Tsitsikamma

Photo via Tsitsikamma.info

Tsitsikamma Gateway Project: The latest Garden Route stopover

The Eastern Gateway Project precinct is near completion, providing a stopover on the Garden Route near the biggest tree in the Tsitsikamma National Park.

Tsitsikamma

Photo via Tsitsikamma.info

The Eastern Gateway Project precinct in Tsitsikamma is almost complete. This festive season, visitors driving along the Garden Route can stop over for a coffee near the biggest tree along this famous stretch of road. 

Tsitsikamma Gateway Project

Project Manager for Infrastructure Projects in the Garden Route National Park says:

“We are excited and looking forward to completing the project before the festive rush. The café will be opened in December and the curio shop is also underway.”

All that’s left for contractors to do is to finalise the completion of the parking area.

It is a R14.4 million infrastructure project, completed in two phases. In the first phase, bulk services were installed, including water and electricity, which was given the green light after a Basic Environmental Assessment and an Environmental Authorisation. In the second phase, a precinct was created, consisting of a coffee shop and a curio shop. Local residents were involved in the construction, by Simunye Developers in the Eastern Cape.

The National Department of Tourism funded the project. The entrance gate to the park completed earlier this year provides better entry and exit to the Park’s Storms River Rest Camp.

The Park’s restaurant was burnt in a fire in 2016, resulting in a temporary move. Architectural designs for the restaurant were completed and finances sourced from the Infrastructure Grant according to SANParks’ Curt Jones who manages infrastructure and special projects.

“The project has had to receive approval from the National Treasury first. We are now gearing internal process to prepare for the advertisement of the tender in early 2020,” says Jones.

This is the biggest tourism infrastructure in the Eastern Cape, designed to bring about an increase in tourism in the area. The Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) has been in the process of changing.

“SANParks is changing the way people experience nature,” says Park Manager of the GRNP, Paddy Gordon.

The land of big trees

Image via Flickr: South African Tourism

The ‘Big Tree’ is an Outeniqua Yellowwood, the biggest in Tsitsikamma. The tree is estimated to be about 1000 years old, standing 40 meters high, with 9 meters in diameter. The project is situated en route to it, just off the N2 national road. This positions it as an ideal stopover for travellers heading between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. 

Yellowwood trees in the Garden Route National Park are estimated to have been living for more than eight centuries. The Outeniqua yellowwood tree in Woodville, the Wilderness section of the Park, is massive, standing tall at 31 meters. It is believed to be over 800 years old.

The 800-year-old Diepwalle Big tree survived harvesting by the woodcutters a few decades ago, who then used unsustainable methods.

Tsitsikamma mountains are believed to be between 900 and 1600 meters high. Common trees in the region include milkwood, stinkwood, Cape blackwood, forest elder, white pear and candlewood.

There is also fynbos, indigenous plants, that grow in the area, stretching down to the ocean waters. 

Tsitsikamma National Park

Image by ericfalchier from Pixabay

The Tsitsikamma National Park is one of South Africa’s renowned parks to visit. Here, visitors can partake in a variety of activities and adventures, whether that be in the waters or in the forests, or both. Zipline between the trees, cycle along the pathways, hike the trails, cross the suspension or kayak down the waters. 

This national park stretches from the coast into forests, with rivers and reefs in between. You’ll be able to spot dolphins and Southern Right Whales, who visit these waters in the season to breed.

There are two rest camps in the park and two famous trails to hike along: the Otter Trail and the Dolphin Trail. 

Tsitsikamma National Park is a great destination to fully immerse yourself in nature. With the Gateway Project well underway, this will only grow as a destination for travellers.