The (second) longest bridge in South Africa

My normal route through the Karoo Heartland of the Eastern Cape when heading up north is over Cradock and Steynsburg towards Venterstad and then a short left to the Gariep Dam before hitting the N1 for Bloemfontein.  Before my last trip to Johannesburg I had a closer look at the Geocaching map to see if there are any possible alternative routes that will take me to cache locations I haven't been to.  A couple of green dots around the town of Bethulie in the southern Free State caught my eye.  It wouldn't necessarily mean more distance, just a right at Venterstad and a loop via Bethulie towards the N1.  The one thing that really caught my attention though was that one of the caches was called The Longest one in SA. Longest what?  It turns out that the (now second) longest bridge in South Africa spans the the Orange River, connecting the Eastern Cape and Free State, just outside the town. 

The arched D.H. Steyn Bridge (also called the Hennie Steyn Bridge) is 1,152 km long and 51,5 meter high above the river below.  The bridge was built in the 1970's and was named after the then   chairperson of the Orange River Development Project Advisory Council.

Another unique aspect of it is that the bridge isn't just a road bridge but also acts as railway bridge with the railway line running parallel to the road.  Approaching it from the Eastern Cape side is probably best with a great view of the bridge, but I have to be honest, standing on the bridge itself it doesn't look very spectacular. The view to both side are beautiful though (in a Karoo way) and just the fact that I can say I have visited the (second) longest bridge in South Africa made the detour worth while.   Just a pity that more people don't venture off the beaten track to come and discover places like this.  

Oh yes, and I did find the Geocache in case you were wondering.

UPDATE: Thanks to Grant Stater for the information in the comments.  The longest bridge in South Africa is now along the John Ross Parkway along the N2 near Rochards Bay in KZN.  A 1.2km long bridge spanning the Enseleni floodplain and Nsezi River was completed in December 2009 at a cost of R270-million and is now the longest bridge in the country.

Carlisle Bridge and the Fish River

Road tripping means discovering new places, often places you will never see otherwise.  This was once again the case when I had to drive to Bedford for a meeting and decided to take the scenic route via Grahamstown.  About halfway between the two towns I passed over the mighty Fish River and pulled over to have a closer look.

This spot really is in the middle of nowhere with not much to see yet beautiful in it's own way.

The original bridge was built in 1863 but washed away soon after in 1874.  Two years later a steel bridge was built on the same spot and this one stuck around a little longer but was once again destroyed in a flood in 1932.  The current bridge was built in 1933.  The plaque doesn't say who the bridge was named after, but according to the South Africa Heritage Online website it was probably named after John Carlisle who, in 1822, led a party of thirteen settlers from Staffordshire to settle in the area.

 

Just something I left out in the intro.  Discovering places like this isn't just about road tripping.  It's stopping along the way and not just rushing to your destination.

Exploring the old Storms River Pass

I have a special connection with the Tsitsikamma forest.  It is where I go to plug in my soul for a bit of a recharge.  It doesn't even have to be an extended recharge.  Just a couple of minutes sitting in the forest next to a stream taking in the forest with all my senses is enough.  There are various ways to explore the forest with trails being the most effective way to leave everything behind.  One of these "trails", the biggest one actually, is the old Storms River Pass starting from Storms River Village.

The Tsitsikamma (then known as Zitzikama) area was first surveyed by the famous pass builder Thomas Bain in 1879.  He found impenetrable forests east of Plettenberg Bay with access made even tougher by deep gorges.  During the planning process of building a pass through the Storms River gorge, Bain followed the ancient elephant migratory routes down to the river and as elephants find the easiest way down, decided to build his pass along those routes.  Labour for this difficult task was provided by convicts and some of their graves can still be seen on the outskirts of the Village.  The pass itself was completed in 1884 and until the N2 and Storms River Bridge were built in 1955 was the only way to get through the gorge.  Today the road is closed for traffic and can only be access on foot, bicycle or on Storms River Adventures' Woodcutters Journey tour.  

 

The Woodcutters Journey takes one down the pass in a small truck with a guide telling you more about the history of the area as well as the ecology of the forest.  The tour tops quite often for the guide to point our specific trees or plants and explains the role it plays in the forest and those who have lived in it in the past.  The tour also allows for you to hop off if you want and walk a section of it.  

I had been down the old pass a number of times, but on this specific trip the guide showed us something I have never seen.  He took us along a path next to the road and showed us some of the original stonework done by Bain and his workers.  In this case a small tunnel under the road to channel water away.

