Kite-Surfing ~ Cape Town

Kite Surfing is big in South Africa. I mean, on a good day, you could find in excess of 50-100 surfers occupying the waters of Blouberg, Sunset Beach and Big Bay  in Cape Town, South AFrica. Ther are other parts of the Cape like, Langebaan and more around the other side too, but this seems to be the better area to hit the waters.

 

What an exhilirating experience it must be to put on your wetsuit, inflate your kite and fit the harness. Once the preparation is done, you've had your training and feel brave enough to head out, it can only be amazing.

 

Well, since I don't have the kite-surfing equipment, I still love watching these guys head out with their wind-filled kites to venture the cold waters of the Atlantic ocean. To feel the strength of the South-Wester that bellows accross the beach and sea allowing then to almost fly, in a sense. I can imagine myself, one day, splashing accorss these waters, tearing through the crests of the waves, soaring to new heights and landing again as graceful as possible back on the water's surface.

 

Most Saturdays, there's even a school that will help you to get out there, safely and confidently.

Below are some of the images from a recent day at the beach, watching, shooting, enjoying.

 

Some, do lose it, a little.

The remains of the shipwreck that is an attraction in Blouberg, slowly dissapearing into the sea.

Always such a great spectacle to watch these guys getting out and having this much fun.

Tearing a wave, getting a little air.

There's always a few learners amidst the more experience.

It's even great for couples!

Looks like a business man, yet, he's loving the thrill and the ride.

Getting some really big air!

Sometimes, taking a breather, isn't a bad thing...

On-lookers aren't plenty for some reason, but there are a few.

Trying new things, once you've mastered the basics.

Travel Part One

 

I’ve been thinking about life among other things and have come to the conclusion that I am not a person who likes to sit in an office and pound away on a keyboard…

 

Me, I love the outdoors, I love to see country sides, landscapes and seascapes. I love to meet interesting people on their travels around our beautiful country. Why can I not do it then? I think I should! I came to this realisation on my recent trip with my best friend to Mossel Bay.

We had no choice but to stay at a backpackers due to budget constraints and found it to be quite enjoyable. I mean, accommodation is cheap, people are relaxed and friendly and there’s always something interesting happening somewhere that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg to do. So, that is the best way to get around South Africa, or any country for that matter. Sure, there’s that little thing of communal bathrooms and kitchen and if the budget is really tight, you share a room too! Come on, don’t be anti-social now…  

Rock pool, created from the beating of the waves and rough tides, Dana Bay didn't present much for me, but then again, I wasn't really feeling up to doing any deep searching.

Some colourful holiday homes for the fortunate few. Great l ittle spot just minutes outside Mossel Bay

2nd Beach, Dana Bay, 20 minutes from Mossel Bay.



Holiday spot just a few minutes outside Mossel Bay





Nature Reserve outside Calvinia



Old derelict roadside stall.

You know, it’s not always about getting to point B as quickly as possible, there’s also that thing of taking in the country side around you. Stopping to stretch the legs every so often is not a bad thing at all… 

A "road works" stop-n-go presented this goled gem in the late afternoon.

The sense of freedom as you drive, wondering what lies ahead.

The spectacular view of driving through the mountain passes of Western Cape.

A barn we spotted thanks to "road works". I loved the contrasting colours of the storm clouds in the distance with the warm sun shining onto the barn and surrounding fields.



 

Beauty In The Storm... This was spotted whilst returning to Cape Town, as taken without any editing, besides to resize for web purposes. Words cannot describe the sense of space, seeing the light in the storm. I risked getting my camera wet for this shot, but I think it was worth it.





Hotel in Hermanus has a great sea view with access to a rocky beach below.

The view from the rocky side of Hermanus Beach looking up to the tourist spots.
 



The beauty of Hermanus

  

These images are just a small part of what South Africa has to offer…

Spotted this whale swimming at The Point, Mossel Bay.



 

Calvinia, a town of neglect as this image shows. This old building doesn't seem like it trades anymore. Been there on two seperate occasions and it was still closed.
 

 These two chaps are just two of the people that still reside in Calvinia. On the left, an ex-convict who spent enough years (as he put it) in a cell on Robben Island, right, just a friendly chap who travelled the Cape with "the whites" until they left him behind in Calvinia.

 

 

 

The view from a look-out at VanRhyn's Pass that borders Western and Northern Cape.

Seascapes

So yes, I got myself a Sony Alpha A200 camera and had to learn to use it. I set out to finally capture some beaches, some sunsets and amongst all this other things too. I would set out at sunset, or sunrise to capture some of nature's beauty... Below is a taste of things to come from my lovely little A200.

Beach morning - Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique

Ah, nothing like waking up in the early hours of the morning, taking the thirty odd steps to get onto the beach and seeing a view like this... what a beautiful way to start the morning before breakfast and then basking in the sunshine and splashing in the waves.

---o0o---

This picture was taken before I invested in a proper digital camera, so I couldn't really change any settings. I had to settle for a low ISO (on the standard Kodak C713 it is -2.0) to capture all the elements and create an image that would be something worthy of keeping.