Cape Town – Noordhoek beach is without a doubt one of the most beautiful in the country. This has a lot to do with its being less accessible than most beaches and therefore unspoiled – you have to be quite dedicated to get there through the dunes and across an expanse of blinding white sand – and it’s not your first choice for swimming. Nor are there vendors, shops, or umbrellas for hire.
However, it’s magnificent for walking dogs, flying kites, surfing the long, glassy waves, and horse riding.
On a sunny day it’s utterly glorious, with the blue brilliance of the sea and the backdrop of Chapman’s Peak. Beaches and oceans have their own special magic on stormy days, and apparently after these this one is littered with kelp and other detritus, and there are high-water “lakes”, sometimes filled with flamingoes.
Besides its beauty, Noordhoek beach is famous for the wreck of the Kakapo, which ran aground in May 1900. It’s an interesting story you can read onlne (with slight variations), or you can ask Mike Stewart from The Dunes riding stables.
He told me the bit about the captain of the Kakapo, a Dane named Niels Peter Fischer Nicolayson, being so embarrassed by his mistake of turning hard to port at what he thought was Cape Point that he refused to get off the stranded ship.
No lives were lost – because of the high seas that night the ship literally ended up high and dry (the crew just stepped off on to the sand and went to get help), but Captain Nicolayson was new to the job, having received his captain’s ticket only months before.
Legend has it that so mortified was he that he stayed on board for as long as three years, communicating with the outside world only through messages in bottles. True or not, it makes a great tale.
You can hike out to the wreck, or you can go on horseback.
For me it was simply about the ride. I’d been set up with the folks at The Dunes, and it turned out to be perfect. Stewart trains race horses, and his stables also provide a home for those that have retired from the track, giving them a place to live out their years in health and useful happiness.
Having access to gorgeous, if elderly, thoroughbreds means casual riders with some experience can get on a horse suited to their level of competence.
I rode regularly until my teen years, and if I’m lucky I get to do so once a year or so now. Most riding schools or stables keep fat, lazy, docile horses – and for good reason.
It’s never good when they bolt. But it’s frustrating when you want a little more than an amble.
Stewart’s wife Ingrid quickly intuited my ability and saddled up a sleek giant for me.
In his racing days he was known as The Phenn, but they call him Phennam. Accompanied by Sidney Munge, who works full-time on the training side as well as outrides, we headed to the beach.
From one end to the other, it takes about an hour and a half, depending on your speed.
Munge left the pace up to me, and when I was ready, a gentle kick got Phennam into a quick trot.
Another took him into a canter. He was equally easy to rein in when necessary.
Along with the spectacular scenery and being able to ride in the edge of the surf, this was easily one of the best times I’ve had on a horse in years. That it’s infrequent enough to forget that when done properly you use muscles in places you didn’t even know you had, is beside the point. I relished the aches and pains for a couple of days afterwards.
The Dunes does outrides in the mornings and afternoons, and special rides can be booked.
Ingrid tells me it’s a popular romantic engagement thing, and they can set up a surprise picnic on the beach at sunset.
For more information, call 021 789 1903, or go to thedunesbeachrides.co.za.