Personally, I just love being by the ocean. I'm not always all that fazed about other activities. I love going for walks, or even just sitting down and just enjoy the calmness that one gets from the ocean.
Even though the sea can be rough at times (I'm not talking about stormy conditions though), it still has a calming effect on me.
But there come times when you feel like doing something different.
And especially if you have to travel some distance and maybe spend some time in a specific area, it's nice to know what's happening or what you can do in that area.
Today, I would like to look at things you can do on the South Coast of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.
Last weekend, we decided to go down south. We decided to visit two coastal towns. We started by going to Rocky Bay in Park Rynie which is about 80 KM from where we stay. We then stopped over in Illovo on our way back.
But let's look at this as if you are going to spend some time in that area...maybe stay over in Park Rynie...what can you expect to find? What can you do in that area without traveling too far?
7 Things To Do
1. Caravaning
In Park Rynie, we went to Rocky Beach where we found the Rocky Bay Caravan Park
Being out of season, there was plenty of space available if you would be looking for a place to park your caravan for a few days.
It's a beautiful area and is situated right on the beach. Rocky Bay Caravan Park provides you the opportunity to put up camp with the most spectacular views of the ocean and easy access to the beach.
2. Access to Various Beaches
Besides the beautiful beach, Rocky Bay, you will be able to pick and choose from various beaches that will be within "striking distance".
The first, and most obvious one, of course, would be the one on your doorstep, Rocky Bay.
But going up north, you have other beaches in the Park Rynie area, all the way up into Scottburgh.
Then a little further up you'll find Umkomaas, and then Illovo, Winkle Spruit, Warner Beach, and Amanzimtoti...all within a 30-minute drive from Rocky Bay.
Going down south, you'll find Pennington and then Hibberdene. These beaches are also within a 30-minute drive.
If you want to go further south, you can of course go all the way down to Port Shepstone and also the very popular Margate Beach, which is about a 50-minute drive from Rocky Bay.
3. Going Out on the Ocean and Deep Sea Fishing
Remaining in Rocky Bay, just opposite the parking area for the beach, you can find some exciting activities.
While I was standing on the beach, I saw this ski boat coming in with quite a few passengers on board.
The next two photos are not of the best quality as I had to take them facing into the sun. But I'll add them here for the sake of sharing the information.
Looking at the mentioned ski boat in the previous photo, I didn't really get the impression that they were out fishing. I also saw some of the guys getting off the boat and returning to the caravan park. So it might have been a pleasure cruise only.
But this is the home of the Park Rynie Ski Boat Club and it seems they have some restaurant facilities there too.
From here I crossed the railway line. This is the same railway line that I referred to (and that was visible) in photos in one of my recent posts.
This railway line is running all along the south coast but is currently not in use due to the damage caused by the floods of last year.
In the next photo, you can see the signs of further decay and not much going on.
4. Shark Cage Diving.
If you like an adrenalin rush, this might be your scene.
Just after I crossed the railway line, I found Shark Cage Diving where you can book your adventure with the sharks.
They have some of the most amazing photos and video footage on their website. You can see it here.
The following video is also on their website and I decided to include it here to whet your appetite and for you to see what you can expect.
And if you couldn't get your deep sea fishing adventure booked at the Park Rynie Ski Boat Club, it looks like these guys will be able to also help you on that front.
5. Expand Your Personal Aquarium.
From Rocky Bay, we traveled up north. We went to the Illovo Nursery. It is a 25-minute drive (30 km).
On their premises, you have a variety of activities.
As you arrive, the first thing you see is a nice pet shop on your left-hand side. The pet shop has a wide variety of pet and pet-related products in stock.
As normal, we entered the pet shop first.
Having been at Rocky Bay, and still thinking about what we saw there, and with the images of Shark Cage Diving in my mind, I was pretty much drawn to anything I might find in the ocean...
With that in mind, I couldn't help to stop and admire this guy for some time.
If you would like to take some "marine life" back with you after you had an amazing time at the ocean, it might be a good idea to make a pit stop here...lol.
From the pet shop, we walked out and into the area where they normally have a very interesting craft market.
Unfortunately, the craft market was already closed as it was late afternoon by the time we got there. But we normally enjoy this market and we have bought several items from there.
From there, we walked through the nursery, which was still open, but also very quiet due to the time of day.
But we found this little family, enjoying the scenery of the nursery with us.
6. Enjoy An Art Exhibition.
Still at Illovo Nursery, they have their own art gallery on the same premises. Many artists display their work here.
Unfortunately, they were also closed as it was late already.
But just below the art gallery, there is a little pond where I love to take photos.
It might have been late in the afternoon, but it was the perfect time to get some nice photos.
Looking at the art gallery on the opposite side of the pond, it felt like being in a jungle, late in the afternoon, with everything being quiet and peaceful around you.
Zooming in a bit on the greenery in front of me, with the art gallery in the background.
The next two photos (also of the same art gallery) were taken on a previous visit to the same venue.
7 Dining & Live Entertainment.
Still inside Illovo Nursery, we walked back toward the craft market area and noticed that the Terrace Restaurant was now a hive of activity. The Terrace Restaurant is a lovely restaurant with a friendly warm atmosphere, giving you the feeling of being close to nature and away from city life.
We walked further and arrived at the Terrace Beer Garden, an extension of the Terrace Restaurant. It was quite active there too and they even had live entertainment with a live band providing music.
Also during one of our previous visits, we did visit the beer garden on a warm summer's morning. It was still early, so they were quiet and we enjoyed some cold drinks there before we started strolling around.
But on this visit, with the evening fast approaching, both the restaurant and the beer garden were in great demand and people were relaxed and having a good time.
Conclusion.
So, there you have it.
7 Things you can do while you are visiting the South Coast here in Kwazulu Natal.
Thank you for reading my post! I do appreciate it!