The beautiful Transkei Wild Coast - a Spearfishing Mecca

It?s no wonder our forefathers named it the ?Transkei?? loosely translated as ?that place over that river?. It was a place so formidable and difficult to transverse yet alluring beautiful. Not much has changed since those days. Sure, now there?s a spiderweb of mud roads criss-crossing the landscape, which makes getting from A to B at least possible. The mystery of the Transkei still grips you. It?s almost surreal.
Deep green valleys carve their way through to cliffs that plummet into the sea, as if the hand of God came and tore away the shoreline. The Transkei is like something out of a Tolkien novel, a ?Middle Earth? of sorts complete with rolling mists that cloak its secrets. Even the trees grow strangely, twisted and battered by the wild winds and elements.
The Transkei ocean, not unlike the land, also has its own thing going on. It?s not at all like the Cape or Natal. The Transkei cliffs seem to give the sea an odd ?bump? even on calm days. The colour of the water is different, a ?clean green? gloom with an airy feeling to it that only adds to the adventure and craziness of this phenomenal place.
For many however, it?s not just the magical setting but the abundance of world class spearfishing opportunities that provides good reason to make the great trek to the Transkei from all over South Africa. Often, trips to the Kei are planned with great excitement and expectations, only to be washed out by the area?s notoriously temperamental weather? but even in these cases, one only needs a glimpse to fall in love. For some, the Kei has become so much a part of their lives that they regard it with a sense of fierce ownership. Completely smitten, they guard the treasures they have found there, like Gollum protecting ?the Ring?.
 
This said, you can imagine that trying to glean information for a write up on the Kei was like pulling hens? teeth. Suddenly, guys had no idea what I was talking about. Some were blunt and refused point blank to say anything. But, as always, there were those who still remember what it was like to struggle along without a clue, and I am truly grateful to those who shared their stories and secrets.