A friend and I took a road trip along the Garden Route in a fun-looking red Renault Duster 1.5dCi and after spending the first night in a villa in Oubaai Golf Estate, we were ready to explore some of the natural beauty nearby.
We decided on an Eden Adventures kayak trip on the Touws River, followed by a forest walk to the Touws Waterfall. It was a 30 minute drive from our lodgings to the launch spot in Wilderness, next to the Fairy Knowe Hotel.
We set off in the French compact SUV. As we headed along the N2 towards Wilderness, the sublime road handling was impressive, as is its frugal diesel engine. We parked on the grass at the meeting point and gathered our hats and sunblock, before paying for kayak hire and the SANParks entrance fee.
![Kayaking eden adventures 1 elise kirsten Kayaking eden adventures 1 elise kirsten](https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=2000&s=9d795d078f31ac002bc3d33fc23963f6 2000w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1800&s=f164e71ff45718efc2a1f9130b899dfd 1800w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1600&s=155d7a42c9fdb2041f7948d8d92c3d11 1600w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1400&s=daf203ca5390eda72c554a1a016b2adb 1400w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1200&s=6bcb657e14c6e3592e7e19f3f7db7f24 1200w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1000&s=4d9be0525edb0e663947a57fe0d404bb 1000w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=800&s=44b7e8c518878b5d01234f28847fb7c6 800w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=600&s=bf7229c7471d97c013a7b97216930551 600w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=400&s=7aca786a323abfefa045be69f386f66e 400w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-eden-adventures-1-elise-kirsten_2021-07-21-205157.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=300&s=336c4ff85ba0b7ff54198e300a783c23 300w)
Chris Leggat, owner of Eden Adventures, met us at the office and led us to the river bank. He explained the river course and how we’d need to keep left to get to our destination, before he handed us a large splash-proof bucket to keep our belongings dry.
We climbed into the two-man canoe, Lauren in the front and me at the back and set off into the mist along the reed-lined river. A rush warbler darted from one reed perch to another. Soon we passed under a bridge next to the Ebb and Flow campsite. The sound of the paddles slapping the water was soothing as we skimmed across the coffee-coloured river, rich with tannins.
The mist had begun to dissipate at the beginning of our journey. It continued to fade like a curtain being drawn back, revealing increasingly dense indigenous forest. Two Kysna loeries called back and forth before one spread its wings, revealing a flash of colour as it flew to a nearby tree.
After about 40 minutes we came to the beach that Chris had described on our right and stowed the canoes. Taking our daypacks, we followed the marked path under an arch of foliage and into the forest.
![Kayaking wilderness 2 Kayaking wilderness 2](https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=2000&s=ac0b20252e248d3b8c715e848113fafe 2000w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1800&s=8e45e9d4c1c44fcaa9482d257046b053 1800w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1600&s=6c2d21b49c670dd19e6c913458f9cfd5 1600w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1400&s=3f1e2888662bcfc744f0fb4dd2e9fe3c 1400w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1200&s=a8abd7ed2cb473e0df4a8b47fbad8b46 1200w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=1000&s=da2ccdbcf77d31dcfe882785369a3468 1000w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=800&s=05a8dbba4263c7ecd410022a14dab44a 800w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=600&s=ff84d2e6058a1e24913e1a6781c1e1de 600w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=400&s=f3327494dc4ed66c410157a7ae17a92c 400w, https://wesgro.imgix.net/uploads/files/kayaking-wilderness-2.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=clip&q=90&ratio=&w=300&s=90e52060fdb62a385363eb676a7abffd 300w)
The majority of the two-and-a-half kilometre path to the waterfall is on boardwalks, which run near to the river, taking you past moss-covered trees, wild mushrooms and rich forest soil, covered with leaves. Every now and then we’d catch a glimpse of the river until, at the end of the boardwalk, a few steps led us onto large rocks where we could sit and watch the water tumble into the pool below. The agitation created a foamy froth that hugged the rocks on the stiller side of the pool, while the rest of the water rushed by as if it was being chased.
After about half-an-hour at the waterfall we retracted our steps, launched our canoe into the water once more and began to paddle back. At one point my arms started to protest and so we floated for a couple of minutes before we resumed our rhythmic paddling.
My eyes trailed over the creepers that made up the forest canopy and dripped down the trees like chocolate sauce over ice cream. I felt so relaxed that I wanted to imprint the scene in my memory, so that it could resurface when I was no longer on the river and hopefully bring with it the peace I felt at this moment.