Over a white garden wall and a thick bank of indigenous greenery, Kleinmond beach presents itself as a giant sickle shape of deep blue sea, edged with shreds of a white lace wave line. It’s a glorious view and must have been the deciding factor for the positioning of the cottage – the first in the area – in the 1860s.
Much of the authenticity of the original beach cottage remains. With deep window ledges revealing the width of the walls that naturally insulate the interior from summer heat, or the cooler months from June to September. A break here offers the wonderful simplicity of a real beach holiday. Sand that may not have washed off entirely in the outdoor shower will fall on either slate, terracotta or sturdy wooden boards. All practical surfaces that invite a barefoot seaside break.
Albertyn Huis offers ample space and different areas for a group of family and friends to converge. While a large Oregon pine dining table dominates the kitchen area, a boma area with a fire pit and braai – through double doors to a sheltered courtyard – is where summer evenings are likely to play out. There is a second dining table on the sea-facing veranda. It is a clever arrangement. At any time of the day and in any wind conditions, there is shelter and sun. A slatted reed roof breaking the strong light on the front veranda.
It is both a simple and sophisticated house, unfussy yet comfortable, welcoming and practical. White crockery and kitchen basics are arranged on suspended shelves. For holiday cooks, this means being part of the conversation that may rally between the kitchen, the boma area, and the adjacent living room. Where extra deep sofas invite a sprawl, rather than provide formal seating.
Meandering the whale route
You will also sleep well here. The thatched roof filters the sound of the sea but it will be there on the edge of your dreams. A white sound to lull you into a restful night. After all of the adventures along the shoreline, in nature and around the house. That’s what Albertyn Huis encourages you and the clan to do, so emphatically. To be as active as you like, in a gleeful childlike manner. To explore, swim, surf, and snooze. To build sandcastles in the breeze, and bond.
Written by Les Aupaias
Edited by Colleen Ogilvie