S1 - Ep 324 - Boknesstrand and Cannon Rocks - Fascinating Piece of History!

Our trip to Boknesstrand and Cannon Rocks was filled with adventure and discovery. Despite arriving in darkness, our accommodation provided us with a comfortable stay and we enjoyed the delicious chicken curry we bought. The next morning, we eagerly set out to explore these captivating destinations. The Estuary at Boknesstrand left us in awe with its breathtaking beauty. As we enjoyed a delightful breakfast of locally-made toasties at the pristine beach, we marvelled at the surroundings. A short drive away, we reached Cannon Rocks, where we discovered a fascinating piece of history. The cannons on the beach originated from a vessel that fell victim to pirate attacks in 1622 and sank just offshore. Walking along the beach, we also stumbled upon remnants of another shipwreck, which was a reminder of the treacherous reputation of this shoreline. Learning that this coastline ranked as the third most perilous in the world, left us astonished. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #travelongravel #easterncape #boknesstrand #cannonrocks
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[@nanellevantonder3767]

Wat n pragtige video van ons klein dorpie. So n voorreg om hier te kan bly.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you! It means so much to us that you enjoyed our video of your hometown! 🚙🤩 You're indeed very privileged to live surrounded by such incredible natural beauty, enjoy every moment! 🌳💚

[@rosemarymoolman6765]

I love all your episodes. I look forward to each one!! I love all the chats and the laughs!! Thank you so much for the drone footages. They are awesome. You have a super channel! ❤️

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you so much! 🚙😁 I love flying the drone, especially over such beauty, so am always happy to hear from someone who enjoys the shots. 😊 Humour is never far away when we travel, it would be so boring otherwise. Glad you enjoy chuckling with us too!

[@volksieza]

So glad you met up with our own Crocodile Dundee Bazil. Great historian and loves to teach.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Our timing couldn't have been better! It was fantastic to see him impart some of his knowledge of this particular coastline to the eager young students. Wonderful stuff! 🚙👌🏻

[@volksieza]

@DustBugs Travel he is based in Grahamstown, an expert in Leopards and San history too!

[@volksieza]

@DustBugs Travel and the dunes. You right, from Colchester you see what is called the Krantz/woody cape, the world's largest mobile dune field bordering on a natural forest. You park, trek through lush green forest and enter a desert . Long hard walk, but a natural wonder right on our doorstep

[@desh7120]

What a marvellous day’s outing - your overnight accommodation was also lovely! I truly feel as though I’ve been away from home this morning 😄

[@DustBugsTravel]

But you were! To Boknesstrand, Cannon Rocks and back home again! 🚙😁 Thank you for joining us on this wonderful leg of our trip. It was fantastic to arrive at our accommodation in the darkness of night, but only a few minutes after 6pm, that was a first for us! 🏡🌚

[@JandK1978]

My Hartswereld! So bly julle het toe wel hier n draai gemaak! Toe ek klaar gekyk het sommer besluit ek gan oor 4weke gan kuier!

[@DustBugsTravel]

And I don't blame you one bit for loving this part of our country dearly! 😍🚙 We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, as I have no doubt you will do in four weeks' time! I wish you a fantastic time and safe travels!

[@JandK1978]

@@DustBugsTravel thank you! Keep on entertaining us!

[@charlietreston4035]

Hi guys great drive in to accommodation travelling in the dark brings back memories the accommodation as per usual top notch. Little places with big history .I must say you both got it spot on so many beautiful places in South Africa. It must be amazing to live in these seaside towns with the vegetation kept natural the beaches are stunning. A couple of things that so reminds me of my time in South Africa one Sonia saying let's go look see and toasted mince samwichs .love the different style houses especially the ones with the animals the tour guide looks a character vey interesting though. Then to top it off 5 star caravan park. The drone is was brilliant. Another world record third most dangerous area in the world for shipping and you got to see a real ship wreck great video thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one

[@DustBugsTravel]

The vegetation in this part of our country is just unbelievable, we can't say it enough! 🌳💚 The toasties were divine, we've always loved savoury mince! 🥪 The military historian has so much knowledge in that head, it must be awesome to know so much about history, one of my all-time favourite subjects at school! 📚 Our accommodation was super cosy after we eventually found it! 🚙🏡

[@mariusroos]

Very nice trip. The drone footage gives such a nice perspective of the area. So many beautiful small hidden areas in our nice country. Thanks guys well done. My seat is booked for the next one

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you! We loved this part of the Eastern Cape coastline so much! 🚙🤩 I also thought the drone shots captured the endless beauty quite nicely, so am happy to hear you agree! Seat booked for Tuesday, you better be there! 😁🇿🇦

[@mcleodstudiosnamibia6861]

Ons geniet julle video’s soos julle nie sal glo nie. Ons kan nie wag vir die volgende episode nie. Baie dankie vir die lekker vermaak.

