TRANSKEI - A TOURIST'S DREAM

Transkei, Port St Johns · 1980-10-29

Official

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front

Cachet: The cachet on this cover shows a detailed pen and ink illustration of a shipwreck, its hull run aground and tilted against the rocks with waves breaking around it. The rigging still stands against the sky, giving the scene a haunting, weathered quality. The words "Transkei Wild Coast" appear in teal script in the upper left, with "Jacaranda Wreck" printed beneath the illustration identifying the specific vessel depicted. A small crest and the series marking "1.20" sit in the lower corner. Four stamps fill the top right corner in a block, each illustrated by A H Barrett and showing a different landmark along the Wild Coast, from Hole in the Wall to The Archway. Two Port St Johns postmarks, each built around a leaping fish design, cancel the stamps.

Info card

TRANSKEI - A TOURIST'S DREAM The unspoilt scenic Wild Coast of Transkei stretching 245 km from the Kei to the Umtamvuna Rivers delights surfers, sunbathers, hikers, photographers and anglers alike and tourists from far and near flock to several resorts established by the Department of Nature Conservation. Topographically Transkei has a broken landscape characterized by mountain ranges and deep valleys. Natural phenomena that astound are Hole in the Wall, where crashing waves have worn a hole in solid rock rising out of the sea, The Citadel and The Archway, as well as numerous waterfalls of which the Tina near Umtata and the Tsitsa about 70 km to the north, with a sheer drop of 116 m, are the most breathtaking. Since Independence in 1976 the Transkei Nature Conservation Act has provided for the protection of fauna and flora as well as for the establishment of nature reserves and tourist facilities. The particularly picturesque Port St Johns at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River has been earmarked as a tourist growth point. Nature reserves have also been opened at Dwesa and Hluleka where holiday-makers can rent self-contained cottages and log-cabins in beautiful surroundings, if they book well in advance. Transkei is an anglers' mecca. Rainbow trout can be caught in the upper reaches of the Umtata River from September to June, and December to August is the time to fish black bass below the Kambi Falls. Haga Haga, with its variety of sea-life ranging from steenbras, galjoen, salmon-bass, oysters and octopus to shrimps, is one of the more popular angling resorts. The Transkei Development Corporation has also developed a number of coastal holiday resorts and arranges fly-in tours, which cuts down on travelling time. Transkei would like to extend a hearty welcome on behalf of its inhabitants and urges one and all to "Feel free! Tour Transkei".

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 29 October 1980 in Port St Johns. It carries a set of four Transkei stamps illustrated by A H Barrett, each depicting a natural landmark along the Wild Coast between the Kei and Umtamvuna rivers. Hole in the Wall, shown on the 5c stamp, was formed entirely by the sea itself, with waves gradually wearing a hole clean through the solid rock that gives the landmark its name.

Theme: Other

Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.

Addressed: No

Signed: No

Estimated value: ~US$0.1

This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.