The Village NEWS 12 Dec - 18 Dec 2018

THE VILLAGE

FCJ Independant Newspaper of the Year

12 DECEMBER 2018

#ALLOVEROVERBERG We’ve Got You Covered

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Zille to return after protest

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Tea rooms of yesteryear

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Get your Xtreme Cuisine

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Your guide to our beaches

YOUR FREE COPY

Greta Maria Menardo, a team rider for RRD International, practising aerial moves on the Klein River Estuary, which has become a mecca for kitesurfing. Read more on P 6.

PHOTO: Svetlana Romantsova

Steps to curb illegal letting Writer Raphael da Silva & De Waal Steyn

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t’s that time of the year when everyone wants to holiday at the sea but there’s no more space available. If you are a property owner and want to let your house or apartment for short-term rentals as weekend or holiday accommodation it is advised that you familiarise yourself with the Municipal Planning By-laws.

While the influx of tourists is welcomed as the largest contributor to our economy, the disruptive power of

the online industry has also reared its head in our towns. Airbnb, booking. com, Lekkeslaap.co.za and many other online platforms have become the norm for people travelling these days.

For less than you’d pay for a hotel room, you can rent accommodation that puts you right in the middle of things, wherever you are, without the discomfort of a backpackers.

But this has a direct impact on the formal accommodation industry. To this end the Overstrand Municipality has begun serving notice to Airbnb and other private accommodation

owners in Rooiels and Pringle Bay that they have 30 days to comply with the Municipal Land Use Planning by-law of 2015 by submitting a consent use application, or else face legal action. There is, however, no guarantee that the application will be granted. For erven under 150m², the application cost is R230; properties between 150m² and 400m² pay R612 and those above 400m² pay R2 908, according to the municipal tariff list.

The letter states under the heading “Unauthorised Activity (Tourist Accommodation)” that there are “rea-

sonable grounds” to suspect that the owner of the property is “operating a tourist accommodation facility”. This, the letter says, is “utilising land in a manner other than prescribed by a zoning scheme without the approval of the municipality” and is an offence.

taxes, labour law conditions and insurance. Unregistered establishments can therefore not only undercut on price, but there is the added concern that the minimum standards are not being kept to,” says local hotel and B&B owner Clinton Lerm.

“What this actually means is the municipality is seeking to level the playing field between registered and unregistered accommodation. Those who run formal, licensed establishments have to jump through many hoops and have higher operating costs because of higher rates and

But, says Tinka van Dyk, Chair of Hangklip/Kleinmond Tourism Bureau Executive Committee, in the past, the consent use approval was generally not applied to self-catering houses, which make up the largest portion of available accommodation in the area.

Continues on P 3

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12 December 2018

Airbnb numbers show sharp increase From P 1 “It could thus have a negative impact on the total number of bed nights in the Overstrand. Some property owners who let their establishments for a short period of the year, might consider not letting their houses as it will not be financially viable to pay the fee for the consent use application and if approved, the municipal business tariff on a monthly basis,” says Tinka.

The facts bear this point out. A total of 78% of rentals in the Overstrand comprises entire homes. Yet, 60% of rental properties on Airbnb are only available for one to six months of the year and 71% of properties are only booked for one to three months. So homeowners are obviously only renting their homes out for a few months per year.

Tinka, who makes it clear that she is not against the by-law, warns of other unintended consequences if owners stop letting out their properties.

“This will impact negatively on the income and employment opportunities generated by letting agents and establishment owners.

“This sector employs a fair portion of our local unskilled and semiskilled workforce. The purpose of the consent use and more importantly, the regulatory implications thereof, should be carefully weighed up to

ensure establishment owners comply with the necessary laws, standards, etc. but it should, at all times, stimulate tourism.”

At the heart of the issue are the municipal definitions of “guest rooms”, a “guest house” and “tourist accommodation” when applied to land that has been zoned as residential. A guest room refers to “a limited number of rooms that are let on a permanent or temporary basis to paying lodgers or guests, provided that the dominant use of the dwelling unit concerned shall remain for the living accommodation of a single family”.

In this case, the municipality is very clear. You are allowed to let no more than two bedrooms per property and no more than five guests or lodgers can “be supplied with lodging or meals at any one time”. Guest rooms are not allowed to be converted to or used as separate dwelling units and no cooking facilities are allowed, except for a kettle. There needs to be one on-site parking bay for each guest room and there are restrictions on the advertising that can be displayed. Although not specifically mentioned in the Overstrand Municipality Zoning Scheme, guest room owners are encouraged to have third-party liability insurance.

Tourist accommodation, according to the municipality “means the letting of rooms or individual units on a tempo-

Airbnb in the Overstrand

• 1 870 active rental properties with 1 235 active hosts • 79% annual growth in rentals • Average rental rate is R1 475 per night. Average rental revenue in No vember 2018 was R12 400 • Average occupancy of 32% in November 2018 (was 54% in December 2017) • 78% rent an entire house, 22% a private room • Average rental size is 3 bedrooms for 6 guests • 40% of properties are available full time (22% for 10-12 months, 18% for 7-9 months) • 224 hosts manage 879 properties, 991 are managed by individuals • 77% of properties are booked for 1-3 months, 19% for 4-6 months • Only 10 properties are booked for 10-12 months • In 2010 there were 5 rentals. In 2015, 471. In 2016, 1 234. In 2017, 2 204.

In 2018, 3 036 to date Source: https://www.airdna.co/vacation-rental-data/app/za/western-cape/overstrand/overview Airdna analyses properties on Airbnb and Homeaway

rary basis to paying lodgers or guests, and includes a guest house, bed and breakfast, backpacker establishments, and camp sites, provided that the use complies with the requirements of any other relevant legislation”.

As far as the municipality is concerned, if you are renting out an entire house or flat on a short-term basis, or are renting out more than two rooms, even if the owner or a manager lives on the property, then this is defined as tourist accommodation. Higher municipal tariffs apply, although one is allowed to apply for a rebate, which ranges from 100% down to 25%, to soften the financial impact. Along with higher rates, tourism accommodation operators are required by law to have insurance over and above a normal householder’s public liability designed to cover the guests, their goods and the property.

Pam Nel, a Tourism Grading Assessor for the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), says: “Imagine a tourist falling off a balcony or down a flight of stairs, being robbed or injured on the property. If the owner doesn’t have relevant insurance and indemnities, one incident could be ruinous to the owner and our industry in Hermanus.”

Airbnb in South Africa

• Over 35 000 hosts across SA • 65% of hosts are women • Typical host earnings in the past year were $1 900 (approximately R26 000) • Approximately 1 million guest arrivals in the year ending May 31, 2018 • Cape Town is the most popular destination • South Africa is growing 65% Year-on-Year (YOY) but George has grown 88% and Plettenberg Bay 77% • 40% of hosts claim that they use Airbnb earnings to help make ends meet • 47% claim they use Airbnb to help afford staying in their homes Note: Although Airbnb acknowledges that some hosts are small hotels, B&Bs or guesthouses, for the purposes of determining what income hosts receive, Airbnb assumes all hosts are private households since they say they are not able to determine which hosts fit in which groups.

Source: Airbnb in South Africa: The Positive Impact of Healthy Tourism, published by Airbnb, September 2018

According to Pam, the issue is about more than just complying with the law. It’s also about the community putting its best foot forward and ensuring that there is a common standard that visitors can trust. “For years we have endeavored to improve the standards in the accommodation industry in Hermanus. A star grading benchmarks the property so that the consumer has a guarantee of standard.

“Many graded properties make use of Airbnb as a source of customers – and many customers only book Airbnb properties that are benchmarked. With TGCSA Star Grading available at an 80% discount – making it very affordable – why would anyone not want the assistance of a professional consultant?” asks Pam. The TGCSA has a category for self-catering villas, apartments and cottages. Public liability insurance for the accommodation industry can be easily purchased from a broker.

The all new

Innovation that excites.

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Nissan Hermanus T: 028 312 1117 A: 1 Mimosa Street W: www.nissanhermanus.co.za

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12 December 2018

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Tripping the light fantastic with Meneer Writer Elaine Davie

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is dogs, Snowy and Lilly call him Meneer, but our regular readers will know him as Murray Stewart whose column ‘A Far Kraai’ appears every week in The Village NEWS. A few weeks ago it was brought sharply to our attention how popular this column is when, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was omitted from one issue of the paper. Social media trolls fell upon us like ravaging hordes demanding to know where Murray and his alternative view of life were and threatening us with excommunication and other dire consequences should he not be back in his usual slot by the following week.

Which we should probably have foreseen, since people reading his column can sometimes be heard snorting out loud as outbursts of spontaneous mirth overtake them in inappropriate places like coffee shops, doctors’ waiting rooms and queues in the Post Office. But who is this man with an irreverent and sometimes jaundiced view of the world and particularly of those like the ‘Big Orange’ whose positions of power have turned them into raving megalomaniacs.

The truth is that Murray does not consider himself to be a writer at all; a talented sound engineer, yes; a hopelessly inept farmer, yes; but not a writer. The closest he came to being a writer was in composing hundreds of commercial jingles for the radio and in standing helplessly by as his dog, Snowy wrote what he considers a rather rude account of his failure as a farmer in The Story of Another African Farm, published in 2011.

Murray’s early years were pretty-well typical of the lives of many hundreds of young white South Africans growing up in the 50s and 60s, but his view of the world was anarchic. A product of two posh private schools, he let the side down by failing matric and having to be rescued by the wellknown cram-college Damelin.

Music was his passion and jamming in Hillbrow coffee shops exposed him to a lifestyle completely at odds with his genteel home environment. This alternative look at life went into orbit when he entered the Defence Force for his year of national service. Adept at identifying the easiest, least life-threatening way to survive unpleasant experiences, he managed to wheedle his way into the Medical Corps on the grounds that he wanted to study Industrial Psychology. Little did he know…

little waif he discovered abandoned on the farm when he arrived, in The Story of another African Farm. A better opportunity for uncovering the ridiculous in times of crisis would be difficult to find.

After six years, with all of his and his sister’s money at the bottom of a succession of dams he built on the farm, Murray decided to throw in the towel and hit the road once again, ending up randomly in Hermanus, together with Snowy, Lilly and Rupert, the cat.

With only a vague notion that he wanted to go back to being creative, he met De Waal Steyn who had just launched The Village NEWS – and the rest, as they say, is history.

His column, ‘Wit’s End’ (predecessor to ‘A Far Kraai’) became a feature of every edition of the paper, earning him a runner-up award as Best Columnist of the Year at the Forum for Community Journalism (FCJ) earlier this year. He insists that his column is “not about telling jokes, it’s about discovering the humour in the ordinary”.

ABOVE: Murray with Lilly and Snowy in his recording studio.

BELOW: Murray’s new book has just been released and is available at local book stores.

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

He was assigned to the one and only psychiatrist in the entire Defence Force, as his skivvy. This clone of Mengele became notorious for the ‘innovative’ methods he used to dry out druggies and identify moffies who were literally shocked to within an inch of their lives in an attempt to ‘cure’ them of their affliction.

“Most of the guys who found their way into our ward for observation and treatment were completely wrecked,” remembers Murray, “anything from schizophrenia, to wife-bashing, to child abuse, to deep depression, to post-traumatic stress syndrome.” In order to survive this out-of-mind experience, Murray cultivated his innate sense of the bizarre.

Needless to say, Murray’s hapless experience in the army had put paid to any intention he might have had to study psychology of any description.

Instead, fortuitously, it was suggested that he do a two-year course in sound engineering at the SABC. This not only gave him an excellent grounding in the field, but also exposed him to further off-the-wall experiences, like swigging Oros laced with gin to deaden the boredom of recording church services.

After his stint at the SABC, he managed to land a job at Sonovision, one of the biggest recording studios in Johannesburg. In this somewhat unreal world, he recorded literally hundreds of ads and jingles (many of which he wrote himself and can still sing!) and Springbok Radio serials like Squad Cars, Taxi, Dans van die Flaminke and The Mind of Tracy Dark which achieved nothing short of cult status in those pre-TV days.

If business was good in Jozie, he heard that in Cape Town, where many corporate head offices were located, it could be stellar. So with 10 years’ experience behind him, he hightailed it to the cool, laid-back culture of the Mother City where he became a partner in the fledgling B&S Studios.

During the next 10 years, he travelled to New York on three occasions (“All expenses paid including accommodation in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel!”) to receive Gold Clio Awards – the highest international recognition for advertising excellence, one for Best Radio Production and two for Best Original Music for Television and Film.

Then, after setting up yet another recording studio in Cape Town — Milestone Studios – where he spent the

next 15 years, he reached a milestone of his own. He’d had a serious brush with death when he was attacked in his home in Pinelands and “rolled up in a carpet and left to die” and so, at the age of 55 he decided to get the hell out of the big city and, together with his sister and brother-in-law, bought a smallholding in the Tulbagh Valley.

None of them knew the first thing about farming, so it was always going to be a disaster waiting to happen.

And it did, many times over. Murray’s alarming farming exploits over the next six years are recorded in great and hilarious detail by Snowy, the

Murray has a love of language which is palpable. He loves words and enjoys manipulating them in unexpected ways to bring out the South African-ness of our polyglot way of expressing ourselves. Although he admits that finding a new topic each week is not always easy, history is always a good source, as is the ‘Big Orange’, the current incumbent of the White House. If all else fails, Snowy is always on hand to make a suggestion or two.

The good news is that 52 of the ‘Wits End’ pieces have been anthologised in a new publication called Wit’s End – The Movie, with cover illustrations by Hermanus’s own Menzies.

The usual array of ridiculous characters and situations are on parade, ranging from Klippies Combrink, the concertina-player (‘Don’t Kraai for Me, Concertina’), the horror of quiz games, shoppers at the mall, baboon behaviour and trends in popular music.

This stocking filler is guaranteed to put the merry back into Christmas in these troubling times, so rush to the stores listed at the end of his column and grab a copy for you and your friend – and while you’re about it, you might even find the last of a few remaining copies of Snowy – Another African Farm – for your friend’s dog.

Enjoy!

12 December 2018

www.thevillagenews.co.za

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

Zille to return amid promise of continued protests Writer Raphael Da Silva

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fter a day of peaceful protest last Friday

by Overstrand Unite at the Overstrand Municipality main offices in Hermanus, which ended with a promise by Premier Helen Zille to return on 15 December, further protest action, this time targeted against individual businesses, is being planned.

A statement released on Monday by Zwelihle Renewal, a member of the Overstrand Unite (OU) coalition, stated: “Another peaceful protest will be announced soon. It is directed at the employers and companies that threatened their employees.” The statement goes on to name these alleged companies and to call for further names.

During the meeting between OU and Zille, MPP Masizole Mnqasela and Executive Mayor Dudley Coetzee, which followed the protest march by some 1 500 people, OU presented three memorande.

The first was the original memorandum of 22 demands that OU initially presented on 5 November, along with the responses from the

municipality. The second called for Municipal Manager, Coenie Groenewald, to be dismissed, while the third demanded that the council be dissolved, and new by-elections held. A fourth memorandum was presented by Rob Fryer of Whale Coast Conservation. (See P8)

documents to Mnqasela who would pass them to the appropriate people. She requested Fryer to send his document to Anton Bredell, Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. She also promised to give her copy to her legal advisor.

In response, Zille said: “As you know, we have to follow the constitution of South Africa.” She added that there was a very clear process for the appointment of a municipal manager, that a very detailed motivation of why he should be dismissed would need to be submitted, and that one would then “need to follow the steps of the law. I haven’t seen any substantiation for this demand.”

The Premier also touched on the Schulphoek land in Hermanus as well as the issue of land invasions in general.

With regards to dissolving the council, the Premier said: “This is a very serious step which happens only when service delivery has ground to a halt. It can only happen when very serious allegations or misdeeds have been proven.” Zille also said that the courts have been very clear on this issue, citing examples of “water not coming out of taps” or “no electricity” as reasons for dissolution.

Zille encouraged OU to fully document their claims and asked them to send any further

On Schulphoek, she was very clear. “We all agree it should be expropriated.” But, she added, “We can only expropriate if there is an orderly plan. We cannot do it if there are shacks on the land” as “legitimate beneficiaries lose out.” She said that she was “prepared to do the expropriation with the municipality at a cost defined by the court” and promised that she “will go to my legal advisor to find a way forward to expropriate the land”.

On land invasion, the Premier said that the government was coming to the view that “if people invade land, it is not going to be serviced”.

The Premier will return on Saturday to give feedback on the issues that were raised by OU and Whale Coast Conservation.

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12 December 2018

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Soaring high as a kite

PHOTO: Taylum Meyer

Writer Tweet Gainsborough-Waring

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itesurfing will have your heart pumping adrenalin and endorphins coursing through your body all in one go. And it doesn’t matter whether you are a spectator or a participant; the effects will be pretty much the same for this extreme sport which could be described as exhilaration on steroids.

Cape Town and Hawaii are the two destinations topping any serious kitesurfer’s bucket list. The Western Cape has three top spots: Langebaan, Blaauwberg Strand and Hermanus, which draw not only locals but top professionals looking for optimum practise conditions. Why? Because they have all the right conditions – flat water, consistent winds and magnificent scenery.

The latter is a huge plus factor because as anyone involved in a sport which harnesses the elements knows, you sometimes have to spend time waiting for all those elements to gel, so it might as well be in a beautiful place.

Coastal venues more often than not meet the criteria required for great surfing: plenty of wind and rivers emptying into the sea creating lagoons where the water is ‘flat’ and the depth sufficient to accommodate a soft landing.

So what do you need to take part?

That is, apart from a good dollop of common sense, because after all, you are dealing with the elements of nature which can be unpredictable at best. According to Scott Soothill, a Hermanus-based instructor and co-owner of Lizette’s Kitchen, you will need a short wet suit, sunscreen, a bottle of water and an instructor.

Safety is paramount, so the Klein River Lagoon, surrounded primarily by dunes and fynbos, makes for a relatively soft landing should you get blown off course. The majority of injuries sustained while kite surfing,

says Scott, happen on land rather than in the water, or during take-off and landing.

Do you need to be fit? Kitesurfing, as with so many sports, requires a fitness tailored to its needs. So yes, after your first session you may well find yourself aware of muscles you didn’t know you had, but with time these muscles will adapt to the new demands.

Scott’s advice to those who get hooked is to have reliable gear; you don’t want to get caught out with a technical malfunction should you be surfing a big wave or flying through the air.

Strength is not a prerequisite; in fact, according to Scott, the first lesson is often spent developing sensitivity to what the winds are offering you via the kite and its lines. In essence you are learning to harness the wind. Pilots and sailors make great kitesurfers because of their understanding of how to handle this variable natural element.

Kitesurfing is more than just skimming across the water at speed. You can take ‘big air’ in the jumps, do freestyle, a kind of gymnastics in the air, or surf waves. All of which can be done at the Klein River mouth/Grotto beach venue where, if the wind isn’t right, you can enjoy the fact that you are sandwiched between the mountains and the ocean – and, in season, the whales.

I happened to go down to the lagoon one blustery afternoon, and was fortunate to see some of the best in action, including a French professional and Ross Dillon, who holds the SA record for the highest jump (29.9m at Blaauwberg), along with up-andcoming youngster Josh Gillet from Bot River. Josh is already registering some massive jumps (these are recorded by an app attached to the board) and will hopefully be sub-

mitting an entry video for the Junior division of the next Red Bull King of the Air competition.

Scott is without a doubt passionate about the sport and his eyes positively glazed over when he described to me a recent perfect ride when he and some mates caught a wave and travelled almost 500m from one side of the lagoon mouth to Grotto’s blue flag beach.

After a tough week, what could make for a better late Friday afternoon start to your weekend?

Coincidentally, the best conditions are often found between 16:30 and 17:00. A tight window of opportunity, but for the aficionados it’s worth it to pack the car and go when you receive #westisbest.

But for Scott, who brings a decade of teaching experience to Hermanus shores (he founded the second kitesurfing school in Vietnam), the kitesurfing scene is the tip of an economic power house as can be seen from statistics.

Top professionals are drawn to the venue because conditions are good for wave surfing and aerial moves. In addition, equipment manufacturers use the venue to test out refinements to their gear for the coming season.

All of which brings revenue to the town. The kitesurfing community is one in which individuals look out for

PHOTO: Shirley Gillet

TOP: The Klein River Lagoon Estuary at Grotto East has become a favourite playground for kitesurfers from all over the world.

ABOVE: Josh Gillet from Bot River takes a wave.

their mates, as illustrated by a recent incident in which a German tourist lost his board at the lagoon. It was recovered by a local and handed in at Kite Surf Hermanus. Scott circulated the find via the kitesurfing community on social media and within two hours the owner was found. One delighted German tourist reunited with his board flew home the next day.

With plus factors like this, kitesurfing encourages a positive and healthy lifestyle, and adds to the town’s coffers while increasing awareness of the need to protect and conserve our unique environment. It’s no wonder people are keen to give it a go.

Visit us on www.thevillagenews.co.za for more A Far Kraai stories.

12 December 2018

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Ken ‘Whaleman’ Moore retired last week as the marine specialist guide for Southern Right Charters and handed over the mic to his understudy Josh Booysens.

So long, Mr. Whale Man Writer & Photographer Jeremy Ryall

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sk any local who Ken Moore is, and the answer will be short and simple: The Whale Man.

Over the last 18 years Ken has become an institution in Hermanus, not only as the tour guide on Southern Right Charters (SRC), but also as a keen photographer, handyman (having built his own off-road caravan) and a walking encyclopedia about all aquatic creatures big and small in Walker Bay. Ken’s photos of whales and other sea creatures have been sold world-wide and have brought the sights of Hermanus into homes and offices all over the world.

On Wednesday 5 December, Ken made his last trip entertaining and, more importantly, educating whale watchers about these magnificent creatures that visit our shores every year.

“I have done about 5 500 trips over the last 18 years, which equates to 125 000 km or three trips around the earth. All of that was done in this bay alone, so I basically know each and every bit of it. I wouldn’t even want to hazard a guess at how many

people have come on trips with us.

They have come from every corner of the world to see our whales, from Panama to Turkey and from Russia to Bulgaria,” says Ken. Growing up in Old Constantia near Cape Town, when it was “all still just farmland”, the ocean and its creatures have always had a special place in Ken’s heart.

“I have always been interested in cetaceans,” quips Ken, knowing full-well that one will have to go and look up the meaning of the word. (Cetaceans is the term for all whales, dolphins and porpoises who between them form a single group. It’s a huge group, though, comprising around 90 species, for those who were wondering.)

“I saw my first whale when I was about six years old and ever since, I have had a great love for them.

When we were out at sea fishing as a boy, I always saw the whales and dolphins around the boat and grew to respect them,” says Ken. After working in sales and management in Port Elizabeth, Ken was convinced by a friend in 2001 to move to Hermanus and join the whalewatching industry. Here Ken met up

with Shaun Alcock of SRC, a pioneer in the boat whale-watching industry in Hermanus since 1999. Shaun navigated the waters of establishing the industry while Ken provided the insight, the voice, and the education on board.

“Education. That is the main ingredient in making a trip worthwhile for the tourists. Through the years I learned a lot about our ocean and its creatures and it has been my privilege to share it with visitors.

Luckily, I have an inquiring mind,” smiles Ken. Ken will be leaving the helm as SRC’s marine specialist guide in the capable hands of Josh Booysens, who has been Ken’s apprentice for the past six months.

Ken and his wife Betty will be moving to Jacobsbaai on the West Coast next year, where he hopes Christmas time won’t be as ‘hectic’.

His last day at sea was quite emotional for Ken. “My voice got a bit croaky when I was thanking all my fellow crew members and passengers on my last trip. The last 18 years have been tremendous, a whale of a time…”

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Healthy and robust debate are crucial for democracy. The Village NEWS firmly believes in freedom of the press as well as the right of individuals to freely express themselves, as long as they don’t infringe upon the rights of others. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors therefore do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of The Village NEWS. Enjoy our paper.

The Editorial Team.

LET’S TALK T: 028 312 2020 A: 8 Arum St, Hermanus Industrial

GAS DELIVERIES

Civil unrest exposes failures of the municipality Recent civil unrest in the Overstrand has exposed the failure of the Overstrand Municipality (OM) to plan according to Western Cape Provincial spatial plans and guidelines; the OM continues to plan unilaterally and implement plans that are contrary to the wishes of the community at large.

An open letter sent by me some weeks ago to Masizole Mnqasela has elicited no response.

Whale Coast Conservation places on record the following serious concerns regarding the modus operandi of the OM. Irregular appointment of the municipal manager and senior management (directors) The Municipal Systems Act (MSA) stipulates: “The employment contract for a municipal manager must be for a fixed term of employment not exceeding a period ending two years after the election of the next council of the municipality.” This also applies to managers reporting to the municipal manager. Continued employment of the municipal manager is subject to satisfactory performance against performance objectives and timeframes contained in a separate performance agreement concluded annually with the executive mayor. The continued employment of managers reporting to the municipal manager is also subject to them achieving performance standards set annually in performance agreements between them and the municipal manager.

However, the incumbent municipal manager and managers reporting to him have, on their own recommendation, been appointed by council until retirement age. This was done at a special council meeting called for 18:00 on 20 December 2010. Performance agreements for

these managers will not address performance issues in the manner envisaged because the standards are proposed by the incumbents themselves without critical public scrutiny.

The senior management echelon is thus accountable only to itself. The implications of this are obvious and underpin most of the problems experienced in the area.

Lip service is paid to the public participation process by senior management The MSA stipulates that the municipal manager, subject to the policy directions of the municipal council, is responsible and accountable for the formation and development of an accountable administration that is responsive to the needs of the local community to participate in the affairs of the municipality.

The OM municipal manager has indeed maintained a ward committee system that is compliant administratively with paragraph 72 of the Municipal Structures Act. However, the public participation process for projects that have been decided on by the OM is uniformly inadequate.

The system has been used largely as a channel to selectively disseminate information from the administration to representatives of civil society organisations.

The OM must be directed to engage in genuine and meaningful public participation.

The Integrated Development Plan and Spatial Development Framework The contents of the IDP and SDF are formulated by the administration and do not reflect policy deliberated on, understood, and decided by council.

Public comment on the contents of these crucial documents is treated dismissively by the OM. As a result,

the IDP and SDF do not reflect the wishes of the Overstrand community, but those of an administration that is not accountable to the public it serves. No more than lip service has been paid throughout the development of the Overstrand’s IDP and SDF to guidelines provided by the provincial government.

Zone scheme regulations for protected areas are not consistent with national legislation, nor with the provincial zone scheme model The Overstrand zone scheme regulations for protected areas differ fundamentally from the model provided to municipalities by the provincial government. They aim to materially reduce the intended level of protection afforded to protected areas by the National Environmental Management Act: Protected Areas.

Although this was pointed out during the public participation process to the Overstrand Infrastructure and Planning Department, this input was ignored, and no justification was given for this.

Municipal Planning Tribunal does not comply with legislation The composition of the MPT does not comply with the requirements of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, which requires that the MPT must consist of (a) officials in the full-time service of the municipality; and (b) persons appointed by the municipal council who are not officials and who have (relevant and specified) knowledge and experience. The regulations further amplify this by stipulating that all members of the tribunal must have knowledge and expertise in spatial planning, land use management and land development.

Members of the OM MPT are the direct subordinates of the municipal manager and one provincial official.

Several of these directors have no

expertise in spatial planning or land use management or development.

There is no non-governmental or community representation despite applications from eminently qualified persons. No member has environmental knowledge or expertise.

Paragraph 38(3) states that should the municipality have an interest in the outcome of deliberations by the MPT the members affected should recuse themselves. In the OM MPT this would leave only the provincial official – way below the numbers required in the Act for a meeting.

Irregular extension of the urban edge The Greater Hermanus urban edge was extended between the 2013/14 and the 2014/15 SDF published in the IDP documents to incorporate agricultural land between Hawston and Benguela Cove, currently undergoing environmental impact assessment.

This extension was not made known other than by changing the line showing the urban edge on maps in the SDF. It was not raised in the council’s planning portfolio committee meetings, the ward committee meetings, the Overstrand Municipal Advisory Forum, or in council meetings, nor was the provincial MEC consulted on the extension. The change in the urban edge is highly irregular and should not be approved without proper public participation.

Questionable planning causes environmental destruction After considerable public objection to the selling of the Checkers site to developers for a shopping centre, it was agreed that the development would incorporate an element of affordable housing to assist in community integration. This did not happen; instead, the Schulphoek land was sold for a paltry sum to the same developer for this purpose. After some years of inaction, advertisements for an upmarket development on the site caused great concern and the site has been overrun by disaffected persons who are currently destroying

the milkwood forest on the site in order to erect shacks. Milkwood is a protected species but neither the OM nor the developer have taken any action to protect the forest, which is a legal obligation. The developer has expressed his willingness to sell the site back to government at a market-related price. Questionable planning decisions and the inept handling by the OM of the resultant volatility are directly responsible for the destruction of a priceless environmental heritage site.

The issues outlined above have serious implications for the conservation, preservation and integrity of the natural environment of the Overstrand – and by extension, of community cohesion. The economy of this area is wholly dependent on the responsible and accountable management of its environment.

The OM has demonstrated a consistent willingness to subvert the sustainable care of the environment in pursuit of questionable planning. It has not, however, demonstrated that it has the capacity to cope with the levels of public dissatisfaction with this approach that are now clearly evident in the area.

A competent mediator, who is credible to all parties, should be appointed to mediate between representatives of all interest groups in the community and the OM to resolve the large number of grievances against the OM. Failure to do so is likely to see a continued slide into disrespect for law and order and result in a state of anarchy and rampant crime. (Letter shortened – Ed) Read the full letter on our Facebook page.

Rob Fryer, Chair: Whale Coast Conservation The Overstrand Municipality indicated that they will answer the questions posed after proper consultation with amongst others the Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille.

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

Same coin, two sides…

Overstrand Unite has turned the spotlight on their demands for better delivery of housing opportunities and their calls for the council to be dissolved and the Municipal Manager to be fired.

This was done by drumming up support from members of the black, white and coloured communities to take part in the protest. The march ended without any serious incidents and not one arrest was made, putting paid to the notion that violent protests are the norm in South Africa.

The march led to Premier Helen Zille getting personally involved.

After a full day of tough negotiations behind closed doors, there was a collective sigh of relief by

A Far Kraai

residents when the march ended on Friday evening without any violence or major disruptions caused by road closures.

Coverage of the action was followed by millions of people world-wide and the message from the disgruntled residents was received loud and clear. The ball is now in the court of the municipality and the Premier to ensure that progress is made in mapping the way forward.

But while the march had the desired effect of making the voices of the voiceless heard, it also had an impact on our already suffering business community. Trade over the past weekend was weak because many businesses, especially restaurants, could not open their doors due to

staff shortages on Friday.

In this respect, the statements that were made this week that the protests were not at an end and that Friday’s march would be followed by more marches targeting specific businesses are disheartening. The simple fact of the matter is that while we are faced with serious challenges, we cannot allow for our economy to suffer further damage.

Business is the main driver of our community and placing them under more strain will not help further the cause. Rather it will increase the social ills that come with poverty, unemployment and disenfranchisement.

The way forward must now be taken

in partnership with business to chart the way in which we can create a society that is able to afford the social change we need.

Let us not be under any illusion that the way to solve our problems lies in socialism, communism or anarchy. We are a constitutional democracy and if we want to play a part in the future of our region, we need to stick to the rules.

This issue is indeed two sides of the same coin. On the one side is the need for social change, and on the other is business, the main contributor to the process. It’s the same coin. Save it, don’t spend it.

This is the good NEWS – Ed

The Holidays: Wake up and smell the toys By Murray Stewart (old photo)

In the North, it seems their world is awash with waves of foreigners attempting to enter another country as refugees. According to the Angry Orange, these groups of would-be asylum seekers are riddled with drug smugglers, rapists, gangsters, thieves, men carrying prayer mats, men without prayer mats, more drug smugglers, some lap dancers and lawyers.

People should brace themselves.

Well, this movement of people is not restricted to the North only. Although the influxees to our Southern lands don’t harbour malign intentions or refugee status, residents in coastal towns around Walker Bay are gritting their teeth and clenching their buns (Lat: shrinkum sphincti) in anticipation of the huge increase in foreign number plates to their neck of the hoods.

Accompanying these number plates are humans in various shapes and sizes, all bursting to run riot through the mountains and across the beaches. About half of them carry wallets stuffed with credit cards and folding

stuff, and fortunately their currency – albeit from as far afield as Upington and Downton Abbey – is accepted here without suspicion. This influx herds the locals into two kraals: Kraal 1 contains people who don’t give a fig about bulging wallets.

They’re often retirees or regular folks with normal office jobs – nine-to-five, rain or shine – who don’t need to rely on the sale of sun-block, wine safaris or the whales’ reproductive cycles to earn a living.

They stay away from town as much as possible because stores resemble an all-in wrestling extravaganza, in noise level, brutality and aroma. There’s no parking anyway, so they shop at their suburban outlets instead, keeping their heads down and wishing these buitelanders would just bugger off.

Most of them wear beige and are grumpy anyway.

Kraal 2 is totally the opposite. These folks relish the prospect of wallet-wielders – the bigger the bulge the better. Ka-tjieng! They are in the hospitality industry, and delight in the so-called horrors of the tourist season. To off-set the lean periods, they rely on a smooth turnover of

heads on pillows, bums on seats and stocks on shelves at this time of year.

This got us thinking.

Around Xmas, we traditionally swap gifts with friends and relative strangers (never mind strange relatives) and toys, artworks, clothing, booze and books tend to fly off the shelves.

So a couple of elves from the Duck ’n Fiddle’s Explanation of Everything ferreted through various shops to uncover what toys the manufacturers decided the kids will get this year.

Well, I don’t know about you, but growing up we got stuff we could actually play on, around, in or with, which would often reveal an early talent. Like a box of paints, a mini tool kit, the Famous 5/Hardy Boys adventures, marbles, Lego, dolls, mud pies and kites.

They developed us both physically and creatively. Hand-eye coordination was improved, and the books provided our young ‘theatres-of-themind’ with an empty stage, for us to fill with our imaginations.

Today’s kids and grown-ups are mainly interested in what they can thumb into and get out of a screen, which

can vary in size from a matchbox to a beer truck. Sadly, their brains will deteriorate gradually into an unset blancmange as their imaginations become conditioned to stray no further than their thumbs.

Which begs the question: What other present can you give addicted thumbsters that’ll expand their horizons beyond their screens and last longer than a few months?

Well, we might just have the answer.

It’ll stretch the imagination, sharpen the mind and crack a smile or two, all for the cost of a couple of burgers ’n chips. It’s an ideal gift for Xmas, birthdays, Father’s/Mother’s Day, barmitzvahs and anniversaries – or just for yourself. So buy two, and cheer someone up with my new book Wit’s End, a collection of 52 stories (Silver Award – Columnist of the Year) published during 2017 in The Village NEWS (Gold Award – Best Independent Newspaper). They’ll thank you.

There. Snuck in a quick plug, hopefully without the editor spotting, but Wit’s End is available soon at Quirk & Leopard, bookmark, Hemingways, The Book Cottage and SANTA Book Shop. Cheer up.

A good day to thank and give back …

Between 8 and 9am Park Runners and Early Birders pay only R10 for a cup of artisanal coffee of their choice.

Mmm … Young Charel reckons he still beats Wihan at his game because his live music is for free!

Yummy, yummy, yummy I’ve got lôôôve in my tummy …

Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00 | Die Markie (Saturdays) 09:00 – 13:00

17 Village Lane Hemel en Aarde Village Hermanus 028 316 1875

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12 December 2018

LET’S TALK The plight of a shabby CBD In the column Opinion Matters (TVN 5 December 2018) Raphael da Silva’s piece Reinvent yourself, CBD clearly defines the plight of the Hermanus Old Town.

This desperate situation has been debated and discussed ad infinitum over the years, with countless proposals to the municipality, as well as letters to the media requesting urgent attention to revitalise the CBD. Seeing no results, a group of CBD business owners in 2017 formed HOT (Hermanus Old Town) in a concerted effort to bring attention to the dire necessity of restoring this historic area, especially in view of the opening of the new mall at the end of last year. Despite these concerns being voiced by HOT, their requests have continued to fall on deaf ears.

Five years ago, the municipality consulted a firm of town planners which formulated a proposal to revitalise this area, at the time, enthusiastically received both by residents and the municipal authorities, but to date nothing has happened. The question is asked, in light of the past, will Da Silva’s erudite article make any difference?

Both the attitude and lack of communication of the municipality to real problems in the town have already surfaced in the recent unrest and disturbances, resulting in a negative impact on the CBD, and a situation which in effect has taken local businesses hostage.

Not only the indifference of the municipality but also the added problem of the irresponsible negligence in controlling the ongoing

vagrancy and unskilled car marshals in the area which is fuelling crime in this locale. Such a situation could be averted by Municipal Law Enforcement Officers whose main concern seems rather to focus on ticketing cars while ignoring the real problems as outlined.

The threat to the future of the CBD is currently evidenced by the major chain stores such as Clicks, Edgars and Foschini which no longer carry the full range of their products in town and whose staff advise customers to go to the mall where they will have a larger choice.

But it is not all bad news. Recently, The Wine Glass opened its doors in Harbour Road, an innovative and exciting addition, boosting the Old Town and tourism. Their beautiful Chill Guru tour bus is a work of art on wheels.

Adding to the picture, the neighbouring art galleries, The Surf Shop, Alley’s Shoes and Hemingways Bookshop in Warrington Place have recently painted their exteriors in a BoKaap colour chart which enhances this locale with its creativity. This is just what is needed to beautify the Old Town and make it attractive and user-friendly to visitors. The popular First Fridays Artwalk is an illustration of what can be done to make this area a vibrant destination and landmark.

