Sedgefield - Knysna Vistor Information

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Sedgefield

Ideally located, Sedgefield is fast turning into a perfect family destination. "If it is outdoors, it's out here" goes the saying, but Sedgefield offers more than a wide range of outdoor activities. The natural beauty and peaceful pace of the area has attracted many talented artists over the years as well as inspired them to create great works. Their skills range from woodworking, metallic art and pottery to painting in all its forms and much much more.

Apart from just swimming and sun bathing, Sedgefield offers the best attractions for the whole family. With four unspoiled beaches, Sedgefield presents a variety of water sports - from simply splashing around, to excellent fishing, boating, canoeing, windsurfing, waterskiing, and sailing.

Sedgefield is a veritable paragliding Mecca, with no shortage of spots perfect for this activity along the adjacent coast.

Indulge in an abundance of fascinating fauna & flora hidden in a network of fynbos, lakeside and forest. If you are a keen birder then you have just discovered paradise!

The highlight of your visit will undoubtedly be the Wild Oats Community Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. There is certainly a taste for every tempered palate, with a noticeably health-conscious emphasis on the wares. There is an air of "sophisticated country" - young at heart and vibrant with a solid connection to the communities in the area which supply all the necessary tasty treats for one's weekly shopping needs.

Sedgefield is indeed one of nature's best kept secrets, and visitors are invited to enjoy its extensive riches. While Sedgefield is as yet a rather reticent destination, it is only a matter of time before its name is on everyone's lips.

SEDGEFIELD TOURISM OFFICE
Main Road, Sedgefield
Tel: +27 (0)44 343 2658
Fax: +27 (0)44 343 2010
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.tourismsedgefield.co.za

NEWSFLASH!!!!

Sedgefield – host of the highest fossil sand dune in South Africa.

Surrounded by the Indian Ocean and coastal lake system, Sedgefield is bordered by a series of parallel fossil sand dunes extending between Kaaimans River in the west and Brenton on Sea in the east. These dunes were formed over 2 million years ago and over time have been eroded to steep cliffs showing distinct layers and patterns caused by water, wind and sand erosion. Creating a dramatic buttress to the temperamental Indian Ocean, these cliffs offer nesting platforms for two colonies of Cape and White Breasted Cormorants and to those who are patient enough to witness the transformation, at sunset they change from a spectacular golden yellow to a deep, rich ochre.

During their formation in the Pleistocene, pieces of mollusk shell became mixed into the quartz sand grains as they were deposited into dune shapes. The hard nature of the dunes formed when rainwater seeped through the dunes, dissolving the calcium carbonate of the shell fragments and percolating into the sand lower down. During phases of minimum disturbance to the dunes, the dissolved material cemented the sand into hard and easily distinguishable layers. Looking at the cliffs flanking Myoli Beach and either side of Gerickes Point, the clear horizontal and diagonal layers seen on the exposed cliffs are testament to the different epochs of the dunes formation. The orientation of the dunes is also an indication that South westerly winds have been the prevailing winds in the region for more than 2 million years

The dune system comprises a series of three fossil dune ridges, or cordons, running parallel to the coastline. The southern most dune is submerged two miles out to sea and is a popular reef for skiboat fisherman. The central dune runs along the coastline forming the cliffs along the beach and reaches a height of nearly 204m, making it the highest fossil dune in

South Africa

. The third dune is easily seen as the cordon north of Groenvlei with a remnant section in the west forming the island in Island Lake. The dune system has been central to the development of the coastal lakes found around the outlying reaches of Sedgefield. During marine regressions, when coastlines retreated towards the continental shelf, erosion from flowing rivers cut through the softer and younger geological formations of the dunes. With subsequent marine advances and regressions, there has been a combination of erosion in the soft geology and deposition of sediment which has built up platforms and left depressions which have been filled as lakes. Thus the formation of these localized lakes is the direct result that combined climatic changes have on soft geology. Interestingly enough, the only other area where this effect can be found in South Africa is in the northern parts of Kwazulu Natal (

St Lucia

to Ponta de Oura).

Walking either east below the Myoli Dunes or west towards Gerickes Point, you will see evidence of recent dune slips where sections of the dune have broken free as a result of ongoing erosion to the dunes. The steep slopes of these fossil dunes is caused by the continuous sea erosion that undercuts the base of the dunes, transforming them from gradual sloping sides to dramatic cliffs. Careful inspection will reveal a red/brown layer (about 1.5m thick) punctuating the sand of the dunes. This layer varies in height above sea level and indicates an era when sediment was deposited over the then-existing foundation of the dune.

So why not make an effort to walk along the beach from Swartvlei, to Gerickes and around the corner for a bit or from Myoli to Platbank and take in a wonder that is right on our doorstep but has taken millennia to form.

Another great reason to visit our remarkable area!

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