Jeffreys Bay, known as the soul of surfing in South Africa, is at the southern tip of the continent of Africa in an area known as the Garden Route. At the start of the Garden Route, Jeffreys Bay was originally a rustic hippie hangout surrounded by sand, shrubs and aloes. Surfers camped there in the late 60s and early 70s, trekking to the local farm for fresh water, often subsisting off the sea. The early days of J-Bay ran parallel to those of Torquay, the town near Bells Beach, Australia. Out of both towns came surf dynasties founded from humble roots, such as Rip Curl, Billabong and Country Feeling. Only 75km from the cosmopolitan Port Elizabeth, the area around Cape St Francis and Jeffreys Bay is part of the Eastern Cape. The narrow coastal plain is well forested, mostly bordered by extensive lagoons which run behind a barrier of sand dunes and superb white beaches. It has some of the most significant tracts of indigenous forest in the country, and abundant wildflowers. Vegetation is characterized by aloes, fleshy sour figs (good for jellyfish stings), Cape fynbos and shrubland. Distant views of steely blue mountains and the vast bays that characterise Jeffreys Bay make for beautiful landscapes. A glassy afternoon at Supers can be a divine experience, especially when the dolphins make their appearance, darting in and out of the waves right next to you; showing us what true soul surfing is all about.