Garden Route Unearthed

Spectacular views and a brilliant experience, soaring over Sedgefield.

Whenever you visit Sedgefield (especially during the spring to autumn months) you are very likely to see a couple of dozen Paragliders hovering in the skies.

In fact, you will see this sight all along the coastline from Wilderness to Sedgefield. This part of the Garden Route is a popular and ideal location for Paragliding and Handgliding, with launch sites at Map of Africa, in Wilderness, Paradise Ridge from Kleinkranz to Gericke’s Point and Cloud 9, in Sedgefield.

There has also recently been a new launch site introduced at Fynbos on Sea in Sedgefield, above Gericke’s Point, however, this is not for new flyers, as you must have 100 or more solo flights under your belt to launch from there.

After living in Sedgefield for a while and seeing all these people flying daily for months, Bryan and I decided that we would love to try a tandem flight.

There are several different companies offering tandem flights in the area, so after researching and reviewing a number of them, we opted to book a tandem flight each with Fly-Time Paragliding.

When we booked, we were told that the flight would either take place from Map of Africa in Wilderness, or from Cloud 9, in Sedgefield. It would all depend on the wind the morning of our flight. We were desperately hoping to be able to fly from Cloud 9, in Sedgefield, as we really wanted to fly from our home location.

The morning of our flight arrived and we received a call from Fly-Time Paragliding to say that the weather was great for our flight that particular December day and we would be flying from Cloud 9, in Sedgefield. We were over the moon (and maybe, perhaps a tiny bit apprehensive).

We arrived at the requested time, signed our lives away on the indemnity form and started getting suited up and buckled in for our flights.

Bryan was doing a tandem with Pete Wallenda and my tandem instructor was Sue Wallenda.

Bryan was first to take flight and I watched him rising up into the sky above me.

We had decided to get photos and videos done, so that we could return to the memory of the flights at any time in the future. As you can see, he was having an absolute ball!

I was next to launch and I have to say that when I was told all I had to do was run forwards and off the front of the dune, then sit back into the harness, I was just a little bit concerned.

Sue clearly knew what she was doing and I had every confidence in her, so I did what I was told (Bryan found that quite hard to believe) and went with the flow.

The views and scenery of Sedgefield, the lagoon and the ocean beyond the dunes were simply spectacular and the day was so clear, with beautiful blue skies, we really couldn’t have been luckier. It was absolutely magnificent.

Soaring above Sedgefield, taking in these incredible sights and relaxing back into the harness is an experience I will cherish for many years to come. It was so peaceful flying around with the slight breeze ruffling my hair and I had a constant smile upon my face.

I absolutely loved it. I felt safe and relaxed the entire flight and can 100% recommend the experience.

We were also glad to have decided to purchase the photo and video package, although it took me a while to realise i didn’t need to have the selfie-stick held out straight in front and pointing at me for the entire flight!

If you are keen to try a tandem paragliding flight, I would highly recommend Fly-Time Paragliding. In fact, my sister-in-law has since enjoyed a tandem flight with them too.

They were professional, experienced, made us feel very relaxed and comfortable and explained the whole process to both Bryan and myself thoroughly.

Bryan took to paragliding like a duck to water and loved the whole experience so much that a month later he embarked on his solo paragliding course.

He is now a fully fledged paraglider and frequently heads off to Cloud 9 or Map of Africa and sometime Paradise Ridge to throw himself off the dunes. This is something that I find a bit difficult to watch, but when he returns home after having flown for a couple of hours, and tells me of the things he has seen and how high up he has flown, I have a little urge to go and enjoy another flight myself, although mine would still be a tandem flight!

If you have enjoyed this post and would like to subscribe to my website and receive an email when new posts are published, please complete the subscription below: