How Amanzimtoti’s Chain Rocks beach came by its name
The beach known for its secluded beauty, as it's generally visited by locals alone, has an interesting story behind the origin of its name.
CHAIN ROCKS beach is yet another local Amanzimtoti spot with an unusual name.
The beach known for its secluded beauty, as it’s generally visited by locals alone, has an interesting story behind the origin of its name.
The coastal strip’s beauty led to a growing number of beachgoers – lovers of the Toti combo of sun, sand and salt gravitated there.
This particular spot became a favoured local bathing area, with the rocks providing a suitable gully sheltered on either side. With the increase in beachgoers, the need for a safety mechanism to prevent drowning arose.
Local authorities planned to have an anchor post on either side of the gully with a heavy chain spanning the gap and smaller chains hanging from the large chain. These would be anchored at a set distance from the water’s edge. Two holes were drilled into either of the rocks and large posts that had been hacksawed from the railway line were concreted into the respective holes.
Also read: The story behind Baggies beach
The anchoring of the chains in the water posed a rather tricky task. Corrugated water tanks were cut in half and floated out to the desired position, then filled with concrete and the chains were set in these. The aim of the chain was to prevent bathers from being washed out to sea, as it could be held onto.
However, the chains did not stop local residents from being called upon to rescue holidaymakers.
The two Reinbach brothers and a Mr Grainger were often called upon to rescue the stragglers. No-one knows the exact date when the chains were fixed into the rocks. The Reinbachs were involved in the project as well as several other locals. The chains, however, were there when Noel Wright arrived in Amanzimtoti in 1926.
Some more local history: The roots behind our Warners chimney tree
There is house foundation that can still be seen on the rocks at Chain rocks. The foundation and three front steps were there in the 1970s. The Sun has been unable to establish who built the house and when or what happened to it.
This information was sourced from the 1985 written memoirs of Trixie Miller, courtesy of Sybil Language and Noel Wright.
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