[@rosemarymoolman6765]

I agree!

[@DustBugsTravel]

@Mcleodstudiosnamibia Thank you so much! 🚙😁 We love sharing our travels with folks who also enjoy travelling and we know the two of you do! 🇿🇦🇳🇦

[@clayauslewis4236]

Relieved to know you weren't attacked by the wildlife!

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm telling you, it was close there for a moment with the leopard and the cheetah! 😁🐅🐆

[@clayauslewis4236]

@@DustBugsTravel 😂

[@hendrienel2259]

Hi there. We have never heard of Boknesstrand and Cannonrock before. Thanks for the super introduction to so many places in SA. We are catching up from Ep 1 and are enjoying every one. Currently at Ep180 and enjoying every one of them. God bless you in your travels.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm so glad you enjoyed these two magnifcent places with us! They are both truly spectacular and well worth a visit! 🚙🤩 We appreciate you watching our older videos too, they seem like a lifetime ago. There are certainly enough of them to keep you busy for a while! 😁

[@deonzar]

What a lovely seaside little town, I can just imagine what it will look like during high season. And a very nice camping spot...my favorite.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I kind of thought you might just love that caravan park, those are awesome sites! I think even Sonia might approve of me pitching our tent there! 😁🏕️ Perhaps it's time to point the Toyota's nose in the direction of the Eastern Cape coastine! It surely is incredibly beautiful! 🚙🤩

[@raitharnett]

~43 years ago the Kenton-on-sea primary school bus had a circular route through the surrounding farming area which had Bokness as one of its stops - some fun times sitting next to Mr Bessinger and taking over the steering wheel! A flood of memories :) Thanks so much.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Those sound like very special memories, I appreciate you sharing them with us! 😁🚌 I was also an occasional passenger on a school bus, but it was in the city, so I had no opportunity to take the wheel. Would've loved to though, you're a lucky fish to have had that experience! 🤩

[@kosievandenberg2145]

Your reaction to all the 'wildlife' on the verge of the geen area was priceless and I had a good belly laugh. Thankyou.

[@DustBugsTravel]

That was some variety they had going on there, we loved it! 😍🦌🐒🐆🐊 For a few moments, we thought we had somehow entered Addo without realising it! Just the elephants were missing! 😁🐘

[@1812nico]

Hi you two! What a stunning trip this was! Starting in the dark and ending up with blue skies. Your accommodation looked very nice and cozy. The cuppas in the morning made me feel at home. The dunes and beaches are beautiful. I enjoyed your drone music and views of both the Boknes lagoon and the Cannon Rocks area very, very much. The green surrounds in the streets and particularly in the caravan park takes my breath away. The management of the towns must have some strict rules for building those houses without disturbing the environment. It seems that in the Eastern Cape "Padstal" means "shopping center". Add to all this the privilege of a lecture on the cannons. It must be heaven to live or even spend a holiday in those towns (if you can afford it). Thank you again for displaying the beauty of my beloved country! Keep safe!

[@DustBugsTravel]

Accommodation and cuppas! 😁🏡☕ The green everywhere is rather overwhelming, in the best way! 🌳💚 Your 'padstal' atually meaning 'shopping centre' was too funny and had us both in stitches! 🤣 Our timing was just spot-on to arrive at the very time the students were getting a lecture on the cannons and the coastline! So happy to be showing you how beautiful our country truly is! 😍🇿🇦

[@RyanDH]

I jumped upon seeing a cheetah statue when I stayed at a place in Kakamas several years back, walking around taking photographs of the accommodation grounds, and then I encountered the cheetah statue. I jumped and after eventually getting my composure back I realized it was a statue and then called my sister, who also got a fright upon seeing the statue. That statue was so damn life like!!

[@DustBugsTravel]

Yup, some of them can be incredibly realistic! 🤣🐆 It's super cool when folks have statues and sculptures of wildlife in their gardens and grounds, we just love them!

