Hi All and welcome back to Cape Town.

We’ve definitely gotten this Ticket to Ride South Africa trip off to a blistering start. Our time in Cape Town has been just wonderful. We’ve seen and done so many amazing things around the Mother City from mountain hikes to wine tasting tours to community projects, not to mention, surfing our brains out!!

Today is our last day here in Cape Town, before we head eastward, through the Garden Route to our next stop in Plettenbeg Bay. Looking back on our time here and its easy to see why its going to be a difficult place to leave.

Last Sunday, after our lessons in Muizenberg, we stopped over at the Kalk Bay harbour to grab a bite to eat. Kalk Bay is a well known fishing village so no prizes for guessing what was for lunch. We sat on the harbour wall watching the seals and the gulls as we got stuck onto our meals. After lunch it was off to the infamous Cape Point, which is the southern most tip of the Cape Peninsular. The views from the lighthouse at the end of the point are just amazing. There’s the wild and windy Atlantic coast to the west with the calm and protected False Bay coast to the east and miles and miles of mountain ranges in between.

On Monday the waves were really good so the guys got in a double lessons at Muizenberg beach. Later that afternoon we were joined by Tim from the Ticket to Ride Foundation as well as a few of the kids from the Masipumelele township for a surf lesson. Our guys got stuck in pulling the kids onto waves in the shorebreak and teaching them a few of their newfound tricks on the surfboard.

Speaking of boards though, Tuesday was new boards day for the crew. Chris and I have been carefully watching the guys during the lesson to determine which boards would best suit each rider the best. A good board is a very personal thing, and what is suitable for one, might not be so good for someone else. In the end Seb got hooked up with a 6’2 shortboard, Alasdair the girls both got 7’10 minimals, Neil and Alex got the shorter 7’6 versions while Ruaridh went with a 7’2.

On Wednesday, with the wind blowing strong on-shore, we decided to take a trip to Cape Town’s famous Table Mountain. To get to the mountain we drove via the famous Chapmans Peak mountain pass, which hugs the coast between Noordhoek and Hout Bay. The views from the road are simply breathtaking so there were plenty of photo stops along the way. Once at the mountain it was time to bring out the old hiking boots and make our way up the Platteklip trail to the top. The Platteklip route is much like a stairway through a gap in the cliffs that leads onto the flat top that gives Table Mountain its name. Once at the top you are presented with some truly amazing views of the city below as well as a few of the surf spots nearby. We couldn’t stay too long as the weather was threatening to close in so we headed back down to the van to make our way back to the house in Kommetjie.

On Thursday, after our lesson at Muizenberg, we visited one of the wine farms on Cape Towns’ Wine Route called Kein Constansia. There are many farms in the area that make great wines, but Klein Constansia is particularly well known for its sweet vin de constance. Our guide Riaan, took us on a tour of the winery and showed us the various processes involved in making wine. Then he took us for a trip out into the vineyards to show us where the various grapes were grown for each particular wine. And then it was time to do a little tasting…

Yesterday we had our last lesson with Chris at Muizenberg. The wind was light, which made the waves perfect for the guys. It seems that everyone is taking to their new boards quite nicely and that they’re all ready for the more powerful waves in Plett. In the afternoon, we met up with Tim again to play some football on the beach with the kids from the township before heading back to the house to get ready for a night on the town with Chris.

Today the group is taking it easy. The swell has died off quite a bit so there’s not too much in the way of surf in Cape Town. It’s a good opportunity to get everything packed and say goodbye to all the guys we’ve met here and get ready for the long road to Plett tomorrow. I look forward to writing to you all again from our new home in the Garden Route

Till then…

Take Care
Bevan and Jill.

Hi all and welcome to Plettenberg Bay on South Africa’s garden route. This little, coastal village on the edge of the Western Cape will be our home for the next few days as we make our way eastwards towards Durban.

On Saturday we spent our last day in Cape Town with the kids from the Ticket to Ride Foundation and helped them paint bins and pick up trash in an attempt to get the community aware and educated on the importance of a clean and sanitary environment. It was a long day’s work but well worth the effort, and not to mention, loads of fun! That evening we had Chris and Pete join us at the house for a delicious fish braai. Duncan had caught some snoek earlier in the day, so we had fresh fish on the fire for dinner. While we were all gathered around the table, Pete gave the guys a talk on oceanography and how it relates to surfing. He went over the basics of swell forecasting and what to look out for to accurately predict the wave patterns for a particular day of surfing. Chris went on to explain how to use the internet when planning your next trip to the beach. After dinner we roped all the boards onto the roof and got the bags packed and ready for an early drive the next day.

