Tag Archives: rocks

Rushing over rocks

Rushing over rocks
For the record, I was watching the water very carefully when this wave broke. The section of rock that I was standing on was on the same level as the rock in the photo, and for a moment I wasn't completely sure that the foaming-frothing sea water wasn't going to reach me. :)

Passing of time – Bantry Bay

Passing of time - Bantry Bay
"Therefore a man should examine for himself the great piles of superimposed strata, and watch the rivulets bringing down mud, and the waves wearing away the sea-cliffs, in order to comprehend something about the duration of past time, the monuments of which we see all around us." - Darwin

A peaceful seaside evening

A peaceful seaside evening
I must have looked funny to those walking along the promenade as I crawled under the railing, camera in hand, and lay flat on my stomach on the edge of the high barrier wall. I could feel eyes boring into me while I precariously balanced my camera on the edge of the concrete slab, eye glued to the viewfinder.

On the rocks – Three Anchor Bay

On the rocks - Three Anchor Bay
It was low tide, so I took a walk out onto the rocks at Three Anchor Bay. The light had already fallen off a lot, it was almost dark already, so I had to expose the photo for quite some time to get it even this bright.

After spending 10 minutes out on the rocks, amidst the peaceful lapping of the waves, I realised that it was probably time to return to the promenade before the light disappeared completely and I ended up in trampling over rocks and though puddles on all-fours trying to find dry land.

Winter, though chilly, can be very beautiful in Cape Town.

Three guys on a rock

Three guys on a rock
As the sun set, for some time I stood on the shore alongside a lifeguard watching the three guys admiring the view from the huge granite boulder. Apparently it's quite common for people to misjudge the power of the water rushing between the nestling of boulders.

After several minutes the guys caught sight of the lifeguard, realised that it was getting dark, and headed back to shore.

River rocks

River rocks
I can't find a specific reference on the SA government website(s) but it's pretty common knowledge that it's illegal to remove rocks from rivers flowing over state land. The reason is pretty simple - over time people would strip enough rock from rivers to negatively affect the ecology.

This said, I imagine that it's perfectly fine to remove rocks from rivers flowing through privately owned land (assuming that you're the land owner ;) ).

On the other side

On the other side
The Sea Point promenade has a peculiar slanted barrier (wall) that helps to stop huge storm-time waves from breaking onto the promenade and flooding the beautifully kept grass that lines the walkway.

I'm reasonably tall so I'm able to see over the barrier to what's below - so this photo is for the benefit of those who can't see over the barrier. As you can see - all that you're missing out on at low tide is a large outcrop of rock! :)

Mussels and sea stars

Mussels rocks sea
Mussels are really hardy creatures. They withstand the relentless pounding of the sea in the stormiest conditions. However - even though they're so hardy, mussels have the unlikeliest predator - the starfish!

The starfish uses its powerful arms to slowly pull the mussel's shell open. Once the gap between the two shells is large enough it turns its stomach inside out and forces it into the shell and digests the mussel right in its own home! Who would have thought the sea star to be such a vicious foe?!

I took this photo at the beautiful and peaceful Clifton 4th beach.

Train with a sea view

Train with a sea view
The metro train route that leads from Cape Town Station to Muizenberg and along the coast to Simon's Town is the most popular tourist train route in Cape Town. Well... I guess that's because none of the other routes are frequented by tourists - probably because none of the other have such beautiful views!

The train itself is crummy inside - nothing much to behold, and it's a little dirty inside and (as you can see) especially so on the outside!

On the plus side, locals and visitors are able to buy a special tourist ticket that costs around R20. The specific ticket is a day pass that allows for traveler to hop on and hop off at any station along the route from Cape Town to Simon's Town. Isn't that awesome!?