Leg 1 of Peter van Kets and Jacques Marais’ Beyond Lockdown, Beyond Expedition, took them up the Weskus to Doringbaai. There they trail ran along the coast, soul searched for waves and were treated to fantastic local hospitality by Fryers Cove Winery.
The hunt for headspace on the 4th Beyond Expeditions road trip saw Peter van Kets, Jacques Marais, Peter Kirk and Zane Schmahl going feral along the insanely rugged Namaqua West Coast shoreline. Ocean-side sea cliffs soar above the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean, and the Viswater trail run route traverses what arguably rates as one of the most dramatic sections of coast in all of South Africa.
This is feel-good country, for sure, and you can sense the benefits to your mind, body and soul as you breathe in the sea air. Reconnecting with the real world. Time in the great outdoors is the best natural medicine to counter stress, anxiety and all the pressures forced upon us by our hectic lives, and one way to slow it all down is a visit to the Weskus.
Best of all, if you play local and stay local, you end up supporting tourism at grass-roots level. This will change the lives of thousands of people dependent upon your contribution to the local economy. In this instance the Beyond Expeditions team was welcomed to their heartland by Monika de Jager and Fryers Cove Winery team. Nothing beats the hospitality provided by people of Doringbaai and Strandfontein; their crisp white wines, delicious seafood cuisine and roosterbrood straight from the fire.
The team is currently continuing their ‘Long Drive to support South African tourism’ towards Upington. They’ve clocked up 900 kilometres already, or one-tenth of the total distance they have to cover in their 9-province tour. The destination for the third night of the trip is the Kalahari Trails Nature Reserve. There they will be taking in the arid Open Africa Kalahari Red Dune Route and connecting with the Khomani San people, to learn more about their wild and wonderful desert landscape.