[@funkdunk]

Congratulations on reaching your 16K milestone, not to mention over 4 million views !!, I cannot believe that it was only a few months ago when we celebrated your 1000th subscriber. Yes that chap transferring his historical knowledge on the youth is fantastic. However what you're doing with this channel deserves praise too, your attention to detail by showcasing many places that many just speed by is also incredible. And Sonia sure knows how to find great places to overnight in...this one did not disappoint. Those Eastern Cape coastal villages and towns give our "Capie" windswept counterparts a run for their money. That sand and the first beach at Cannon Rocks looked more like desert sand in Mauritania than an SA beach. Wee Enjoy Dustbugs Travel 😊

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, thank you! 🥳 And I still remember, as if it were yesterday, when you congratulated us on 200, so you've been around since the beginning. That means the world to Sonia and I! We're just too happy that folks get to see the real beauty of our country and especially of the parts they may be unfamiliar with. 😍🇿🇦 And there just seems to be no end to the beauty and that blows my mind! If I look at the map, we've covered just over half of the country and we know some pretty spectacular places are still lying in wait and that's super exciting! We love sharing all of it with you and appreciate your enthusiasm for our channel so very much! 🚙🤩

[@feebes1]

The late Archie Rabie a dentist from P.E, a Grey Boys High Scholar and a life long friend of my late dad had a house at Bokness and remember going there about 50 years ago and for the next many years as we grew up. The interesting thing is that he had a piece of the original Barthol/Diaz cross which i remember him talking about, I believe the family still has the family home at Bokness..

[@DustBugsTravel]

How interesting! ✝️ Thank you for sharing those thoughts with us. I so wanted to take the hike to the cross, until our host told me it's about 8km away. I quickly changed my mind! 😁 The area must look very different from when you were there last. Incredible how green the folks have kept it though, they must be commended for that! 🌳💚

[@grantesterhuyse]

Good morning guys. Great video. A trip down memory lane. Our Mom n Dad used to own a house In Cannon Rocks. What model drone do you USE?

[@DustBugsTravel]

You must know the area very well then and hopefully a flood of good memories came rushing back! 🚙😊 I'm so glad you enjoyed our video! I have a DJI Mini SE drone, which does the job perfectly!

[@grantesterhuyse]

Great memories. Thank You

[@grantesterhuyse]

@@DustBugsTravel Do you have the Litchi Software with the Drone ?

[@aginn9506]

I have to say your timing arriving at the cannons just as Basil Mills ( famous local historian and battle enactment choreographer) was giving one of his many lectures about local history, I,m actually a neighbor of his near Grahamstown now known as Mhakanda. I,m too old but my kids have attended his talks on their school outings. Lovely video

[@DustBugsTravel]

We just happened upon the cannons by chance and couldn't believe that we literally arrived the same time as the students arrived for the presentation! He has such incredible knowledge and it was an honour to listen to him! 👌🏻 So happy to hear you enjoyed our video, thank you for watching! 🚙😊

[@aginn9506]

@@DustBugsTravel always love watching, thankyou ♥️🤗

[@61sunset]

I totally agree with Sonia's sentiment.." nothing can surpass nature, nothing " Don't your videos prove just that ! I am so hoping that your next 2 stops are Boesmansriviermond and Kenton on sea...dying to see them. Loved Alexandria and this video too, so grateful you travelled there and showed us. Big thanks to you both ❤

[@DustBugsTravel]

I really harped on the natural beauty of the Eastern Cape when I was telling Sonia about the area we're travelling to, of course knowing that it'll live up to all the hype and it did just that! 🚙😁 She was understandably blown away by it all and loved it! We appreciate your company and look forward to sharing the rest of our trip with you!

[@strongsus4798]

❤3❤

[@DustBugsTravel]

I hope your comment means you enjoyed our video three times! 🚙😁

[@artyschopy]

"Squigglies on all the 'A's"! Sonia is a legend!

[@ronnykenny3965]

Hi guys, once again i learnt so much about a place close to me that i didn't know about. 70 & I'm still learning, wonderful, one is never too old to learn. Beautiful caravan site. Appreciated, thank you 🚗🚗

[@DustBugsTravel]

You're really, really lucky to have so much beauty so close to you! It's literally endless! 🚙🤩 The caravan park was absolutely stunning, I'm so glad we took a drive through there! 🏕️ It was great to have you on the backseat again, right where you belong!

