Zandvlei Trust

Peninsula Paddle Expedition on 5th June 2011 - World Environment Day.

Black River to Table Bay.

They have moved through the Rondebosch Golf Course into the Vygieskraal River. There is some confusion where the Black River actualy starts and the Vygieskraal River ends. Both rivers have been manipulated by Stormwater and Drainage Engineers in the 1950's and 60's.

Here they are, the N2 is on the left hand side of the photo. The twin towers of the Athlone Power Station are missing from the background to the left of the river. They were blown up last year and all evidence removed as municipal officials deemed them to be unstable and in danger of breaking up.

Kevin and Sam.                                                            Paul Lutz.

Christopher.                                                            Dick.

Glen being very careful in the smelly, gunky water.

A group of well wishers and reporters were waiting at this pipe crossing over the river. The N2 freeway is just behind. 
Photgraphers and reporters from The Argus and Die Burger were interviewing Kevin and Alistair. 
Catherine is also there filling in the info for them.  There is a security guard kneely on the bridge, who could not believe his eyes or ears and was taking photographs with his cellphone.
Glen is waiting patiently.

The confluence of the Liesbeek and the Black River. The bird hide on the golf course is in the middle of the photo. That is Devils Peak and the paddlers have past it now. This morning it was a far off silhouette on the skyline. Table Mountain is in the background.

What now!! 
This is a plug of hyacinth choking the free flow of river, it is about 1.5 metres high in places and completely impenertratable.

These are a group of Sacred Ibis and a Glossy Ibis using this floating raft as a roost. 

Doing a recce, this is the shunting lines bridge and the hyacinth is jammed up against its upright
pillars in the water. 

The view back up the river. The wonderful old buildings of Valkenberg Hospital in the background. The Observatory is to the right of these buildings. The plug is about 200 metres long and stuck against the banks.

This is a series of stormwater outlets from the Maitland, Berkley Road area. There is a solid fat deposit (white on the left of the water flow). It was about a square metre in size and about 20mm thick.
Also some not too nice looking stuff bubbling up in the water.

This is at the construction site for the Koeberg Interchange, where the helpers and photographers
helped them out of the water and suggested where to put their crafts back in.

No time to waste the tide is coming in, and there is still some way to go yet. Carrying the canoes past the obstacle hyacinth blockage.

A railway repair and maintenance machine going past and under the Koeberg Interchange road bridge.

Back in the water on the other side of the hyacinth blockage. This is the Main line north railway bridge.

The shunting yard railway line bridge. Devils Peak at the left.  Lions Head is straight ahead. 

The helpers and photographers them rushed off to the Section Road bridge in Paarden Eiland 
for this photograph as they made their way along. That is the N2 road brige and the Koeberg Interchange
in the background. The tide had just started to come in, so there was enough water to paddle in.

The group bunching up and discussing how to tackle the sea entry.

Glen taking the rear guard with David Hofmeyer back in the water. He was at Zandvlei earlier
in the morning as part of the sea kayakers group from Simons Town and Fish Hoek.

The helpers and photographers then rushed off to the mouth of the Salt /Black River, to get a vantage point.
The magnificent view of Table Mountain blighted by all the plastic junk washed up in front of the Cold Storage wharehouse.

There is a lot of plastic there, the photo does not give the real sense or magnitude of the amount.

Here they come under the Marine Drive bridge.

Sam riding into the first break under the bridge.

We cant see what they can see, I am sure quite intimidating compared to what they have paddled
against so far. They were very lucky with the tide and had timed it very well, now about 16h00. High tide was due just after 18h00.

Glen off into "his natural habitat".

Glen was looking for a way out, as his canoe would not get through the waves and he did not have 
a splash cover. 

Errol lining up and waiting for the right break.                  Dick doing the same. 

Alistair cutting through the first wave. 

They have made it through.

Kevin riding the first wave......

......and making progress for the next set. He had to bale out as the next wave half filled his canoe.

Sam was caught and her canoe soon filled with water as her splash cover was not tight
enough to keep the waves out. Alister was caught as well and is helping Sam.

And out hey come.

Peter Petersen and Guy Bubb, SUP boarders went out to help the canoes and kayaks up the
coast to the mouth of the Diep River about 1.5kms away. They know these waters well.

Christopher and Ian have also got out and carrying the canoes back to the helpers vehicles.
The Marine Drive on the left and the railway shunting line bridge on the right, the river just behind.

The last of the water being drained from Sams canoe.

Then we loaded up the canoes and paddlers and rushed them off to the Diep River
mouth and Milnerton lagoon.