Spending the day at the Knysna waterfront was a joy. The whole is area paved and access with a wheelchair is very good. If you have cash to burn there is a myriad of little shops selling all sorts of touristy trinkets and restaurants to suit every taste and budget.

Note. The door leading into the disable toilet is quite narrow.. watch you knuckles as you go in.

After a long day of sightseeing we decided an afternoon cruise on the Lake will be ideal for an end of a very nice day.

We booked our tickets on the John Ben, the crew was very helpful and getting me on-board was hassle free. The gangway leading to the boat was stable but again quite steep but with the help of the crew I soon relaxed in the very spacious interior of this double decker.

Return trip to the Heads is about an hour and a half but please note, there is no access to the bathroom when you are in a wheelchair so do your business before boarding. Restroom issues aside it is a very enjoyable trip with the captain pointing out land marks and disposing interesting facts all the way.

When visiting Knysna on of the thing to do on the must do list is visit the Heads. After a small drive we took on the walkway to the Heads.

It is very steep so again if you are in a normal wheelchair please have someone help you because at the end of the road is a very beautiful scene.

At about half way there you can stop, rest and admire the view.

Following the path, just beware at some spots there is no railings.

Reaching the end.

Coming back to the car park there is a Restaurant where you can have a coffee and something stronger or even something to eat. They have a ramp at the entrance to cater for wheelchairs, it is a bit steep but the restaurant inside is very spacy and there is plenty of room to manoeuvre with the chair.

Knysna Elephant Park is located just off the N2 between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.

At the Knysna Elephant Park I had the opportunity to be in the presence of these gentle giants.

The ground is very firm so getting along with the powered wheelchair was pretty easy in most cases. Occasionally I found myself in some gravel and needed a friendly push.

The guides are very helpful and let you have some one on one time with the giants of the forest.

Getting to and from you are driven in a tractor and wagon. They have a ramp for the wheelchair.

Going to the restroom might be a problem. Before going on the drive there is a nice disabled bathroom inside the reception area. Getting in the reception area can be a problem because the walkway is very steep and full of loose sand so the electric wheelchair was sliding a lot. Getting onto the wagon is a breeze with the help of the guides.

Coming back from the drive finding a bathroom is a problem, there is no disabled bathroom, and you can’t get into the men’s bathroom with a wheelchair because there is very tight turns leading to the bathroom and if you make that there is an opening between two walls that a wheelchair does not fit trough, I had to use the lady’s to answer Mother Nature, besides that the walkway leading to the bathrooms are very steep so if you are in a normal wheelchair someone will have to help you.

Knysna Elephant Park was a reel experience, besides the problem with the bathrooms, just to have a chance to touch these gentle giants, be in their presence was an experience to remember.

Website:  Knysna Elephant Park

I have emailed them in regards with the bathrooms and will post the response I get from them

Reply from Knysna Elephant Park

Dear Johan

Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We do have some expansion and improvement plans for 2014 and this will help us make sure that our designs are wheelchair friendly. I am going to forward this on to our Operations Managers to make them aware of your suggestions.

Kind regards

Charmaine Rumbelow

Driving from Beaufort-West heading for Knysna on the N12 you will be driving through one of South Africa’s mountain ranges, the Swartberg Mountains.

When entering the gorge a restful parking area welcomes you.

The beautiful clean and disabled friendly restrooms that inspired this write up.

This route is one very long postcard picture opportunity. Be sure to clear your camera’s memory before setting off.

All to soon you will have passed through one of the most beautiful gorges in South Africa and enter into a wonderful open valley.

Carry on along the same road for many more splendid views all the way to George with plenty of opportunities to stop and breathe some fresh air and possibly even have a sneaky picnic.

Unfortunately wheel chairs and fishing are usually not a great combination, changing water levels and rough terrain make access very difficult and often neigh impossible.

So when Philip van Wyk from Tiger Hunters in Jozini invited me to come Tiger fishing I was naturally sceptical, but as I have been aching to go for a long time I couldn’t pass on the opportunity.

Accommodation around Jozini is varied, everything from bare-bone camping to 5star B&B’s is available and Philip is happy to help arrange this according to the individual’s needs and budget.

I drove down with a friend and we opted to stay at a camp-site. At our camp the facilities were simple but very clean. Unfortunately the ablution block had a small step and I needed some help getting in and out but there was many willing helping hands around.

Ablution facilities at the camp site

A closer look at the ablution facilities

The ground around our camp was very firm and the going surprisingly good. I managed to get around with relative ease.

Firm ground next to the dam

Philip started our fishing adventure with a little land based tuition and I was grateful to bask the wisdom gained from his 20 years’ experience with Tiger fishing.

With his guidance I was soon into a good sized fish and was surprised at the vigour and tenacity with which the Tiger fights.

Into my first tiger – what a feeling!

Soon that smile that Philip promised me was on my face. The thrill, adrenalin is amazing!

I had a little help landing the 4kg tiger fish

My 4kg tiger caught from the shore

Grinning like a maniac I was ready to go hunt for bigger fish from the boat. Phillips uses a floating jetty to compensate for the fluctuating water levels and to reduce their impact on the brilliantly clean and clear water. Unfortunately floating the jetty makes it a little unstable and in wet conditions slippery, so I was very grateful for a helping hand from Philip and my friend to get onto the boat. If you have reduced mobility and balance problems like I do a helping hand is going to be and absolute necessity here as you wouldn’t want to end up in the water with the hippos and crocks!

Once settled on the boat I was right as rain and very excited to get stuck in.

With the plenty of wild and bird life, sightseeing, while trolling is a great way fish! Having the sun on my face and the wind in my hair I was  in heaven, and that was before the fish started biting!

Sometimes even the smaller fish are active in the cool water

Before long the excitement that Philip promised was realised and I was into another tiger fish well over 4kg!

Another 4kg tigerfish, this time from the boat

While discussing the many and varied needs of the disabled community with Philip he mentioned that he was thinking of fitting the boat with a fighting chair (think marlin fishing!) to accommodate persons with back problems or upper body weakness as this would mean that they can be strapped in to enjoy the rush of fighting a tiger in open water in comfort and safety. I think this would be a great idea and I look forward to “testing” it soon!

What a wonderful day…

Thank you Philip for an amazing trip. Enabling and accommodating the disabled community in this way is appreciated and I am sure Tiger Hunters will see me again and again.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT:

Place:                    Jozini Dam, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Company:           Tiger Hunters

Date of visit:       1/9/2013 to 5/9/2013

Owner/Guide:   Philip van Wyk

Phone:                 072 976 6002

Email:                   philip@tigerfishingsouthafrica.co.za

Facebook:            Tiger Hunters Facebook page

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