17. Kabeljous River Mouth to "Die Walskipper" Restaurant 

17. Kabeljous River Mouth to "Die Walskipper" Restaurant 

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17 November 2020

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starting towards the start...

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It has been almost a year since my last outing. What an interesting year 2020 was for so many around the globe… A time where so much changed and everyone was forced to reconsider the definition of normal. And their own fragility. 

 

It was after this time that I was able to walk to the start of what would become the whole journey - and connect the dots - if only to the start. The next two chapters tell the story of me finding my way to Seal Point Lighthouse over separate walks separated by a few months…

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My X-Trail broke down near Humansdorp on the way to Eersterivier over the weekend of 18–20 September 2020 (my eldest son, Darryl, had introduced Tammy to us - who would soon become family and also the mother of my first grandchild). We had stopped at the Nissan dealership in Humansdorp (the car had no power going uphill), and they cleaned the air filters but recommended replacing the airflow sensors. The service there was so friendly on a Friday afternoon that I decided Humansdorp Nissan would be the future service and repair provider for the X-Trail. The “courtesy services” of this dealership allowed me to make the necessary arrangements to add a few more KM’s onto my own journey. I organised for them to drop me off at the Albatross Guesthouse in Jeffreys Bay and collect me at Die Walskipper Restaurant near Marina Martinique (Paradise Beach) once the service was completed later in the day. 

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I was dropped off near Kabeljous Lagoon just before 8am and walked from the car park to the beach, where I was greeted by a headless black seabird which was thankfully only sleeping. It was an overcast morning with light rain forecast around midday. The walk took me along a rocky corner for about 30 minutes before reaching a beautiful, long sandy beach. During this time, I watched some surfers getting really close to the rocks before exiting the wave, and on the rocks, many birds were feeding during low tide. I was stunned to see a beautiful three-story house close to the high water mark and wondere if that house was still standing today (at that stage, the high seas had already eroded the supporting wall). A reminder that regardless of how elaborately we build, foundations are always most essential.

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It was an easy walk, and soon I passed the "African Perfection" Backpackers building, a popular stop for surfers from all over the world. The rock pools were crystal clear, and even in the photos, the water is so transparent you can see all the way to the bottom sand. This is a Blue Flag area, with top-ranked beaches regarding pollution control, life-saving staff, and safe swimming conditions. The beach stretched about 3 km long, with a tall tower visible far ahead. I passed the caravan park, the SPUR Restaurant, and many other central town buildings.

By 09:30am I reached the Life Rescue Tower where a team of lifeguards were on duty (they were happy for me to photograph them). It started to rain, and the low, grey clouds indicated that the weather wasn’t going to clear anytime soon.

 

Over the next 30 minutes, I pushed quite hard and was very happy to reach Die Walskipper Restaurant by 10am. However, only the manager was there, as the staff hadn’t arrived yet (the restaurant’s trading hours started at 11:30 with no breakfast trade). I was offered a seat on the veranda, where I unpacked my rucksack, used my towel to dry myself, and put on a dry shirt. Luckily, I had brought a warm jacket, and I felt grateful to be under cover and dry.

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I informed the manager that I had made arrangements to be picked up there and might spend a few hours at the restaurant. He welcomed me and was apologetic that he couldn’t offer me coffee or a meal as everything was still locked up. However, he started a fire to warm up the restaurant for lunchtime trade and invited me inside whenever I wanted. At 10:55, the first waiter arrived and immediately offered me a double Old Brown Sherry which I gladly accepted. Although the kitchen was officially closed, he assured me he would make a plan to get me some peri-peri chicken livers with roosterkoek.

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At 11:15, my food arrived, stylishly plated. As I was eating, more people arrived, and I gathered that Die Walskipper is a well-known eating place in Jeffreys Bay. Two more beers followed before I received the call that the driver was on his way around 12:30. I was picked up at about 13:00, and although the weather was cold and wet, the staff at Die Walskipper Restaurant were warm, friendly, kind, and compassionate (the waiter was obviously pleased with his generous tip).

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It’s a short, easy 8.5 km walk that I highly recommend to anyone, and my journey to the start was underway with minimal effort on my part, a reminder of the kindness of strangers, and I could now make my way home in a serviced vehicle.

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Sometimes we find the start of our journey while the journey has long since begun. One thing is for sure - this journey of life has many starting lines. 

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