Raindrops and Teardrops in the Shadow of the Lighthouse

29 SEPTEMBER – 2 OCTOBER 2020

After starting off our travels gradually: a long weekend in Strandfontein; nearly a week exploring Route 62; and two weeks of roughing it in Namaqualand and the Richterveld; we were now ready for a longer trip. We were heading to the far north-eastern part of South Africa with a SANParks Wild Card in our pockets (well, actually still on my phone)!

After packing enough food and other provisions for an army, we set off on our journey. Instead of heading straight north-east on the N1, we first made a detour to the Strand. After our stay at Bulshoek Dam and fishing from the pedal boat, Andre has decided to buy a fishing kayak. He looked at pre-loved kayaks on Gumtree, but in the end, he got such a good deal from Ronnie at The Man Cave in the Strand, that he settled on a new Seaflo kayak ( https://www.seaflokayaks.co.za ). He was happy with what he saw and wanted to buy the kayak, but there was one teensy-weensy little problem: Marius (our bakkie) did not have roof-racks! Andre considered putting the kayak into Miss Daisy through the front or back window, but that would make setting up camp arduous for just the two of us. In the end, Ronnie had the perfect solution – we bought a set of soft roof carriers from him. In no time, he showed Andre how they worked and helped him to load the kayak onto the roof. He even threw in an old paddle. This place felt like Aladdin’s Cave – filled with hidden treasures. We bought a small, portable braai as well. And I convinced Andre that at R100, he could not afford NOT to buy a pair of water shoes.

I proudly shared this photo of Andre’s new kayak with my brother in Australia, who had given Andre some advice on kayaks. Trust a brother-in-law to cut you down to size – after an initial thumbs-up, his comment was that it looked like something you could have a bath in too!

We travelled through picturesque Gordon’s Bay and then via the incredibly scenic Clarence Drive (R44) to our first pitstop: lunch in Kleinmond with my parents. After a short visit and feasting on my mom’s tomato stew, we set off for Mossel Bay at about 3:30pm. From the N2, we had the most beautiful vistas of the yellow Canola fields of the Overberg.

At about 5:40pm, somewhere between Swellendam and Heidelberg, I received a WhatsApp from my mom with the sad news that my aunt, Dennise, had just passed away. Andre pulled over at the next picnic spot so that we could just gather our thoughts. My aunt had been diagnosed with lung cancer on 17 July this year. This dreaded disease had claimed her far too quickly. We did not know what to do – should we turn around or continue to Mossel Bay? In the end we decided to drive on. Andre’s parents were camping at the Point Caravan Resort in Mossel Bay. We would spend a day or two there and wait to hear what the funeral arrangements were after my cousin arrived from The Netherlands.

We arrived in a cold and windy Mossel Bay after dark – which is never ideal when travelling with a caravan. Oupie had already braaied crispy chicken wings, boerewors and braaibroodjies (traditional toasted sandwiches with tomato, onion and cheese). After dinner and a short chat, setting up camp, and a hot shower, we fell into our bed, physically and emotionally exhausted.

We slept in the next morning. The weather was still miserable, cold and windy – the perfect excuse to stay in bed. Oupie cooked a hearty English breakfast for us over the fire. Then this digital nomad set up office in the shadows of the Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse and quickly did her month-end payments. After my hard work, I deserved a treat. We drove to the little café in the parking lot below the lighthouse for draairoomys (ice-cream cones – one of those Afrikaans words that are so beautifully descriptive). We braved the wind to watch the tame dassies (rock hyrax) and take some photos. Andre also checked out the lower platform of the Mossel Bay Zipline – the longest over-the-ocean zip line in the world!

Then we set off to Klein Brak River so that Andre could test the kayak. Andre enjoyed his outing on the river although he realised that it would take a bit of practice to hone his fishing skills from the kayak. Oupie also fished from the riverbank while Oumie and I huddled together inside Marius. We were a bit more productive than the men, because we managed to sort and edit some photos whilst the fish eluded the anglers.

Everyone was very thankful for my flask with hot water and the instant cappuccinos to warm up after the angling session. We drove through Klein Brak and down to the beach, which really surprised us with its natural beauty. Andre chatted to a gentleman with a powered paraglider – interesting, but not quite for the faint-hearted!

Back in Mossel Bay, we drove down to the harbour and the London Bus Fish & Chips Company to buy fish and chips for dinner. We also drove past the old Post Office Tree and the Dias Museum Complex, which we had visited previously. Just opposite that, we also saw the Mile Crunchers Backpackers, where our son had stayed the previous December holiday. He highly recommended them!

While we were having dinner, the rain that had been threatening all day, started pouring down. That was the best excuse for an early night. There are few things quite as cosy and comforting as being tucked up in bed in the caravan while it is raining. Less pleasant is running for dear life in the middle of the night to reach the ablution facilities before you are soaked to the skin!

The weather was not much better the next morning. Oupie took us for a tour through the caravan park. Point Caravan Resort was a culture shock to me. Although we had encountered other touring pensioners on our previous trips, the Swallows here have set down roots – literally! They have gardens growing on their caravan plots. In many caravan parks throughout the country, pensioners may camp for a month or two at special cheap rates, but many of these campers live here permanently. They have formed their own strange little community.

We then drove to The Coffee Club in Marsh Street for breakfast. We were planning on working on our blog there, but while we waited for our food, I phoned my cousin Francois’s wife, Janine, to find out whether they had made any funeral arrangements yet. They were hoping to have the funeral the next Tuesday, but that would only be finalised when my cousin, Loudina, arrived from The Netherlands the next morning. They were holding thumbs that she and her boyfriend would not have to go into Covid-quarantine when they arrived in South Africa. Janine encouraged me to continue with our journey, especially because we had bookings in the Kruger National Park. My aunt loved camping and she would have been the first person to tell me to go. Even though it was with heavy hearts, that is what Andre and I decided to do. After our scrumptious breakfast, we packed away the laptop to spend the rest of the day with Andre’s parents. We would leave Mossel Bay the next morning.

We first went in search of the starting platform of the Mossel Bay Zipline. It really looked like a thrilling glide down over the waves. Despite the howling wind, Oumie vowed that if the kids were keen to try this experience during the December holiday, then she would do it with them.

We then drove out to Dana Bay to do some sight-seeing. We were surprised by how much development had taken place there over the past few years.

Back in Mossel Bay, we enjoyed a last braai with the outlaws just before it started raining again. The next morning, we left Mossel Bay early after having coffee and rusks with Oupie and Oumie. We were thankful for the rain in this drought-stricken area, but also thankful to hopefully leave the rain behind!

ANDRE’S ADDENDUM: The one side of my wife’s family is the Erasmus clan – known for many things in the Overberg area, but by far, and I mean by far, best known for their ability to talk the ears off a donkey. Me, not so much. I can’t compete at that level. My contribution to conversations at family gatherings, is to listen … and then listen some more … and then, later on, pretend that I’m still listening. Dennise was the only person I knew, who could not only keep up with the Erasmus clan, but left them trailing in her dust. I’ll miss that at family gatherings … I’ll miss her at family gatherings.