The Wild Coast is
part of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa, encompassing the coastal
region from north of East London to the southern border with KwaZulu-Natal at
Port Edward. The Wild Coast encompasses the coast between the Kei River Mouth
and Umtanvuma River along the Indian Ocean. During the former Apartheid regime
the Transkei (the Wild Coast and adjacent interior up to the border with
Lesotho) was one of the so called "homelands" and officially
politically and economically independent. It is still one of the poorest
regions of South Africa. It offers spectacular coastlines without the tourist
crowd. The whole region is very rural and infrastructure is sparse.
Hole in the Wall is a geological phenomenon shaped by the
Mpako River that runs into the sea right at that spot. Among the local Xhosa
inhabitants, this region is inhabited by mythical "sea people" - one
of whom fell in love with a local Xhosa maiden. Her father would have nothing
of this relationship and prohibited the sea man from seeing his daughter. The
sea people then asked a giant fish a ram a hole into the wall of rock,
whereafter they abducted the maiden to their sea world. The instantly
recognisable rock formation is made up of Ecca shale and sandstone, capped with
hard volcanic dolerite.
Port St Johns is a small coastal town in South Africa
known as the Jewel of the Wild Coast, offering true South African accommodation
and hospitality. The Wild Coast is a stretch of 250 kilometers of coast, which
gained its name by its inaccessibility and reputation for ship-crushing
waves. Today the Wild Coast is still untouched by plastic civilisation and
offers rich experiences and adventures. If you're after rustic authenticity with
your accommodation in South Africa, this is the place for you.
The
other famous rocks on this coast are shown on the two other stamps on the
cover, namely, The Citadel and the The Archway.
The drawing on the cover is that of the Jacaranda Shipwreck. The Wild Coast is
not a name given lightly. The coast is well known for the rough seas that slam
on to rocky shelves along the beach, presenting all sorts of hazards to
seamen.The beach is wide and inviting at the river mouth with a few small rocky
points and estuaries scattered along its length in either direction as it
stretches to the horizon. Side-step a few cows on the beach as you
hike to the wreck of the
Jacaranda which ran aground on the night of September the 18th, 1971. She was not laden with any cargo and
riding high in windy seas when her engines failed. She was washed ashore and
the captain, his wife and 14 crew members abandoned ship using a rope ladder
which they strung from the ships prow to the nearby rocks. Successive storms
have taken their toll on the stranded ship and today only the bow remains.
Thank you Maria
for this FDC with the lovely stamps.
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