Both the municipality’s lack of vision and the absence of any proactive tourism bureau simply means that they are killing the goose that lays the golden egg. With no goose there will subsequently be no egg, but also, there will be no CBD. Noel Hunt

AND THE WINNER IS...

Who makes the best pizza in the Overberg? You spoke.

We listened. And by a wide margin, with over 50% of the votes, Embers, in Hermanus, won. Congratulations! Rossi’s and VB’s, both in Hermanus, also deserve honorable mention.

The news is a calming read This morning when I wanted to start my brain stimulation exercise, I realised that I don’t have this week’s Sudoku (and bless you for placing them weekly now), so I went and collected your newspaper.

actually looked beautiful and pleasant. In forgetting to take my blood pressure pills this morning in the rush, your paper has saved me.

It was calming and the layout out of the entire paper was inviting to read.

When I saw The Village NEWS – after a few crazy and stressful days, blood pressure ready to explode – I was surprised and gobsmacked!

It was wow!

I think your best edition yet. Your website is a great compliment to the paper too. Well done to you and the team.

You have upped your game and the paper

JJ Swindon

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Great year for Bouchard Finlayson Established in 1989 in the scenic Hemel-enAarde Valley on 125 hectares of Walker Bay’s prime viticultural land, Bouchard Finlayson Vineyard and Winery is a small cellar, dedicated to the quality production of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Red Blends.

The flagship wine of Bouchard Finlayson’s founder, celebrated winemaker and ‘Pinot Pioneer’, Peter Finlayson, is the estate’s multi award-winning Galpin Peak Pinot Noir. Among this year’s accolades was a gold medal for the 2016 Galpin Peak Pinot Noir at the International Wine Challenge 2018, as well as trophies for Best SA Pinot Noir and Best SA Red. The Galpin Peak Pinot Noir was also ranked as the Top Pinot Noir in South Africa at the 2018 South African Wine Index (SAWi) Fine Wine Awards, scoring a full 100 marks and claiming the no.1 spot for the tenth year in a row.

Bouchard Finlayson is not only known for its world-class Pinot Noir but also for its range of exciting, full-bodied Chardonnays. Its reputation as one of South Africa’s leading Chardonnay producers was once again confirmed by the 2018 SAWi Awards where the Bouchard Finlayson Overberg Crocodile’s Lair/Kaaimansgat Chardonnay received a Platinum rating (96.78), while the Bouchard Finlayson Hemelen-Aarde Valley Missionvale Chardonnay scored a Grand Gold (94.69).

In addition, Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal was rated first in the class of Unique Red Wine Blends, for the intriguing blend of Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Italian cultivars (Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Mourvédre and Barbera). Collectively, these high scores have placed Bouchard Finlayson in the Top 5 Red Wine producers and in the Top 10 Wine Producers overall in South Africa for 2018.

More recently, the 2013 Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir also took a gold medal at the international Six Nations Wine Challenge 2018, in a prestigious line-up of the best ‘New World Wines’ produced in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Canada, the USA and South Africa.

At this trailblazing estate, now owned by the Red Carnation Hotels’ Tollman family and under the leadership of Victoria Tollman, cellar master

FESTIVE FUN FOR ALL

The Bouchard Finlayson team, with cellar master Peter Finlayson standing on the left and winemaker Chris Albrecht sitting in front of him.

Peter Finlayson, winemaker Chris Albrecht and their team are not only serious about producing world-class wines but also about conservation and sustainability.

Bouchard Finlayson is a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Conservation Champion and, in the interests of biodiversity, only 25 hectares of the estate are currently under vine, of which 50% is devoted to Pinot Noir. The remaining 100 hectares are natural, protected fynbos that includes more than 330 plant species. Visitors are invited to take self-guided walks along a choice of three routes, ranging between 45 minutes and two and a half hours, to experience the natural beauty of the estate and to learn more about the rich Cape Floral Kingdom.

As the festive season approaches, Bouchard

Finlayson looks forward to welcoming visitors and all their family. Wine tasting is offered in the cellar and cellar tours are available by prior reservation. Visitors are invited to relax on the terrace overlooking the vineyard and the valley beyond, while children will enjoy running around the lush lawns and the courtyard. Fun activities and delicious healthy treats may be purchased for the little ones and delicious deli platters can be pre-ordered to enjoy with a bottle of estate wine.

Bouchard Finlayson is open for tastings and sales Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00. For further information call 028 312 3515 or email info@bouchardfinlayson.co.za or visit www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za.

WINE TASTING Wine Tastings are offered showcasing Bouchard Finlayson’s latest vintages – white blend Blanc de Mer 2017; Sauvignon Blanc 2018; Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2016; Sans Barrique Chardonnay 2017; Kaaimansgat/Crocodile’s Lair Chardonnay 2016; Missionvale Chardonnay 2016 and Bouchard Finlayson’s famed red blend, the Hannibal 2016. Also available for tasting is Peter Finlayson’s award-winning flagship wine, Galpin Peak Pinot Noir (currently the 2017 vintage).

Cost: R30 pp to taste 3 wines; R50 pp to taste 6 wines.

PETER’S PICKS Peter Finlayson has hand-picked a selection of special, older vintages that are on display in the Collector’s Corner and make for excellent festive season gifts. Available for sale at the cellar door.

CELLAR TOURS AND LARGER GROUPS Cellar tours are available by prior arrangement and with advance reservation.

Cost: R50 pp DELI PLATTERS Generous platters served on wooden boards made from old wine barrels, laden with a selection of charcuterie, mild Gruberg cheese, Colby cheese, ciabatta, estate olive oil, olives, olive tapenade and mixed nuts can be pre-ordered.

Cost: R240, serving 2 people.

SNACK BOXES FOR CHILDREN Filled with healthy treats for the little ones, including a fruit juice, a bag of cookies, dried fruit roll, packet of savoury provita crackers and mini cheese rounds.

NATURE WALKS Guided Walking Trails (choose between 45 minutes, 60 minutes and 2,5 hours) can be prebooked, led by Bouchard Finlayson’s resident amateur botanist and conservationist, Frank Woodvine. (The nature trails are also available to hikers to use unguided and free of charge, after they have collected maps and signed indemnity forms at the cellar door).

Cost: R400 for up to 6 people, thereafter an additional R60 pp - maximum 12 people in a group (Pre-booking a week in advance).

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12 December 2018 | HISTORY

Hermanus tearooms of yesteryear In his new series on the history of tea rooms, cafés and restaurants in Hermanus, DR ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society takes a look at three tearooms that were popular in their day among locals and visitors.

CYPRESS TREE TEA GARDENS This is one of the few establishments where a building from the 1920s still stands and is still used for the same function. However, the building did not begin life as a café or tea room.

Rather, it was closely related to the only productive activity in the town – fishing.

In the 1870s, a sailor named Jean-Louis built a structure near Visbaai (as the Old Harbour was known) and started a boat-building and boat-repair business. It was located where the Burgundy Restaurant now is. In about 1902, John (nicknamed Swede) planted a cypress tree in the small garden around his home and business.

and used it as a tasting venue for his wines. He gave it the name of The Burgundy. In the 1980s it became a restaurant and has remained so until today. Under the expert hand of Chef Rudolf van der Berg and his team, The Burgundy has become a top tourist attraction due to its location and reputation for excellent food. Parts of the building are classified as a national monument.

BALCONY TEA ROOM For several decades, the Balcony Tea Room operated on the first floor of the Balcony Building (numbers 58-62 Main Road), that is today mainly associated with The Factory Shop.

In 1928, the property was bought

by Miss Ethel Rubery, who had been a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in WWI serving in Egypt, and who worked tirelessly for St Dunstan’s during WWII. She converted the cottage into a tea garden, under the name Cypress Tree Tea Gardens. It was a popular venue and continued under that name until after WWII.

The Balcony Building was constructed in the early 1900s, perhaps as early as 1906. The work was done by Robert Walter MacFarlane (1874 - 1955), son of one of the original settlers, who was also named Walter MacFarlane. Several of the men in the family were named Walter, so Robert Walter was generally known as Wattie. The Balcony Building was almost certainly the largest commercial building in Hermanus at the time it was built.

We know that Brian McFarlane briefly managed the Cypress Tree Tea Gardens before he started the abalone canning factory at the New Harbour in 1954. At one point, the building almost disappeared. S J du Toit describes events as follows:

It is not clear when the Tea Room started business in the Balcony Building, but Joey Luyt records that it was operating by 1930 and was famous for its ‘mixed grills’, available after the regular dances and the cinema show ended each evening.

In 1968, the building was nearly lost to the greed of developers. When villagers heard that plans were afoot to demolish the old building… concerned citizens made every attempt to save the building. By the generosity of Jack and Pamela Swart, who provisionally bought it, a breath-space was created, delaying demolition.

Peter van Dyk told S J du Toit that in the 1950s, We loved the Balcony Tearoom where we could sit on the balcony and see the street panorama below.

This was the place the young people congregated, chatting and listening to the jukebox. On the right side in the big hall was a roller-skating rink, later converted into offices… The Balcony was the main hall in the village. The BESL (British Empire Service League) held their annual Christmas function in

In 1979 the building was acquired by Tim Hamilton Russell who refitted it

Cypress Tree Tea Gardens

the roller-skating hall. The Grobbelaar Hall was not yet built…

Another regular user of the hall next to the Tea Room was the annual ‘wildflower show’. Long-standing Hermanus resident Nancy Okes recalls the event in the 1920s:

Balcony Tea Room

…Three long sets of trestle tables, covered with starched white cloths stretched down the room. On these were vases and pots and bowls of fynbos… Onlookers spoke in hushed tones. The scent was overwhelming…

Since starting this research, I have made contact with Mrs Sheila Addison whose family owned the Tea Room in the second half of the 20th century. Watch out for more details of the Balcony Tea Room.