[@kelvinnaidoo8674]

Beautiful just love the Greens

[@DustBugsTravel]

And the green was absolutely everywhere! 🌳💚 No coincidence either that it's Sonia's favourite colour!

[@peethauptfleisch4763]

We had farm in that area spend alot of time fishing and beach in my school year in Boknes and Kent was best have not been there for more than 20 years have to go back snd show my kids all this places

[@DustBugsTravel]

You should definitely go back and show them, I have no doubt that it will be a special experience for you and for them! 🚙🤩

[@tillabezuidenhout6460]

And full of humour to boot!!!

[@WayneKitching]

We used to have school camps at Boknes. Don't remember much of the village, though. I once went to Cannon Rocks for a holiday with my family. Unfortunately, only one day had good beach weather. Have you seen the Boknes monster? 😂 Sorry, silly dad joke.

[@DustBugsTravel]

The area is clearly still popular with school groups and such and I'm not surprised! 🌳🌊 We saw several scary monsters while in town, most of them in the one garden! 😍🐆🐒🦌🐊

[@Patshes]

Boknestrand just sounds inviting.

[@DustBugsTravel]

It is a stunning place! 🚙😁 It invited us and we were happy to accept!

[@tonygrant06]

Hi guys Your videos have really inspired me in rekindle my love affair with monuments and churches . I’m coming over to the western cape for three months in January and cannot wait to see Churches etc. Great content and beautiful shot videos keep it up guys.

[@marianneeverts9626]

From Cannon Rocks you must take the farm/gravel road to Alexandria, pass Woody Cape where you can see The Birds Island, with lots and lots of massive dunes.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We were in Alexandria the day before, but didn't know about this road. We'll remember it for a possible future trip back to the area, the dunes sound amazing! 🚙👌🏻 Thank you for the info!

[@philyew3617]

Wow, what a beautiful area, those beaches are amazing. The dunes at Cannon Rocks were something else. I must try to do a little history search about the shipwrecks you mentioned. I think the closest I've been to that area is probably Addo. My list of places to visit is getting longer and longer. Thanks for bringing us along. Travel well and stay safe. Phil (in the UK).

[@DustBugsTravel]

The beauty is pristine and next-level in the Eastern Cape and we realised it all over again on this trip! 🌊🌳 You weren't far away at all when you were in Addo, so next time you visit, these places are a short drive away if you'd like to climb a dune or two yourself! 🚙😁

[@thepenelopejones]

Stunning aerial today of Boknesstrand and it's estuary - only by being in the air does one full comprend this gorgeous coastline. 19:30 I was going to ask if high tide broke over the sand and refreshed the estuary (thanks for the update) ~ sad to hear it doesn't anymore :( ......And ooh ooh - A Chicken and Mayo and a Savory Mince too pretty please !!!

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the drone shots! It is rather sad that the river doesn't flush out to the ocean anymore, but perhaps if they get enough rain in the area, it will again! 🌧️🌊 Those toasties were scrumptious, I'll remember to order two extra next time! 😁🥪

[@thepenelopejones]

@@DustBugsTravel 👏👏Yes and Yes Please🙆‍♀️

[@sicko_the_ew]

I'm a bit conflicted about these seaside resort towns. It's nice that they're loved places, and not just somewhere to sleep off the day's work for tomorrow, but what I see almost always, there (apart from maybe at Betty's Bay, where they try to do things differently) is lots of people "loving the place to death". For sentimental/ market related reasons, a house right on the beach, or as near as possible is highly prized, so there are all these places right in the best place to maximize the salt spray, and it's just part of the love to "make it nice" - to "tidy it up" - get rid of whatever plants don't fit the owner's aesthetics, so you get some slightly manicured isolated trees, and lots of lawn in the end. If I had my way, nobody would build right in the coastal forest. Everyone would be a few km inland, with just a path through the bush (maybe paved to improve access for all) onto the beach. With single access you could even have a little train providing access in some places. The beach would be really wild, as beautiful as it was on the day it was born, instead of lawned over and built up with mostly absentee owned houses. Nobody would lose any beach this way. We'd just be a bit gentler to the environment, and live with less salt spray to create employment for those who maintain beach houses. The odd thing is nobody messes with the sand. You could build quite a lot there (if you had the right storm protection measures) without doing a huge amount of harm, and have a 180 degree sea view from a literal beach cottage, but that's forbidden - because it "messes too much with nature"? Probably not specifically for that reason. It's just that some time in the past people came up with "the correct rules" for coastal resort town planning, and now we do things "by habit". We do what we do because "that's what we do". I think the main reason every coastal resort town is approximately the same is exactly this. (We've acquired customs, and we just follow them; we don't think afresh).

