Easter in GQ - The perfect summer

Thursday, 8th February 2024

By Marguerite Smit

Can we let you in on a little local secret? GQ’s best summer weather, think beaches, and tans, and kids exploring rock pools and dripping ice cream cones, isn’t over December. The sweet summerspot for the City with the world’s best beaches is February and March. That’s when Goldilocks comesa-visiting. And this time the Easter Bunny is in on the game.

With the early Easter this year, 29 March to 01 April, there’s a real opportunity to get that full quota of Sunshine-D in before winter blows the autumn leaves away and arrives with her cold kiss and short days. So before you stock up with the hot chocolate and dust off those fleeces, don’t you want to squeeze the last of summer out of the sunscreen tube?

And where better than the place with over 100km of seafront, more than 20 public beaches, and crowned by the three Blue Flag jewels? Sardinia Bay is a case in point, famous for its sunset cocktail dune, and endless stretch of beach, you could visit it every day for a week and have a different experience every time. Sandwiched in between a nature reserve and marine protected area, you can body-surf, boogey-board, snorkel, stroll, and hit the snooze button on your beach towel until you’remildly roasted and the envy of all back at home. Or head to the other side of the Bay and do the two-steps up, one-step back hike at the start of the Alexander Dunes, along the Sundays river, and sand toboggan your butt back down the dune, followed by a gentle cruise down the river. You may have sand still stuck between your toes or behind your ears for weeks after returning home, but heythere’s a price to pay for this near-perfect summer bookend.

And if the beach gets a little hot, there’s over 10 public and private game reserves within the metro’s bounds that offer a variety of in-nature experiences, from the fynbos smorgasbord at Van StadensWildflower Reserve, to the game drives at Nyosi, to the iconic lighthouse and Khoisan fish traps at Cape Recife, the Bay has plenty of sunshine on offer. The recently launched Green Flag Trails has 11 well-marked trails that will offer hours of easy hiking pleasure. Seeing GQ stretch out from the top of Lady Slipper, our local mountain, is a real site to behold. And if you want to venture further, literally add another 30-minutes to your travel time and you could be hiking the Groenendal Wildernesstrails or checking out dung beetles and Ellies at the Addo Elephant Park that border our great little metro.

Can we let you in on a little local secret? GQ’s best summer weather, think beaches, and tans, and

kids exploring rock pools and dripping ice cream cones, isn’t over December. The sweet summer

spot for the City with the world’s best beaches is February and March. That’s when Goldilocks comes

a-visiting. And this time the Easter Bunny is in on the game.

With the early Easter this year, 29 March to 01 April, there’s a real opportunity to get that full quota

of Sunshine-D in before winter blows the autumn leaves away and arrives with her cold kiss and

short days. So before you stock up with the hot chocolate and dust off those fleeces, don’t you want

to squeeze the last of summer out of the sunscreen tube?

And where better than the place with over 100km of seafront, more than 20 public beaches, and

crowned by the three Blue Flag jewels? Sardinia Bay is a case in point, famous for its sunset cocktail

dune, and endless stretch of beach, you could visit it every day for a week and have a different

experience every time. Sandwiched in between a nature reserve and marine protected area, you can

body-surf, boogey-board, snorkel, stroll, and hit the snooze button on your beach towel until you’re

mildly roasted and the envy of all back at home. Or head to the other side of the Bay and do the

two-steps up, one-step back hike at the start of the Alexander Dunes, along the Sundays river, and

sand toboggan your butt back down the dune, followed by a gentle cruise down the river. You may

have sand still stuck between your toes or behind your ears for weeks after returning home, but hey

there’s a price to pay for this near-perfect summer bookend.

And if the beach gets a little hot, there’s over 10 public and private game reserves within the metro’s

bounds that offer a variety of in-nature experiences, from the fynbos smorgasbord at Van Stadens

Wildflower Reserve, to the game drives at Nyosi, to the iconic lighthouse and Khoisan fish traps at

Cape Recife, the Bay has plenty of sunshine on offer. The recently launched Green Flag Trails has 11

well-marked trails that will offer hours of easy hiking pleasure. Seeing GQ stretch out from the top of

Lady Slipper, our local mountain, is a real site to behold. And if you want to venture further, literally

add another 30-minutes to your travel time and you could be hiking the Groenendal Wilderness

trails or checking out dung beetles and Ellies at the Addo Elephant Park that border our great little

metro.

Perhaps Mom or Dad are aching to have some quality time on the bike, or trail-running, or open-water swimming, then what better place than the home of Iron Man, and firm tri-athlete favourite? GQ’s Marine Drive has an unprecedented 20 km coastal road on the Bay’s “Wild Side” that hasmagnificent sea-crashing-on-rocks views, and 6 km of beyond-the-breaker’s sea swimming is easily South Africa’s prime open-water destination. We’ll throw in a dolphin or two (or a hundred-strongpod) to keep you company to seal the deal.

And talking of seals, grab a spot on Raggy Charters or Stampede Tours and head across to the Bay’s islands. The Bird Island and St Croix trip is a bucket-list marine animal and sea bird experience. You will see dolphins and seals, you will see Cape gannets and African penguins in their hundreds, and while still early for the Humpbacks and Southern Right whale migration, you may just get to see thestart of the sardine run, or catch a Minke whale or two. And if you’re really lucky you may just see the annual turtle hatchling float-past, the little one’s having drifted all the way from KZN and ontheir way to the Agulhas banks. SANCCOB have a fantastic penguin and sea-bird rehabilitation centreat Cape Recife, so if your sea legs prefer dry land it’s the place to go to see the little tuxedo-clad creatures dive and scoot their way around their recovery ponds. And check their calendar, they often do a beach release just off their centre, and it’s a run-Forest-run moment of joy to witness.

So think about it? Catch the perfect summer, or slog it out in the early smog and grime and traffic crawl in the highveld gloom? We know where the Easter Bunny would prefer to visit you – the place Goldilocks lives.