Walking4Air

Cape Town certainly lives up to her name of The Cape of Storms! As much as I love summer,  there is nothing more powerful and destructive, yet beautiful than a Cape Storm ~ it is mother nature in all her glory.  This last week has been no different and the weather unleashed in the Mother City was something to behold yet again.  With strong winds and driving downpours of rain, it wasn’t long before the reports of flooding started coming in, huge holes appearing in the roads and rivers overflowing and trees falling down.

Table View and Milnerton area  mostly comes away unscathed by these  storms but not this time. The Diep River, which is formed where the river enters the sea in Milnerton was filled to overflowing, swelling the river and the vlei to proportions I haven’t seen in years and flooding houses and roads in both Table View and Milnerton.

I viewed the storm that lashed over a few days with a few breaks in the clouds to allow the sunshine to come through from my bed, where I had taken ill.  I was almost grateful to be indoor watching it from my warm and cozy room. After days of being sick, four walls closing in on me and after having sported my jammies for days on end, finally the rain let up and I was going to attempt the world outside for a short little bit. I headed to my folks house for a cup of tea and to let them know I was still alive! It was while out driving to them that I decided I wanted to go and take some pics of the swollen river and vlei as the last time I had seen it the water levels were already really high so after tea with my parents, the three of us headed out to take a look around.

Although the water level had dropped quite considerably from when I had last been out, the river was still raging in places and ground that is normally green with grass and wetland reeds was now covered in water.  We headed out to the Milnerton Lagoon first, to the mouth of the river. Normally, easily crossable on sand or ankle-deep water, the beach had completely disappeared and brown, dirty water churned up against the sidewalk.  The river and the sea had become one.  We decided to walk a little bit to see what was around the corner and although the view of Table Mountain is always beautiful, the beach was far from beautiful in the aftermath of the storm.

The river mouth and the beach completely covered by brown, murky water.

The sea flowing into the lagoon, the swollen waters covering the beach completely.

There was nothing pretty about our beach on this day, the storm churning everything up turning our beautiful blue sea into brown muck.

As the walkway ended and we decided to walk a bit further, my dad could do nothing but agree with us although he did mentioned he didn’t feel like getting beach sand in his shoes! Little did any of us know that soon he would get a lot more than beach sand in his shoes!

The foam on the shoreline with Table Mountain in the background.

The little bit of beach we walked on was mostly covered in foam like this.

A Cape Storms aftermath.

The foam covered beach.

Ships anchored, lining the horizon, unable to enter the harbour until the storm has passed.

We walked a little distance down on a tiny little strip of sand due to the water covering almost the entire beach.  Eventually reaching the spot where we could walk no further because of the water level, we stopped to take some pics before turning back and heading back to the car. At one point we stopped to talk about the sand bags that had been put up in front of the apartments that line the beach and we chatted about controversy of the sandbanks. My mom standing a little higher than my dad and I, was the clever one facing the ocean! My dad and I both stood with our backs to the water as we chatted. The next thing I knew, out of the corner of my eye, the water was rushing in towards us and I shouted to my dad to run the water was coming! My dad, a little hard or hearing, was still talking as I ran past him and jumped onto a sandbag higher up.  I turned around just as my dad started moving , just seconds too late as the wave hit him from behind, in his haste tripping over the seaweed and landing on all fours with water all around him. Between the laughter I managed to ask him if he was ok to which he replied between laughing himself, “why didn’t you tell me the wave was coming!”  Only my dad!

Seaweed washed up all over the beach.

Soaked shoes and wet jeans, my dad got a little bit more than he bargained for!

The river mouth at Milnerton.

With wet jeans and soaked socks and shoes we headed back to the car. Unfazed by his wet look, he was still happy to continue and as the golf course he belonged to was closed due to the flooding we headed in that direction to go and check it out.  On route, we stopped by bridge to take some more photos.

The old wooden bridge over the Milnerton Lagoon.

The lagoon, full to the brim.

After a week of 4 walls closing in on me, it was bright outside but so divine to get some fresh air.

The old wooden bridge over the lagoon.

We decided to go into the club house for something nice and hot to drink, where we ended up bumping into some of my dad’s friends and staying for a light lunch.

Tummies full and nicely warmed up again after some delicious cappuccinos, we headed out on the golf course.  The staff had told us that the halfway house the day before had been completely surrounded by water and you couldn’t access it but the water had receded a bit and you could gain access again.

The view of the ocean from inside the clubhouse where we enjoyed a light lunch and something hot to drink.

The water-logged golf course.

The deserted road alongside the golf course that would take us to the other end of the golf course and the halfway house.

The Diep River along side the golf course, swollen and running fast as low tide approached.

The one thing about this golf course, it has the most stunning views of Table Mountain and the beach.  This pic was taken standing on the edge of the golf course.

More water-logged parts of the golf course.

The birds and the flamingo’s loving the water even if it did close the golf course!

Pink flamingos enjoying all the extra water around. Photo by my mom.

Safe in the knowledge that no golf balls were flying around on this day, the flamingo’s could enjoy lunch and a leisurely swim in pools of water where there is normally only grass. Photo by my mom.

Water-logged golf course with the houses lining the side ~ they had no choice but to close!

The halfway house on the golf course, still surrounded by water although the levels have dropped considerably.

After a wonderful ride around taking in the aftermath of yet another Cape Storm, I felt exhausted yet exhilarated that I could get out and get some fresh air and a tiny bit of sunlight on my face but with that done it was back home to bed for me.

~ All Photos By Me and My Mom ~