Pre and Post Congress Tours The Congress Secretariat has arranged an itinerary of pre and post Congress tours to make your trip to the 7th WWC a lifetime memory..go for it!

ALEXANDRIA DUNEFIELD AND FOREST


The Wildlife and Environment Society's excursion on Sunday 4th November 2001 will take participants through the little known Alexandria Forest, a coastal amble providing fine views of the Alexandria Dunefield, followed by a visit to the Diaz cross. Also included in the excursion is a visit to Nongqawuse's grave.

Nongqawuse was a Xhosa maiden who had a vision that if the Xhosa people slaughtered all their cattle and burnt all their crops, their forefathers would rise from the grave and drive the white man out of the country. As a result of this, 30 000 people died of starvation, 30 000 were forced to move to other parts of the country and 30 000 remained under very harsh conditions. The local farmers stepped in to assist the ones remaining.

The Alexandria Dunefield is considered the largest moving dunefield in the world. Some of these dunes reach similar heights as those of the Namib Desert (West Coast). The University of Port Elizabeth has awarded a number of doctorates for studies done in this area. The Alexandria Forest is considered the only unspoilt forest in Southern Africa.

The Diaz Cross is one of 3 crosses erected by Bartholomew Diaz, a Portuguese navigator when he navigated the Cape coast in the 15th century. This cross was originally thought to be erected on an island off the city of PE, but was never found until the 1930's when it was discovered on the coast near the Alexandria Dunefields. The other 2 crosses are to be found in Cape Town and Mossel Bay. 

The excursion, a 300 km trip, departs at + 09h00 and returns + 16h30.

The cost of this day excursion will be US$30.00 per person. This includes transport, morning tea and lunch. Please note early booking is essential as this tour will be limited to a certain number of people.