BeachesYou could be forgiven for thinking that life on the Wild
Coast is one long beach. You??d be right. All the travel-
guides and where-to-go books that deal with the Wild Coast
are unanimous on one point: the beaches of the Wild Coast
are something really special in a world full of wonders.
To the south, the beaches of the Cape province are wide
and windswept and stretch on forever. To the north the
beaches of KwaZulu-Natal are sheltered, backed by rocky
little coves and overhanging cliffs. And the beaches of
the Wild Coast, that falls between the two, have the best
of both worlds.
What makes them even more special is that they are
undeveloped and pristine ?? instead of being inundated by
the view of yet another large condominium rising against
the dunes there is nothing here but rocks and waves. The
sight of a dwelling, ramshackle as it usually is and
tucked away into vegetation, actually comes as a pleasant
surprise. And there are very few places in this world of
which you can say that. |
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Cathedral Rock appears in the annals of our earliest seafaring explorers.
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The 280-km coastline of the Wild Coast gradually changes
from north to south. In the south, where the coastline
takes the corner and heads north, the beaches are
endlessly backed up by forested dunes and sliced by rivers
which end in tranquil lagoons. Almost all of the rivers
on South Africa??s east coast end in lagoons ?? this has to
do with the prevailing north-west inshore current that is
constantly depositing sand in front of river mouths and
blocking them off. (It has also led to the constant
inconvenience that all harbours on the East Coast have to
be dredged continually to keep the sandbar at a manageable
level.
Between the long beaches are promontories of rock which
shape the bays so beautifully. Some of the most glorious
vistas of Wild Coast beaches are those successions of bays
stretching into the misty distance.
Further north the beaches become shorter and are often
backed by sandstone cliffs. In the northern areas the
beaches sometimes disappear completely and the sea washes
against the shores of these cliffs. These cliffs are
accompanied by strange wind-tossed rock formations - parts
of the cliff face which have been eroded into strange
statue-like rocks and pipes and pinnacles. |
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Narrow ravines cutting through to the ocean hallmark the Wild Coast shoreline.
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Another factor of the beaches of the Wild Coast is that
swimming and surfing are completely safe. The beaches
shelve gently, so there are no precipitous drop-offs and
the surf is usually long and gentle. However, swimmers
should observe ordinary common sense when in the
water. Never swim alone; don??t swim near a river mouth or
in water that is muddy or silted; don??t swim at dawn or
dusk (when predators prowl); keep within your depth. If
you should get caught in a current, swim across it instead
of against it. While in the water, fix on a landmark on
the shore (for instance your beach towel, a distinctive
tree or rock, your bungalow) and make sure that you do not
drift too far away. The easiest swimming is at low tide
or on the incoming tide ?? this means that you do not have
to contend with a backwash. All waves that come in to
shore have to go out somewhere (this is particularly true
of rocky bays), and this creates rip currents which are
often clearly visible. You can ride a rip current out to
sea, but don??t try to fight against it on your way back to
shore. |
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A picture-postcard surprise awaits around every headland.
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If you find that you are swimming to shore and getting
nowhere, it is likely that you are caught in a current.
Swim at right angles to the current until you feel that
the waves are carrying you back to shore.
Possibly the best way to enjoy the fabulous beaches and
warm seas is by body-boarding ?? it does not require as
much expertise as surfing but still gives a rush when you
ride a wave. And if you should get tired there is your
board to rest on! | |
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