This family friendly suburb offers a quiet, tranquil lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Kini Bay is a scenic coastal suburb on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth. Its serenity, tranquillity and location away from the hustle and bustle of the city set it apart from other PE suburbs.
Vanessa Volschenk has lived in Kini Bay with her husband and two sons for 15 years. She especially enjoys the area’s safety. “You can raise a family here. Your children are safe to ride their bicycles in the neighbourhood, go fishing, play cricket and rugby in the open park, walk the dogs and just breathe in the fresh air,” she says.
While her sons attend school and university in Port Elizabeth, Vanessa says the drive in and out of town is a small price to pay when you consider all that Kini Bay has to offer. “Both my boys went to Grey Junior and Grey High School. The younger boy, Calvin, is still at Grey, and the eldest just finished his studies at Nelson Mandela University.
We’re used to driving in and out, but it’s worth it for us as we chose this lifestyle for our family, surrounded by natural vegetation and the sea.”
There’s a definite family-oriented vibe in the area, with neighbours looking out for one another. “Most of the neighbours know each other, keep an eye out for you and always want to help,” Vanessa says. To keep the neighbourhood safe, CCTV cameras monitor who comes in and out of Kini Bay.
Vanessa says an increasing number of young families are choosing to raise children in Kini Bay. It’s a dream for residents and tourists alike, she says. “You can take a drive on a weekend, when the weather is good and the braais are going, or families go down to the sea to spend quality time.” She believes Kini Bay has the best sunsets “in the whole wide world” and says nothing beats sitting on the veranda to watch whales and dolphins frolic in the ocean.
As Kini Bay is only about 14km from town, it’s an ideal getaway for city dwellers to enjoy the sights and sounds of the seaside. “The occasional buck will walk across the road or you can see monkeys playing in the trees.
And we have our own residential owl pair that keeps an eye on Kini Bay at night, perched high on the lamp posts. In the evening, the chokka boats light up our little village, giving it that quaint feel,” Vanessa says.
We are a very small, friendly and caring community village
-Vanessa Volschenk, resident.
Things to do in and around Kini Bay:
- Attend the annual braai in the park designed for newcomers to meet residents who’ve lived in the area longer. A local band provides the entertainment.
- Swim, snorkel, or look for seashells in the beautiful rock pool at the beach.
- Visit the Seaview Predator Park and Elephant Walk in Colleen Glen, which are within easy reach.
Things people may not know about the area (according to Vanessa):
- There’s a guesthouse in Kini Bay named Sea Otters Lodge. The owner, Pierre Kolesky, is an exceptional host.
- Tourists love visiting the area for the fishing and the tidal pool.
- Kini Bay doesn’t have any shops, but the Seaview Spar is only 6km away.
- Kini Bay borders the Seaview Conservancy and residents often pitch in to help pick up rubbish on the surrounding beaches.
- It was named Bikini Bay in the mid-20th century when many young women visited wearing bikinis. The name eventually became Kini Bay.
Vanessa’s favourite spots in Kini Bay:
- The rock pools
- The 1,2km walk from the car park to “The Sand Stone” – an unusual sandstone rock along the beach
- Anywhere where you can fish or snorkel
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
