Friday 26 August 2011

Where 2 Oceans Meet

Ok, strictly speaking this was not a hike. (Although there is a beautifull 5,5km hike in this area called the Rasperpunt trail.) We hopped into my dad's old rusted LandRover and headed for the Southern Tip. "The Jeep" as it is affectionatelly called has seen better days but it is the perfect vehicle for the area. And the rust cannot be helped as my mom emphatically states, even Tupperware rusts in Struisbaai. :)















The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse was the third lighthouse to be built in South Africa, and the second-oldest still operating, after Green Point. The building was declared a national monument in 1973 and is also a Western Cape provincial heritage site.  The lighthouse is 27m high and has a range of 56km.

Our first stop was actually 'Suiderstrand'. The mission: Scouting out fishing spots. :)
The coastline around Suiderstrand , the end of the road for vehicles is actually no more than a small collection of houses. The closest store is in Aghulhas. It is the perfect getaway location.

It was turning out to be a beautifull day after the storm of the night before.  On the small beach we found some interesting 'paintings' in the sand.

Nature is not only found in Majestic Undulating mountains and Unending Aquamarine Oceans. It is also in appreciating the smaller things. You will be amazed at what you see when you truley take the time to look.









Soon we were saying good buy to Suiderstrand and headed back north for our next stop, The Meisho Maru.














The Meisho Maru is aJapanese fishing trauler that ran aground between Suiderstrand and Cape L'Agulhas on 16 November 1982. The ship had 240 tons of frozen tuna aboard. All 17 crew members swam safely to shore. During a storm on 31 August 2008 the ship was turned around in heavy seas.
We were very lucky on this specific morning. It was spring low when we were there whitch meant that we could walk right up to the wreck and get some very nice close up shots.:)


Now, the ocean off Cape Agulhas is notorious for winter storms and mammoth rogue waves, which can range up to 30 metres high and can sink even large ships. The coast here is littered with wrecks and I would recomend a visit to the Bredasdorp Shipwreck Museum. It gives an educational and facinating insight into the rich maratime history of the area.

Below you can see some pictures I took on another occation when the mighty Atlantic showed its true colours...




My father taught me at a very young age to always respect the ocean. Never to turn your back on its powerfull waves and always remember that the ocean has more secrets than the stars above. Images like these make me understand its power. Don't let the traqual waters of the medetaranian or the Aegean sea fool you. The ocean is a beast not to be toyed with.

No comments:

Post a Comment