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Sky’s the limit at cloud nine on the south coast of Africa

Sky’s the limit at cloud nine on the south coast of Africa

April 2023 · 5 min read · Bitou Local Municipality

It’s another beautiful sunny day here on the south Cape coast of Africa. Clear blue skies and warm sunshine fill the atmosphere with good mood and feelings of health and positivity. What a pleasure to be situated in such a nurturing and healing space. If you want to escape the somewhat challenging circumstances of the north – like the war and all that – then the global south is here alive and thriving.

Facing west, with Indian ocean meeting the African coastline at the Garden Route town of Plettenberg Bay, seen in the background.
Facing west, with Indian ocean meeting the African coastline at the Garden Route town of Plettenberg Bay, seen in the background.

And one of the sanctuary zones is here on the south coast of Africa, far from any of the war between Russia and the western world. Beaches are vast and stretched out like a long thin line all down this coast. Today I have some epic photos of the sky, with some really fascinating clouds.

Bird sanctuary and breeding ground on the dunes outside Plettenberg Bay town.
Bird sanctuary and breeding ground on the dunes outside Plettenberg Bay town.

Everyone should cultivate an appreciation for clouds, in my opinion. Today you will see that I’m in a bird sanctuary region. This is a breeding ground for the sea birds, mostly seagulls, which are common. There are also the uncommon black Oystercatcher birds, which are slightly endangered.

Midflight of fanciful and fleeting feathered friends
Midflight of fanciful and fleeting feathered friends

By walking along this stretch of the Cape coastline, in a region called the Garden Route, I was able to come up close and personal to the seagulls at their nesting region in the dunes along the Indian ocean. They are a fine specimen, much like flying rats. They scavenge opportunistically, like me when I’m scouring the blockchain for scraps of digital currency or NFTs to pick up cheaply.

High tide at the nesting dunes, facing east
High tide at the nesting dunes, facing east

Some people’s trash is another person’s treasure. It all depends on the perception of the viewer. Well, today I have some seriously fluffy photos of vast magnitude and impressive – almost infinite – expanse and vista. This Garden Route region of the Cape south coast of Africa is a health retreat paradise, with all the fresh air, sunshine and wide open space you could want for your peace of mind and improved health.

Sometimes all you need is the air that you breathe and to love life. All you need is available in abundance here since there are so few people around. You can have it all to yourself almost any time of the day, week or year. Seriously few people know about this remote part of the planet, so those who are able to access this treasure trove of fresh air and cloudscapes, can get front row seats for the cloud show.

Spaced-out cloud spotting at the breeding dunes of our feathered flock
Spaced-out cloud spotting at the breeding dunes of our feathered flock

All you can see for miles – and almost into infinity – is space, sea, sand and sky. What a feeling of expansiveness. It’s like a desert but without the barrenness or heat. Mind you it does get hot. However, the sea is there to cool off at any time. This thin slither of coastline is the Goldilocks zone in that it is just right – not too hot and not too cold. To the south is ocean and to the north is drier semi-desert, called the Karoo desert, just inland from the coast.

And this coastline stretches for thousands of miles to the east and west, all along the south coast of Africa. Thus you have lots of place to explore. It’s not particularly exotic, like Asia or the tropics, for example. In fact the looks quite bland or plain by comparison. However, that also means it is a mild and gentle climate and natural surroundings. The clouds love it here and seem to hang around some days, looking down from high up in the atmosphere.

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Coming in to land on the sand. I have a business idea to bottle the local sky to sell as a rare commodity globally, if you wish to invest.
Coming in to land on the sand. I have a business idea to bottle the local sky to sell as a rare commodity globally, if you wish to invest.

And today, as you can see, they are as friendly as ever, without a sense of ominous storm of any sort. They simply glide on by, in their own silent and subtle manner. I’m sure you have seen the clouds pass by your place on occasion. They seem to travel more than we do, beyond borders. Yet here the clear fresh air and bright sunshine really bring out their sparkle as they sail overhead and over the ocean.

Nesting area of the rare and shy black Oystercatcher bird
Nesting area of the rare and shy black Oystercatcher bird

What a pleasure to have such a front row seat to admire their passing parade. This beach, here on the Garden Route coastline, with it’s bird sanctuary and breeding ground, is a safety zone that nurtures the wildlife and bird life, as well as the humans who happen to find this sheltering sky. If you ever need some space, then I have found lots of it available here for you to appreciate. Why feel cluttered or claustrophobic or crowded when you can have all the space you need right here, without any struggle.

Plenty of space for you to feel free on the Garden Route coastline, facing east.
Plenty of space for you to feel free on the Garden Route coastline, facing east.

Take this as an invitation to emptiness and spaciousness, freely available for you. All you need to do is to get yourself here and the space and emptiness will be here for you to bask in. Bring a friend if you wish, there is no shortage of facility to bask in the space, under the sheltering sky, beside the salty sea, on the white, clean sand dunes. When it comes to the space race, this stretch of southern African coastline is taking the lead.

(photos my own)

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