In the early morning, the wind spews sand dust from the beach, painting black on shells and dark purple seaweed, and coating dark brown seaweed at night.
Patterns in the sand are elongated and narrowed, and then blown back in yards and yards of space, because there's nothing here to stop them.
No palm trees, no umbrellas, no tourist resorts.
As the morning progresses, several people will hike through the sand dunes that separate the coastline from South Africa's paradise beach communities. They do not bring towels, sunscreen or beach toys. They took the dog to an earlier place for a walk, where they could walk miles without seeing anyone else.
In addition to the people who live here and the drying racks of the nearby community, whales are the most frequent visitors.
They don't go on forever — Southern activists and humpback whales have migrated from Antarctica since around June, and a handful of other species circulate along the coast throughout the year. But they were also outstanding, away from the crowds and back to where they knew.
Paradise is not on a distant island or a distant coastline. In fact, it is easily accessible, just like the southern coast of Africa, and can be accessed to the rest of the world.
It's about an hour and a half from Port Elizabeth, just a short flight from Johannesburg, or a leisurely road trip along the Garden Road to Cape Town.
The narrow causeway leads to Surfers Paradise Jeffreys Bay, home to the Billabong colony and part of the global surf circle. Surfing at Paradise Beach is great, but it's not really as great as J-Bay, so there's no reason for anyone to take the plunge.
Paradise Beach is just an undiscovered place with only a small community embracing the dunes, and the community's expansion is limited by protected park land.
Residents pick up scattered pieces of trash that pick up scraps of snacks or empty bottles that occasionally throw away other people's porches.
The only such restaurant is the Sailing Club, which has a bar and sometimes a campfire for "carrying and grilling". This means that the bar provides wood, usually matches, and guests bring everything else they need for a barbecue: meat, salads, bread, plates and utensils.
Drinks are certainly served at the bar, and there is a wide selection of raw meat wrapped in cellophane wrapped in Braai bags (in case someone forgets to stop in front of the butcher).
Sports are played on an internal screen and are suitable for any viewer. Everyone gathered around the fire, obscured by tall fences in the wind, which also prevented the dunes from spilling inward.
The only option to eat out is to drive not a short drive to Jeffreys Bay or a longer drive to the nearby St. Francis Bay. Francis Bay) in the case of the small town, you will like special occasions, such as happy hippo events held on the farm on the Seekoei River.
The address was listed as a place "on the gravel road to St. Francis Bay".
There's nowhere to go on the drive, but once there are rabbits and small farm animals for the kids to play with, live music from local bands, and fresh food from sushi to wood-burning pizza to curries.
The river, especially during the dry season, is known to many as the Great Stream and is ideal for walking along or across the river.
Paradise feels quiet, in part because some of the houses are used as rents for holidaymakers who arrive mainly during the summer holidays of Christmas. These homes are the only accommodations, whether it's a bed and breakfast (Airbnb and more traditional style) or a long-term rental.
In the off-season, these hotels, while always open and inviting, are rarely full.
Middle-class families in South Africa's big cities are invisible on the streets and hidden behind walls and electric fences. Paradise beaches don't have these.
Houses are opened on the street, or overlooking the sea. Fences are designed to be kept in dogs or protect flower beds, not for esports prowlers.
When people in big cities come here, that sense of openness feels strange and exhilarating. It's not that city dwellers are pouring in, at least not like the mania of Cape Town or Durban, where thousands of tourists flock to the coast when the holiday season pours into town.
Here, tourists mingle with the locals. Outsiders move into houses to do business. No hotels or resorts, no high-rise towers. The tallest building in town is the huge white windmill in the new power farm.