Friday, 9th
Heavy rain is predicted for today so I seize the little time I have to take a photo of the coastline before the clouds gather.
I choose to use today to visit an old university friend (Stu Comline) who has retired to nearby Plettenberg Bay so set off at 10am. Crossing the Blaaukrantz Bridge I run into my first squall of rain which rapidly intensifies into a deluge. At the Blaauberg Toll, six police cars are at the ready and the pleasant girl in the toll booth tells me that they have been there ever since lockdown. Now Blaauberg marks the boundary between Eastern and Western Cape and no doubt the police were there to ensure no border violations. Except inter provincial travel was lifted 7 weeks ago so what this heavy police presence is for is rather mystifying.
I track down Stu and spend a really pleasant time reminiscing with him and wife Barbara whilst outside the rain pours down. Urgent calls come through from Renette at Storms River to say that the caravan awning is in danger of being wrenched off its mountings – but a kindly neighbour helps secure it for her.
Visit complete I do a grocery shop at Woolies and then return to base with the rain still teeming down. And so it continues through the night.
Saturday, 10th
The rain has stopped when we rise but the wind is now blowing strongly from the east. The sea is in turmoil and the following photos will illustrate to you just how wild is this coastline.
Squalls of rain periodically drive us back into the caravan. Dassies graze keep peacefully on the lawns and I would have thought that the surrounding Tsitsikama Forests would have provided a good home for Crowned Eagles. This really marks the southernmost extremity of their range and the dassies seem to know this.
Approaching evening, the sun weakly breaks through the clouds making for a lovely effect on the breaking waves.
But again the clouds close in in the evening and more rain begins to fall.
The weather has not been kind to us at Storms River. Tomorrow we are going to depart from our schedule and travel to Port Alfred where I am keen to do some photography on the beautiful Kowie River. From there we move on to Addo on Wednesday.
