Strandhuis dreams

Tuesday 13 January 2009

Canaan, originally uploaded by von_brandis.

I remember as a small boy I used to walk from Munster, on the KwaZulu-Natal Southern coast to Port Edward, a few kilometers along the coast.

On the way one saw strandhuise. The second beach home many Afrikaners liked to keep for holiday visits. Some are large, many are simple – made for no nonsense holidays.

Here whole families go to their huisies – holiday after holiday, year after year.

Besides the lovely South African coastline one was often amused by the names given to these beach houses.

My father had a house for a long time, and it was the only one in the street that did not have a name.

Brand Botes has taken a few pictures and put them on Flickr of Strandhuis lettering and names. Names like Kanaan, (Canaan), Bietjie Baie (A little of a lot), Dem Oraait (Damn OK) or Moeg geploeg (Tired of ploughing).