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you for watching our video. 🚙🌊

[@munesumangava9751]

Beautiful beach too!

[@michalf6460]

Love thet you show the dedails in the shop

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm glad you enjoy that! There are always so many interesting things and the colours are so vibrant and bright! 🤩

[@stevebond9054]

A nice pass through. You will love to stay longer.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Pass through is exactly what we do! We only stay in a place for one night, never longer. 🚙😁 Too many other places left to see!

[@clivehill2384]

Love you dust bugs like to see more on youtube

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, happy to hear you enjoy our videos! We upload four videos a week! 🚙🤩 Any more, and I literally won't be getting any sleep, between work and travel commitments. 😁

[@desh7120]

Here to give a shoutout on your having breached 16k Subscribers 🎉 Hope you have bottle of your favourite bubbly to toast your achievement 🥂🍾

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you so much! 🍾🥂 Both Sonia and I really appreciate your excitement for and support of our channel! We look forward to sharing many more miles with you! 🚙🤩

[@SonjaFroneman]

Baie dankie! My geweste! Lekke Bekkie maak die lekkerste kos! ❤

[@DustBugsTravel]

Agreed! We only had their toasties and they were delicious! 👌🥪

[@michalf6460]

Loved it

[@DustBugsTravel]

Many thanks! 🚙😁

[@hslifestyle6232]

Dias cross is actually only about a 3km walk there & then same distance back. 🤪 We would love to host you at Bokkabanas Self Catering should you ever want to visit Boknes again 🩷

[@embassydirect5914]

In 2020 we moved to Cannon Rocks … a hidden gem

[@louisejordaan191]

Ek het so gehoop dat jul Cannon Rocks sou besoek toe ek sien jul is in Alexandria. So bly jul het. Ons bly in CR en sou jul graag meer wou wys en bietjie van Boknes wou vertel. Kom gerus weer. Desember word hierdie 2 plekkies behoorlik wakker. Ek geniet jul videos vreeslik. Louise Jordaan

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you for watching our video of your hometown! 🚙🤩 You're very blessed to live in such a beautiful area. We prefer exploring through fresh eyes and without much research and knowledge beforehand. We love exploring and happening upon things on our own, that's what we enjoy the most. If we happen to miss anything, which we always do, we're totally OK with that! 😁

[@kosievandenberg2145]

BUt the music was beautifull never the less.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the tunes! 🚙🎶

[@munesumangava9751]

I might have passed through Boknesstrand on my way to Kenton-on-Sea🤔

[@munesumangava9751]

Very sleepy kinda village I almost thought it was deserted 🤔

[@bootsandall3612]

The sad truth behind these small jewels is development. As can be seen in your video. I grew up in this area and remember how every street corner had a grysbok when driving at night. Unfortunately with every new home going up a piece of nature is destroyed. These small places will be commercialized in the next couple of years just like Kenton on Sea, Jeffreys or Plet.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Your point is well-noted. I'm sure it looks much different now from the time you grew up there. For me though, that goes for every area on this planet where humans have settled. Wildlife used to roam freely until we arrived and destroyed it all. 🤷🏻‍♂️ We thought they did a particularly good job in these two villages though and integrated the dwellings quite nicely into the natural surroundings. 🏡🌳

[@riagouws3211]

Ek glo jys n plaas seun want jy weet van Roomafskuier en Gruispaaie maar dankie vir alles wat julle met ons deel ❤😅😊

[@DustBugsTravel]

Actually I only lived on a farm until I was four or five years old, but lived in the Free State for a big chunk of my life and that's where I learnt to love all things countryside! 😁 I'm glad you enjoy our videos, thank you so much for watching! 🚙👌🏻

[@GerrieVanStaden-um3jd]

My hart lê daar.

[@DustBugsTravel]

It sounds like you have good and special memories of this place and I fully get that! Thank you for watching our video! 🚙😊

[@God4gamblers]

Can I join your team

[@DustBugsTravel]

You have already! 🚙😁 Just by watching our videos!