At the bottom of the pass the forest opens up and while the guide unpacked a picnic lunch, we took a walk to the low water bridge over the Storms River.  I'm sure I was told at some stage that the bridge were built by soldiers after the first World War, but please don't quote me on that.  I can't seem to find any info on it on the internet.

The trip down the Storms River Pass really is an alternative way to explore the forest and learn a bit more in the process.  I need to be alone to recharge though and the batteries are starting to run low.  I think a return visit is just about in order.

Under the Storms River Bridge

Driving along the N2 through the Tsitsikamma you have to pass over the Storms River Bridge with most visitors stopping at the Petroport for a view of the bridge from the view site or into the gorge from the bridge itself.  To get to the walkway on the southern side of the bridge you have to first go under it giving you this slightly different view of it.

Van Stadens Narrow Gauge Railway Bridge

 

Geocaching is about so much more than using multi billion dollar spy satellite technology to find hidden Tupperware.  Its also about exploration, going to and discovering places you may not otherwise have gone to.  One of these is the highest narrow gauge railway bridge in the world spanning the Van Stadens Gorge outside Port Elizabeth.  Years ago when the Apple Express was still running it used to stop before the bridge and passengers could walk across and get a photograph of the train crossing with smoke billowing and steam blowing.  This time around I walked in from the closest road to find two containers placed on each side of the bridge.

 

This narrow gauge line from Port Elizabeth was authorised in 1899 and construction commenced in 1902, reaching the town of Avontuur in the Langkloof late in 1906. The line was built to connect the scenic Langkloof with its fruit growing industry to the port of Port Elizabeth. The official opening of the line was in 1907, with a main line track length of 284km (177 miles) from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur.  The 30km branch line from Gamtoos Junction to Patensie was completed in 1914 to serve this citrus producing area.  The establishment of the deciduous fruit industry in the Langkloof, and the use of the Narrow Gauge to transport fruit to the cooling sheds in the Port Elizabeth harbour for export, led to the popular name for the narrow gauge, namely the Apple Express.  It was also the name of the little tourist train that we so badly would like to have back running again.  

The Van Staden’s rail bridge is the second highest railway bridge in South Africa, and the highest narrow gauge bridge in the world.  Construction on the bridge was completed in 1905 with it being 156m long, 77m high and containing 1 112 cubic metres of concrete and 574 tons of steel.  I peeked through a gap down to the bottom of the gorge and snapped this last picture. Hectic to think what it must have been like building this.

Gouritz Bridge - a ghost of its former bungee self

Gouritz Bridge became the first bungee jumping site in South Africa and operated bungee jumps and bridge swings before people were throwing themselves off the 214m Bloukrans Bridge bungee site further down the Garden Route.  I used to stop at the bridge on my Garden Route tours and with more than one company offering jumps it was always a busy spot.  After offering this thrill activity for 18 years, operations seized in 2008 after it was found that the parts of the old steel bridge was badly rusted and may possibly be unsafe.  I stopped there on my way to Cape Town and it felt like I entered a ghost town.  The booking offices and bungee platforms are all still in place, slightly over grown but without a soul in sight.  Sad really.  I snapped this picture of the old railway bridge from the old road bridge with the new bridge over which the N2 runs behind me.

Discovering secret spots in the Tsitsikamma

Geocaching is the ideal activity for people who love to travel and discover new places.  Yes I know I've said it before and I will say so again many times in the future.  On a visit to the Tsitsikamma I went in search of a cache called Elands Delight (GCX2QF) and even though it was raining (yes we geocache come rain or shine) I was very keen to find it.  The coordinates took me onto the old road a couple of kilometers east of Storms River Bridge and down a steep set of cement steps into the Elands River gorge. WOW! What a beautiful spot.  I really have a very soft spot in my heart for the Tsitsikamma and discovering a place like this was very special.

At the bottom of the gorge is a weir damming up the black forest water of the Elands River into a swimming where I'm sure the local kids hang out on warm days.  Looking up to the left (top picture) is the old bridge and to the right (above) is the N2 bridge.  I really would have liked to spend some more time but by now I was soaked and didn't want to get my camera too wet.  In the words of the Terminator... "I'll be back". 

Mackay Bridge silhouette

The Mackay Bridge in Colchester outside Port Elizabeth silhouetted against the afternoon sun, ideal for a Skywatch Friday post.

Storms River Mouth panorama

I just noticed this lone picture sitting in a file and realised that it is one from our recent visit to the Tsitsikamma that I forgot to upload.  Its a panoramic picture taken from the eastern side of Storms River Mouth shows the three suspension bridges in the background.

Crossing the suspension bridges

At first Drama Princess was a bit scared of crossing the three suspension bridges at Storms River Mouth but after going one way hanging onto me she was brave enough to walk back on her own.

