WELL, it’s been a blog of time. Just when you thought it was safe to chill out. Now I find myself running around paradise doing all sorts of amazing things through the rather diverse characters I have met since cruising the coast. Here’s the thing and I will keep it short and tidy as I get exhausted just playing rewind in my head. And I must get back to my ‘hunting history and places’ blogging anyway. So a quick distraction and a huge boast.
In the past few weeks, I have… (and here I start to sweat and shake all over again)
- Drifted with Dezzi. Yup, wheels a churning, rubber a-burning, on a world class track. Right here on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
- Got Stigged! Yup, Top Gear came to do a launch down here and this Inspector was thrown into a rather fast car with the real deal. The Stig. The guy with the white clothes and funny hat who always folds his arms, unless he is driving of course. All I can say is just don’t close your eyes. Those tight corners on the track seen from helicopters filming the Grand Prix are a lot tighter when you are on the ground in a racing car, going at 500000 km/ hour. Rather look and scream than close your eyes and throw up. Just what my Grand Momma would have told me to do.
- Fished with a 1000 fishermen. Ok, not all fishermen caught something. Neither did I but I sure did catch an awesome sunrise over the sugar cane fields tucked neatly on the escarpment in the stunning Paddock area, of which many of the farms and dams there which we attempted to catch the prize bass in overlook the devastatingly beautiful Oribi Gorge. Meet me at the Paddock fishing competition next year. Such cool prizes and great stories over early morning cooler boxes. The trick is, if you drink it, it just can’t get away so there is no need at all to boast about your non-catch.
- Been to Mauritius. Ok, not quite. But close. I had the pleasure of meeting up with a Mauritian tour operator who literally refused to leave the South Coast. She was so mesmerized by the multitude of offerings and incredible scenery down here that apparently, Mauritius has nothing on this place!
- Ran a 42km Skyrun Trail. Ok, again, not quite, but if I attended the event, surely that must account for something? I have however been in training, running a bath and running upstairs, getting ready for next year’s event which looks like it also might attract 1000 something participants. And where is this place? It’s called the Weza Ingeli Forest. Stunning trails have been prepared and open to anyone, anytime, even for people of my calibre of fitness. As far as I am concerned, walking with intent could count as running and anyway, you can hire a mountain bike and do it on wheels if you prefer. All 5kms or 21kms or the whole bang shoot.
- Watched some great golf (yes outside, not on TV). Margate Country Club was hosting the Halfway Toyota Challenge, and since it’s always a good idea to find out from the locals how lekker life is at the 19th hole, I decided that that should be Saturday’s excursion… say no more.
- Got bowled over. In more ways than one. Did you know that the South Coast hosted the Under 25 Provincial Bowls tournament? It’s big down here. Something like 23 bowling clubs.
And for being bowled over. I took the photograph of the year. In my eyes, anyway. Yes, it’s in my head. This whole place I am now calling home. The Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom. The South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Come and play.
So until we meet again, get your people to call my people. 0800 FINDME. Erratum: marketing@tourismsouthcoast.co.za
Signing out,
Inspector Clueless WITH a map,
Tilley the Tourist.
