2005/2006 - SANParks

2006South African National Parkspath was extended over a sensitive dune area on erf 444 in Nature’sValley to ensure that no further “blow-outs” occur in this area.Alien clearing through the Working for Water (WfW) Programme is stilloperational. The budget for the 2005-06 fi nancial year has increasedto R1.6 million (an increase of R300 000) during the reporting periodas allocated. Some 483,56 hectares were cleared.The CoastCare program came to an end at the end of May 2004.New budgets were submitted and were approved in March 2005.The budget comprises of R5 million, over a period of two years. Atotal of 10 teams comprising of 12 people per team are presentlyemployed by the project. All deliverables are being met timeouslyand the programme is running ahead of schedule.An infrared camera was set up in Natures Valley, close to the Salt River,as part of a leopard monitoring project by the University of Pretoria.Due to problems experienced with the camera there are no recordsto date. The camera has been sent for repairs.TOURISMThere was a decline of 7% of visitors to the park compared to theprevious year, however this was due to various circumstancesincluding, N2 road works, the break in the operation of the boat Spiritof Tsitsikamma previously operated by Storms River Adventures whichwill now be operated by the park, and an overall decline of tourismvisitors to the Garden Route Region.The December/January peak season was up by 2,000 more visitorsthan the previous year; this was due to the boat being operated againand extensive marketing to locals. The 50% off discount offered duringAugust and September proved to be effective. The campaign increasedoccupancy by more than 2% compared to the previous year.It seems that the Natures Valley restcamp performance was downcompared to last year; however there was a slump in caravan andcamping in the region and Natures Valley is predominately a caravanand camping destination.The Otter and Dolphin Trails operated according to plan. The DolphinTrail continues to do well, recording high occupancy levels comparedwith the previous year and the Otter Trail is fully booked a year inadvance.PEOPLE AND CONSERVATIONCommunity RelationsThe Park Forum has been established and has been welcomed bythe local communities.Environmental EducationMore than 3,000 kids from various schools were involved in variouseducational programmes, such as beach cleanups and youth programmes.The Kids in Parks programme was launched during the year.PUBLIC RELATIONSThe park shared a stand with the Addo Elaphant National Park at theEastern Cape Stand during the Tourism Indaba in May. Relationshipswere fostered with the local tourism bureaus. Advertising was alsoundertaken in various publications and many editorials were done bytravel journalists who visited the park. A successful 50% off Campaignwas run during the months of August and September.The park together with the other parks in the region won a Best StandAward at the Cape Outdoor Expo. The park was also nominated asone of the Top 20 caravan and camping resorts in South Africa by thereaders of the Caravan and Outdoor magazine.A Sho’t Left advertisement as well as a BBC cooking programmewere recorded in the park. Educational programmes held various touroperators and tourism bureaus. Two international journalists werehosted in the park. There were more than 50 articles published duringthe year and of the articles published, 5 were negative while the restwere positive.WILDERNESS NATIONAL PARKOVERVIEWThe current size of the park is 3,500ha. The surveys of Erven 20,227,281and 396, which includes the Ebb & Flow (north) campsite werecompleted. The diagrams from the surveyor are outstanding and assoon it is received, the registration and transfer of the properties toSANParks will be effected.The mouth of the Swartvlei estuary closed on 20 June 2005 after beingbreached in April 2004. This is one of the longest periods that the mouthhas stayed open in recent years.A highlight for the year was the fact that the park’s guest cottagereceived a four star-rating for self catering accommodation.The Working for Water programme in the park has exceeded its initialtargets with the result that additional funding was received for thenew fi nancial year.57