12. Seal Point Lighthouse to Krom Rivier
02 June 2018
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12. Seal Point Lighthouse (Cape St. Francis) to Krom River Mouth
02 June 2018
coming back...
During these 5 years, I started working as a caretaker with limited leave and i realised that I would need to finish my journey with these new limitations. How fitting that I was to restart my walking at the very point that would become the start line of this whole walking ambition. To rediscover a starting line, while I am already busy finding my way - well, that is something that has happened to me frequently in life - so why not also with this.
Cath had to play in the SANLAM Regional tournament at St. Francis Links, and she made arrangements with Lynne Slogrove for us to stay with her for the weekend, as both of them were playing golf. Lynne resides in Cape St. Francis Resort. Cath and I drove to Cape St. Francis on Friday afternoon, met up with Lynne, and had a lovely braai on my new 2-plate gas burner. The next morning, I borrowed a rucksack from Lynne before they left for the golf course, as I decided to walk to St. Francis Bay and then ride back with them after their game.
I started at the Seal Point Lighthouse (which was to become the south-western limit of my journey) and walked onto the beach as the sun rose from the sea. Halfway down the beach, I turned around and took a photo of the soft sand and a small stream of water that I had to walk through, wetting my shoes. The sun was still low in the sky, and I couldn’t get my own shadow out of the picture as the sun was directly behind me. I walked for almost an hour before I reached the end of the beach and made my way between some large rocks, finding myself in a completely rocky area—no beach in sight. The rocky outcrop made for great fishing spots, and at 09:15, I found the upside-down hull of an old boat lying on the rocks, looking like it was used as a shelter. The deep blue water impressed me, but it was far from any parking area (3 to 4 km on either side), so if you wanted to fish there, you would need to be prepared to walk.
I continued walking and, a kilometer further, stumbled across a long tree stump that had washed up on the rocks.
The terrain suddenly changed, and the rocks gave way to soft sand dunes, which filled my shoes with every step I took, and I began to fear blisters. Luckily, this didn’t last long, and I was soon walking on round boulders again for about 30 minutes. A lonely wooden bench overlooking the shoreline became a welcome resting spot where I sat down, rested my legs, drank some cooldrink, and admired the view as the blue waves slowly rolled in over the rocks (no wild crashing or spraying). From there, I followed a path around the enclosed harbor area and towards the road that led into the harbor and shopping area. A few people were already having breakfast as I walked past the shops and along the harbor quay. I took a few photos of boats and, for the first time, actually got close to a Chokka boat and was amazed by the equipment onboard. I continued walking until I reached a dead end where a small footpath led through an open plot, joining the bottom of Leighton Hullett Drive and the entrance gates to the Harbor Estate.
I had no choice but to walk along Leighton Hullett Drive until it joined St. Francis Drive. I followed St. Francis Drive until a gardener told me to turn towards the sea when I reached Diaz Drive. I followed Diaz Drive and finally found a footpath that led to flat rocks along the sea. Here, I found a huge fish skeleton between the rocks and followed the path until, at 11:00, I spotted a sign confirming that I was on the "Two Harbour Trail." About a kilometer further, I reached a small car park with a cement boat launching pad leading to a narrow rock channel into the sea. This area is also home to the "Harbour Museum," and a few people were enjoying the site when I walked past.
Next, I noticed a big house on the edge of the beach, with the surrounding ground in the process of collapsing. Was this the first victim of the sea after years of speculation that the dunes were collapsing along the beachfront at St. Francis Bay? Finally, at 11:25, I reached the main beach. Although the tide was coming in, there was enough sand for a smooth walk, and the little waves kept chasing me to higher ground more often than before. I passed two tall pine trees, which I recognized as the area behind the tee box of the 13th hole on St. Francis Golf Course, but then I suddenly faced a dead end as the tide pushed water against the retaining walls protecting the collapsing dunes. I just managed to pass around the "dead end" corner (knee-deep water between waves) only to face a second flooded beach at 11:43. Again, with smooth timing between waves, I managed to navigate the stretch (about 100m) and finally, at 12:00pm, I had a clear beach walk to the river mouth.
I returned from the mouth and walked up a footpath to the top of the dune that separates the sea from the canal system. Across the canal, I took photos of the huge mansions that stood empty (holiday homes) and wondered about the wealth some people had and if it couldn’t be used better. The footpath became wider and eventually led to a parking area overlooking the sea at the bottom of Aldabara Run. I followed the street, with houses on both sides, passed the fire station, and entered St. Francis Drive. It was almost 13:00 when I turned into Lyme Road and walked the long, straight uphill stretch along the golf course on my left, towards St. Francis Links where Cath was playing golf.
I returned from the mouth and walked up a footpath to the top of the dune that separates the sea from the canal system. Across the canal, I took photos of the huge mansions that stood empty (holiday homes) and wondered about the wealth some people had and if it couldn’t be used better. The footpath became wider and eventually led to a parking area overlooking the sea at the bottom of Aldabara Run. I followed the street, with houses on both sides, passed the fire station, and entered St. Francis Drive. It was almost 13:00 when I turned into Lyme Road and walked the long, straight uphill stretch along the golf course on my left, towards St. Francis Links where Cath was playing golf.
