ILTER: 1st Open Science Meeting Skukuza 2016
 

Garden Route Coastline Field trip

06 - 09 October 2016

The coastline of the Garden Route is one of the main tourist attractions in South Africa. It is not only the natural beauty but also the rich human history (origin of modern humans) that captures the mind. The tour will start in Mossel Bay and travel along the coastline, crossing various breath-taking estuaries, to the Robberg Peninsula for a coastal hike, before ending the day at the Tsitsikamma National Park, the oldest Marine Protected Area in the world. The next day will include a three hour drive through indigenous forest and fynbos to the Algoa Bay Sentinel Site for LTER, one of the best monitored coastal areas in the world. The tour of the site will include a visit to modern stromatolites, examples of coastal management in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole, a visit to the Alexandria dunefields and ending the day at the Addo Elephant National Park, home of the Big Seven.

Itinerary:

6 Oct a.m. – Transport leaves George Airport at 14h30 to Mossel Bay
6 Oct p.m. – Ice-breaker and lecture on Great White Shark research at Oceans Research, Mossel Bay
7 Oct a.m. – Travel along the coast via Wilderness and Knysna to the Robberg Peninsula in Plettenberg Bay
7 Oct p.m. – Three-hour hike within the Robberg Marine Protected area
7
 Oct p.m. – Overnight in the Tsitsikamma National Park
8 Oct a.m. – Hike to the Storms River mouth gorge
8 Oct a.m. – Travel to the Algoa Bay Sentinel Site
8 Oct p.m. – Visiting stromatolites, dunefields and estuaries (in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Addo Elephant National Park)
8 Oct p.m. – Overnight in the Addo Elephant National Park
9 Oct a.m. – Drive to Port Elizabeth airport to fly to Skukuza via Johannesburg

To bring along:

Sunglasses, hat, hiking shoes, sunscreen, warm jacket, binoculars, camera, personal items. Be prepared for a range of weather. There will be cell phone reception along most of the route. Reasonable fitness and health required for the hikes (steep climbs and soft sand).


What does the tour include?

Transportation:

Road Transportation from George Airport on the 6th October until the departure on the 9th October at Port Elizabeth Airport:

Domestic flights: * The domestic flight from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg on the 9th of October.

* Please bear in mind that domestic flights are subject to availability at the time of booking and the fare can only be confirmed once you have paid for the booking. Please make allowances that the cost of the ticket may vary at the time of your booking and could result in a small surcharge should the fare quoted not be available.

Accommodation:

06 - 09 October 2016

Bookings have been made per person sharing to reduce costs, in some cases Guests Houses have single rooms available at no additional cost, in this case it will be on a first come first serve basis. However, please expect to share a room with another delegate. Single supplements may apply should you want a single room for the duration of the trip, which may also be subject to availability at the time of booking.

Meals:

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included daily. Starting with dinner on the 6th of October and finishing with breakfast on the 09th of October. Please indicate any dietary requirements.

Booking and Cost:

Please email: ilter2016@ie.co.za for booking and further information

Cost: R 9 826.00 per person sharing

You will be able to add this field trip to your conference invoice when you register for the conference under:
OPTIONS - FIELD TRIPS – GARDEN ROUTE COASTLINE.