“While shooting at Cape St Francis and after enduring heavy rain, horizontal wind-driven drizzle and icy cold weather, nature threw me a bone with this sight. Glad I stayed.” It turned into a stunning Cape St Francis beach photograph.
– Clive Wright
— Clive Wright Photograpy Facebook
More photos here
Another episode of our rewarding but unpopular travel tips column
Now that summer is over, we can muse over some awesome ways to spend time in the equally awesome Cape Town over the upcoming winter months. Here are our 12 things to do in Cape Town during winter.
1. Go to Durban.
2. Visit Dubai.
3. Head to Mauritius
4. Swim with the turds in Milnerton. The sewage problem at Milnerton Lagoon seems to come and go. If your trip to Cape Town is lucky enough to coincide with a sewage release at the Milnerton Lagoon, don your goggles and snorkel and swim with the local version of wildlife. It’s way more dangerous than swimming with the sharks in Gansbaai.
They do try and give you plenty of warning
5. Try to get to Cape Town from the suburbs. Cape Town is now the 7th most traffic-congested city in the entire world. An early morning coffee shop meeting in the city is utterly impossible unless you organise to sleep in the actual coffee shop and open up in the morning for your meeting. A trip from the southern suburbs (Rondebosch, Newlands, Pinelands, etc) becomes a test of endurance and stamina. Some people make it, but many do not. Instead, they hit a left, head into Woodstock, and go to that special bottle store that sells pre-packaged beer, dagga and braai-meat picnic packs. Do that, and the day is yours.
Getting into Cape Town is hard but getting out is worse.
6. Watch your back – Cape Town is the 12th worst place in the world for homicide, with about nine people killed every day.
7. Play a four-hour game of find-a-parking in the city centre in the rain. Enter the city centre from the South Suburbs side and head down to The Castle. Then, head up any road that points towards the mountain and start your game. There are no winners in this game.
8. Marvel at the wonders of the Port Of Cape Town. The Port of Cape Town was officially identified in the newly published World Bank Container Port Performance Index as the worst-performing port in the world. Alternatively, go to the V & A waterfront and get ripped off at a restaurant of your choice.
9. Go aquaplaning in your car after the first rain in a while. If you luck into a big rainfall after a dry spell in CT you can go aquaplaning for free. The roads will have a nice thick layer of oil and dirt, and the stormwater drains will definitely be blocked. A few mm of water and oil mix will cover the tarmac – ideal for a 2-ton Kombi to aquaplane optimally across dangerous intersections and through red lights.
10. Visit the restaurants and beaches of the Atlantic Seaboard between rain squalls. Here you will find an enclave of trust fund babies, with dapper hipsters alongside stoned and shirtless surfers, sipping lattes and eating plant-based revolution snacks while pondering the meaning of life. Their hobbies include using Insta to show a healthy diet of tamarind, peach blossom and honeysuckle despite their fentanyl addictions.
The incredibly beautiful Atlantic Seaboard ‘Riviera’
11. Check out the Cape Town City Centre. A vibrant and exciting part of the Cape Town experience and a lot of fun, the area also houses many feckless individuals, including criminals, backpackers, lawyers, influencers, human crabs, cheese makers, pettifoggers, sandwich sellers and other lovely souls. During the winter nights, visiting teams of young girls hit the city jols and dance floors and take as many kissy selfies as possible before their drinks get spiked. During the day, people urinate in public.
12. Visit the wine farms in Cape Town, such as De Grendel, Buitenverwachting, and Vergelegen. They are lovely in the winter. An interesting fact is that Jan van Riebeeck planted the first wine grapes in Cape Town in the 1600s. Sailors would pop in at Ye Olde Cape Stronge Water Store along their travels and grab as much wine as possible, maintaining that copiously dopping wine wards off scurvy, a tradition that continues today in Cape Town, because no one wants scurvy.
The end.
Read more: Seven Reasons Cape Town Can Piss Right Off in 2025
Read more: Reasons To Visit Gqberha, If You Are Not Like Other People
Further reading: Seven Reasons Why George Is A Cool Place To Visit.
