Grahamstown is sometimes spoken of as being in the middle of nowhere, but just because we’re not surrounded by congested multi-lane highways and sprawling shopping malls doesn’t mean there isn’t a wealth of things to do and see nearby, especially if you appreciate the great outdoors.
Grahamstown is sometimes spoken of as being in the middle of nowhere, but just because we’re not surrounded by congested multi-lane highways and sprawling shopping malls doesn’t mean there isn’t a wealth of things to do and see nearby, especially if you appreciate the great outdoors.
Hop into your car and drive for an hour or less and you could be on top of a mountain, exploring a game reserve or relaxing on a beach. You can even do the last two at the same time, at the five-star Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve, 10 km from Port Alfred on the R72 to East London.
It’s South Africa’s only game reserve on a beach, so it’s theoretically possible that you could see buffalo or rhino, for example, wandering around on the seven-kilometre stretch of pristine private beach. Sadly, unlike their human admirers, these creatures are not particularly well-known for relishing the prospect of a leisurely suntan or dip in the sea. But you never know.
At Oceana (where day visitors are very welcome) the focus is on taking it easy and leisurely soaking up the serenity. And if your idea of leisure involves complete relaxation, plenty of peace and quiet, natural beauty everywhere you look and fantastic food to fill the gaps, you’ll fit right in.
Game on-site includes sable antelope, black impala, bontebok (which are endemic to the Eastern Cape), oribi, giraffe, buffalo and rhino, all of which roam around freely and often put in an appearance at the watering hole which lies between the lodge and the ocean.
Oceana used to be a cattle farm until American citizen Rip Miller bought the property 13 years ago and built a house. Miller says: “After travelling the world, I discovered the place closest to my heart – Oceana. The first time I beheld the collection of natural wonders, something extraordinary happened. As I embraced the expanse of its exotic beauty, it embraced me.”
Miller is clearly a man who likes to share, because he loved the relaxed natural atmosphere of the property enough to expand the house into a lodge, adding on several suites and a spa complex, and opened it to the public in 2006.
If you’re looking for somewhere magical to go for a weekend break, a week-long escape or on honeymoon, Oceana is a viable contender. Imagine waking up to the sound of the ocean and the sight of a sunbird perched curiously on a bouquet of flowers at the foot of your king-size bed in your large and lavish yet unpretentious suite. That’s the kind of magic that happens here.
Oceana is more of a place to be at than a place to go to. As soon as you arrive, it feels as if seconds seamlessly fade into minutes, which drift into hours, which dissolve into a glorious sense of timelessness.
There’s no need to watch the clock; here, time works according to the mood you’re in. You choose when it’s time for a swim in the sea, time for a game drive, time for a spot of fishing, time for a cocktail on the sunny wrap-around deck (or at the beach deck or at the pool) or time for a bite.
And what a bite it’ll be. Oceana employs three supremely capable chefs (Jacques van Rooyen, Adrian Boshoff and Gordon Logan), who have been given free reign to conjure up whatever their hearts desire, so the menu changes as often as the wind-caressed dune formations down on the beach.
Lunch, for example, won’t exactly be cheese and tomato sandwiches. No, Norwegian smoked salmon and lemon caper risotto with a roasted garlic, white whine and fennel volute, topped with shavings of grana padana and fresh herbs is more like it!
Dessert? How about vanilla and aniseed panna cotta, complemented by black cherry compote with mint and citrus coulis? Sounds strange; tastes terrific! If all the feasting and lazing about leaves you feeling a little lethargic, you can pop into the small but well-equipped gym (the panoramic view will make your work-out a breeze).
You can also let off some steam in the sauna, get a massage in the spa or muck around on the putting green or in the games room.
Oceana is not a place where you feel like you’re just another face. Every effort is made to make you feel welcome and comfortable, from the handmade welcome cards to a hot rose-petalled bubble bath waiting for you upon your return from an evening game drive.
Oceana has attracted some interesting guests, including Saudi princes, Blue Bulls rugby players and Lewis Pugh (popularly known as the ‘Polar Bear Man’), who was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean, undertook the first swim across the North Pole in 2007 and swam across a glacial lake under the summit of Mount Everest in 2010. We assume he managed a dip in the Indian Ocean during his time at Oceana!
You could combine your visit to Oceana with any of the multitude of other attractions and activities in the area, from sea and river cruises, canoeing and deep-sea fishing to scuba-diving, horse riding and paintball (2km away). In this piece of paradise in Grahamstown’s back yard, beauty and peace win, and boredom and stress lose hands-down (and feet up!).
Visit www.oceanareserve.com for more information.