Storms River Mouth

Storms River Mouth is truly spectacular.  Over millions of years the river has carved a deep gorge down to the ocean and thus creates a very striking river mouth.  It's this spot that are reached by taking the one kilometre Mouth Trail from the Tsitsikamma National Park's main rest camp. 

Over the years the suspension bridge over the river mouth has become a main feature in the park and pictures of it has become synonymous with Storms River Mouth.  In 2007 a fire swept through the area close to the bridge and major damage was caused to the walkway as well as the surrounding environment.  The rockface wasn't deemed safe enough to rebuilt the walkway and park management had to find another way to access the suspension bridge and subsequently further trails.

The decision was made to built two further suspension bridges on the approach to the original bridge meaning that you now cross three before getting to the other side of the Storms River, giving one even more reason to walk the trail.

Tsitsikamma Forest Trail Part 2: Old Storms River Bridge

After a couple of hours hiking through the Plaatbos Nature Reserve we emerged from the forest close to where the old pass road crosses the Storms River.  We headed straight down to the river, kicked off our shoes and soaked our feet in the cool, soothing water.  Just what we needed at the halfway mark of our hike.

When the pass was originally built the road went through the river with the low water bridge only being build by soldiers during the Second World War (I'm just trying to confirm this as I've only heard it somewhere before but can't find anything about it on the internet).  The pass was replaced by the N2 and the Storms River Bridge in 1958 and today the bridge can only be reach on foot, by bicycle or on the Woodcutters Journey tour done by Storms River Adventures. 

In the early days many travellers camped out next to the river after a "down day" (because the pass is so narrow ox-wagons could only travel either up or down the pass on any given day to avoid them coming face to face with another ox-wagon and have nowhere to pass each other).  Just like they refreshed before the uphill trek, so did we. 

Paul Sauer Bridge

Most travellers on the N2 through the Tsitsikamma stop at the Petroport to fill up the one tank, empty the other or just grab a snack.  A lot of those travellers, specially those from afar, either take a walk across the Storms River Bridge or to the viewing platform.  The bridge spanning the Storms River is actually called the Paul Sauer Bridge.  The bridge was designed by Riccardo Morandi, an Italian architect, and completed in 1958.  At the time of its building it formed part of the brand new N2 highway between Port Elizabeth and George, replacing the old road through the Storms River Pass.

The Paul Sauer Bridge is one of four concrete arch-bridges constructed across the deep gorges of the Tsitsikamma and is about 120m high and just short of 200m long.  When it was built the two sides were constructed upright and then lowered down.  It is claimed that the engineer in charge said that he will jump off it if the ends didn't meet.  Apparently there was only a 1 meter gap but history shows that he died of old age in Italy, which means he never followed through on his threat.

Stormsriviermond hangbrûe

Die Tsitsikamma Nasionalepark op die Tuinroete is een van die mooiste plekke in Suid-Afrika met sy inheemse woude, loodregte kranse en pragtige kuslyn.  Die 1 km lange mondwandelpad van die ruskamp tot by Stormsriviermond is die gewildste staproete in die park en die hoogtepunt is die drie hangbrûe by die riviermond self.  Die oudste een van die drie steek die rivier oor terwyl die twee mees onlangse toevoegings oorgesteek word soos mens die rivier met die paadjie langs nader.  Die enigste waarskuwing wat ek het vir besoekers is dat daar baie trappies op die staproete is en nie sommer aangepak moet word as mens moelik stap nie. 

Bloukransbrug Bungee

Teen 216 meter hoog is die Bloukransrivierbrug op die grens tussen die Ooskaap en Weskaap die hoogste brug in Afrika.  Die brug is een van vyf enkelboogbetonbrûe op die N2 tussen Port Elizabeth en Plettenbergbaai en is 415meter lank.  Maar dis nie regtig hoekom ons hier is nie, is dit?

Die eintlike rede hoekom die Bloukransrivierbrug bekendheid verwerf het is die feit dat dit ook is waar die hoogste brugrekspronge (bungee) in die wêreld plaasvind.  Alhoewel honderde adrenalienverslaafdes elke jaar van die brug afspring met 'n tou om hulle enkels dink ek dat mens ten minste 'n klein bietjie van lootjie getik moet wees om jouself daar af te gooi.  As jy na die ouens (en meisies) kyk na hulle weer van die brug afkom is die een ding wat mens wel dadelik raaksien die "post bungee grin" wat heeltemal om hulle koppe sou gaan as hulle nie ore gehad het nie.