The Western Australia Margaret River Pro, Stop No. 7 on the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), returned to The Box for the first time since 2019, allowing a barrel shootout at the shallow-water slab for the first six heats of the men’s round of 16, before slower consistency and incoming onshore wind forced a move back to Main Break for the final two heats of the round. In the process, Matt McGillivray gets cut from Championship Tour and Jordy aims for number one.
The rising onshore wind and increasing swell quickly changed conditions, leading to a decision to call the women’s round of 16 off for the day, especially with so much on the line for the women’s field regarding the Mid-season Cut and re-qualification for the 2026 CT season. The competition has already been called off for tomorrow, Thursday, May 22, with an update on the call tomorrow for the following days.
The decision to finish the round at Main Break paid off for Jordy Smith (RSA), who delivered a dominant performance as he posted the highest numbers of the event to defeat Marco Mignot (FRA). An opening 7.83 (out of a possible 10) was followed by a 9.50 for a 17.33 (out of a possible 20) heat total as Smith’s explosive railwork lit up the large face of Main Break. The win moved Smith up to World No. 2 on the live rankings, with the potential for the 37-year-old South African to leave Western Australia in the Yellow Leader Jersey. It will be the fourth straight Quarterfinals appearance for Smith, who has tapped into rare form since winning his first event in seven years at Stop No. 4 in El Salvador.
“I was stoked, I started with that seven, and then to get the nine was special, so I was pumped,” Smith said. “I kind of had my strategy for [The Box], and then as we got there, the wind kind of was coming. I was like, ‘Oh, I might need to get an early start before that wind really hits in’. And then they just U-turn, come back, reset. They made a great call, you know, I think they predicted it perfectly. I know it worked out for me in the end.”
MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA – MAY 21: Jordy Smith of South Africa surfs in Heat 7 of the Round of 16 at the Western Australia Margaret River Pro on May 21, 2025 at Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia. (Photo by Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League)
Out of the many surfers excited to see competition return to The Box, trials winner Jacob Willcox (AUS) was potentially the most happy. Despite growing up in Margaret River and competing in the event seven times previously, it was Willcox’s first opportunity to surf in a jersey at one of his favorite waves in the world. Competing against Joao Chianca (BRA), a formidable opponent in waves of consequence, Willcox made it look easy as he navigated the nuances of the reef on his backhand. An 8.17 was the high point of the heat for the West Australian who moved into the Quarterfinals of the Margaret River Pro for the first time, matching his previous best CT result from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in 2019.
Though Barron Mamiya (HAW) had only surfed The Box twice before today, it was unsurprising to see the 25-year-old deliver a masterclass in technique. The back-to-back Pipe Pro winner has dedicated his life to developing his unique barrel-riding skills. Regardless, as soon as he was aware of the possibility of running at the slab today, the North Shore, Oahu local situated himself in the channel to watch Margaret River local Jack Robinson (AUS) free-surfing in order to study his positioning. The dedication paid off as Mamiya threaded barrel after barrel to collect a 15.17 heat total and defeat Jake Marshall (USA).
“That was sick,” Mamiya said. “I was definitely freaking out inside, but I was like, ‘Hey, just be mellow.’ Sometimes in the past, at Pipe or Teahupo’o or certain waves where it gets me super, super excited, and I’m freaking out, I’ll let my emotions get too freaked out, and then I’ll go out there and blow it. So I was kind of just like, alright, stay calm, go out there and just surf a normal heat. And yeah, I got into rhythm, and everything ended up being fun. I got some waves, got some barrels, it was sick.”
Two Japanese teammates from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games faced off when Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) took on Connor O’Leary (JPN). The low-scoring numbers registered didn’t account for the charging that took place between the two. Determined to continue his rise up the rankings and stranglehold on the GWM Aussie Treble leaderboard, Igarashi patiently waited for the bigger, deeper barrels but was unable to find any exits. O’Leary was more active, managing completed rides on lesser waves, to extend his head-to-head record over Igarashi and progress to the Quarterfinals for the first time this season.
