A unique village

I’ve lived in the little seaside village of Kommetjie since 1979, and visited frequently for the 10 years before. Although it has grown beyond what would be hoped, there are still things that make it unique and a sought-after suburb.

We have a lighthouse: the tallest cast iron lighthouse on the coast of South Africa, just over 100 years old. It’s beam casts a light across the rooftops and tall trees all the way to the end of Long Beach.

We have the Outer Kom: world famous surfing spot that produces spectacular waves and attracts surfing enthusiasts from all over the world. Some people live here just for that.

We have otters: over the years, the otters have become completely unafraid and so are spotted regularly on their trips from their dens in the shrubbery along the bay down to the rocks, where they fish in the sheltered waters and cavort among the kelp.

We have snakes: the path from the Kom to the Lighthouse has long been home to a number of large Cape cobras and puffadders. They cross the path without warning and one should always be aware of their hidden presence. Rats are the big attraction, and the snakes serve a very useful purpose in keeping the population down.

We are the most southwestern point of the Cape Peninsula: this means that shipping passes relatively closely and we always have ships, trawlers and smaller fishing vessels passing. Cruise ships and naval vessels provide interesting sightings and on a still night the throbbing of the engines carries on the breeze.

We have the view: considered one of the best views in the world – across the bay towards the Back Table, with Chapman’s Peak on the right, Constantiaberg, Table Mountain, Twelve Apostles (just the end), Karbonkelberg and the Sentinel. Always different as the light changes, and cloud cover makes for interesting receding layers. My favourite view of all time.

We have the kelp: some find it foul, but there is no doubt that the smell of rotting kelp in its early stages is enough to clear the sinuses! There are only a few houses that bear the real brunt of it but they also have the best sunsets. The sea lice make short work of their abundant food source, and the Sacred Ibises feast daily on their share of the food chain.

We have crayfish: in the old days, we could catch as many as we liked, rowing out to sea in little dinghies, throwing our nets strung with old fish heads into the deep holes in the kelp forest, then bob around for about 20 minutes enjoying a life on the ocean wave. Then it would be off to each set of corks attached to the nets, the hard work of pulling them up straight and fast so that no late arrivals fell off the outside of the net, and tip out the red gold into the bottom of the boat to be sized and sorted. Those were magic days. Long gone and only a vestige of that lifestyle left, for reasons well known. But there are still a few days when we can go out and come home with a bucket of sea water to cook the catch over the fire.

And that’s not all! I’ll tell you more another day…