Eagles View, Harburg, 18 June
Lisa La Commare: Hike Leader
What a great way to unwind for a long weekend! A day hike in a beautiful place, in perfect weather.
Friday morning at Eagle’s View started with a sunny, blue sky, crisp morning. 13 Hikers woke up very early to arrive on site by 08h30, and were surprised and rewarded with hot coffee and tea offered by our gracious hosts.
Eagle’s View is located in Harburg in the Midlands and beautifully situated on the edge of the Valley of a 1000 hills, with spectacular views into the valley. It is also adjacent to the Mqeku River, with 3 waterfalls cascading 100m down into the indigenous forest floor.
The Carovan Park is part of a privately owned working farm of sugar cane, timber and macadamia nuts. It includes an exquisitely maintained camp site with a large Lapa, a luxury 12 sleeper cottage, a pretty lake, and it overlooks a magnificent gorge with breathtaking views.
The planned hike trail offered hikers various hiking distance options, which included a 3,5 km hike; an 8,35 km hike, and a 4,0 km hike, or a combination of all. The group elected to walk the full distance.
The group started off with the 8.35 km stretch, which took the hikers from the cottage across the Mqeku River and up a beautifully level sand road typically used by sugar cane trucks to transport their goods. It meandered alone sugar cane on one side and blue gum plantations on the other, in a gentle but consistent upward slope, whilst offering a glimpse between the trees, of the blue valley in the distance.
The gentle incline turned into a solid uphill road between the sugar cane, to open up and expose the magnificent gorge of multi-coloured rock-face cliffs and forest all the way down to the river 100m below. Walking along the edge of the gorge, the hikers made their way past the first waterfall in full flow, to the end view-point which looked into the valley of the 1000 hills and the little villages dotted all across the valley. From this vantage point the houses looked like little match boxes. The group took time to soak up the view.
As we made our way back to the cottage, the group was able to savour a different view of the gorge, as well as a view of the quilted landscape of sugar cane, blue gum plantations, and ploughed fields all around the top of the gorge. The calm serenity and natural beauty of the place was taken in and acknowledged by all.
The next stage of the hike was the walk to the two waterfalls. The first was a short hike to the bottom of the first waterfall, where we were met with a sandy beach and a beautiful pool from the cascading fall. The water was freezing! No doubt, had we done the hike in Summer, there would have been a few swimmers!
The Group then made its way along a dry river rock-bed to the edge of the gorge cliff and the second waterfall which had a sheer drop to the forest floor, and offered a spectacular view of the valley below. There we stopped for lunch and to take in the sight. Then, as if we were being rewarded for our efforts thus far, we were treated to a pretty rainbow within a waterfall not far from where we sat.
After a good lunch, some snacks, tea and cold drinks, the energized group was faced with the most strenuous part of the hike. The last leg took us along a forest path, with some short but steep up-hills, to the edge of the top of other side of the gorge and look-out point. Once again, the beauty of the rock-face of a gorge created over millions of years of evolution and erosion, left us in awe and hugely humbled.
A brisk and easy downhill walk saw the group arrive back at camp home base by 14h00, having completed 15,5kms.
A huge thank you for the conversations, laughs, and comraderie within the group, and for a memorable day spent in a beautiful place.