St Francis Bay is named after St Francis of Assisi – the name was bestowed in 1575 by a Portuguese seafarer called Manuel de Mesquita Perestrelo, who was tasked with mapping the coastline of southern Africa, noting safe places to anchor.
“A storm forced Perestrelo’s ship into this bay,” says local resident and history buff David Lundon as we cruise around the canals on his boat,Matilda. “He was impressed by the dunes and named the bay after the patron saint of animals and the environment.”
Little did Perestrelo know that the name would stick and 400 years later it would be one of the most popular places for South Africans to spend their summer.
Despite being only about 7km apart, St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis developed separately in the 1960s. St Francis Bay is bigger and more modern compared to the smaller Cape St Francis.
St Francis Bay is famous for its canal system, which owes its existence to Leighton and Ann Hulett of the KZN sugar dynasty. They saw an advertisement in Farmer’s Weekly in 1954: “Fisherman’s paradise. Lonely and isolated, well wooded and watered. Two miles of private beach. 273 morgen. £1750.”
“The land advertised was on the farm Goedgeloof,” David explains. “People thought the Huletts were crazy to buy a marsh with dunes! It was almost impossible to farm crops or animals so he farmed with houses…”
A year later, Leighton and Ann built the Hulett’s Cape St Francis Fishing Camp – seven rondavels with white walls and thatched roofs, used by holidaymakers, families and fishermen. (The Blue Bottle liquor store is roughly where the original fishing camp once stood.)
Denne historien er fra October/November 2023-utgaven av go! - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October/November 2023-utgaven av go! - South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Rolling out the big guns
If you're still scanning the horizon for a Chinese automotive invasion you're looking the wrong way. It's already happening, and the new GWM Tank is the off-road spearhead into the highly lucrative and hotly contested lifestyle market.
TAKE A HIKE
The beautiful agony of Tienuurkop
Time out in Dullies
A long weekend in Dullstroom is just long enough to make you realise you need to spend several more weekends here! There's food, drink, art and action in abundance. Here's your guide.
Gallivanting in the Galápagos!
The Galápagos Islands are on many a traveller's wish list. They were on Hanlie and Vivian Gericke's too, even though the price of visiting made their eyes water. Was it worth it? Read on...
BURCHELL AND THE COUNTRY OF THE BUSHMEN
How many times have you driven through a landscape and wished you could have seen it centuries ago? In 1811, the English artist and explorer, William John Burchell, travelled through South Africa. Join us as we follow in his footsteps.
Long live the Hibiscus Coast
The KZN South Coast is a national treasure. It's still the place to go if you want a classic seaside holiday complete with warm waves, cold beer, soft serve and good vibes. Here's your guide.
The island at the end of the earth
Imagine adlace-with the cleanest air arid:the clearest seawater, where_no human.oranimabwants to:harm you: A placewhere the climates balmy. year-round:-with a sekrhistory ahd wwild scenery. A place like this:exist8” and it’s called St Helena.
A day on the road
You never know what the road will bring. Toast Coetzer heads south on the N1 and discovers South Africa.
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.