Kraal Rock Tea Gardens

KRAAL ROCK TEA GARDENS Kraal Rock is one of the lesser-known sites in Hermanus history; yet it plays a role in many stories. It is located on the Main Road, roughly opposite the Golf Course, and is most easily recognised from Main Road by a large, grassy parking area, and the name ‘Kraal Rock’ painted on the wall of the house on your left coming from Voëlklip.

Historically, the name is said to derive from the many unfortunate people suffering from leprosy who were confined to a leper station in the Hemelen-Aarde Valley from the early 19th century. Occasionally they were allowed to leave the station and move over the mountain to come down to the sea. The famous Dr James Barry believed their health might improve if they spent some time close to or in the ocean. They brought their cattle with them, and these were held in a kraal where the open/parking space is now.

There was excellent fishing off the rocks at this point, and so the place

came to be known to fishermen as ‘Kraal Rock’. It was considered the best fishing spot for kabeljou and was crowded with anglers when the fish were ‘running’.

In the late 1920s, a tearoom was opened there to cater for the fishermen and travellers from the eastern suburbs of Hermanus. The tearoom specialised in homemade scones with jam and cream. In the 1930s the business was managed by Mr and Mrs Ling, a Scottish couple who flew the Scottish flag every day. The bus between the Marine and Riviera Hotels stopped there twice a day in season. Ella Gordon brought her

cart to a halt for tea whenever she was returning from Hermanus to her cottage in Voëlklip.

Kraal Rock is a windy spot, so the Lings built structures of bamboo in the garden to protect customers. Mr Ling has another claim to fame. He had made deliveries one day in Cape Town and concerned at driving an empty lorry to Hermanus, he decided to buy a considerable quantity of saplings he had seen, for resale in Hermanus. These turned out to be Norfolk Island pine trees. He sold these for 1 shilling and sixpence each.

They sold well, and now there are hundreds of the trees in Hermanus.

12 December 2018 | ACTIVITIES

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Grootbos – far from the madding crowd Writer Hedda Mittner The Grootbos Private Nature Reserve lies only a 30-minute drive to the east of Hermanus, yet it is a place of such incomparable beauty and tranquility that it feels almost like a different planet – one that has been left undisturbed for centuries.

Here, in the pristine wilderness of the reserve, one experiences nature in all its unspoiled splendor, the way the whole of Walker Bay must have been before humans settled in the area – wild, remote and exhilaratingly beautiful; its biodiversity and ecology in perfect balance.

I imagine that is the way Michael Lutzeyer and his family must have felt when they first set foot on Grootbos in 1991, when it was just a small farm on the fynbos-clad slopes overlooking the ocean near Gansbaai. In 1994 Michael sold his business interests in Cape Town and decided to develop a bed and breakfast on the site for local visitors, not knowing that soon he would be attracting visitors from across the globe.

Since then, through a combination of hard work, enthusiasm, vision and strong family cooperation, the Lutzeyers have turned the reserve into a world leader in progressive luxury tourism, transforming the lives of community members and preserving 2 500 hectares of botanical and wildlife treasures. Constantly researching, innovating and pioneering new ways of doing things, they have won many well-deserved eco-tourism awards along the way.

A visit to Grootbos is a truly unforgettable experience. Where else would you be able to immerse yourself in one of the most biodiverse natural landscapes on earth, with its unique fynbos kingdom and ancient milkwood forests, featuring 800-odd plant species, 118 bird species, 29 mammals and 21 amphibians – some of which are under threat of extinction?

Set into the hillside, the Forest Lodge

forms the hub of the reserve and houses the offices, lounge, dining room, barista bar, wine cellar, boma, gift shop, library and beauty salon.

The contemporary design incorporates natural materials such as wood and stone, and large expanses of glass ensure a seamless connection to the setting and the captivating 180 degree views.

Magical walkways through an enchanted milkwood forest lead to the 16 luxurious, free-standing suites that are spaced far enough apart that you are unaware of your neighbours. The uninterrupted views stretching all the way to the ocean, which can be enjoyed from the private patio, from your bed and even while lying in the bath, are simply breathtaking. You’ll never want to leave – and packing your bags is something you’ll do with a heavy heart.

During my stay at Grootbos I was so intoxicated by the peace and tranquility that I was tempted to just sit and relax while soaking up the fresh air and soothing sights, smells and sounds around me. That would have been a mistake, though, as there is so much to explore and discover. Their qualified guides are knowledgeable, attentive and eager to share their passion for nature conservation with visitors, offering 4X4 fynbos tours and guided hikes, bird-watching, horseback riding and coastal safaris, amongst others.

The latter entailed a tour along the rugged coastline nearby at De Kelders, where limestone caves provided shelter to our earliest ancestors during the Stone Age, followed by a coastal hike to a rocky outcrop overlooking a pristine, unpopulated stretch of beach. Here our guides treated us to a five-star picnic with bubbly while we watched the sun set over the ocean.

I couldn’t help but wonder why we often dream of that perfect destination and save up for trips to exotic locations halfway across the world,

with all the inevitable inconvenience of procuring travel documents and enduring long flights, when there is a veritable paradise lying right on our doorstep, a mere 30-minute drive away.

Yes, it is expensive, but what you’ll get is uncompromising luxury in harmony with nature, minus the hassle and cost of having to travel far. Not to mention priceless experiences that will open your eyes and heart – and stay with you forever.

For more information or booking enquiries, visit www.grootbos.com

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& DINE WINE

12 December 2018 | FOOD

Pinot Noir under the spotlight

LISTINGS

Pinot Noir is one of the most ancient cultivars.

The earliest mention was recorded in 1375, but evidence points to its existence stretching back as far as the Roman era, circa 100 AD. In the mid-1970s, Tim Hamilton Russell of Hamilton Russell Vineyards in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, played a huge role in unlocking the true potential of Pinot Noir in the country. Together with his then winemaker, Peter Finlayson, they proved the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to be ideal for Pinot Noir production.

It has become even more popular over the past 40 years. In fact, recent studies show that Pinot Noir is the 10th most widely-planted grape in the world!

Pinot Noir is also unique amongst red wines as it cannot be corrected. When making a Merlot for instance, it is considered acceptable to blend in a small Cabernet Sauvignon component to add complexity or perhaps tannin.

Pinot Noir however is so delicate that blending other varietals with it would not enhance the wine, but instead change its character.

Defining the Grape Pinot Noir takes its name from a combination of two French words: Pinot – pine cone-shaped fruit clusters, and Noir – the grape’s dark colour.

Pinot Noir is a finicky, less hardy grape than most other red skins. It offers a low yield and is subject to illness that can be brought on by wind, cold or hot weather. The grape does best in cool, dry climates with well-drained soil.

Minerality is often the term used to identify the expression of the soil that the grape is grown in. The expressions may vary from “slate” and “chalky” to general terms like “stony” or “forest”

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floor. New World wines tend to exhibit more “fruit-forward” brilliance.

Wine Village is proud to stock both 5-star Platter 2019 Pinot Noir winners: Crystallum

by Peter Allan Finlayson and Newton Johnson Family Vineyards.

Our Top 10 choices for Pinot Noir at the Christmas table are: 1. David Nieuwoudt: Ghost Corner 2. Saurwein: Nom Pinot Noir 3. De Grendel: Op die Berg Pinot Noir 4. The Giant Periwinkle: The old Lady on the Corner Pinot Noir 5.Matthew van Heerden: Limited Release Pinot Noir 6. Chautara: Limited Release Pinot Noir 7. Thorn and Daughters: Copper Pot Pinot Noir 8. Die Kat se Snor: Pinot Noir 9. Richard Kershaw: The Smugglers Boot Pinot Noir 10. Springfield Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir food pairing: The lightest among the red grapes, known for its elegance and finesse, Pinot Noir is a delicate yet aromatic and spicy wine that goes well with almost any food: Bacon-stuffed mushroom, pan-grilled salmon, crayfish on the braai, roast pork loin, roast chicken… And of course the best pairing with a Pinot Noir is a second bottle of Pinot Noir!

In the end, ignore the critics and follow your own palate and tastes because Pinot Noir is changing the world, one little thin-skinned grape at a time.

- Proudly brought to you by Wine Village

12 December 2018 | FOOD

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

Xtreme Cuisine this season Writer Taylum Meyer

Entries for the 2019 Walkerbay Xtreme are now open via walkerbayxtreme.com

Photographer Johann Minnaar Hermanus has not only become a mecca for extreme sports but is now introducing foodies to the concept of extreme cuisine. Each of the restaurants participating in the HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme Cuisine initiative has added one high-powered dish to their menu that is especially designed to provide the energy athletes require for the high level of physical exertion associated with extreme sports.

The HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme (WBX) will be back for its fourth year in Hermanus in 2019. The sports festival, consisting of 15 events over the course of three days, will take place from Friday 26 April to Sunday 28 April. In the run-up to the event, the WBX team has added Xtreme Cuisine to the festival calendar, which will run from 12 December to 9 January 2019.

