Coastal Holiday Heaven
The Hibiscus South Coast stretches between Umkomaas and the Wild Coast and is a popular South African holiday destination. Margate is the largest resort town along this coast and is very popular during the holidays. The Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve encompasses forest, rivers, rapids and ravines.
There is prolific bird life, including five kingfisher species and seven eagle species, which inhabit the reserve, along with a variety of mammals. Port Edward is known for its safe swimming and good fishing opportunities. Nearby, the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve is noted for its beautiful scenery, bird life and many rare plant species.
Other popular coastal towns include Port Shepstone, Ramsgate, St Michael's-on-Sea, Uvongo and Scottburgh. Sardine fever strikes the South Coast around the end of June every year. People flock to the beaches to scoop the sardines up, while anglers wait for the game fish to arrive. The Shell Museum at Shelly Beach is well worth a visit for the large display of shells.
Take a Bucket
If you want to know how good the year's South Coast sardine run will be, check for the intensity of red-hot poker blooms, which flowers immediately preceding the run.
That’s according to folklore anyway, though scientists haven't yet done enough research to understand what exactly drives the migration or its size or timing. It's short and happens sometime in May or June along the Wild Coast and KwaZulu-Natal coast. Take a bucket to scoop up sardines washed ashore, dive among the shoals or throw a line for the predator fish that follow the sardines.