Following my fathers poor health this summer, it was decided that we had to say ‘yes’ to any opportunity that came our way. So when Richard decided to sell some of his virgin flights to cape town cheap we showed no hesitaion- 5 kiters embark to one of the worlds best playgrounds over Christmas/new year. A near miss prior to leaving when we check our tickets & realize we were travelling that evening, thinking it was following night! The only issue here was waiting for DHL to deliver the 2011 North race board that I was to take to test, practice & give feedback on. When this huge ‘boat’ arrived we were on the money & had no issues checking in over 100kilos of equipment.
A 11 hour flight overnight was joy – all slept of sorts & ready for action. There is only 2 hours difference in time so easy on the body for acclimatization. Our first few days staying around the big bay (AK- Knightsbridge ) area was frustrating with so little local knowledge but yet never the right advise from the people that should have known best. One of our best days was the trip to the cape of good Hope which involved wild animal life including baboons, Ostridge, Penguins, Zebra’s, Camels & the huge amounts of big bird life. This place really felt special with a colder ocean temperature, the cleanest, most clear water, few people, strong wind & waves. This felt more like the south Africa we wanted to experience.
With so much time spent in our unique Mercedes 1960’s hire car travelling slowly with no air condition it was decided that we needed to get to somewhere that was going to be more relaxed & a better training set up for the bridglets. Project 2 was the mission to head to Witsands/port Beaufort situated at the mouth of the mighty ‘Breede’ river around 300kms from cape town.  Witsands is officially known as the whale nursery of south Africa where in ‘san Sebastian bay holds the largest concentraion of southern right whales that come to the bay every year to calve & mate. We had eye -ed up this spot on one of ‘Aarons’ video’s & we did some phoning around, negotiated a decent price on a place to stay & boom- XMAS in Witsands. On our arrival we just had mouth’s open admiring the stunning views of flat water on one side, sand banks & waves out back. Felt just like being back on the Exe with tidal flow, changing sandbanks & world class insane flat water. Our place to stay was ridiculous- overlooking the set up, views out of every window, double beds all round, just a complete luxury. Santa Claws had arrived early. We walk down a few steps, through some snake ridden scrubland & quickly pump. Now in the Indian ocean we gladly fashion shorty wetties & have an afternoon of cheesy grins. The littered drift wood provided us heat for our bbq that night & we reminised the experience’s of the team.
The days just got better & the kids mixed it up with a bunch of super friendly South African local riders who just wondered who these ‘Aliens’ were that just arrived!! Byron & his gang were soon replaced by Ozzy, age 14 airush international team rider who suddenly inspired Oliver no end. Also good on a race board, waves & a very high standard of freestyle riding it turns out Ozzy plans to do the PKRA next summer. The pad that we were stayin in soon became the place to meet before the short walk to the spot. Daily rituals with the bridglets included morning bread run, collecting water for day from filter system, milkin the cows at the dairy & buying copius amounts of fruit for just £10 from a local on the road. This place just gets better- I am introduced to a veggi garden of ’Barry’s’ (AK Andre- run accommodation in witsands) & told to help ourselves.

An evening walk to the rocks where many fish were being hauled in & we casually walk past a fishermen dragging a shark back into the ocean!!! Like this is pretty normal practice, the boys remind us that this is where mum & dad were wave sailing that afternoon!!! If you do talk to anyone about the breede river they will all say– do not go on the ocean- stay in the river!!!

More fun & games to come- internet very slow (i am told this is Africa!!!)