- 082 418 0776
- 082 465 4391
- info@addocruises.co.za
- Mackay Bridge Angling Club, Cannonville
Addo Cruises and Sand Sledding was established in 2006 making them the oldest river cruise company on the Sundays River. Capt. Les, who skippers every trip, is the most experienced and knowledgeable skipper on the Sundays River and he has a passion for the area. Our tours run from Cannonville, a suburb of Colchester, on the Sundays River Estuary. We conduct our popular 2 1/2 hour leisurely cruises to ensure that you experience all there is to see on this amazing river with the spectacular Alexandria Coastal Dunes as a backdrop.
Our tours are enjoyed by small groups and large parties as well as visitors from the cruise ships that dock at the Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha harbour. We can custom make a cruise to suit your needs too, be it a private party, wedding, engagement, bird watching or scientific charter. We are most happy to provide catering on request.
Every cruise is skippered by the experienced and knowledgeable Capt. Les Kingma who also happens to own the company. Capt. Les has never missed a tour and has skippered every cruise since he first launched “The Ferry”. This makes him the most experienced skipper on the river. He has a passion for this magnificent estuary and loves showing his guests the spectacular natural beauty of the area.
Records show that Capt. Les has skippered over 2000 trips and entertained over 17000 passengers!
Addo Cruises & Sand Sledding was established in 2006 under the name of “The Sundays River Ferry“. In 2010 the name was changed to Addo Cruises and Sand Sledding. The boat used for the cruises is still known today as the “Sundays River Ferry” or, more affectionately, “The Ferry”.
The Ferry is an all-aluminium double decker pontoon boat that can seat up to 30 guests in comfort. The boat is specifically designed for tours of the Sundays River and for the enjoyment of its passengers. Our access ramp can be used by all ages as well as wheel chair bound individuals making our trips very accessible. As most of the tours are two and a half hours long, The Ferry is also equipped with a toilet. The upper deck affords guests magnificent views of the river, sand dunes and sunsets.
She is powered by twin 60 hp, four stroke petrol engines and is equipped with hydraulic steering. The vessel is assessed by the South African maritime safety Authority (SAMSA) each year to ensure your safety.
Addo Cruises and Sand Sledding have been providing a sand sledding service since 2008. The huge sand dunes fall straight into the river making them easily accessible from the The Ferry.
Sand sledding involves carrying a sand sled, also known as a sand board, to the top of a sand dune and then climbing aboard and sliding down the slope at speed. Where the sand dune enters the estuary it is possible to slide down the dune and then skip across the surface of the water.
Over the years Capt. Les has experimented with a variety of sand sleds and feels that he now has the perfect sled for use on these sand dunes. It is so perfect that he is in the process of patenting his idea.
The key factors of his patent sand sled are that it is easy to use, strong, safe, stable and yet offers plenty of speed and an ability to skip across the water too.
This design enables young and old and large and small to safely slide down the dunes at speeds of over 40 km/h and come to a stop at the bottom of the dune in a comfortable manner.
For the adventurous there is the “Mine Shaft”, one of the steepest dunes covering over 50 meters and it ends in the estuary! Expect to reach speeds of up to 70km/h!
Our sand sleds are designed to absorb the impact at the transition area between sand and water, sending people safely across the water.
Sand sleds can accommodate up to two passengers allowing for tandem rides.
Cap. Les has a great love for the outdoors and for the Sundays River estuary and will impart his wealth of fun, interesting and entertaining knowledge on the cruises.
The Sundays River originates in the arid Karoo and gains strength as it passes between mountain ranges and runs past the town of Addo and through parts of the Addo Elephant National Park before entering the Indian Ocean in Algoa Bay. The mouth of the river is estuarine and thus affected by the Indian Ocean’s tides.
What makes this estuary so beautiful is that it runs through the largest mobile sand dune system in the southern hemisphere, and this is where the sand sledding takes place. Just upstream from the sand dunes the riverbank changes to clay and become upright. It is in these miniature cliffs that a variety of bird species nest.
