Waterfall Bluff

Waterfall Bluff is on the Pondoland coast between Mbotyi and Msikaba, and it belongs to a very small category worldwide: a river that falls off a cliff directly into the ocean rather than into a pool or an estuary. The drop is around fifty to sixty metres onto rocks and surf, with no beach beneath it, and at high tide the sea comes up to meet the fresh water. There is no road - you walk in along the coast from Mbotyi, several hours over grassland headlands and through patches of forest, crossing streams, usually with a local guide because the route is unmarked and passes through community land. The same walk takes in Cathedral Rock, a sea arch, and the Mkambati coast. Flow depends entirely on recent rain: in a dry winter the fall is thin, and after summer storms it is heavy enough to be blown sideways by the wind.

The landscape

• The sea-cliff drop - fresh water falling straight into the ocean, no beach below.
• The walk-in - several hours on foot from Mbotyi with no road access at all.
• Cathedral Rock - a sea arch on the same stretch of coast.
• The rain dependence - heavy after summer storms, thin in a dry winter.

When to go

November to April for flow. A full day of walking, or spread over two with an overnight at Mbotyi.

Good to know

There is no road and no signage - a guide is effectively necessary and supports the community whose land you cross. The walk is long, exposed and involves stream crossings. Cliff edges are unfenced. In dry months the waterfall may disappoint.

Nearby

Mbotyi is the usual base; Mkambati reserve is up the coast.

Key facts