SANParks.org Forums

I'm posting this to test other forumite's opinion, and hopefully for Park Management to take note of the situation.

Subjected to available infrastructure (picnic sites, ablution facilities etc) as well is impact on the environment, I thought SAN Parks have always had daily quotas for the amount of day-visitors to our National Parks. However;

This does not seem to be the case in the West Coast National Park. During the few days around New Year, thousands of day-visitors entered the Park - mainly to spend the day at Kraalbaai. I went cycling in the Park on the morning of 5 January. 98 cars passed me on their way to Kraalbaai on the 15 km stretch between the T junction @ Geelbek and Kraalbaai (there and back). Of the 98 cars that passed me, almost all of them were speeding. The roadside was littered with cool-drink cans, plastic bottles etc - something virtually never seen during the year. At the picnic area at Kraalbaai it was chaos with not enough parking and picnic facilities. From a reliable source I know more than 2000 individuals passed through the Park gates ON ONE DAY during peak times! Surely this must be way above what the Park is designed to handle?

This is not the first time I notice this very high volume of visitors during holiday periods, Clearly Parks board will have to step in here and do some kind of management. I imagine it will be difficult to turn away the queues of cars at the gates but something needs to be done.

WE were there on the 31st 1st and 2nd and yes Kraalbaai was chaotic . we could not pass to get to the atlantic beach area. Sanparks were there and they were enforcing the liquor rules as far as we could see. The rest of the park was quiet and the Birdhides apart from us empty. At the beach area we only saw about 4 families braaing . all very orderly.
Speeding .. well nobody dared pass us . I had my yellow cosie on and wore my Sanparks cap that they gave me and my Sanparks backpack was in full view of the peeps behind us
WE stopped to see some bokkies which were close and nobody even stopped to ask us what we were looking at . So they obviously only had Picnic in mind.
WE were at Abrahaamskraal and only about 6 cars actually drove into the parking at the bird hide the whole time we were there.
Though I do believe they will have to have a gate limit soon as there were far too many cars rushing to the picnic spot and there were hundreds of folk swimming in the lagoon which I am sure has some impact on the animals,plants and birds

When at the cottage a 4x4 twin cab drove up to the cottageat 19.30 the folks inside looked well
do folk They then spotted us and made a hurried retreat . I wonder if they thought they could spend the night there as by this time gate closing was over and anyway what were they wandering about the park at that time. !!!!!!I wonder how many folk chance their luck and sleep over in the park . We were not checked when we left the park so who knows we might have been there for weeks !!

Good point Hugh. One night well after closing time in Letaba, a bakkie was driving slowly but purposefully around the safari tent area. I am sure they were looking for an empty one.

BB our car was hidd3n from view being parked on the far side and as it was still light there were no lights on and we were sitting inside because it was a bit windy . When they arrived I opened the front door to enquire what they wanted but on seeing me it was a very quick reverse and lots of dust Lets hope they were eaten by an ostrich

I agree with you BUT great revenue for the park. Cannot see them turning this away.