Sunshine Coast

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The stretch between the Garden Route and the Wild Coast is known as the Sunshine Coast. It is primarily known for the surfing mecca of Jeffrey's Bay (known as J-bay).

In the morning, I luckily got ride from the Tube n Axe to the highway where I was looking to once again board the local bus. My luck was strong that morning for when I reached the highway, the bus was just coming down the highway. I waved it down and boarded it...and again I was the only white face. I found a seat towards the rear, inserted my earplugs and enjoy music from my MP3 player as the lush scenery passed by the window. Shortly the bus filled up and next to me sat a youngster. I handed him a pair of headphones so he could listen to music along with me. Our heads were bopping to the sounds of hip hop (2pac, Dr. Dre., etc.) as all the other passengers remained earily still as the bus rolled along.

After about 1.5 hours, the bus stopped briefly for a quick drink & toilet break before continuing eastwards towards the town of Humansdorp ( the bus does not go off highway to J-bay so I had to disembark in Humansdorp but I knew the van from the backpackers I was planning to stay at -- Island Vibe -- would pick me up for free and drive me the remaining 15 kms to J-bay). I ended up waiting an hour at Wimpy's (fast food joint where I had breakfast and read my book) before the Island Vibe van came.

As advertised, Island Vibe was awesome. Situated on a dune overlooking the beach, the backpackers had a great vibe (no pun intended)...along with lots of other travelers. I immediately took surfing lessons as I always wanted to try the sport. I took too it well and spent the next few days trying to get better. One night, I stayed up until 6am watcheing the Superbowl (no other Americans were at Island Vibe so I watched all alone).

J-bay is a true surfers town with a huge Billabong factory store as well as Quicksilver and Roxy stores. One afternoon, I joined a few other guys and went for a quick tour of Supertubes, a reef that creates some of the best waves in South Africa. Once a year in June there is a large surfing tournament there sponsored by Billabong.

After four days at Island Vibe, I knew it was time to move on. I had met lots of other travelers including two Aussies (Tim and Bret) who agreed to give me a ride in their rental car as we were all heading to Cintsa and the Transkei.

I piled into the small Ford (with surfboards on top) and the three of us headed towards the Wildcoast and our first stop: Cintsa and the legendary backpackers "Buccaneer's Backpackers". My "audio bug" (which was sent to me when I ordered my new MP3 Player on the internet) came in handy as it allowed my MP3 player to play through the car's radio allowing us all to enjoy music.

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Photos

Local Bus
Everyone on the bus sits quietly facing forward as the bus weaves through the towns. Everyone except the me and young boy sitting next to me who, as we listen to the sounds of hip-hop from my MP3 player, are bobbing our heads to the music.

Me and the Bus
The bus stops for a 5 minute break allowing passengers to buy a drink and use the toilet. I use the opporutnity to snap photos.

Kareedouw
This is a small local town here in the backlands of South Africa. Of course, the most prominent business operation is the liquor store.

Young Passenger
One of the many kids on the bus smiles for the camera.

The Music Man
Me and my friend listen to music as the bus rolls on to Humansdorp (where I will be picked up by the backpackers and driven to J-Bay).

J-Bay
After waiting an hour for the van to pick me up, I am rewarded with this magnificient sight as I arrive at Island Vibe backpackers in J-Bay.

Surfer Dude
I wasted no time and immediately arranged for surfing lessons. Here I am donning a wet suit before my lesson.

Surfs Up
A group of surfers prepare to head down to the beach as they line up their boards in the camping area of Island Vibe backpackers.

Cards and Beer
A group of us spend the night playing card games (with my Mobil 1 Racing cards) and downing beers....a lot of beers.

Supertubes
I pose at one of the most famous surfing spots in all of South Africa. During the winter months (June & July), the swells here are large and the surfing is great....so great that Billabong sponsors their tournament here.

Real Surfers
This surfer shows us how it is done at Supertubes.