A walk on the beach

We haven't taken the dogs for a walk on the beach in ages so this morning we gathered up the kids and the sausages and headed down to Pollok Beack. We weren't the only ones who were enjoying the beautiful autumn weather we've been having lately. I left my camera at home wanting to spend time with the family, but ones there I kinda wish I had it. Snapped this pic with my phone but need to make a plan and spend some beach time with my camera in hand.

Wave Action

Standing at the rock below Something Good (the one with the hole through which the waves crash) and looking back towards Hobie Beach, Bird Rock is quite a prominent landmark in front of you.  This photo was taken on a rough day with waves smashing over Bird Rock on the right.

The top of the beachfront

Most people go to Kings, Humewood, Hobie and Pollok Beaches when they go to the beachfront but very rarely go right to the top of Pollok Beach just below the Lollipop Beacon.  That is unless you participat in the Hoby Beach Parkrun every week.  This picture was taken right at the top of the Pollok Beach at one of the storm water pipes flowing out onto the beach.  The tall building in picture is the Radison Hotel.

Building sand castles

While we were on the beach yesterday and Miggie and her friend were swimming, my 15 year old son chose to rather dig holes and build sand castles.  Perhaps we should all take a break every now and then and build sand castles.

Beach fun at "The Rock"

When we were small one of our favorite places to go on a Sunday afternoon was "The Rock".  The Rock refers to the rock below Something Good with the gap through which the waves wash into the little natural tidal pool.  Today we spent a couple of hours on the beach and Miggie and her friend Dinky had a great time leaping off the rocks into the swimming hole.

For some reason I forgot my camera at home but luckily I had my phone.

Early morning on Pollok Beach

You know its summer in the Bay when therer are people on the beach before 8am in the morning

Sunday afternoon fishing off the rocks

I'm not a fisherman not an angler.  I just don't have the patience for it.  What with a spot of ADD in the middle age now that I've been called middle aged on a public platform.  But do you know the difference between an angler and a fisherman?  Apparently fishermen actually catch fish while anglers are the type of guy who just likes to sit next to the water with a rod in his one hand, a beer in the other and enjoy being there.  Or something like that.  I'm not sure if the guys on the rocks below Something Good last Sunday were the former or latter, but they did choose a nice warm winters day to be out there.

Pollok Beach rock pool

Growing up we spent many a Sunday afternoon down at the "the rock" (as we called it) below Something Good.  You know the one I'm referring to.  The one where the water washed through between the rocks and into the little natural tidal pool.  Yes, the one in the picture.  Stopping by there on Sunday I realised that we've never really brought our kids to swim here and although it was a glorious summers winter day, I think we may wait till proper summer when the water is a little warmer.

Summer in winter

Any visitor from outer space who landed up in Port Elizabeth over this weekend would have been very mistaken to think that it is the middle of summer.  With temperatures touching 30C, people seem to be have summer withdrawal symptoms and flocked to the beaches in numbers you rarely see in summer.  Check out how packed Pollok Beach was on this Sunday afternoon.   

Pollok to Hobie

I took this picture looking from the rocks at Pollok Beach back towards Hobie Beach the other day just as the little army chopper came flying past.  Was wondering if I should post the picture when I saw somebody with a similar pic as their masthead pic on Facebook.  At least I'm not the only one who likes the view so here it is for your enjoyment.

Aloes along the beachfront boardwalk

Aloes flowering next to the beachfront boardwalk just beyond the lollipop beacon on the corner of Marine Drive and Admiralty Way.

Pollok Beach in reverse

We all know where Pollok Beach is and what it looks like.  We normally look at it from the side of the parking area at Something Good.  Have you ever walked down to the far side and looked back along Pollock Beach?  Ok, so you're not allowed to answer this question if you take part in Parkrun because then you would run along this beach from this side every Saturday anyway.

Splash pool at low tide

Yesterday afternoon I had a workshop to attend at the Summerstand Hotel and on the way realised I was slightly early. I pulled over at the Pollok Beach parking area and took a walk down to the natural tidal pool by the hole in the rock. We spent many Sunday afternoons swimming in this pool when I was small and I just realised again that I should have brought my KidZ here more often when they were smaller. Perhaps when winter is over we'll come and cool down here again and my teens would have a win with their ol' dad. LOL! For now I'll just enjoy the view of the waves crashing through.

A beautiful sunrise at Pipe

One of the best parts of winter is the fact that the sun comes up later which gives us a much better chance to see a sunrise than in summer.  This morning Elzabe Boshoff was down at Pipe (at Pollok Beach) at sunrise and snapped this breathtaking photo of sunrise.  Wow! What a way to start the day!  Thanks for allowing me to share this photo Elzabe.

Perfectly Pollok

I think people are so used to Kings Beach, Humewood and Hobie that they often forget how awesome a beach Pollok Beach is.  It is a dangerous beach to swim at when the lifeguards aren't on duty, but it's great for a walk, to watch the surfers  and dolphins or to splash around with the kids in the tidal pool by the gap in the rocks in front of Something Good.

White horses at Pollok Beach

Standing at Pipe on Pollok Beach on a windy day there wasn't many of people (non actually) on the beach.  There were a lot of white horses coming ashore though.

Pollok Beach wave pool time lapse

Seeing that yesterday was Christmas there was no Video Friday post.  I decided to not skip the video of the week though so here it is today.  How many of us didn't swim in the "wave pool" in front of Something Good at Pollok Beach when we were kids?  To think of it, I should take my kids there again.  The video is another time lapse by Dunkan Noakes.

Something Good Graffiti - the alien head

This piece of graffiti in front of Something Good really caught my attention.  Not because of it's size or the colours or artistic techniques, but rather the subject.  Not quite ET, not quite Gollum. Whoevere and whatever he is, he's clearly fascinated by that fishing hook he's holding.

Something Good Graffiti - Octopus

I had a meeting at Something Good at Pollok Beach the other day and just had to snap a pic of the graffiti on the walls in front of the restaurant.  Graffiti has gone huge in Johannesburg and we have a lot of catching up to do here in PE.  Some people love it while others don't, but love or hate, a piece like this does make you stop and take notice.

Framed fishing boat

Last Sunday there was a cold wind blowing and it really wasn't beach weather.  Saturday afternoon already the Damselfly said that she wanted to go for a walk on the beach Sunday so come the day she wasn't going to allow the weather to put her off.  The walk was very short though but I still took the opportunity to snap a pic or two.  One of those was this one of a fishing boat at anchor in the bay to shelter from the storm framed by the gap between the rocks in front of Something Good.