Camping in St Helena Bay And Beyond

November 7, 2022 Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

The drive to Paternoster along the dirt road maintained by Spoor Net is a dream, we always take it. This time there was a hold-up with works going on which meant we had to return to the tar road, but eventually we made it back onto gravel. It is the more scenic route.

Paternoster is a destination hard to ignore. The quaint village with its crayfish hawkers as you hit the first T junction and then the children selling wire hearts threaded with beads or shells reminds one that time can stand still regardless of change. The village still has Oep ve Koep selling all manner of specialities.

When I asked, they’d sold out of bread but referred me to a nearby shop. I didn’t leave empty-handed; who can resist a bar of homemade lavender soap? I have mine in my lingerie hatch. The fresh scent of lavender reminds me of my Ouma who believed moths and mozzies didn't like the scent. I managed to buy the last ciabatta at the bakery on our out, which, it seems, bakes for everyone anyway!

We could not leave without having a bite to eat at one of the many eateries; besides, it was almost noon. We didn’t feel like anything fancy, and a quicky was all we needed. A stoep with a view would do nicely, and a restaurant with a pizza oven would be perfect with load-shedding. Blikkie Pizzeria ticked all the boxes. We left with a doggy box for sundowners later.

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Our destination was St Helena's Bay’s the Midwest Caravan Park. Call me sentimental, but I love a small fishing village with a unique fisherman’s charm, and I always find that on a drive through St Helena's Bay. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered the bay in 1497. St Helena's Bay, known locally as ‘Die Agterbaai’, is one of the world’s prime fishing centers.

Comprising a total of 18 small Bays with intriguing names such as: ‘Hannasbaai and Vioolbaai’. It also incorporates the neighbouring Towns of Stompneusbaai and Britannia Bay.

The small caravan park is meticulously clean and tidy. The lady awarded the tender to manage the park runs a tight ship, and many of the chores she does herself. Some of the heavy-duty tasks are done by staff.

Due to its popularity, we couldn’t secure one campsite for the duration of our stay and had to move every day. We decided to stay for two nights—our minimum. One needs at least one full day to explore a new place.

We got the prime position on our first night, right on the boundary facing the tranquil waters of the ocean, lapping gently on the rocks. We enjoyed sundowners under a pink sky surrounded by Manatoka trees shielding us from the sea breeze.

The following day we packed up and quickly moved to our new site. I got settled and then went for a long cycle exploring the coastline where the one gated complex adjoins the next gated complex. Not my scene at all, and too cookie-cutter style for me.

Back at the campsite, we collected our books, hats and chairs to enjoy a perfect day on the beach with a glass of something cool and a platter of sarmies and slices of crispy apple. At three o’clock, the wind picked up, but that suited us. We were ready for an early supper and bed. Besides, the dreaded load-shedding would resume at six, and all showers had to be done before the geysers ran cold. Mothers with toddlers, teenagers with dates on the cards and littlies with sandy bottoms and feet all rushed to find a slot before lights out.

If you’re interested and in the vicinity of St Helena’s Bay, we can highly recommend this campsite. It’s impeccable, small and very well-managed.

On our way out of town, we stopped at the Patrysberg butchery for their delicious sosaties, sausage and a few loin chops, a little bag of chilly bites, sliced biltong and four sticks of droeë wors. This was, after all, the place for lamb, and I can recommend this butcher for delicious meat.

Dirt roads are our favourite, and we avoid busy main roads whenever possible. Hugging the coast along the Sishen railway line, we went up the coast to Lambert’s Bay for lunch. The drive is delightful, the landscape picturesque, and the seaside town's good for a surf or a refuel.

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Our mission was to have lunch and find a camping spot for the night. The Lambert’s Bay campsite didn’t appeal to me at all. Just the razor wire security fence surrounding the campsite ran shivers down my spine. The surroundings were dry and unkept, without a blade of green grass. and not welcoming at all. We would move on.

Lunch was our next priority, and Isabella’s, the restaurant in the harbour the obvious choice. Off we went. I thought there might be time to visit the gannet colony, but unfortunately, that’s currently closed for renovations.

My goodness, Isabella’s has had a make-over and transformation if ever I’ve seen one. Under new ownership and management, the restaurant has been revamped, we believe, during Covid. The space opened up, and the seating increased by far.

Open, light and with views of the harbour from every seat. We were suitably impressed. The menu has changed, and new dishes have been featured. We would try the Crayfish soup for starters and, once again, fish and chips for mains. My fish, Yellow Tail, would be served with an apricot compote, excellent, I thought. Even the language has changed, and Butch, I seem to recall, would stick to Cob.

The plates were pretty. Clean, with no chopped parsley sprinkled around to disguise the droplets on the plate. The garden salad was crunchy and fresh, a good serving and the chips hot, salty and crispy. Alas, my fish was dry, even drier than a yellow tail should be, and I think the apricot compote got lost in translation and might be a glaze. The adage “never change a good recipe” came to mind here. Of the Crayfish soup, Butch said, “well, at least I could taste crayfish.” I thought it was nice too. When I’m in Lambert’s Bay next, I’ll be back for fish and chips.

We moved on to Strandfontein for a few nights.

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Saint Helena Bay is a major fishing town. It is home to Sandy Point Harbor – one of two ports to the bay (the other being in Laaiplek) on the West Coast of South Africa. In winter, it is host to many fishing activities, where snoek is found in its waters and an endangered species of rock lobster and crayfish.