The Mind Walk

Venting To Clear The Air, Take Your Mind For A Walk....

Get me out of here, even if it is through photographs from the past, something is better than nothing! First a little about what is happening around me...

Surviving 139 days lock down, still no sale of alcohol or tobacco, half the country unemployed, hijacking, murder, wherever you read local South African news politics is rotten to the core! (Not all, but a vast majority.)

Turbulent times, we all fell we are being bashed around mentally

July 14th our ADSL was suddenly cut, now sitting on the 12 August having special booster installed, along with a very much more expensive router to obtain (hopefully) a steady 4mbps cellular connection. Oh by the way when they cut the lines now the whole area has no landlines, many use security services who had to go from home to home redirecting alarms to cellular for quick response!

Considering I will not go out without my dog, there have been no visits to parks nor beaches in quite some time. On a positive note one can escape joining #wednesdaywalk with @tattodjay going through old photography not yet shared, in collaboration with #makemesmile hosted by @elizacheng. This reminded me of #beachwednesday with @lizanomadsoul and wondered who remembers the fun we had strolling beaches around the world, which Liz is still doing, be sure to look her up!

Within short traveling distance we have wonderful beaches close to hand, each offers something a little different depending on your mood. Here is a map of the four beaches selected today, some photography is a little older, however all visited and photographed at that time.

Amanzimtoti Beach An early morning breakfast with a view over the Amazimtoti Beach prior March 2020 always a treat watching people enjoying the outdoors, swimming, fishing with surfers paddling further away from the crowds. How very much one misses these local outings not encumbered by masks, sanitizers, social distancing going on currently.

Amanzimtoti Main Beach swimming, rock fishing, swimming pool with promenade for walks

Amanzimtoti Main Beach a peek up the wide beach taking you closer toward Durban

Amanzimtoti Main Beach - We always tend to shorten names, no change this is Toti

Crow sits observing what he will get up to next.

Warner Beach Previously I wrote about this beach we frequeted all the time when the boys were young, another stop off where you are able to get something refreshing right on the beach, Baggies Beach most definitely the more popular beach for surfers and teenagers to hang out.

Warner Beach with beach volley ball, natural tidal pool, kite surfing.

Slightly higher up enjoying quiet from main beach front, pretty aloe flowers on the dunes

Winklespruit Beach More often than not although this is our closest beach we do not use the main beach area, there are no eateries offered on this beach. Exceptionally popular with the fishermen off the rocks and beaches further down where we walk, away from bathers, volley ball players or children building castles.

Offers a proper salt water swimming pool up on the rock much like Toti beach

Lifesavers Club House Winklespruit Beach, with seating to sit and enjoy the view

Exceptionally popular fishing spot, just to the left of the pool on the rocks.

Walks on the beach with dogs go further down between Winklespruit and Illovo where it is allowed, this normally is a lot quieter to enjoy yourself your thoughts, with sand running between your toes, always take a poop scoop never leave doggie do on beaches for someone to step into.

Railway bridge the border between Winklespruit and Illovo Beaches.

Another post written some time ago My Local Haunt Winklespruit

Hugging the beach below railway lines looking over river mouth into Indian Ocean

Umkomaas Beach This beach I have not posted about before, it is not a place we go to often, although extremely popular for cage diving, boats launching out to sea for diving on the Aliwal Shoal, or fishing trips, beachfront does offer a restaurant, yet to be visited.

Cage Shark Dives on offer, being caged for protection to witness the wildlife under the water.

This is a very historical little town with a harbour built in 1861 to export sugar cane. The Zulu name uMkhomazi translates into place of cow whales where whales used the estuary as a nursery for their young, perhaps one day they will return. Official animal for the town is the whale, which may be seen between the months June and October.

Arriving back after some deep sea diving, railway line bridge in background.

Umkomaas is known for the large Italian community who arrived when cellulose plant was set up in the valley in 1954, many arrived from the Friuli region of Italy.

View up the river inland.

Dominant feature is the river being the largest on the South Coast, it's source starts up in Giant's Castle region Drakensberg, at an altitude of over three thousand meters. Mention of the river valley is in an early chapter of the 1948 novel by Alan Paton "Cry, The Beloved Country.

A big thank you to each and every person enjoying Hive blockchain, this month being my 4th Birthday on the platform I am happy, settled and find entertaining content. During lock down this has been a lifesaver, keeping one active, building and communicating with each other daily. 53 Moons now obtained!

All photography is my own, any queries or requests please drop a comment below, have a wonderful day!

Thought for Today: "He who wanders along the beach doesn't eat his rice dry." - African Proverb

!pinmapple -30.0836005 lat 30.8678566 long Sapphire Coast South Africa D3SCR

Communities On Hive I Enjoy: #powerhousecreatives hive-114105, #qurator hive-102880, #featheredfriends @melinda010100 in hive-106444, #wednesdaywalk @tattoodjay in hive-155530, #amazingnature @adalger in hive-127788, #alwaysaflower @dswigle in hive-154065, #feelgood community @barbara-orenya in hive-190931, #fungifriday @qwerrie in hive-166168