The Wild Coast is, well, wild, to say the blatantly obvious. Getaway teamed up with Huawei on a recent trip with South African Tourism. We escaped the clutches of the flashing lights at the Casino at Wild Coast Sun to explore an ancient forest, tan with some cows, and have drinks with locals.
Picture: David Henning/ @david_heuningpot
To document the trip, Huawei handed us their new Mate50 Pro, the first smartphone to feature a primary camera lens with an adjustable physical aperture of 10 sizes – a game changer. We took the phone for a spin.
Bid farewell to the flashing lights
Riverside Bar encapsulates the laid-back, warm hospitality of the Wild Coast. Picture: David Henning/ @david_heuningpot
For the duration of our stay, we were hosted at Wild Coast Sun. With all its luxury amenities like the spa, casino, and arcade area, being cooped up in a hotel wasn’t really the reason we ventured to the Wild Coast, and not even the pouring rain was going to stand in our way.
On Wild Coast Sun’s estate, there lies a not-so-discrete discrete bar on the banks of the Mtamvuna River. Riverside Bar offers watersports and riverboat cruises but is also the perfect stopover for a sundowner or a much-needed respite from the slot machines.
The setting outside the bar is the perfect spot for sundowners and drinks long into the night.
Worth a visit on its own, Riverside has live music on Saturdays and is one of the few bars left where you end up at a table with strangers and leave as friends.
Explore an ancient forest – Port Edward
The rock tunnel once encased a large log, with grains of wood still visible in some parts of the rock. Picture: Picture: David Henning/ @david_heuningpot
Just two kilometres down the beach from the Wild Coast lies the ancient Mzamba Forest only visible during low tide.
Around 85 million years ago, rivers deposited trees on the beach before getting petrified; a geological process whereby organic matter, in this case, wood, is replaced by minerals.
Tree stumps from around 85 million years ago are embedded in the rock. Picture: David Henning/ @david_heuningpot
The Mzamba Forest contains what seems to be whole trees encased in sedimentary rock. You don’t really notice it until you get up close to the rocks and see the rings of the tree and grains of wood enmeshed in stone.
The visible grains of an ancient petrified tree fossilised on the shore. Picture: David Henning/ @david_heuningpot
This is a hidden gem of the Wild Coast, where you can explore the small rock cavities and outcrops in search of tales millions of years old. The rocks are also home to their share of ancient marine reptiles, ammonites, and giant clams encased in the stone.
Jump off a cliff – Oribi Gorge
If you wanted to stare fear in the face, Oribi Gorge near Port Shepstone is home to the highest bungee swing in the world. At 155m high, you can hurl yourself or fall off the edge of a waterfall and have what is arguably the best view(s) of the gorge – from every angle of course.
Wild 5 Adventures at Oribi Gorge has a range of activities, where an R10 entry allows you to access the viewing points, walk a swinging suspension bridge across the gorge, and watch adrenaline junkies lunge themselves off a cliff.
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If the bungee swing is too daunting for you, there are less intimidating activities like a single zipline across the gorge, where you can enjoy the view from the middle of the gorge without being turned upside down.
Spot the falling human? Picture: David Henning/ @david_heuningpot
The Nearby Lake Eland Game Reserve also has its own zipline, which is a 1km, 160km/h ride down. If you are a thrill seeker, you’ll be sure to get your fix at Oribi Gorge.
Lounge about with some cattle
What would a visit to the Wild Coast be without spotting some cattle on the beach? Nguni cows are such beautiful specimens with their majestic horns and dappled hides, accentuated by the white sands and blue waters behind them.
These hooved creatures didn’t mind our presence too much, looking out for our belongings when taking a dip. One stray cattle seemed to have been separated from the others on the other side of the river mouth. It likely didn’t make it across before the tide came in, but would be reunited in a few hours.
The Huawei Mate50 Pro
Huawei’s Mate50 Pro is the first smartphone to feature a primary camera lens with an adjustable physical aperture of 10 sizes.
This is a massive step forward in smartphone cameras, allowing you to have more control when shooting. This does not mean you have to be an expert photographer to make the most of the Mate50 Pro
Ultra Aperture XMAGE camera cluster at the back comprises three cameras with different lenses each – a 13mm ultrawide lens, a 90mm periscope telephoto lens, and a 24mm wide lens with a physical aperture and a 50-megapixel sensor.
If you love adventure then this is the perfect camera, built to handle whatever life throws at you, or whatever you throw the phone at. The Mate50 Pro is made with a reliable Kunlun Glass, graded with a 5-star drop resistance by Switzerands SGS. It is even water resistant up to 6 metres!
The Huawei Mate50 Pro is available from the Huawei online store.
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