 

Ek voeg hierdie derde foto by net om te wys hoe een van daai malletjies lyk daar waar hulle tussen hemel en aarde hang.

Dolphin Point at Wilderness

One of the most popular lookout points on the Garden Route is Dolphin Point just outside Wilderness on the way to George.  Most tour buses as well as holiday makers tend to pull over here to both stretch their legs and enjoy the magnificent views.  Looking east you can see Wilderness itself with its long stretch of sandy beach leading off into the distance.

Turning the other way you see the Kaaimans River railway bridge down below.  The railway linking George and Knysna was completed in 1928 and it used to carry the very well known Outeniqua Choo Tjoe steam train until 2006 when the line was badly damaged in floods.  Unfortunately the train has since ceased to operate.  When I was still a tourist guide we always timed our departure from Knysna in the morning so that we could be at the lookout on time to see the train puff across the bridge.  The good old days...

3...2...1... BUNGY!!!

I decided to post something slightly different for this week's

  

post.  Rather than looking up, we are looking down.

The 451m long Bloukrans River Bridge in the Tsitsikamma spans the gorge of the Bloukrans River on the boundary between the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.  Completed in 1984, the bridge forms part of the N2 highway between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and is 216m high making it the highest single span arch bridge in the world.  But all of that is probably pretty insignificant to any regular person out there.  That's to say people really wouldn't have given much notice to the bridge if it wasn't also the highest commercial bridge bungy jumping site in the world.

Yes, you heard me right.  People pay good money to fling themselves off the bridge with nothing but an elastic cord tied to their ankles.  Ok, so its a bit more complicated than that, but I'm not going to go into the whole science of bungy jumping.  For those who want to know more I have one word... Google.

Look carefully and you will see the bungy cord hanging down below the bridge with something at the end.  It kinda gives you a better perspective on high it actually is.  A jumper accelerates from 0 to 100km per hour in 2 seconds and with a recoil of 140m it means that you actually get “two jumps” of over 100m.

Looking closer you will notice that the something is somebody who probably by now have a massive post bungy grin on his face.  Did I do it? Hell no!

Paul Sauer (Storms River) Bridge

Driving westwards from Port Elizabeth onto the world famous and beautiful Garden Route, most people fly along the N2 highway for the first 160 kilometers and make their first stop at the Petroport in the Tsitsikamma.  From here on the Garden Route offers many towns, attractions, view sites, art shops and so much more for visitors.  The Petroport is located next to the Paul Sauer Bridge and in addition to filling up cars and tummies and emptying out bladders, visitors take a walk to the lookout platform or onto the walkway next to the bridge.

The arch bridge, also known as the Storms River Bridge, was completed in 1958 and forms a major link in the National Route N2 between George and Port Elizabeth. The bridge is one of four great arch bridges crossing the deep gorges of the Tsitsikamma and is about 120 meters high.

Taking a walk across the bridge you get a good idea of the deep and narrow gorges that rip open this part of the Garden Route and you get new respect for the early travelers trying to find a way to get to the other side.  Before the bridge was built travellers had to take the Storms River Pass which was built along the old elephant trails.  The old dirt road pass is now closed to traffic and only accessible on foot and mountain bikes.

Queen's Causeway

The Royal Family visited South Africa in 1947 and one of their stops was at the Royal Natal National Park which at that stage was only known as the Natal National Park.  The "royal" was added to the name following the 1947 visit. 

From the Mahai camp site you walk about 500 meters to the Cascades Waterfalls which acts as the camp's swimming area.  Just before getting to the Cascade there is a little bridge crossing the river.  The bridge is called the Queen's Causeway.  I haven't been able to find any information on the Queen's Causeway on the internet other than it being mentioned.  So here is my guess.  The bridge must have been built before the 1947 visit to enable the Royal Family to cross the river while walking up to the Cascade. 

The view from the Queen's Causeway

Kruis River

I spent two days in the Tsitsikamma on a team building trip over the weekend where we stayed at the Tsitsikamma Lodge which is right next door to the Kruis River.  What was apparently a gentle meandering stream the day before turned into a raging torrent of water overnight after a big rain storm.

After the afternoon's activities I used the free time we had to take a walk down to the old bridge.  The hotel is situated on the land where woodcutters and travellers of old had their outspan and the old bridge, although not in use anymore, cross the river where the ox wagons used to cross it.

The brown colour of the water is due to tannin being picked up by the rivers in the area as they flow through the Fynbos and forests.  So in a way the vegitation acts as a "tea bag" causing the water to change colour.  Even though it is brown in colour the water is perfectly clean and is used by locals, visitors and hikers.