“The Walkerbay Xtreme aims to promote Hermanus and the surrounding areas to local and international sports enthusiasts as a world-class destination for sports-tourism. In doing so, the multi-day festival will raise the profile of the region and extend the tourism season so as to boost the local economy and promote community development,” explains Gerhadi

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Odendal, CEO of Old School Group (OSG), the organisers of the WBX. The WBX comprises a mix of events and everyone, no matter their sporting ability or age, is invited to participate in as many of the events as they like. With 15 sporting events on offer, participants will be spoilt for choice.

There will be all the old favourites, of course – the Big 6 Xtreme, triathlon, MTB criterium, open water swim, surfski and SUP events, as well as the adrenaline-pumping swim-run-jump challenge.

But this year, just when you thought it couldn’t get any more extreme, the organisers took it to the next level and added a MTB stage race, trail running stage race and night run to the 2019 event mix. The MTB stage race will consist of ±60kms per day of gorgeous mountain climbing and sweeping sea views. Enter both stage 1 and stage 2 for just R700, or choose to do a single distance on either day.

In addition to the MTB, the team decided to include a stage racing event over two days, covering roughly 20 km of varied terrain each day.

Enter both stage 1 and stage 2 at a discounted price of R500, or choose to enter a single distance on either day.

The final new addition is something a little daring, a little different and a little more extreme. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned runner, the ±7 km night run starting with a stretch on Grotto Beach, winding along the cliff path next to the ocean and ending off at the Race Village promises to be an exciting event!

This year, 10 restaurants located around the Old Harbour (where many of the sporting events will take place) in collaboration with WBX, will have an ‘xtreme’ food option on their menus for diners.

“Just as some people may see the 5 km run as an extreme event or others may see the swim-run- jump challenge as the most extreme, each restaurant has

come up with their own interpretation of what an ‘xtreme’ meal means to them,” says Gerhadi.

Whether it is an Xtreme Burger from Cocos, the Xtreme Seafood Platter from The Wine Glass, the Xtreme Nachos from Tapas, an Xtreme Veggie Burger from Tulip Coffee or an Xtreme Fillet Triathlon from Fisherman’s Cottage; you are sure to find something to tempt your taste buds and fill you with raring-to-go energy!

And the best part? Order your Xtreme meal and stand a chance to win an entry in the WBX! All you have to do is order and enjoy your delicious Xtreme meal and write your name, contact details and email address on the back of the bill to go into the lucky draw.

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Cocos Xtreme Cram Burger The Wine Glass Xtreme Seafood Platter La Pentola Bionic Bird Xtreme Barefoot Cook Xtremely Smart Skaap Ocean Basket Xtreme Fritto Misto Bientang’s Cave Xtremely Hot Prawn & Chicken Curry

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To increase your chances of winning, post a photo on social media, tag @walkerbayxtreme along with the participating restaurant and add #xtremecuisine and #findyourxtreme to your photo caption.

Call 021 712 3130 or email info@walkerbayxtreme.com for more information.

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WHAT’S ON

OVERBERG

www.thevillagenews.co.za/whatson

Saturday

GOT AN EVENT?

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Send us an email to events@thevillagenews.co.za or send us a WhatsApp to 083 625 6667.

FREE for community & non-profit organisations.

R 100 for everyone else.

R 150 to include a photo.

HERMANUS Wednesday

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Christmas Music Concert Celebrate Christmas with Richard Cock and tenor Siyabonga Maqunga in aid of Izibusiso foster home for abandoned babies. Tickets are R150 pp, available from the United Church, Hermanus Tourism Bureau or Sheila Lyle on 073 778 2777. There will be both an afternoon and an evening performance.

Hermanus United Church | 15:00 & 19:00 Hermanus Country Night Market The night markets are back for the festive season! Enjoy great food and local wines, craft beers and coffee.

You’ll also find beautiful and creative arts, crafts and gifts.

Next to Hermanus Cricket Field | 17:00 – 21:00

Thursday

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Gingerbread House decorating competition

Friday

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Ayanda’s Runway Fashion Show Ayanda is an up-and-coming clothing designer who will be showcasing his stylish creations that blend African print with modern elements. Also featuring performances by Spairo Tainment. Tickets are R50 pp or R150 (VIP). Call 066 132 9728 or send a WhatsApp to 071 974 9462.

Municipal Auditorium | 18:00

Susan Mouton - tjello, Chanie Jonker - klavier/accordeon, Theuns Botha - slagwerk. R120 / R100 kinders KONTANT Navrae: 028 312 2629 Hermanus Ouditorium | 19:30 Toerisme-kantoor (Ou Stasiegebou)

NEW ‘

Hermanus Country Market A favourite among the locals. Young, old, two-legged and four-legged family members are all welcome. You’ll find wholesome goodies, homemade crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music.

Next to Hermanus Cricket Field | 09:00 – 13:00 Hermanuspietersfontein Die Markie Where local and international foodies and wine lovers meet. You’ll find real plates and real cutlery; real cups and real glasses; a real hangout for real people.

HPF wine cellar | 09:00 – 13:00 Market in the Garden Hunt for treasures at this peaceful market set among the shady trees of a beautiful garden.

St Peter’s Church | 09:00 – 13:00

Carols by Candlelight The Rotary Club of Hermanus hosts the 50th annual Carols by Candlelight and everyone is invited!. Bring your picnic baskets, chairs and blankets, and settle on the lawns to enjoy the sunset before the evening’s choir performance under the leadership of Janine Neethling. Father Christmas will be there to meet the little ones and entry is free, including the programmes and candles that will be handed out. Donations for Rotary’s community projects will be appreciated. In case of bad weather the event will be held on Sunday 16 December.

Contact Wynand Hamman on 082 783 0973.

Old Harbour | 18:30

Sunday

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Mindful Breath Flow Session Join Nicholas McLean, aka the Gut Health Yogi for a calming experience of renewing body and mind. Release the stress and baggage that is holding you back from celebrating life.

The cost is R200 pp.

Contact 082 437 9776.

Fernkloof Nature Reserve | 09:00 – 11:30 Summer Seafood Braai Day

31/12/2018

EV E party

SUMMER ABUNDANCE

The #1 New Year’s Eve Destination

THE WINE GLASS

Ring in 2019 to the theme of Summer Abundance!

HERMANUS

Bookings: 028 312 2553 www.thewineglass.guru 2 Harbour Road, Hermanus Dinner & Dance R850 | Dance-Only R350 For more info

Team up with your young ones and take up the challenge of turning a plain and simple gingerbread house into a sweet and colourful show house. The winner will receive a R300 voucher to enjoy at Die Markie on a Saturday morning. The entry fee of R300 includes the plain gingerbread house, all the decorating candies and icings you need to win, a chilled drink and an experienced gingerbread artist on hand to provide tips and guidance. For bookings, email anika@hpf1855.co.za Hermanuspietersfontein | 15:00

TheWineGlassHermanus

Moon Shadow A tribute to Cat Stevens performed

by Gareth James (acoustic guitar, bass drum and vocals) and Wouter Reyneke (bass). The show will include some of Cat Stevens’ most nostalgic hits. Tickets are R100 pp. To book: luzane@kegamanagement.com or soulcafehermanus@gmail.com or call 028 313 2137.

Soul Café 20:00 – 22:00 Jim Harrison Project Catch this alter-rock-acoustic-blues band from the infamous Bellville Rock City performing live in Hermanus.

Gecko Bar, New Harbour 21:00 – 23:00

Vine to Valley Choose between a 6 km (R120) or 12 km (R150) trail run among the vineyards overlooking the Bot River Lagoon. This is a challenging route with single track and amazing views.

Tickets are available at www.quicket.co.za.

Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate | 08:00 Hermanus parkrun Meet for the weekly 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley | 08:00

Vloekskoot & Crayfish Day Join Bartho Eksteen for the rare pleasure of a vertical tasting of all previous Cape Winemakers Guild Auction vintages of Bartho Eksteen Vloekskoot, followed by a crayfish lunch in the garden. Tasting starts in the Voorhuis at 11:30 and lunch will be served from 13:00 at The Mill House. Booking is essential at R1 000 pp. RSVP: sune@hermanus.co.za or 072 323 5060 by 7 Dec. Wijnskool Farm, R320, Hemel-enAarde Valley | 11:30

Two local wineries, Whalehaven and Hermanuspietersfontein, will be collaborating in a summer celebration.

Enjoy delights from the ocean paired with a selection of their wines. Come rain or shine, local musicians Garner Nel & Matt Carstens will entertain guests under the tent.

Whalehaven Winery, Hemel-enAarde Village | 11:00 – 18:00 Music in the Courtyard Enjoy Summer Tunes in The Courtyard with Takura Terry. Feast on oysters and bubbly, local wines, craft beer and tapas-style plates. For more info or to reserve a table, call 028 312 2553.

The Wine Glass, 2 Harbour Rd | 12:00

Radio Kalahari Orkes

OnVerWag Public Accountability Meeting All members of the Onrus and Vermont communities are welcome to attend the meeting, followed by a Bring and Braai. Call Caroline on 082 554 0811.

Dutch Reformed Church, Onrus | 18:00

Don’t miss this iconic band’s performance when they visit the Overberg!

Tickets are R150 pp. To book, contact Marelize on 028 284 9640 or info@bothot.co.za.

Botrivier Hotel | 16:00 – 18:00

Monday

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Wellness Workshop Join Nicholas McLean, Aumij Kistan and Ferdi Appelgryn for a full-day Mindful Movement, Breath & Meditation workshop and upgrade your capacity to thrive. The cost of R750 pp includes a healing lunch and smoothie. Bookings: http://qkt.io/ thrive. Call Nicholas on 082 437 9776.

