Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson is a favourite for me.
It is difficult to categorise him but Wikipedia comments that he is a “blend of cabaret pop and classical music influences with indie rock and experimental musicianship”.
With Easter weekend about to sneak up on us (Easter Sunday is April 5), Watson is particularly appealing to me right now.
His track Adventures in your own backyard strikes a chord.
The song sets an emotional undertone of, don’t go looking too far away from home for connection because “it is right here beside you”.
But at this time I am looking at the direct physical statement of the song in geography “12 steps into your backyard. Through tall green grass, and into the world. Ain’t it feel right? Ain’t it feel nice?”
And yes it does. Right after my own heart. I love the front door of my home and heading out into the blue.
Yellow Sands, Kwelera River mouth, might just be that blue.
It is about 20 to 35 minutes drive out of town if you live in Buffalo City.
You can think of Yellow Sands as an adventure in your own backyard.
Sure there are temptations to head for Mozambique or Plett, Namibia, Cape Town or Ipanema, but what about your own backyard?
No long road trip, no airport, no customs, no exchange rates, no carousels. The adventure is right here.
The slipway surfing community at Yellows is unique and drenched in good people, good times, good food and good fun.
If not a tasty braai on the rocks, then it is a picnic basket as easy as a stop in at Crossways on the way to the break.
The family vibe on the slipway is exceptional, from eight-year-old children learning to surf on easy rollers up the river to 64-year-old geriatrics on 9.0 longboards surfing left or right breaking waves at the backline of the river mouth.
Stop off and chat to Dave Ridge (East Coast Surfboards) if you want to know anything about your board or order a new board from him.
Take a surf lesson from Wayne Monk if you want to raise your game and once the bug bites you for the area, you might want to talk to local surfer Hein Ketterer about some real estate.
Just down from the mouth at the first rocks, a left-breaking wave often rolls in off the caravan park.
Further down the rocks towards Glen Gariff, another left breaks to spread the crowd.
The name of the break is Secrets and there is a good chance you will be surfing with Olly Pascoe and his mates if you paddle out there.
If a day trip, sunrise to sunset on the slipway is not enough for you, then you might want to book in and tent, caravan or chalet at the Yellow Sands Caravan Park.
You can wake up to the rumble of waves on your doorstep and an average water temperature of about 18 degrees.
You can go to bed with the same gentle “gquma” to put you to sleep.
The on-site coffee shop at the swimming pool is a great place to unwind and a chip and a putt away you have Olivewood Golf Course, Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve, Chefani, Chintsa, Crawfords, Emerald Vale Brewery, Tea in the Trees, Prana Lodge, Areena Riverside Resort, Sama Sama Coffee & Smoothie Hotspot. As well as bass fishing, rock and surf fishing, deep sea fishing, horse riding, dirt biking, mountain biking, Buccaneers Beach Lodge, Queensberry Point, Queensberry Left, Glen Eden, Kwenxura River, guided botanical walks, art and estuary fishing for spotted grunter on the Kwelera River!
Are you kidding me? What more could you think of asking for?
My next favourite track from Patrick Watson is Here comes the river.
This is a tragic melodic piano lament about being overwhelmed, drowning in life while fighting to survive.
It is a description of the fight-or-flight lifestyle so many of us lead but the adventure in your own backyard is the antidote.
This is the real lure, offer and benefit of Yellow Sands and the East Coast Jikeleza.
Take a break this Easter. Have an adventure in your own backyard. You don’t need to go far.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.