Wow, what a beautiful day for walking! Sunny, clear sky, no wind, and that unique fynbos smell in the air. Sadly, we have to leave the Frank Robb Hut at Kleinmond Caravan Park to continue my Walk 4 SOS Huskies journey today. We’re being hosted at The Yard in Gordon’s Bay tonight, but more about that later.
To get there from Kleinmond, the Fossil drove us in the Mahindra PIKUP along the scenic Clarence Drive that he reviewed previously, and we pulled off the road at Whale Lookout Point. We didn’t see any whales, but the elevated view over Gordon’s Bay with the Strand just visible in the hazy distance is impressive. “That’s where we’re walking today Jaxxy Boy,” he said. As if I didn’t know.
Then he bundled me back into the bakkie (literally, that back seat is too high for me to jump in) and, after checking out Bikini Beach, he decided to park at Gordon’s Bay Harbour, next to the Yatch Club and near Thirsty Oyster Tavern. “The Tavern food is really good, Jaxx,” said the Fossil as we clambered out of the car. Not that he was thinking of buying us lunch – he’s too worried about keeping my journey costs down, so splurging at restaurants, even if they are pet-friendly, isn’t in the budget.
Starting our walk from there, we passed the Naval College and then along a nice shady pathway bordering the beach, and eventually along Gordon’s Bay Main Beach.
“The Gordon’s Bay Department of Do’s and Don’ts are more concerned about people getting pissed on the beach than they are about ‘No Dogs Allowed’ signs, so we’re in luck, Jaxx,” the Fossil said. And he’s right! The only dog symbol signs I saw indicated that dogs can walk their humans on the beach, as long as they are leashed. That makes sense!
The end of that beach leads to a terraced boardwalk at Harbour Island where people were eating outside restaurants. And then we came to a dead end. There was a gate with a sign that read ‘No Entry’. There’s no way that we were going to walk all the way back, so I led the Fossil through what looked like a hotel foyer and when we came to the exit door on the other side, a man standing there said; “No Dogs Allowed”. I nearly bit him! Anyway, we were nearly at the revolting door, sorry, I mean revolving door, so I kept going.
Exiting the hotel, or whatever it was, led us to the main R44 road, which has a nice wide grass verge along the side heading towards Strand. There were also nice shady spots where I could let the Fossil rest and pour some water into my bowl.
While we were walking, a nice lady stopped her car to take the above pic of us. She had actually met us when we were walking the Hermanus Cliff Paths on Day 17 of my journey!
So, instead of going around Harbour Island and back to the Gordon’s Bay beachfront, I kept on going until we got to Strand and a road sign that read ‘Beach Road’. OK, so I didn’t read it – the Fossil did.
Compared to Gordon’s Bay, the Strand’s beachfront is kinda ugly and disappointing. I suppose humans may think that the brick-paved promenade is appealing, but to us dogs it’s hot and barren with no grass, a few spindly palm trees, and those dreaded ‘No dogs Allowed’ signs at beach access points along the way.
The bit of Strand beach that I did walk on (Sign? What sign?) was polluted and smelly. Usually, I like smelly things, but this is fish bait stink and I’m a carnivore, not a seagull. Well, my ancestors were (carnivores, I mean, not seagulls).
By now it was late afternoon, and high tide. Seeing as walking the beach was out, ’cause of the tide and signs, and the promenade sucks, I turned ’round to head back to Gordon’s Bay Harbour. But the fossil didn’t want to walk another 3 hours going back, so he asked a taxi to drive us there. “Wat? Naai man, daai Wolf sal my van agteraf vreet! Ek kannie hom in die kar toelaat nie“, the taxi driver exclaimed. Meaning that he thinks I’m a Wolf and I’ll eat him from behind so he can’t allow me in the car. How weird is that! I wouldn’t eat him even if he was covered in lard and wearing deer antlers. He stank of fish!
Fortunately, our pet-friendly host for tonight, Marinda from The Yard in Gordon’s Bay, called the Fossil while we were walking back and, after hearing how no taxis would allow me in, she offered to come fetch us. The Fossil was sure happy about that!
The Yard is exactly that – four self-catering farm-styled units located along the side and back yard of the main house. The Cottage @TheYard, where we’re staying, is spacious (just how I like it) with two single beds in the lounge (for people, not me), a cosy fireplace, and a table in the open-plan dining/kitchen area for the Fossil to work on his iMac.
There’s also a main en-suite bedroom with comfy double bed for the Fossil. And for me, there’s a big fenced-in garden with a cool wooden deck and a patch of grass under a shady tree. What more could a Husky and his trusted Fossil ask for! This, dear readers, is bliss!
The owners of The Yard, Marinda and Konrad Hambrecht, have their own pets. Nina, a wire hair terrier, and two cats, Tammy and Mango. I spotted the ginger cat (that’s Mango, under our car in the above pic) but we didn’t get to meet ’cause of the gate that separates the Cottage from the other units. Nina and I had a sniffing session – she’s really friendly!
Marinda enjoys cooking. In our cottage, there’s an ‘Honesty Box’ filled with home-baked rusks, biscotti, jams, and preserves. These ‘Yard Treats’ are for sale – guests take what they want and leave the cash in the box or they can pay by bank EFT.
The Fossil wanted to buy all of them, but after I reminded him that every cent spent reduces my Husky Haven dream, he bought a pack of butter rusks. They really are delicious – nice and crunchy!
Oh yes, want to know another unique thing about The Yard? Well, Konrad and Marinda are multilingual. They speak Afrikaans, English, German, Hindi, and Doggy Talk! I could carry on about The Yard forever, but why take my word for it? Book a stay here and come check it out for yourself.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading and sharing Husky loving folks!
Wanna talk to us? Wanna host us? WhatsApp the tall fossil hanging onto my leash. Here’s Des’s number: +27 (0)82 374 7260. We’d love to hear from you!
JAXX
Join Me For A Walk
Saturday 28 August 2021 – Muizenberg To Fish Hoek
Sunday 29 August 2021 – Hout Bay to Cape Town
