BEHIND THE SCENES

Zigi Ekron explored the KZN South Coast for this month’s issue (see page 110). Along the way he met some interesting characters, from township surfers to a donkey that likes Coke…

It’s a bit of a drive from Cape Town to the KZN South Coast – about 1 500 km – but who doesn’t like a long road trip? I travelled via the Karoo and it was wonderful to watch the landscape change around me. The rocky ridges became grassland and mielie fields, which were then drowned out by subtropical, so-green-ithurts-the-eyes vegetation. I was born and raised in the Cape so holidays at the seaside have never been a priority. Instead, we usually went to my grandfather’s farm in the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. But when I visited the South Coast for this story, I finally understood why people are so enamoured by the sea. No matter where (or when) you go, there’s a holiday spirit in the air: Hawkers sell souvenirs, farm stalls offer a range of tropical fruit and the long beaches lead to warm waters… I soon became a fan of Trafalgar Beach near Southbroom. One day I met a group of boys there from Bhokodisa in the Gcilima township. They had walked 11 km, carrying their surfboards, to ride the waves. They made me rethink my idea of surfers. They weren’t cool dudes wearing Oakley sunglasses. These guys belonged to clubs like the Trafalgar Saints or Wave of Hope. They meet on the beach and before they head into the ocean, they pray for protection and show their appreciation for the sea. I sat on the beach for hours, listening to their stories and taking photos. Another unexpected find was Pistols Saloon in Ramsgate – well known to many but not to me. The place was fun and quirky, and when the resident donkey walked through the door it became even more so. Don’t be alarmed if he tries to take a sip of your cooldrink! Every time I visit KZN I realise what a wonderful and surprising place South Africa can be.