West Coast Loving – Shelley has a Point

A first for me this week has been venturing up to Shelley Point with my camera. My first experience of the West Coast was Langebaan – in the good ol’ days of learning to kitesurf – and it was a sparsely populated, slightly Greek Island-ish type of experience. My best experience was surely Churchhaven, and the least pleasurable Paternoster (yet still incredible, and where I learnt about lobsters and the Lord’s prayer).

With those three places in memory my mind was set to wedge this new travel jaunt within that milieu. Clear skies, a perpetual levanter-like wind to mitigate the heat, and dense scrubby shrub all contribute to make the views up here simplistic and healing to the soul. There is a wonderful quality about simplicity in nature and how it calms the spirit. Somehow I reckon that the mass of intrigue in something like the Amazon jungle is just too much of a sensory overload; perfect if you want to take your mind off everything, but too much if you would rather reflect.

With all the water out there I did certainly do some reflecting, and wish I’d had my best pair of sunnies to reflect the harsh rays too. However, of primary importance, my reflective mirror did a lot of dancing as it shuttered up and down to allow in the evening light. Twice did I take a turn around the gated community and its beach to take some snaps, and both times at twilight. Some lovely, Greek type homes (albeit sans the blue fringes on the ubiquitous white) to photograph and of course, the gentle sea and its life within.

I can imagine that if you want adventure you venture to the interior, or up the east coast towards Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Cape St Francis et cetera… but if you would rather have some simplicity in the tranquility… then it is the west coast for you.