The estuary is home to over 100 bird species, from the massive Goliath Heron that stands 1.5m tall and has a wingspan of over 2.3m to the small but spectacularly colourful kingfishers and bee-eaters. It is also not uncommon to see a variety of reptiles and mammals on the banks of the river. Click here to see the list of birds we have seen.
The river water is cool and provides a refreshing swim, particularly in the warm summer months.
The Ferry is licensed to carry up to 30 guests and is equipped with comfortable seating, safety equipment (children are required to wear lifejackets) and a toilet. Tours are on a self-catering basis, but, on request, we can offer a variety of catering options.
Join us for a leisurely two-an- half-hour cruise on the magnificent and breathtaking waters of the Sundays River estuary – one of the top-rated estuaries in South Africa. The tour heads towards the mouth of the river and anchors at the sand dunes, just over a nautical mile from the mouth, where guests may step off the boat to explore, and then goes upriver as far as the historic Mackay Bridge to view the bush covered riverbanks and reedbeds that are home to a wide variety of bird life and smaller animals such as the otter, duiker, bushbuck or the stately kudu.
(weather permitting / excluding Mechanical breakdown)
R680 per adult
R340 per child (aged 5 to 12)
VALID FROM 1 AUGUST 2024 - 31 JULY 2025
The sand dunes can only be accessed by boat and thus the tour includes a 40-minute river cruise. We head towards the mouth of the river and anchors just over one nautical mile from the mouth at the base of the sand dunes. We use our own, patented sand sleds to ensure a safe and speedy adventure. As the sand dunes are steep this tour requires a moderate level of fitness.
(weather permitting / excluding Mechanical breakdown)
R860 per adult
R430 per child (aged 5 to 12)
R680 per adult non-sand sledding passenger
R340 per child (aged 5 to 12) non-sand sledding passenger
VALID FROM 1 AUGUST 2024 - 31 JULY 2025
Join us for a leisurely two-an- half-hour cruise on the magnificent and breathtaking waters of the Sundays River estuary – one of the top-rated estuaries in South Africa. The tour heads towards the mouth of the river and anchors at the sand dunes, where guests may step off the boat to explore, and then goes upriver as far as the historic Mackay Bridge to view the bush covered riverbanks and reedbeds that are home to a wide variety of bird life and smaller animals such as the otter, duiker, bushbuck or the stately kudu.
(weather permitting / excluding Mechanical breakdown)
R680 per adult
R340 per child (aged 5 to 12)
VALID FROM 1 AUGUST 2024 - 31 JULY 2025
We have been working with tour operators for many years and provide tour operator rates on request. We are happy to adapt our tour times and procedures to your requirements and will provide a catering service on request too.
“The Ferry” is licensed to carry up to 30 guests and can be chartered for private parties and functions. We are happy to adapt our tour times and procedures to suit your requirements and decorations. Contact us for a quotation.
All trips are weather dependent and so please contact us 48 hours before your booking to confirm that the tour will be able to depart. We do not run tours in strong winds and heavy rain. We need a minimum of four adults per cruise to confirm departure.
Bring a warm jacket as temperatures on the water and the sunset cruise will be lower than on land. Wear sunscreen as the UV is accentuated by reflections of the water and sand dunes.
How to find us: We are located in the suburb of Cannonville in the town of Colchester on the Sundays River estuary and are 45km from Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth. Join the N2 and travel east towards Makanda and East London. Take the first turn to the right after crossing the Sundays River bridge into Barkly Road and turn right into Main Street. Continue down Main Street and turn left in Pearl Street. Turn right at the T-junction into Aquavista Crescent. Continue down Aquavista Crescent until the Mackay Bridge Angling Club, where you will find us.
We are within 50km radius from Shamwari, Amakhala, Kwantu, Pumba and Schotia Safaris game reserves and 10 minutes from the Addo Elephant National Park’s southern gate.
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