Both Griffin Colapinto (USA) and Crosby Colapinto (USA) claimed round of 16 heat wins today to move through to the Quarterfinals. A lackluster start to the season for the brothers, who both featured in the CT Top 10 in 2024, had them in danger of the Mid-season Cut, especially Crosby, who came into the event well below the Cut-line. After their performances in Western Australia, the two Colapintos were able to confirm their places on Tour as it heads to their home in San Clemente, California, for Stop No. 8.
The younger of the two, Crosby, was able to hold his nerve in the most pressure-filled heat of the day against Jackson Bunch (HAW). It was a do-or-die match for both surfers, with the winner moving above the Cut-line and keeping their place on Tour, and the loser relegated to the Challenger Series. With neither competitor able to score above a 4.50, the heat remained wide open right until the end, when Colapinto was finally able to breathe a massive sigh of relief at making the Cut.
“I feel like that’s one of the best heats of my life,” G. Colapinto said. “Getting barreled in a jersey is the dream, and I feel like I’ve kind of missed out on that a lot in my career, where like I lose and then the next day is just all-time barreling, you know Teahupo’o or Pipe, and I’m just on the sidelines, just so bummed. And today I woke up and went, wow, I’m in this, like I get to surf in this, you know, and I was just so grateful for that opportunity.”
The Cut scenario for the men was simplified by the end of competition today. With Crosby Colapinto (USA) making the Cut, Matthew McGillivray (RSA) was bumped below the line, officially relegating the South African back to the Challenger Series. Two surfers now remain in contention for the final remaining position above the Cut-line, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) and the current occupant of the spot, Alejo Muniz (BRA), who was eliminated yesterday. Nothing short of a win will see deVault able to take Muniz’s place.
A win over Alan Cleland Jr. (MEX) today sees deVault into his first Quarterfinal appearance of the season, which couldn’t come at a better time as the 27-year-old continues his slow climb up the rankings. At Margaret River last year, the Hawaiian was able to do exactly what he needed to save his place on Tour. With an even higher requirement on the line this year, deVault will next face Jordy Smith (RSA), who today posted the highest scores of the event.
“I’m just really enjoying how I’m surfing in my heats,” deVault said. “I’m just stoked to kind of be putting good performances together. Hopefully the next round has good waves because Jordy [Smith] is probably one of the best out here, so it’s going to be a battle.”
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Planning for retirement can feel overwhelming. With the financial aspects sorted—investments, savings, and income streams—the real challenge often begins: how to spend your time meaningfully over the next 25 to 35 years. That’s a daunting horizon to map out, especially if you’re transitioning from a structured working life into a more open-ended chapter. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to plan every detail right away.
One of the most effective strategies is to narrow your focus to the short-term future. Rather than trying to craft a rigid 30-year life plan, start by asking yourself what you want the next two to three years to look like across different areas of life—health, travel, relationships, hobbies, and community involvement. This approach brings several key benefits. For one, it makes the task less intimidating. A shorter planning horizon is naturally more manageable and less pressure-inducing. Second, shorter-term plans are far more likely to be implemented. You’re not trying to predict the unpredictable—you’re working with the present and near future.
Life changes, and with it, so do our needs and desires. That’s why flexibility is crucial. While it’s wise to have long-term goals—staying healthy, managing your financial resources, preserving independence—it’s equally important not to over-engineer the decades ahead. Planning too far ahead can leave you feeling boxed in or disconnected from your evolving aspirations.
Short-term planning also brings emotional and psychological benefits. It creates a sense of purpose, something to look forward to. In retirement, without the routine and goals that a career once provided, it’s all too easy to fall into a cycle of just “getting through the day.” Short-term goals—learning a new skill, visiting a dream destination, starting a part-time project—inject vibrancy and direction into your everyday life.
Most importantly, don’t shy away from planning altogether. Sit down with your partner or loved ones and talk about what matters most to you. Retirement isn’t a time to step back from life—it’s an opportunity to design the life you’ve worked so hard for. Start small, stay flexible, and keep dreaming. With the right mindset, your retirement years can be some of your most meaningful and fulfilling yet.
Dirk Groeneveld, Certified Financial Planner.
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