As much as I love our new indoor fireplace at home I’m not a winter person. The only time I can appreciate the cool air is when I’m sweating my way up a mountain side and need the breeze to keep me going. Otherwise I prefer summer and the early sunrises and late evening sunsets over the ocean.
That said, it’s been a COLD & WET couple months and we (well my husband) needed a break from the constant zoom and teams meetings, and the rain!
So Friday just as we were packing the car for an early start on the road Saturday, we got blasted with hail in our very own yard. The crazy thing is that we live near the coast and absolutely do not get snow, so even the sight of a blanket of hail on the ground was exciting (and super extra COLD 🥶).
We decided to road trip the heck out of there and find some warmer weather.
We left early Saturday morning with a packed car, two teens and two chihuahuas for our search for a little bit of Semi-summer further up the east coast of South Africa.
The views of the mountain ranges along the national road along the coast were absolutely spectacular all dusted in a good amount of snow; all juxtaposed with the sunny canola fields flooding both sides of the road.
Our first stop of the big road trip was a little seaside / riverside town of Sedgefield sandwiched between the various coastal lakes of the area and the ocean and Outeniqua mountains.
We have never stopped off here before and decided to spend the night and check out the local sights in the few hours that we had before it got dark.
I had heard about this lookout point called Gericke’s Point and I was desperate to check it out. So we headed to Swartvlei Beach in a light drizzle and strong wind to make the beach walk to the point in the distance.
Spot the rocky point at the far left of this shot above with the 3km walk all along the beach. Unfortunately we were cut off by a washed out beach and waves crashing straight into the sandstone mountain side.
The erosion of the mountain side lends to beautiful sandstone rock formations at its base that we spent some time exploring before heading back along the soft white sandy beach.
After a cold yet exciting walk (I love to walk…) we met the family for dinner at the Pilli Pilli restaurant on Myoli Beach just on the other side of the river.
We enjoyed the sunset skies and ribs on the bone in this beach party type restaurant / accommodation / bon fire touting beachfront. This spot must be a blast in Summer when you can enjoy the outdoor seating area. This time we very quickly piled indoors to get out of the cold wind.
The night was cold as the breeze kept blowing over the nearby snowy mountains but our bnb was warm and cozy. We all got a good nights sleep and then headed out for a walk with tiny Max the chihuahua in the morning, while his sister (even tinier) Minki, stayed in bed under the covers.
The waterways of Sedgefield are gorgeous and perfect for any water sports enthusiasts like us. But for today we only had time for a quick walk along the banks to enjoy the view.
We happened to drive passed as they were unveiling this sweet piece of mosaic art the day before and got a closer look at the workmanship as we strolled by.
Max wasn’t so impressed when I put him in the back seat in the morning dew. But he’s still my favourite little guy!
This protea mosaic is my favourite part of the VW Beetle artwork
Turns out the VW Beetle mosaic was done by the aunt of an old friend of ours who happens to follow me on Instagram and saw my photos in a post. Her aunt is a Sedgefield local and has also done various benches and sightseeing signposts around the area.
And this marked the close of our short overnight stay in Sedgefield and the start of our onward journey to the great surfing mecca of Jeffreys Bay. We were already feeling refreshed and pumped to be on the road and out of our normal surroundings. We live in a beautiful village but sometimes the cabin fever struggle is real and a change of scenery is necessary.
There’s nothing like fresh air and a long drive to clear your head.
Til tomorrow - see you on the road!
