon playing cards and talking rubbish.
Dinner was better than expected! We gobbled down the Chicken casserole, roast potatoes, beat root salad and cooked spinach as if we were ravenous. Tom also arranged a drinks order from the local Shabeen (bush bar) and when I asked for a coke he said it would be around R27.00, but when I asked how big it was he said it was 2 litres!!!!
We were asleep by 8pm, our bodies confused by the long day hiking, the sun setting earlier than back at home, and the lack of electricity to keep us busy.
We were introduced to Xhosa bread which is baked in a large pot and TASTES DELICIOUS!!!! I’d love to find the recipe because it became a staple each day of the hike.
Every morning we enjoyed “slap pap” similar to a smooth porridge with butter and sugar, and Xhosa bread with jam or peanut butter. I’m just a little bit addicted to this type of food, but it doesn’t agree with me 😂 or my waistline.
I hope you enjoyed Day 1 of the Wild Coast Hike with us! Watch this space for the next 4 days of the hike ahead.
Where are you from and what are the good hike to do in your area??