PROPERTY | Spotlight on Bluewater Bay

With schools, churches, shopping centres and the beach all within close proximity, the Port Elizabeth suburb of Bluewater Bay really has it all.

Sandy Hobson has been living in Bluewater Bay for more than 10 years and would not trade her view from her home in a complex located on the mouth of the Swartkops river, for any other place.

“It’s wonderful! I wake up to peaceful and quiet views in the morning and see regulars take their dogs out for walks on the beach. I like how laidback this place is and I do not wish to live in the city at all,” she says.

Sandy rents a unit in the complex by herself.

“Even though we generally live in fear in the whole of South Africa, the people here are friendly and it’s a safe community," she says.

"We have a WhatsApp group in my complex where we communicate should one need any help,” she says. In her unit, Sandy has burglar doors and no alarms.

Property

The neighbourhood has a handful of townhouse complexes but is mostly made up of modern single- and double-storey houses with spacious yards.

The suburb remains primarily a residential area with a few houses having been turned into B&B facilities and guesthouses.

Schools

Bluewater Bay is a family-friendly neighbourhood with various educational centres fit for the suburb.

Schools in the area include Khiddz World creche in Maureen Circle Street, Little Missionaries Playschool in Riverside Road, Bluewater Bay Primary School, and Bluewater Bay Daycare are situated next door to each other in Jennette Avenue.

Explore

The Bluewater Bay Tennis Club is down Riverside Road, opposite the Little Missionaries Playschool – a three-minute drive from the busier N2 City Shopping Centre where residents fulfill their shopping needs.

A stone’s throw away from the N2 Shopping Centre there’s a small, informal kiddies play area where young ones are often found enjoying themselves.

Fitness fanatics bust a sweat at the Metro Gym within the N2 Shopping Centre.

Walks around the neighbourhood are popular among residents.Fishermen are attracted to the nearby Zwartkops River.

“I sometimes watch fisherman who come in an out in the mornings and afternoon for fishing trips,” Sandy says.

A minute’s walk from the river leads one to the Bluewater Bay Surf Lifesavers Club to whom credit for the visible lifeguard presence on the beach is due.

"Even though it’s close to the city, it doesn’t feel like the city at all; it feels like you’re on vacation all the time," says Sandy.

EAT

“I’m a foodie, so I just take a 15-minute drive to the city when I feel like eating out,” Sandy says, as Bluewater Bay doesn’t offer many eateries or dining facilities.

• For those who fancy Portuguese cuisine, Cubata Portuguese Grill House and Takeaways is in Claude Crescent and offers a variety of foods including seafood.
• At the Engen fuel stop next to the shopping centre, there’s a Steers, Debonairs and Fishaways.
• Inside the shopping centre, The Wood’s Sports Bar is good for a cold drink, food and entertainment.

PLAY 

• Take a beach walk or jog on the beachfront.
• Go fishing in the Swartkops River.
• Get pampered at Monzi’s Beauty Zone for hair, makeup, nails and eyelashes.
• Attend services at Bluewater Bay Family Church.
• Stroll around the quiet suburb.
• Take a walk among the Aloe Trail between Bluewater Bay and Amsterdamhoek. “Many people like to go on the trail but you can’t go alone. It’s better to go in big groups,” Sandy says.

SHOP

The N2 City Shopping Centre welcomes you into Bluewater Bay and caters to its residents’ shopping needs. Some of the stores and facilities in the centre are:

• The Crazy Store for kiddies toys.
• DIY Depot hardware store 
• Blue Ocean fisheries 
• Bluewater Bubbles Laundromat 
• Spar 
• Post office 
• Pep Stores 
• Pharmacy
• ATMs
• The Bluewater Bay Convenience Centre behind the Engen garage has a Pick n Pay store, LoveDogs Boutique and Deli and Lochners Biltong Deli.
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