Trip Outline

• Days 1 - 4:

  iSimangaliso Wetland Park, St Lucia

  What to expect:

  Beaches stretch for miles where the sound and smell of breaking waves fill the air. Richard might meet some hippos if he ventures too far into the waterways.

• Days 12 - 17:

  Wild Coast

  What to expect:

  Nicknamed South Africa's Bermuda Triangle, the ruggedly beautiful, remote coastline between East London and Durban offers challenging sailing conditions with freak waves of up to 20m high.

• Days 22:

  The 1st 100km challenge - Nelson Mandela Bay

  What to expect:

  Paddling past Bird Island, Richard will be dodging great white sharks preying on the seals from the island. This section will also take him 28km away from land - the furthest of the whole trip.

• Days 26:

  Plettenberg Bay and Robberg Point

  What to expect:

  Another day for great white shark spotting...

• Days 33:

  Cape Agulhas and Danger Point

  What to expect:

  Cape Agulhas, the most Southern tip of Africa at 35° south, is the second swiftest current in the world, but is deadlier than the swiftest current, the Gulf Stream. Danger Point is where the adventure takes a spooky turn. This is the where the infamous Flying Dutchman was first spotted.

• Days 34:

  Seal Island, near Dyer Island, Hermanus

  What to expect:

  Dyer Island got its present name from its first permanent resident, Samson Dyer, who made a living clubbing cape fur seals for an American company. These days the seals keep their coats, because Dyer Island’s been turned into a nature reserve. With the seals roaming the waters, you can expect to see a great white or two.

• Days 36:

  Crossing False Bay, 14km away from land

  What to expect:

  This is the area ghost stories are made of. Home to more than 400 shipwrecks, the Cape of Good Hope is the last stop before explorers continue to Antarctica. Some say this stretch is haunted. Others think it’s only stories. Either way, Richard could be paddling across the stretch with a little more urgency.

• Days 37:

  Robben Island

  What to expect:

  Robben Island needs no introduction. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, this tiny island has played a big role in historical events. The island’s most famous prisoner, Mr Nelson Mandela, gave us all of us something to smile about with his dream of a united South Africa.

• Days 37 - 50:

  West Coast

  What to expect:

  The cold Atlantic Ocean is beautifully misty with high swells and a rocky shoreline making this a tricky stretch to navigate. Sometimes, on the rare occasion, you may even spot a killer whale (actually a dolphin, not a whale). The coastline is dotted with picturesque fishing villages and open-air restaurants located right on the waters edge. Snoek, mussels, crayfish and bokkoms (salted mullet left to dry out) are normally on the menu, accompanied by generous helpings of warm farm bread covered in salty butter.

• Days 50:

  Finish at the Orange River mouth

  What to expect:

  50 days, 2600km and too many paddle strokes to count, Richard will end his adventure at the Orange River Mouth, the natural border between South Africa and Namibia. Namibia is world-renowned for its diamonds scattered along the Orange River shore, as well as along the Atlantic coastline. Although most offshore diamonds are mined using futuristic-looking vessels, Richard could be on the look out for a sparkle in the ocean.