On Sunday we made the long trek towards Plettenberg Bay. Fortunately the roads were quite so we were able to make some good time, which allowed us to make a few spots along the way. It is always amazing for me to see just how much the scenery changes as you travel further away from mountains of the Cape and into the beautiful forest reserves along the garden route. After a long day in the van we were all very excited to arrive in Plett and get ourselves settled in. That night we headed straight for the Surf Café to grab a bite to eat before heading back to the hostel for an early night before lessons in the morning.

Yesterday we were up at the crack of dawn to meet with our new instructors in Plett, Jon and Donna Henry from the International Surf School. Together, they’ve been coaching in Plett for the past 10m years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to impart to our crew of riders. Our first lesson with them was better than we could have hoped for. The swell and the wind was just perfect for us to get in an epic session on the beach. The waves in Plett are a big step up from what the guys have been used to in Muiznberg so everyone needed to up their game in order to cope with the new challenge. It was a tremendous effort by all with some cracking rides coming from some of the guys and perfect way to get things going here in Plett. In the afternoon we all took some much needed downtime and spent the rest of the day exploring the town and shopping for some new surf gear.

This morning we went to visit the Tenikwa Small Cat Sanctuary in the Crags. The Tenikwa reserve is dedicated to rehabilitation and education concerning Africa’s smaller and lesser-known species of cats. Animals such as the Leopard, Cheetah, Caracal and Serval can be found there and our guide, Jacob, did an excellent job of educating us all on these fascinating creatures. It was another classic day spent in Africa and one the guys most definitely enjoyed. For now though, we’re all just waiting for the wind to turn offshore so we can get back in the water.

Till Next time

Take Care
Bevan and Jill

Hi All

Welcome back to Plettenberg Bay. The past few days have been quite eventful here on the Garden Route of South Africa.

On Wednesday a big easterly swell hit the coast. The waves were epic to watch, but just a bit out of the league of our riders so we decided to go in search of a spot that would be a little more forgiving. Our search took us westwards towards the protected bays of the Southern Cape. The swell had gotten into most of the spots we checked out, but fortunately there was one little bay that was angled just right so that the bulk of the swell pushed passed and out to sea, leaving us with perfect little peelers on the inside reef.

The easterly winds from the day before had chilled the water quite a bit, but other than that, it was epic conditions for the guys. We spent most of the day in town, surfing the reef and hanging out on the beach before it was time for us to make our way back to Plett. In the evening we all enjoyed a traditional South African Potjie for dinner before it was off to bed to rest our tired bodies.

Yesterday saw a much better looking sea. The swell had dropped off nicely and the westerly winds kept the waves clean. We met with Jon and Donna for another session at Solar Beach. The lessons started off with a warm-up swim to the backline and back through the surf. These skills are what the guys are going to find very handy when it comes time to do their life saving awards in Durban. After that it was time to get in some serious surfing time. The forecasted easterly wind ended up staying away and we managed to get in one of the best sessions of the trip so far. We surfed for most of the afternoon and into the evening. It was a perfect way to spend the day. Not surprisingly, it was another early night for everyone.

This morning we woke up to another swell hitting the Plett coast. This time the waves were just too big to even consider finding anything smaller. Instead we decided to give the sea a miss for one day and head off to the world famous Bloukrans Brigde for the highest bungee jump in the world. Right now everyone is on the bridge so I’ll have to fill you all in on what happened next time. So till then…

Take care

Bevan and Jill.

Hi all and welcome to Jefrey’s Bay, stop number 3 on our South Africa surf safari and our new home for the next few weeks.

Last Friday, when I left off, the crew were all out on the bridge at the Bloukrans bungee jump. I’m happy to say that everyone made it back in one piece and with big smiles on their faces. After all that adrenaline though, it was time to burn off some energy so we headed to the Plett pools to work on our timed swims. The timed swim is one of the assessments the riders will need to complete in order to get their surf savers award in Durban. Its still quite some time away, but the more we practice now, the easier for the guys on the day.

