Plans for the development of the Agulhas National Park have been drafted by SANParks and are at present being presented to various interest groups for their comments and proposals. The first developments on the drawing board are at the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, the historic farm Ratelrivier and at the seaside resort known as Pietie se Punt. Maré Mouton reports.
The Agulhas National Park (ANP) was proclaimed in 1999 with 100 hectares of land around the Cape Agulhas Lighthouse. To date a further 16 700 ha have been added, but the eventual plan is for a park of 120 000 ha. The chief aim of the sanctuary is to protect the rich – and often threatened – lowland and coastal fynbos that occurs in the area, and to develop the natural resources for the benefit of the local people. SANParks' mandate also includes the conservation of the cultural assets of all population groups in the areas under its management.
"We have done the basic planning and the plans have been approved by the SANParks head office in Pretoria. We are now in the process of getting the community involved and getting their input. We can only start building once everybody is in agreement, but we hope it will be sooner than later," says Ettienne Fourie, manager of the Park.
The Agulhas Lighthouse is, in its present form, a vastly underutilized tourism asset. The area around the lighthouse is not particularly attractive and is marred by some unsightly utilitarian buildings. Visitors are offered very little to do once they get there and nothing has been done to enhance the feeling that one is at a very special place on Earth.
The development plan drafted by consultants (see diagram below) is built around a central axis, a walkway which will take visitors from the parking area directly to the lighthouse. The existing SANParks office building, as well as the unsightly buildings above and below the lighthouse, will be demolished. New buildings will include a restaurant with a sea view and a culture centre where exhibitions and lectures on the history and geography of the area will be presented. The terrain will be paved and landscaped, with links to various walking trails. Access to Suiderstrand and Pietie se Punt will be via a new inland road from Struisbaai.
The once stately Ratelrivier, whose rich history was documented in previous issues of Village Life, may be contracted out to a private entrepreneur to develop it into a tourism facility within the Agulhas Park. SANParks started the process of finding a possible private partner with advertisements in national and regional newspapers. A briefing for interested parties was held at Ratelrivier on 9 November, led by SANParks' manager for business development, James Daniels. Those parties who have submitted proposals to express their interest in the public-private venture by 30 November, will take part in a bidding process which should hopefully see a tender awarded by June 2006. The contracts for this type of joint venture normally run for 25–30 years, and the assets remain the property of SANParks.
The Ratelrivier homestead comprises numerous buildings, mostly of local limestone, making it suitable for various types of facilities such as a boutique hotel, wellness centre or nature retreat. The historic stables of over 500m2 also offer the potential of establishing a facility centred on horse&Mac173;riding. The buildings have deteriorated while standing empty and will require substantial repairs before it can house the first tourist ñ amongst other things, the electrical wiring needs to be redone and the water pipeline from the source on the farm will have to be upgraded.
A major component of the overall plans is the creation of a new road through the park, to link the end of the R43 coastal tar road from Gansbaai, which ends at Die Dam, directly to Struisbaai near Agulhas. The idea is to give tourists the option of a circular route from Hermanus down the coast, then through the ANP and on to Agulhas, Die Mond and Arniston, rather than turning around at Gansbaai.
A new road is also envisaged from Struisbaai, over the hills to Suiderstrand. The existing road past the lighthouse will then be closed to the public.
Unlike other National Parks, the Agulhas Park as yet offers no overnight facilities. Apart from creating accommodation at Ratelrivier, SANParks have plans for a new rest camp at Pietie se Punt near Suiderstrand. This will be a low-impact facility and will consist of about sixty beds, in two- and four-bed units. In line with input from the local community, the buildings will probably be in the style of fishermenís cottages. The existing house on the property will be upgraded to serve as accommodation, and commercial activity at the camp will be limited to a single convenience shop.
These are the first steps to establish a park that will undoubtedly boost tourism and job creation in this area, which has a multitude of world-class natural attractions, but which has been a somewhat forgotten corner of the tourism world.
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