Secrets are hard to keep. So if one is to divulge a secret, there are numerous ways in which to do it whilst still remaining elusive. This also enables one to claim immunity from said revealment rather than be up for eviction and labelled the secret-spiller.
Inevitably most secrets are exposed in one way or another anyway because they are just too good to be kept for any extended period. That is human nature. They burst from your mouth with the excitement of a famished fledgling cuckoo in a foster nest once you feel confident enough that you’ve found someone worthy of being accepted into the circle of trust.
My secret isn't really a secret at all and provides a textbook case for the motivation you need to rejuvenate your camping and outdoor experience. Find that inner explorer in you. And if you must, borrow your cat’s curiosity for a few days. But don’t take your cat along. The Cape Gulls are far hungrier than the Hadedas in the garden back home.
I’ll call my secret “Site 14”. And I was there last weekend. It was awesome. I feel like that cuckoo now. Ok, I’ll tell you.
The route there is easy. No special vehicle is needed and there isn’t any of that low range nonsense. You take the R27 from Cape Town and at some point you turn off from it. Then you drive a bit more and you turn off again. After a few more of these rights and lefts, and some dirt road, you go around the corner, over the hill, and you’re there.
What a view. Uninterrupted Atlantic Ocean meters from where you will pitch your tent or angle your caravan. Sleep under the stars if you want. If there was such a thing as five-star camping, this could be it. Camping is the new self-catering in any event so it really is what you make of it. You want your portable all-in-one gas kitchen you bought online last week? Take it.
There isn’t electricity so don’t bother with anything unnecessary. Remember you have to pack and unpack all of that, so consider the value of everything you put aside to take. Is it really necessary? Weren’t you supposed to be getting away from all of that in the first place? It will only make the car heavier and result in more carbon emissions. Naughty. Go on, put it back, you don’t need it.
Over the years I have been privileged enough to spend countless hours camping along and exploring South Africa’s West Coast region, chasing surf and the Bear Grylls experience. From campsites like this one to the below freezing conditions of the Namaqua coastal desert region in the dead of a Cape Winter, the West Coast is without doubt a special and often totally unspoilt part of the world. This is a place where you could go a week without seeing another person. It is a harsh place for anything to survive, and what does survive, can use truly remarkable ways to do so.
The further up the coast you travel, the less fresh water you are going to come across, so always carry fresh water with you. Sometimes convenience can be best, especially when time is limited. This is where Site 14 comes out on top of the pack every so often. This time it was inspiration from a recent episode of Justin Bonello’s new television series that did it.
This was to be a weekend of hunter-gatherer type activities. Well, more gathering than hunting. After all, crayfish season had just opened and it had been a while since I had tasted the salty-fresh taste of a newly plucked prehistoric delicacy.
However, don’t go unprepared or without some bare essentials to keep the energy levels up if sea conditions don’t allow for foraging. Things such as rooster brood (dough bought from any local super-market) can be broken into pieces to make the best tasting bread. It can be cooked in any number of ways and to make it really incredible, pack in a jar of apricot jam.
Rice and couscous can be used as staple sides so you don’t go hungry. They simply need to boil in fresh water. Vegetables can be treated in much the same way and a simple camping pot can allow for the concoction of tasty vegetarian dishes.
Another crucial factor to always be aware of are the tides. Low tide is often your best chance for collecting mussels and other molluscs you can use as base ingredients for starters and even potjies. They add enormous flavour and are even delicious on their own when cooked on the braai. The rule of thumb for a cooked mussel is that if the shell has not opened, it’s not good for the gut. Don’t even try and reason with it – throw away immediately.
Your day needs to be planned according to the tides and any fishing you intend on doing. It is no secret that fish populations are dwindling the world over and fishing requires a lot of patience and an element of skill so don’t be reliant on it. Often the coastline is very rocky and covered with large kelp forests swaying back and forth in the hope of snagging your line. Many spots have also been overfished too so one needs to be creative as well as prepared to walk to the next bay.
Preparation and cooking are also activities that will steal your time. Preparation is best done during the daylight hours so you can keep your torch batteries for more important things like finding your tent or caravan. Breakfast is your choice too. Take with you something easy to prepare or eat leftovers from the night before.
Cooking is a social experience so get everyone involved. You never know what you might learn from someone else’s cooking style. Of course I would be fibbing if I didn’t say I cater for pudding. Those bananas that were meant for the skottel in the morning? Buy double and make a recipe I have borrowed from a local pizza restaurant in Kenilworth – banana flambé! All you need is a hot fire, frying pan, some sugar and some brandy.
Site 14 boasts an incredibly diverse amount of fauna and flora as well as animal and bird life too. Don’t leave the binos and books at home. A short walk due south of the site will bring you to an exquisite landscape of rock erosion and formation. It’s also a nesting site for a few pairs of Rock Kestrels. These birds are outstanding hunters and you could spend hours watching them patrol the terrain aboard the mini thermals of rising air.
My advice: go out there and find your own site 14. But my most important advice: get your fishing licenses from your local post office before you go.
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