The Land Rover Family Club members joined the Augulas Land Rover Faternity for their 70th Land Rover bash
Always nice to go camping with the Land Rover Family Club. Thoroughly enjoy the banter on the 2-way radios in our convoys. We all stopped at Gunner’s Lodge in Napier, a quaint little restaurant & coffee shop en route, not that they were actually open yet, but they obliged by making us all pots of filter coffee.
Struisbaai Caravan Park = 270 campsites and 16 chalets (Telephone number: 028 435 6820, Email: struisbaai@capeagulhas.gov.za ). This vast open caravan park would not be my first choice of camping spots, but as this was for a large gathering of campers it made sense to have it here. A very large open camp – sorely lacking privacy and trees (but I assume the strong winds may have something to do with that) – so, great if you are going with a group of old friends, but not recommended for a romantic weekend. Position within the town and proximity to the beach (it’s right on the doorstep) was great though. Ablutions where always clean and functional albeit not the most modern, there’s plenty of showers (spacious with bench and hooks), toilets (take own toilet paper) and basins. They obviously know how to cater for the couple of hundred campers that I’m sure they get in peak season.
Electricity was a slight problem for those who weren’t off the grid and they suffered some damage due to power outages. Thankfully Sion insists that we use the solar panels, although I think that’s just his excuse so he doesn’t need to plug in a microwave.
Other things to watch out for, there can be thorns in the grass on your walk to the beach, so wear your plakkies. At the beach there is very inviting restaurant with a very coastal atmosphere. And you can also buy twirly-whirly ice creams, but if you walk just a little ways (a few hundred metres) along a very nice boardwalk to the harbour there are other little restaurants and shops which are not as pricey.
Of course you have to visit the harbour and say hello to the resident manta rays – they are beautiful to watch. You can buy fish to feed them from the one shop closest to the jetty….you need to get into the water and hold a fish in your hand under the water so the manta ray can sort of “vacuum” it up. Just check out the tides as we did not see them nearby at low tide.
All in all it was a great Easter weekend. The boys enjoyed their bit of 4×4-ing. The girls enjoyed the beach, boardwalk and shopping in the charming shops of Struisbaai and Agulhas.
Till next time
Tiana
