To Scarborough Fair

To the prettiest enclave near the tip of the Cape Peninsula, surrounded by sea and nature reserves, and shifting between sleepy seaside village to buzzy kiteboarding hotspot

- Ann Gadd

There’s a sense of freedom when taking a roadtrip alone. Being able to decide where to stop, how long to stay, what music to play (he’s into trance, I’m more of a 70s child).

En route south from Kommetjie to Scarborough on the tip of the Cape Peninsula, I have a chance to exercise this liberation when I see a slab of turquoise ocean dotted with brightly coloured kites. Throwing caution to the south-easter, I swing the car into a nifty U-turn and park on the strip of dirt that masquerades as a parking place.

I’m not alone. The spot is alive with foreign accents, as enthusiastic kiteboarders and windsurfers prepare for the steep walk down the cliff, and an expression session on the ocean. There’s amazing aerial action as I grab my camera, brace myself against the howling south-easter and click away.

I am a lover of the ocean, a thalassophile, an aquaholic and, right now, there’s no better place to be. I know this area and its treacherous currents. There’s a lack of wind on the inside, just when I’m pumping my sail frantically and need its power to propel me through the crunching surf. It’s rather like dealing with an urgent deadline and along comes load shedding.

While I’m snapping away, a Rastafarian crosses the road to offer me some of his home-grown. I decline. Unsurprisingly, he does not want to be photographed. Time is ticking by and I need to get to Scarborough, along what must be the most beautiful seaside drive in South Africa.