Quaint riverside splendour

Port Alfred is only 143km from East London and offers visitors a great weekend getaway, writes Keshina Thaver

MY FRIEND Tammy and I have cottoned on to a good thing - while our partners go off and play - we go exploring.

Last weekend we took a whirlwind trip down to the beautiful town of Port Alfred. Our partners were heading off to Port Elizabeth so we decided to go in two cars and stay in Port Alfred for the day.

It was a great idea: not only did we spend a lot of money buying lovely things and meeting the friendly locals, but we got to mission around in a way that most people don't - at leisure.

I'm a great wanderer, I
often head off on my own and disappear for hours, to the distress of my friends and family, but you discover such lovely things when you're in a different town.

Anyway, I've wanted to
explore Port Alfred for ages but have always felt a bit intimidated.

Well, you know, marina, yachts, mansions ... By the looks of the place you'd honestly think it's a millionaires' playground, but in reality it's a cosy little town where all the shops close at 1pm over the weekend and everyone heads off to the pub afterwards.

And it isn't that far from East London either; just 143km down the R72 actually, and it's a pretty drive with loads of roadside attractions.

The great thing about Port Alfred is that you can't
really get lost, the town is quite small and there are lots of lovely eating places.

Besides the hotels there are also backpackers and B&Bs you can stay in.

We were only there for the day but you can contact Port Alfred tourism on 046 624 1235 for details.

The town is situated on the Kowie River, which makes it ideal for water-sport enthusiasts, not to mention the glorious beaches for swimming and surfing.

You can go boating, water-skiing, canoeing, boardsailing or diving. There are
pleasure boats available for hire; and surf, river and rock angling. Deep-sea and game fishing from charter boats is also on offer.

If you're historically minded, visit the Settlers Methodist Church, which was built in 1827 and is 2km from the town. Some of the 1820 Settlers are buried in its cemetery.

The original sneezewood bollard is opposite Wharf Street and was used to tie up sailing ships in Port Alfred when it was a buzzing harbour in the 1800s.

The monolith near the Old Mill marks the ford where the Settlers' wagons crossed in 1820 and it is on the west bank of the Kowie River.

The Kowie Museum in Pascoe Street on the east bank has cards relating to the Settlers for genealogists; and the Railway Station is a national monument which is now in commercial use.

Nature lovers will have a ball. Hikes, walks and horse trails are on offer.

The Kowie Hiking Trail meanders along the banks of the Kowie River and is rich in birdlife - and apparently the fish eagles are well worth spotting.

The Kowie Nature Reserve is just outside Port Alfred off the Bathurst Road. You can take an 8km riverside walk through scenic valley bushveld but make sure you keep an eye out for the blue duikers and Cape clawless otter.

They also have picnic and braai facilities.

The Waters Meeting Nature Reserve lies in the river horseshoe bend and you can enjoy scenic views on the one-day hiking trail around the Sarel Hayward Dam. There are fish eagles in the area too.

The Kap River Nature Reserve is 28km from Port Alfred and lies between Kap River and Great Fish River.

This is situated in a large sub-tropical forest area which has a 7km nature trail to the Kap River forest and the Fish River flood plain. They also offer a canoe trail.

Game includes zebra, red hartebeest, impala, duiker and bushbuck and there are over 300 species of birds including the African finfoot, heron, martial eagle, hornbill, crowned eagle and fish eagle.

Accommodation is available in the form of bush camps and a guest lodge with swimming pool, as well as a fishermen's cottage on the river.

Unfortunately, we weren't in town long enough to enjoy all of these things, but we did shop.

Port Alfred has a great riverside shopping area that's small enough to walk around with countless quaint little shops for you to get lost in.

We also took a quick drive to Bathurst aided by Tammy's mom, Aunty Linda, who took us to the most gorgeous little place called the Prancing Donkey - a haven for fairy lovers.

Bathurst is only 15km from Port Alfred and is also a quaint little settler village.

Oh and look out for the big pineapple as you drive along.

Bathurst is home to what is rumoured to be South Africa's oldest pub, the Pig and Whistle, and it's such a cosy little spot - definitely worth a stop for a drink.

Eventually we ended up on the beachfront at the Snorting Grunter pub where the locals are extremely friendly and are up for some good fun.

Be careful, though, if you get to know Uncle Mike (the owner). He'll ply you with all manner of delicious concoctions!

Roadside attractions

THE great thing about the R72 is that there are so many lovely little spots to stop off at and enjoy.

First up is Ivan's family restaurant at Kidd's Beach. Good food, friendly service and a great view.

Next up is Bhirha Crafts, which is roughly 110km from East London. Your interest should be piqued by the "Can you smell the pies?" signs as you get closer, so the obvious thing to suggest is ... the pies.

Bhirha Crafts has the most awesome array of handmade crafts on offer - everything from wool rugs to wooden ornaments, so have a good scratch around.

Thereafter is the Port Alfred cheese factory, which comes highly recommended by a number of people.

If you love cheese, you have to stop there, as it's only 6km from Port Alfred.