A heady combo of untamed surf breaks and rollicking singletrack lurks in the area where the Eastern Cape’s ‘Frontier Country’ hinterland collides onto the Sunshine Coast. Our latest (and totally lekker) issue of #TakesYouThere issues will make you feel like a real local the next time you visit Jbay and the 3 RIVERS Trail …

EASTERN CAPE SURF ESCAPE

Yup, the good old Oos-Kaap ticks a bunch of adventure boxes, with outdoor options ranging from red-lining adrenaline activities such as bungee jumping, Downhill MTB and zip lining, to a range of more laid-back pursuits like beach horse rides, bird watching, game viewing and cultural experiences. Top of the list, of course, is surfing the world’s ‘perfect wave’.

Jeffery’s Bay, Sunshine Coast

Dawn patrol on the Jbay backline is an integral part of the surfers’ ritual if you’re a full-on member of the ‘Church of the Big Blue’. There are more than a dozen breaks in this legendary surfing town, with enough variation to allow aqua heroes of all ages and skills to ride a wave. The weather is as friendly as (most!) of the locals, so rock up in any season to experience one of SA’s most temperate climates.

Break Options: When the planets align, Supers can sometimes peak at a solid 6-8ft, leaving no room for error. You may be ballsy enough to paddle out at this legendary break, but if you drop in on one of the local heroes, you might just get skegged, Bru … Instead, hone your skills at Albies or a Main Beach break and slowly work your way up via ‘Kitchen Windows’, ‘Phantoms’ or ‘Point’.

The Kouga Tourism Region is blessed with a bevy of famous breaks beyond the Jeffreys beaches, and this offers some respite when the ‘Devil Wind’ blows in from the north. Pack your Sex Wax and head to St. Francis Bay or Cape St. Francis, and you may just get lucky at Seal Point or Hullets. Neptune may even gift you with a flawlessly clean session at ‘Bruce’s Beauties’, the break immortalized in the surf movie, ‘Endless Summer’.

3 Rivers Trail, Crossways

The 3 RIVERS Trail system should top your bucket list if you’re heading to the Eastern Cape, and it certainly deserves the rave reviews rolling in. An extended Longmore Forest loop has bumped it up to next level, with a network of rough, rutted forestry tracks delivering a total of 200km of riding on any given weekend here.

Trail Info: Riders can enjoy the full gamut of disciplines here, from gravel biking and enduro, to cross country XC, trail, downhill and even flow tracks on offer. Nearly two decades of hard graft means this community NPO boasts a solid 70km of sublime singletrack, with trail builder Craig Richards adding new segments every couple of months.

We suggest you get crank the flowy Purple Cow: bomb past cattle grazing green meadows, through mountain streams and across wooden bridges. Room with a View follows a fast blast along a traverse from the top of Ox Wagon and onto a gritty enduro downhill, skittering amidst rocks and fynbos to spit you out into Protea Fields. Not to be missed is Dam Buster, starting via an intimidating Rock Garden on to a rollicking ride that will have you grinning from ear to ear as you swoop through paradise.

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