On Saturday, with the swell, again looking big, we decided upon a nice chilled morning in the town. For lunch we went out to the Harkeville Forest just outside of town where we all ate and chatted under the massive Outeniqua Yellow Wood and Cape Hard Pear Trees. This part of the Garden Route is well known for it beautiful forest vegetation and is home so some of South Africa’s oldest trees including one Yellow Wood that is over 800 years old. In the afternoon the tide came in and made the waves a little easier to paddle out in so we decided to try our luck at Solar Beach. It ended up being a good call as there were some pretty solid waves to be had. After the surf it was off the hostel for dinner and another early night.

On Sunday we awoke to a beautiful offshore breeze. The waves were epic all over town. We knew though, that if we held out a bit until high tide we’d end up getting the best waves so we spent the morning packing and getting ready for the drive to J-Bay. That afternoon Jon and Donna met us at a new beach just down the road where the waves were looking awesome. Classic little waves which peeled off left and right, just perfect or our guys to get some good ones. We spent most of the afternoon in the water racking up wave after wave, but it couldn’t last too long, we had to be on the road soon and needed to say our last goodbyes to Jon and Donna who had been our awesome coaches in Plett.

The drive to J-Bay from Plett is only about 2 hours or so, so we were at our new spot in no time. The waves out at the front of the hotel were looking really good, but it was a bit too late in the day to head out again for another surf. We were going to have to wait.

On Monday the wind was up quite early, and, although it was offshore, it was still a bit too hard for us to have lessons. Instead we took a drive to visit the world famous Super Tubes on the other side of town. Travellers come here from all over the world hoping to catch the waves of their lives. Unfortunately Supers is a little out of our crew’s league, but its always good to see what awaits you as you progress and make it a goal to come back one day when you’re ready to take it on. For now though, we had to be content taking photos.

In the afternoon the wind held up a little and gave us a nice window in which to head out for an evening surf. The waves were a little tricky at first but once the guys got the hang of the new spot they were up and riding in no time.

This morning the crew are all out with Etiene Venter, the South African National Juniors coach, for a lesson at Kitchen Windows. The waves are looking really good so I think I might just head out myself and go and join them so until next time…

Take care,
Bevan and Jill

Hi all and welcome back to J-Bay

We have all settled in really well to the slow, cruisy lifestyle of Jeffrey’s Bay and have been making the most of the good waves right in front of our door.

On Wednesday we got things kicked off with a surf lesson with Ettiene at Kitchen Windows. The conditions were really good out on the reef with a nice swell running through all morning. With plenty of swell around it was definitely a step up for our crew, but also a good opportunity to put into practice some of the tips and tricks that they’ve been taught along the way.

After a hard morning surfing out at Kitchens we decided to take some time to chill out at a nearby waterfall. With a 12m high cliff jump and a zip-wire at the falls, it was quite difficult to do any relaxing at all. We spent most of the afternoon hurling ourselves off the edge of the waterfall and into the pool below. It was another classic afternoon, but before long it was time for us to be heading back to the hostel for big dinner and a good night’s sleep.

On Thursday, with conditions looking pretty good again, we got started off with another lesson at Kitchens. The swell had dropped off quite considerably so the guys, with newfound courage from the waterfall, were paddling onto everything. There was a lot of surfing during that session!! Everybody got good rides – just what the doctor ordered!

Still buzzing from the morning’s sessions we decided to head back out for a free surf. Unfortunately though, the onshore wind had picked up which chopped up the swell and made things a little messy. It was still a good surf though, and well worth the paddle out.

Later that afternoon Jill took the girls shopping while the rest of us guys took a ball down to the basketball court to shoot some hoops.

This morning, with the wind howling onshore, we decided to spend the day doing something a little different and visited the Seaview Lion Park near Port Elizabeth. The Lion Park is home to over 50 lions, as well as other species such as Tigers and Leopards. We spent most of the day wondering around all the enclosures and learning about all the various animals. It was tough work out in the heat so we decided to take the scenic route home, passing through Maitland and Gamtoos on the way back.

Right now everybody is pretty tired from all the exploring in the sun and are out catching 40 winks, so I think I may just do the same, so until next time…


Take care,
Bevan and Jill.