Hartenbos, Southern Cape

Mention “Hartenbos” and the first thing that comes to mind is a long beach filled with people, towels and umbrellas. Or maybe you have memories of the super tube, melted ice cream running down your arm, warm mini donuts and the most crowded campsites in the country. If you hate crowds, Hartenbos will probably make you groan, imagining flea market stalls selling stuff you don’t need and an endless struggle to find parking. For me, Hartenbos conjures all these things and more. It’s where I grew up, where I learnt to ride my bike, where I learnt to swim and surf the waves. (I’m wearing sunglasses in the photo above and I’m on the right in the other photo.) My birthday is in January and I always had my party on the beach. I remember sandy hands holding slices of cake, the smell of Coppertone and cheese curls, swimming in the sea with my friends and playing beach cricket. Hartenbos is also where I honed my entrepreneurial skills. While the rest of the country was on holiday, I sold newspapers, manned a stall selling cleaning products for jewellery and worked in a fish-and-chips shop. With clammy hands and butterflies in my stomach, I learnt how to sokkie at the Skoffelskuur (“No Matter What” by Boyzone was the best track if you wanted to sneak in a kiss) and I also experienced a sense of community, especially while singing “Silent Night” with thousands of others at the Christmas service in the Amphitheatre. Hartenbos is where I met my wife and where we got married. My parents still live there and it’s where you’ll find me and my family every December – and as often as our budget allows during the rest of the year. We’ll munch on mini donuts, moan about not finding a good space on the beach and we’ll all sing “Silent Night” together at the Christmas service. I’ll slather my kids in Coppertone and teach them how to surf. Hartenbos still holds a special place in my heart, even though the Koffiehuis and the Sentra have closed down and a new beachfront development has arrived. There’s even enough parking for everyone these days – but you have to pay for it! – Leon-Ben Lamprecht