Home is now St Helena Bay for the Kershaw’s.

After stellar careers in the global sportswear and pharmaceutical research sectors, Paul and Fiona Kershaw have made their new home in St Helena Bay.

Choosing St Helena Bay was not an overnight whim but had been in the melting pot for over ten years.

What were you looking for?

Paul: Something smaller with a simple and relaxed lifestyle. Coastal, and close enough to family in Cape Town.

Fiona: We were looking for Hermanus of the 80’s. Value for money and investment growth were both important. After looking at the East Coast before narrowing our search to the West Coast, our radar stretched from Melkbos to Lamberts Bay, before focusing on Paternoster, Velddrif, and St Helena Bay.

What was the clincher?

Fiona: Our holidays at Kom-Tot-Rus, a delightful bungalow in St Helena Bay mere meters from the sea. It is also quite sheltered from the wind. We heard that it was one of the few places on earth where you can watch both sunrise and sunset. We must still confirm that. LOL!

Paul: All the towns that we looked at are special, but the surrounding beauty of the mountains behind us and the sea in front of us made the decision quite easy. And it is only 130km from Cape Town.

You decided to build.
Paul: Yes, in Hannasbaai. We bought one of the few remaining plots. COVID did delay things but here we are.

Did construction go smoothly?

Fiona: We’d previously had a few unfortunate incidents with builders in Cape Town which made us uncomfortable, and not being on site in St Helena Bay was quite nerve-wracking. We therefore took some time to choose a builder which was the best decision we made. We ended up with an amazing and trustworthy team.

Paul: What was said was done, often on a handshake. We appreciated doing business the Weskus way with real, solid people. Whether it was our attorney, architect, municipality, or our contractor, we had no problems.

Lifestyle is important, but service delivery is key.

Paul: Of course. I’ve heard that most of the Weskus municipalities are top-rated when it comes to clean governance and service delivery which is rare.

Fiona: There are other clues as well. For example, the collaboration between the district municipality, SAPS and other agencies in centralising and coordinating emergency services makes us feel looked after. I headed a very active neighbourhood watch so I know how important coordination is. Regarding infrastructure, the new direct R27 cuts down travel time by 15 minutes from Cape Town.

Paul: We also explored their approach to spatial planning and I’m happy with the answers that we got.

Are the Kershaw’s happy?

Fiona: Delighted! This has been a 10-year conversation and its happened. Beach walks. Mountain hikes. Paternoster’s restaurants down the road. Braai on our balcony overlooking the sea with family and friends. Whales in the bay. There’s a lifestyle centre, markets, and fresh produce. And a short distance away we’ve got West Coast National Park and Buffelsfontein Wildlife Reserve.

Paul: Lots of places to go and things to see in St Helena Bay and in the surrounding areas. Importantly, there’s good golf courses in the area. And of course, crayfish and snoek. As important, the beers served here are artic cold.

Paul and Fiona, thank you for your time and for choosing Weskus as your new home. We wish you all the very best!

West Coast District Municipality

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