What sparked off your decision to write Coast to Coast?
Chris: My wife Julienne and I had just completed a road trip book project on Namibia the year before. It was so much fun we thought we’d like to tackle a long journey again. No one had covered the entire coastline of South Africa on this basis before. Jules is an environmental writer, I specialise in travel. We thought the 3 000-odd kilometres of SA coastline would keep us busy. It did.
Which coastal area in South Africa is the most popular among visitors, and why?
Chris: The Garden Route, especially the Knysna-Plett section. There are a number of extremely innovative tourism products to keep families busy for at least a week, the beaches are stunning and so is the night life. Nature lovers find what they want, adventure tourists have all the challenges they could desire and “soft” travellers can just sit back and read a book in peace.
What are, in your opinion, some of the most pressing problems faced by some of the rural South African coastal communities?
Chris: Ironically, the negatives lie in the most successful areas. It’s a poverty problem, with squatter camps springing up in the shadow of top-end golf estates, with no middle class buffer.
Also, many of the rural communities are now being cut off from their traditional coastal resources by huge
developments. All the poor seem to get from these rich developments is the odd low-grade job and for that they have sacrificed their access to the coastline and the sea.
Fishermen and their families are often photographed in romantic poses, unloading their catch or waving from their boats. But no one really bothers to find out how hard their lives have become as fish stocks dwindle.
What feedback have you received from readers since Coast to Coast was published?
Chris: Our first book on the trip was Shorelines, which was text-driven armchair travel, with various issues explored. Coast to Coast is a visual celebration - with text - of our glorious coastline. We hope most of our coastline will survive the onslaught of development and exploitation.
Coast to Coast was designed as a beach house companion, something to dip into, possibly something to use as a travel aid. The feedback has been excellent. There have been good reviews from the media and great reaction from the book-buying public.
What is the best time of the year for a traveller to plan a trip up SA’s West Coast? What are some of the “must see” destinations along that route?
Chris: Most times of the year have their attractions up the West Coast, but our favourite time is spring (August to September) when there is the annual bonus of Namaqualand flowers. Very little beats a picnic hamper with chilled wine on a piece of the West Coast surrounded by Namaqua daisies. Or, a long “belly safari” with a macro lens through the succulents of the Knersveld. The good destinations are Langebaan Lagoon, Paternoster, Velddrift, Lambert’s Bay and then head north to Doring Bay, just next to Strandfontein. If you’re into atmosphere and lighthouses in the mist, Doring Bay is a must. And have a seafood feast on the beach at Dwarskersbos and tell us about it - we’ve never been.
Do you have any travel tips for folks wishing to experience the Wild Coast?
Chris: Take all the local travelling advice you can. Come with a good heart and an open mind to enjoy the local tribal community culture. It helps to be reasonably fit for beach hiking. Show an interest in the history of the old family hotels. Basically, come with a sense of curiosity and most people who live there will welcome you with warmth and a smile.
Say hello to our old friend Ben Dekker on Second Beach. He’s a life philosopher, much wiser than any investment banker I’ve ever met. And on a good day, he’s an amiable drinking partner.
Where, in your opinion, has tourism had the most beneficial impact on a coastal community?
Chris: The iSimangaliso Wetland Park (St Lucia) has been the most successful in bringing the locals into the loop of tourism. At the time we went there, the CEO Andrew Zaloumis and his team had worked tirelessly to bring various projects to the boil and you could see the difference they all made to the people on the ground. In fact, if some of their ideals and ideas could filter down the coast to the former Transkei, I believe that dune mining would not stand a chance.
Which destination would you advise travellers to visit if they wanted the best value for their money?
Chris: There are so many areas to choose from. I can just give you our personal favourites that include the Richtersveld coast above the West Coast, taking in the misty, magical strip from Hondeklip Bay to Alexander Bay; the Storms River to Jeffreys route, which is pure fun and adventure; the Wild Coast, for culture and exercise; and KZN’s North Coast, to meet rural South Africa and enjoy some beach time.
In your travels, what would you peg as one of your truly unusual/entertaining experiences?
Chris: It would have to be that week in Long Street, Cape Town, staying at a backpackers. Or was it that party one Sunday at Enrico’s at Keurbooms? Or the Ramsgate breakfast session, with the piper in the bushes? Or the thousand common dolphins at dawn off Plett? Or the Gans Bay Shark Gang and their antics? Or sunset at Arniston? Or the visvlekkers of Kalk Bay and the way they dance around the Afrikaans language? Or the day spent at sea with the diamond divers of Port Nolloth?
Which coastal town do you return to more often than any others and why?
Chris: We return to Port Nolloth often because it’s our wild and woolly frontier town fantasy with great mates. We visit Hermanus a lot because of family and all the wonderful books you can buy along that coast right into Cape Town and then there’s Port Elizabeth because, coming from Cradock in the Karoo, that’s our bimonthly movies and Woolworths breakaway.
Coast To Coast is available from most reputable bookshops.
nerine.dorman@inl.co.za
Adventure Tour,amp,kilometres,plo
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