17-07-2025
Off the beaten track — day drives in and around Hondeklip Bay
Many travellers through the Northern Cape go in search of faraway places, exotic spots with dramatic history, in wild settings.
Hondeklip Bay is such a frontier destination. It was once a copper mine port, when wagons crossed the Spektakel Pass from Springbok and Okiep, loaded with the precious ore to be shipped from here to foreign lands.
It then became surrounded by diamond mining, of the on- and off-shore varieties. There was even a long-term crayfishing industry in these parts before the sea stocks ran low and the factory closed down.
Today, Hondeklip Bay is for travellers going off the beaten track. They base themselves at one of a number of guesthouses and self-catering establishments, spend some time touring the local sites and then embark on day trips around the region.
A three-day visit to Hondeklip Bay is well worth the drive out there.
Day one can be spent absorbing the shipwreck history of the bay, with a trip out to the wreck of the Aristea about 3km outside town. In its time, the Aristea was a fishing trawler and then outfitted as a World War 2 minesweeper.
It foundered on the rocks here in July 1945 on a moonless night when the seas were rough. One person drowned. Another had his fingers badly injured.
The salty air and water have had their way with the gaunt remains of this metal hulk and its beams, rivets and mainframe are well rusted.
From there, you should visit what is locally known as The English Gravestones, a weathered collection of graves (mostly shipwreck victims) overlooking the tumultuous Atlantic Ocean beyond.
Lichen has claimed several stones; others are simply covered in very old, very bleached seashells.
One reads:
'Capt. Kenneth Devenish Parsons, who perished with all hands on his ship Tegwani on 26 June 1947, in his 36th year.'
The Tegwani had been on its way out of Hondeklip Bay, laden with 12 tons of tinned lobster, when it struck the rocks. A large wave capsized the vessel, breaking it up in the process.
Another, etched in ebony-coloured stone:
'Sacred to the memory of John Summerton, who departed this life on board the Maria Smith in this bay on 10th of January 1858 aged 28 years and 22 days.' He was a customs official.
Also:
'Bertrand Person, Mate S.S. Luna, late of Sweden. Evert Erikssen, A.B.S.S. Luna, Late of Sweden. Who were drowned through capsizing of a boat in the bay during a severe gale on 23rd July 1915.'
Day two can be spent on a jaunt northwards to Kleinzee, a former De Beers diamond mining village that is now under new management. The Kleinzee Museum covers the history of diamond mining along this coast, some of the shipwrecks that happened in the vicinity and local various palaeontological finds. There is also an ageing (but entertaining) diorama of Strandveld birds and beasts.
The best-kept secret of this village lies outside the town limits in the form of the KleinZee Angling Club, an atmospheric watering hole within scant metres of the waves.
The locals are friendly and, if you have any deep-sea fishing tales to tell, you will find a very willing audience. The beer is cold and the fish and chips are delicious.
Day three involves a drive eastwards to Kamieskroon, where, especially in the springtime, the blooms are all about. You also find extensive succulent vegetation amid the giant boulders that seem to ring Kamieskroon.
You can either visit the Namaqua National Park before or after your stop at Kamieskroon. This beautiful park now stretches all the way from the Skilpad reserve (near Kamieskroon) to the sea in the Groen-Spoeg coastal region.
Smaller antelope, troops of baboons, black-backed jackals and the occasional aardvark live amid more than 3,000 plant species in the park. If you have a 4X4 vehicle you will be able to traverse all of the Namaqua National Park with ease, and then camp overnight at one of more than 10 different designated sites.
And once you're back in Hondeklip Bay, take lunch over at Sam's on the beachfront, order a cold one and simply watch the waves roll in…
Know before you go
Nothing happens quickly in and around Hondeklip Bay. Take long, aimless walks, chat to the locals (who are very friendly), count all the establishments named after dogs ('honde'), and if you're there when the snoek fish are running, join the excitement on the beach.
There is no petrol station in town, so fill up before you get there. Bring enough cash and groceries because there are no ATMs or large retailers. All roads leading to Hondeklip Bay are dirt, so take it slow. DM
