Tsitsikamma National Park on Garden Route

 I walked across the Syormsrivier Bridge to Total Petroport on the N2 to find out hiking options. Unfortunately, the so called information center is just a commercial tour vendor and the place opens one hour later. So I asked a person in a Tsitsikamma National Park vehicle for advice. The park ranger was very kind to tell me two free trails to hike near Stormsrivier Village, and dropped me at the first trailhead. The 2-km Goesa Walk traverses through the indigenous forest and descends to a stream bordered by Giant Tree Ferns, before ascending back to the start point. Sections are along wooden board walks. I felt this trail was a little boring, so I swung by Tsitsikamma Backpackers Lodge to find other travelers to taxi-pool to other sites. Nevertheless, no travelers were around, yet the staff told me about 1.8-km Fynbos Trail that meanders through fynbos, and offers some lovely views of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. I went but gave up the overgrowth trail. 

I then went back to the 2nd Trail recommended by the park ranger, Plaatbos Walks. I took the yellow trail to a picnic area next to the old Storms River Bridge, then came back partially on the upper red trail. While on the yellow trail, I chatted with two cyclists, saw the one canary trip truck and a canoe trip truck. 

Then I had a lunch break in the Village, and then ventured to a high shoulder of the N2 highway via a gravel road (passing a graveyard). Anyway, I managed to walk along the N2 highway for 3 miles to get back to my hostel. 

I did not manage to visit the Storms River mouth spanned by a suspension bridge, since the views didn’t look better than my recent costal hikes.