Waves and Weather
Watch this space…
… Things are on the change … Stay tuned for more …
SA’s new Adventure Travel Show want’s YOUR input
Simple, sweet, and straight to the point: We are launching a new TRAVEL SHOW in South Africa this year and we’re looking for YOUR input.
The concept: Well, without giving too much away: NO cruise-liners, NO 5 star hotels… REAL people, traveling to REAL places, and doing REAL things. Think “Going Nowhere slowly” with 12 Liquid Blast energy drinks, “Top Billing” without the snobbery, and “An Idiot Abroad’ without the idiot… Basically, we’re looking to open a can of whip-ass on these other ‘Travel and Entertainment Shows’.
The sponsors are confirmed and the air-time-slot is busy being negotiated. We’re going to air from October to December 2013 and all is coming together nicely now. Presented by a ‘Thrill-Seeking and Fun Loving’ guy, and a ‘Experienced and Ready-For-Anything’ lady, we start filming the first few episodes this Summer…
And we need YOU!
So, what can YOU tell us that we don’t know? What’s AWESOME in this amazing country of ours and should be highlighted?
If YOU are going on holiday in SA, where do YOU go?
What do YOU do there? How do YOU get there? Any hidden gems that are worth exploring?
What’s YOUR favourite destination, pad-kos, day-trip, party-venue, backpackers, travel-music, activity, ‘don’t-leave-home-without’, drink, ritual, city, town, beach, restaurant… WHATEVER!
(Namibia)
You got the info, we want it… If all works according to plan and the necessary arrangements are made, we will be filming your choice/recommendation, and crediting you for the contribution.
Please comment below OR send me a private mail to info@denebotha.com
Shot
(Background:) I first went to Namibia for work when I was 17, and then hit London when I was 18. In a very short time the TRAVEL-BUG had bitten me, and it had bitten me hard. My father always says ‘Travel is the best education’… For a lucky few of us, it certainly is. It’s a way of life, of learning, of experiencing different people, trying new things, exploring strange places, as well as finding yourself.
Dene
New Years Eve… Gone RIGHT!
So, after four days of having my boards, bag and tent, packed and ready at the door and (not being able to leave due to unforeseen circumstances), I managed to blag as mate into grabbing his stuff (and lady), drop his plans, and head up the West Coast to follow a SEXY looking little swell… Well, we scored!
What is ‘The West Coast’
Now I’m no professional surfer (by ANY means), but I like to give society the finger every now and again and run off up the coast. Some people will know where we hit, but for the rest of you, no telling I’m afraid.
My travel partners, Luke and Carolina, celebrating ‘tent-completion’, with a cold one
We arrived, we surfed, we grabbed a beer and decided to find a camp-site… HA! No luck… Not ideal sitting with a car full of gear, a lady, an appetite for surf, and having no-where to go. So we drove around the corner to look for an open space of land to set-up our tent on, drove past one last place (that had some caravan’s in it’s yard), and assuming it was a camp-site / backpackers, we asked if we could use a piece of land…
Looks good to me
… After erecting the tent and starting a fire we go inquire about ‘rates’ for a few days… “Rates?” he says… “Oh, no, the backpackers is around the corner, this is my aunt’s place, but please, you’re welcome to stay.” – WHAT hospitality! We spend the rest of the evening drinking beer, braai’ing the normal Weskus menu (Crayfish, snoek, mussels), and spend the next few hours telling tales of waves – All majorly exaggerated as usual… ‘Surfers’ hey!?
ROAD TRIP
Next morning, set the alarm for 4h40, in the water at 5h05… Not sun, just the remainder of the full moon’s reflection lighting these 6 foot GEMS all the way down the point. 30 minutes later and the place was pretty packed, but DAMN, we got it GOOOOOOD!
Stoked to the max!
On exit, we head straight to the ‘hotel’ (if you can call it that?!) and scof-down R65′s worth of breakfast – Think I ate for six people… #GetYourValue Went home, passed out and woke up to a phone-call, “Dene, it’s Luke, I’ll grab you in 10 minutes… BE READY FOR THIS!” The excitement starts flowing and we hit the gravel road for an hour or so, walk over a hill and find…(Yes, “The Endless Summer” scene where they find Seal Point) … COOKING 4 four waves peeling ever so nicely down a point, without a soul in sight – We have arrived!
Me, ‘jelly-legging-it’ after about 2.5 hours
After that we headed back down-south for a TREAT… My main boys Luke (The Mayor), and his brother Andrew (The ….), invite us around for a bit of a braai… YUSSY, what a meal! Two long-ass surf sessions in, way too much food, and a few beers… Goodnight.
Braai-Master Andrew, just basically showing-off… But rightfully so!
Another early night and this bring us to the morning of the 31st… Now the big question is, “Do we stay and SURF, or head home and PARTY?” We decide another session would solve this nexus… It did, “We stay!”
Travel companion Luke, tearing-it-up on the inside
Spending the day surfing, eating, sleeping, and repeating… Man, it was FIRING! And as the day goes on the crowd (which is minimal as is), gets fewer and fewer… We like.
Happiness is: A CRACKER surf with a bunch of good friends – Stoked
Um….. YEEEAH HA!
We hit up the bottle store, pack the car to the brim, get the ice, and start cooling-down tonight’s ‘fun / entertainment’, and head back to the beach… Burnt to a crisp, blood-shot-eyes, salt and sand EVERYWHERE, and we do it again.
‘The Grom’, who had BALLS!
Suit up!
Yes, I was having a JOL!
When in doubt, paddle out. Luke, pondering an approach
The last session of the year was a WINNER! Broken, beaten, buggered. HAPPY as can be… Back to the camp, crack open the whiskey, and the madness begins
Fancy parties, R1500 per head, Celebrities, DJ’s, Trance Parties, Year End celebrations…? Nah, give me 6 close friends, 10 RANDOMS, a shed, a fire, good tunes, and a WHOLE lotta booze!
We celebrate into the night, hit-up a ‘lang-arm’ jol at the hotel, wish each other a Happy New Year (Even though I was busy walking home at the time of the clock striking 12 – personal reasons – LAME DENE!), the guys carry on. No pictures were taken during this period – Hahaha
Home away from home – the morning after
I get up at sparrow’s fart, again (dedication I tell you), and take a long sobering walk to the ocean… And yes, it’s STILL FIRING!
Bliss
Get out the water, shake off the last-night, and head back. Food time! We grab some breakie, pack up, say ‘cheerio’ to our new found friends, exchange details, fill the tank and begin the mission back to reality
Sing it with me… “The road is looooooooong…”
CHEESE!
Best surf trip ever! thank you to all involved, and thank you to King Neptune for providing – We’ll be back… SOON!
The Mayor… And lots and lots of bugger-all
Trust you all had a great New Years Eve, and if not, who cares? 2013 is HERE, time for new beginnings, and fresh energy. Health, happiness, success and abundance to you all! See you in the water soon… I’ll be the guy on your inside HA!
Over and out
Dene
