Midday Walks to the Giant Log

Last week a friend popped for a walk, so we decided to head down to the beach. It was almost midday by the time she arrived and the sun was already very high, but it was too windy to even wear a hat.

First we headed down along the river and then onto the dunes that feed the beach. This entry way is always a beautiful surprise as you climb the low dune and finally see the ocean.

The wide open beach comes into view and we decide to first turn left and walk along the water’s edge toward the look out deck. This is a favour spot for locals to watch the surf and decided if they’re going to risk the very cold water of the Atlantic or stay toasty warm on the beach.

This is our turn around spot to head down the other end of the beach toward the point. It’s about 3 kilometres from one end to the other, but our end point is by no means the end of the beach. Long Beach actually joins up with Noordhoek beach which is about 6 kilometres long! We will leave that to the professionals for today.

The reason I brought Beth to this point was to show her the Giant Log that washed up high on the shore years ago.

I asked around for some history from the locals to find out how this mammoth log got to be here? And I found out that in the 1990’s a container ship lost a part of it’s very special load. These logs were on a large old ship from South America bound for Central Africa, for a paper mill when the structures holding the logs broke. 300 logs were dropped in the sea off Kommetjie and ended up spread from Cape Point as far up the coast as Namibia! (1000s of Kms away) One of the locals was a diver that helped to salvage the logs floating at sea with the help of private fishing boats and marine resources from Cape Town.

A few were not salvageable and remained in place at Cape Point, Soetwater (close by), this one at Long Beach and a couple at Sandy Bay a few Kms up the coast from us.

Apparently it used to face a different direction, but high seas managed to shift the massive log about 45 degrees. Imagine the amount of fire wood you get get from this baby!

I’ve got to admit, walking on that log was freaking scary! I’m not that afraid of heights but the thought of the wind gusting and blowing me off onto the rocks below was in the forefront of my mind! After my little hairy walk on the log in the heavy wind we headed back home along the beach desperate for a coffee and ready to hide from the wind.

We always make new friends at the beach. But the best part is the stimulating conversation that seems to make the time and kilometres fly by.