Own backyard

LANGEBAAN VISIT – September (3 – Final)

Hiking to Shark Bay

Our short visit to our hometown, Langebaan was sadly coming to an end. Before we left, my mom and I decided to visit Shark Bay – one of our favourite places to go for a walk.

We cheated a bit with this walk, because we did not start walking from our house. But rather drove towards the edge of the town from where we followed a pathway along the lovely lagoon that took us all the way to Shark Bay.

The pathway towards Shark Bay offers stunning views over the Langebaan lagoon

Once again, we were fortunate with the weather – sunny and no wind. It was such a lovely time out in nature.

Views over the Langebaan lagoon

We were surprised to see so many flowers – almost more than what we saw on our drive in the Postberg Nature Reserve the previous day. What do they say about beauty that’s sometimes right under your nose?

Daisies next to the pathway
The pathway leading towards Shark Bay

It’s not that far to walk to Shark Bay, probably around 3km there and back to the car. It’s such a scenic walk and many walkers, runners and bikers use this path. Since it was a weekday, we did not encounter that many people … it was great to have this place almost to ourselves.

The Shark Bay Shack sells drinks and light snacks which can be enjoyed on their rooftop while one enjoys the views over the lagoon.

Shark Bay Shack

While my mom and I enjoyed a welcome coffee on the rooftop, we could see the road on the other side of the lagoon which we travelled on the previous day towards Postberg Nature Reserve.

Kraalbaai on the other side of the lagoon and the road we used the previous day to reach Postberg Nature Reserve
People walking on the beach and two kayakers on the water
A mom and her little girl enjoying the shallow water
A last look at Shark Bay before we returned to the car

As we walked back, the sun ‘awakened’ most of the flowers and we stopped often to smell them and take pictures.

The daisies were in abundance

We also walked past the Shark Bay Hotel. Some of you might remember that this is the place where we celebrated my mom’s birthday earlier this year. Their garden is water wise and fynbos is spotted everywhere. The views over the lagoon from the hotel is just splendid and we hope to come back here again.

Shark Bay Hotel
Pincushion Protea, part of the Cape Fynbos floral kingdom

It was now a bit of an uphill back to the car and we frequently stopped to look at all the flowers … flowers to the right and the lagoon to the left … indeed a lovely walk.

Malva arborea (the tree mallow) between the daisies
Beautiful gazania and more daisies
Daisybush (left) and dewflower (right)
Uphill back to the car

The Farmhouse Hotel is close to where we parked our car. It’s a historic farmstead which was originally built in 1860 and beautifully restored in 1992. We enjoyed a delicious lunch here a few years ago and the hotel retains the charm of reed ceilings, huge fireplaces and outstanding views of the lagoon … maybe we can show this beauty to you on a next visit.

An old wagon of years gone by in front of The Farmhouse Hotel

This post then wraps up our visit to Langebaan. We hope to be back soon again. Thank you for enjoying the beautiful lagoon and late spring flowers with us.

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wetanddustyroads

52 thoughts on “LANGEBAAN VISIT – September (3 – Final)”

  3. Now that’s my kind of walk – not too long or too steep, wonderful scenery and flowers to photograph, and a great coffee stop! I’m glad you got to spend quality time with your mum 🙂

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    1. Haha Sarah, that’s exactly what my mom said of this walk 😄. Well, she is after all in her middle 70’s and I can only hope to be as walking fit as she is when I’m getting to that age! Thanks, it was indeed a wonderful time I got to spent with her.

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  4. Lovely flowers and how nice to have wide open skies with no pollution.Makes you want to breath it in deeply! Does your mother like to walk as you do? My dad was a big walker. My poor mum had trouble keeping up with him once after she had twisted her ankle, but she was stoic. Some weeks later, after their holiday her ankle was still bad so it was x-rayed and found to be broken!

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    1. Thanks Carolyn ☺️. It’s probably because of those open skies that so many people all over the country wants to move to Langebaan! Yes, my mother loves walking – not long distances, but she would much rather walk to the shop instead of driving. She always encouraged both my brother and I to walk since we were very young … and fortunately I married a man who likes that as well. My word, your poor mom – to walk with a broken ankle, that’s what I call determination!

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    1. Thank you so much Tricia. Yes, it was pretty special to walk our last day in Langebaan with my mom. She stopped a couple of times to show me tiny flowers and to tell me their names (in this way, she made me appreciate the walk so much more).

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    1. It’s even better than what my photos are trying to portray 😉. During summer, this beach is packed with beachgoers and kite surfers … but it was great to have it all to ourselves during this walk!

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  9. A lovely, gentle afternoon with good company in nature. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to “cheat” sometimes. And if anyone has earned the right to do so on occasion, it’s you Corna. Would love to see more of the Farmhouse Hotel someday too, love the look of the place and curious about the details of its long history.

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    1. Thanks for that Leighton … my mom said we can cheat because there is a 70+ in the mix 😉. The Farmhouse Hotel is definitely old world charm (I remember some history bits on the hotel which was fascinating to read). Next time we’re in Langebaan, we will make a plan to re-visit this lovely place (apparently the restaurant’s menu is very much French made with local produce – sounds good to me).

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    1. Thank you Linda, this is definitely one of the most scenic pathways in Langebaan. I’m glad my mom and I had the opportunity to walk here before the end of our visit. It was indeed a wonderful few days and we hope to be back there rather sooner than later 🌸.

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    1. Dankie Una 🌞. Ja, dis beslis ‘n pragtige omgewing … jy weet mos hoe dit is, mens vergeet hoe mooi dit is, tot jy weggaan. Ek het dit so waardeer dat Berto my vir die vinnige wegbreek geneem het – my bekertjie het lekker vol terug gekom!

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  17. Langebaan is indeed a beautiful place. You must miss it, but lovely you got to pay a little visit. You’re right about having beauty right on your doorstep. We have noticed gorgeous flowers in our little town too. We are lucky to live is such a stunning country

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    1. Haha Diane 😁, you’re so funny! Maybe I’m a bit sneaky in showing you only the beautiful spots … because not all of the places we visit are always a gorgeous picture! But I must admit, in Langebaan there are only stunning views and landscapes, so it’s easy to take any walk and have these picturesque views!

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    1. That’s true Lisa … but at least I know that we will go back there at some time. It is my favourite place in South Africa – I think it’s the natural beauty of the West Coast that’s so fascinating! Thank you for joining me on our visit in Langebaan – I’m happy you enjoyed this with us 🌸.

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