SECOND BEACH TO UMNGAZI

This trail starts on the seaward ridge overlooking the Bulolo river mouth.

Three footpaths lead up to the ridge where you cross the nature conservation gate and style. The Bunga footpath skirts the hills on the seaward side of Damba Bay, Bridge Rock, Little Blowhole and Flat Rock. It passes through wild lemon gross slopes and a dense strelitsia nicolai forests before descending onto Third Beach at Silaka. From here either follow the high water mark past Bird Rock or the contour path (a) from the President's cottage. These meet at Fourth Beach where the gnu (wildebeest) often graze. Pass the hiking trail huts (first day Port St Johns to Coffee Bay trail) and go up Heartbreak Hill. While climbing this steep, long hill; look back occasionally at the great views. The single rock to your right on the skyline is known as the 'soldier'.

From the top of Heartbreak Hill you can either turn uphill to the game fence style (b), through the village of Isicombeni, then follow the winding road down to the Umngazi main rood and along it to the river mouth. Turning left takes you down a gradual sloping trail with the Tyityane forest on your right and to the famous Sugarloaf Beach.

Tyityane forest contains three breeding pairs of intshatshango, the very territorial and stunningly coloured Nerina Trogon. Kloas' cuckoo is also common.

The two-sided beach leading to Sugarloaf Rock is famous for its sea shells. The rare valuta capensis is often found here. The gullies on the seaward side make good diving, but remember that it is a marine reserve and that there are several poisonous coral blooms, sea urchins and moray eels. It is a difficult place from which to carry a comatose victim.

The glacially rounded boulders at the mouth of the Tyityane stream ( same as Fourth Beach when it is not sandy) are known as mbobololo, a sound word for the rumbling noise as the waves recede.

From Sugarloaf you can climb the steep grassy slope along and over the fence to a vehicle track (c) and follow it until you can see the Umngazi river at Qiti's grave, then follow the footprints that wind through the hills between the sea and the Ndlovana (little elephant) Forest.

Unless the sea is very wild and the tide is high; follow the waterline from Sugarloaf to the boundary fence, the Horizon (120 ft coaster wrecked in 1962 without loss of life) and beyond. Before you get to the coastal forest, a network of cattle tracks takes you up the steep incline to the main footpath. This path winds down to the road just before the security gate of Umngazi River Bungalows.

Two alternative routes exist, one to the left (d) down to Bab's Beach, the other to the right (e) to the exposed sand dune where Khoisan hunter gatherers camped as long as 30,000 years ago.

To return, follow the main road up the Ndlovana basin. The small elephant valley where Qiti was killed while hunting fresh meat for the sickly Xhosa paramount Nconde (1650-1654) still shows the elephant wallows. Elephants were shot out by the troops stationed at the horse spring at the Umngazi river in 1834. They were stationed there to try to stop the peaceful Pondo joining either the Xhosa or the Zulu against the British colonial expansions.

Then take the track up and through Isicambeni village and back down to the top of Heartbreak Hill.

From Third Beach you can take the road back which is steep but gives great views of Third Beach and the Gwaleni valley. Out of the gate a trail leads down to the right along an old road with magnificent views of Second Beach and the Gap.

The coast between Bab's Beach and the Horizon is broken basalt; a risky climb at spring low tide with a calm sea and experienced climbers. The basalt screed between Sugarloaf and the Horizon should not be attempted. The coast between Fourth Beach and Sugarloaf is treacherous.