I Feel Calm Wellness Studio, Sandbaai | 09:00 – 16:00 Onrus River Ratepayers AGM Onrus residents are warmly invited to attend the annual GM of the Onrus River Ratepayers Association, which will be calling for nominees to join the Exco. Please submit a short note about yourself and how you would hope to contribute to the committee to jcelia@telkomsa.net before 10 Dec. Registration and a glass of wine at 17:15, meeting starts at 18:00. For enquiries, contact Caroline Gabb on 082 554 0811.

De Wet Hall, Roos Street, Onrus | 17:15

Tuesday

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Wonderboom live Wonderboom, one of South Africa’s longest-lived and most legendary rock bands will be performing in Hermanus. Tickets are R120 pp. Call 028 312 4665.

Gecko Bar, New Harbour | 21:00 – 23:00 Bouchard Finlayson Christmas Concerts SA piano icon Christopher Duigan will perform a programme of music by piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt.

Concerts are generously sponsored by the Lloys Ellis family in aid of the Hermanus Cancer Fund. Tickets are R250 pp, including wine and canapés.

Book online via www.webtickets.co.za or at the Hermanus Tourism Bureau.

Bouchard Finlayson Cellar | 17:45 for 18:30

Wednesday

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Bouchard Finlayson Christmas Concerts A repeat performance of Tuesday’s concert - see 18 December.

Hermanuspietersfontein Aand Markie Enjoy all your favourite foods and wines at Hermanuspietersfontein’s summer evening markets. Free entry, parking and wine tasting. Bring the whole family!

Hermanuspietersfontein Winery | 17:00 – 20:00

Thursday

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St Peter’s Christmas Carols Local residents and visitors are heartily welcome to join in this traditional Service of Nine Lessons, with many familiar and favourite carols, led by the choir and accompanied by the organ.

St Peter’s Church, Main Rd | 18:00 Critical Mass Everyone, young and old, is invited to join this social bike ride to celebrate cycling as a healthy and safe mode of transport. Meet at the Whale Garden.

Market Square | 19:00

Saturday

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FinGlobal Fun Run Bring the whole family to join in the 22nd Onrus Fun Run, hosted by Whalers Athletics Club. Choose between the 6 km (R30) and 10 km (R50).

Medals for first 500 10 km finishers and first 300 6 km finishers. Prize money for the overall winners and category winners in the 10 km. Lots of spot prizes for both races. Entries: www.enteronline.co.za or on the day between 05:30 – 06:45.

Milkwood Restaurant | 07:00

STANFORD Saturday

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Stanford Street Festival

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Whalehaven Secret Santa Sale Don’t miss this mega-sale when, in the spirit of Christmas, special boxes of wine will be earmarked for massive savings of 50% off. The perfect opportunity to stock up for the festive season!

Whalehaven Winery | 12:00 – 17:00

Friday

Sunday

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Stanford Junktique Come and start your treasure hunt – you never know what you might find.

R50 per vendor, free for registered charities. Contact 028 341 0340 or office@stanfordinfo.co.za.

Tourism Office courtyard | 09:00 – 12:00 Panthera Sunset Visits Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary near Stanford invites you to visit their four-legged friends as they come alive after a long day of rest. R490 pp (only for people 16 years and older).

All proceeds from ticket sales go towards creating a better life for the animals. Get all the details at www.pantheraafrica.com.

Panthera Africa | 17:30

Join the annual Christmas Carnival when the main road is closed for traffic. Festivities will include live music, a street market with over 150 vendors, food trucks, a wine courtyard, beer garden, art and antiques, family fun and games. Free parking on Market Square. Info: ask@stanfordinfo.co.za or 028 341 0340.

Queen Victoria Street | 10:00 – 16:00

Friday

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Lomond Triathlon The second Lomond Triathlon spoils participants with a large dam, beautiful views and stunning routes in the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. Solo or as a team (men, ladies, mixed or family). Full triathlon: 1.2 km swim, 30 km MTB and 12 km trail run; Sprint Triathlon: 400 m swim, 15 km MTB and 6 km trail run. An Open Water Swim (3 km, 1 mile or 500 m) will happen the following day. Live music, wine, beer and other refreshments will be available. Online entries at www.entryninja.com; late entries at Lomond on 14 Dec from 17:00 – 19:00 or on 15 Dec from 06:30 – 08:00. More details on scuttle.co.za/scuttle-events.

Lomond Wines | 08:00

Sunday

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Lomond Open Water Swim See Saturday, 15 December.

Stanford Sunset Market The best outdoor evening market for local food, wine, beer, food, gifts, crafts and music. Plenty of space for the children to run around and play on the historic village green. Come and do some Christmas shopping while experiencing a taste of village life!

Market Square | 18:00 – 20:00

Sunday

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Stanford Carols by Candlelight Everyone is welcome to join in.

Stanford ‘Toringkerk’ | 20:00

GANSBAAI Saturday

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Farmer’s Market

Specialising in organic, homemade and fresh farm produce, bakes and pastries, local wines and craft beers, indigenous plants and herbs.

Completely eco-friendly wood, paper, glass and earthenware displays. For enquiries, contact info@gansbaaitourism.co.za.

Kapokblom Street, opposite Gansbaai Tourism | 09:00 – 14:00

Saturday

Wednesday

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Lomond Picnic @ the dam Join Lomond Wines for a fun-filled day of live music, great pizzas, wines, beers, cooldrinks and fishing at the dam. Bring your own cushions and blankets and order food and drinks from the tasting room. For more info contact 028 388 0095.

Lomond Wine Estate | 10:00 – 18:00 GansbaaiEvening Market You’ll find fresh produce, homebaked goods and homemade crafts at this summer evening farmer’s market.

Kapokblom Street, opposite Gansbaai Tourism | 17:00 – 21:00

BETTYS BAY Sunday

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March for the Penguins Wear your penguin best for a 5 km fun walk/run/waddle in aid of African Penguin conservation. It’s a scenic meander along the Kleinbaai coast and everyone is welcome, including babies in prams and dogs on leashes.

After the walk there will be refreshments, entertaining activities and several prizes. You are welcome to stay and watch the penguins being fed at 15:00. Tickets are available at www.quicket.co.za. For more info, contact Brenda on 076 061 3114 or brenda@dict.org.za.

African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary, Kleinbaai | 08:00

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Summer Sunset Concert Saxophonist Andrew Young will perform an open-air concert in beautiful surroundings. Tickets are R80 for adults, R40 for children 6 – 18 years, and free entry for those under 6 years. No need to book upfront; tickets will be available at the entrance. Gates open at 18:00 and the concert starts at 19:00. Contact 028 272 9311 for more info.

Harold Porter Botanical Garden, Betty’s Bay | 18:00

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Carols by Candlelight Don’t miss this outdoor performance in the natural splendour of Betty’s Bay’s botanical garden with South Africa’s popular Afro-operatic pop sensation, the Gugulethu Tenors.

Tickets are R80 for adults, R40 for children 6 – 18 years, and free entry for those under 6 years. No need to book upfront; tickets will be available at the entrance. Gates open at 18:00 and the concert starts at 19:00. Contact 028 272 9311 for more info.

Harold Porter Botanical Garden, Betty’s Bay | 18:00

BOTRIVER Friday

Friday

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Kleinmond Market Free entry, ample parking, arts and crafts, food stalls, hand-made items by local vendors, live music and fun competitions – a great outing for the whole family. Contact Erna on 076 708 0818.

Mthimkhulu Village | 10:00 – 14:00

Saturday

Jeremy Loops Live

Catch South Africa’s breakout singer-songwriter, Jeremy Loops as he returns to the Western Cape after his recent world tour and Home is Gold tour in South Africa. Tickets are R250 for adults and R200 for children under 16. The doors open at 13:30 and the show starts at 17:30.

Stanford Hills | 17:30

KLEINMOND

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Our Favourite Things Market

Featuring 45 hand-picked stalls stuffed with this season’s must-have goodies, focusing on treasures stylish, handmade, homemade and collectable. Shop for festive season gifts and have a good time doing it too. From baked treats to beautiful jewellery; home-knits to rare finds – it’s all here, in one glorious location.

Visit Gabriëlskloof on Facebook or contact 028 284 9865.

Opening times: Friday from 17:00 – 21:00 Saturday from 10:00 – 18:00 Sunday from 10:00 – 15:00 Gabrielskloof Wine Estate, Bot River

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www.thevillagenews.co.za

Enter now for the last Vine to Valley Trail Run event

12 December 2018 | ACTIVITIES

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he fifth Vine to Valley Trail Run event in a series of six organised by Coastline Events took place at Hermanuspietersfontein on Saturday.

Runners could choose between a 6 km and 12 km trail following a single forest track to scenic viewpoints in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The trail run started and finished at Hermanuspietersfontein, where the runners found plenty of refreshments at Die Markie on their return.

The Homes International Vine to Valley Trail run series 2018 comes to an end on Saturday 15 December, with the final event hosted at Benguela Cove. The route offers a 6 km and 12 km run on a single track among the vineyards at the edge of the Bot River lagoon. All locals and visitors are invited to attend this not-to-be-missed event in a spectacular location. The run starts at 08:00 and all participants will receive a medal and free wine tasting.

Bring the whole family and make a day of it, as Benguela Cove offers plenty of entertainment, including a water park, a pirate putt-putt course, great breakfasts and refreshments.

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1 Nicholas and Monique Fredericks (left) from Johannesburg with Frieda Lloyd (Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager), Bianca le Roux (owner of Coastline Events) and the winner of the 6 km run, eightyear-old Lukas Joubert.

“The 2018 series has been very successful,” says Bianca le Roux, the owner of Coastline Events. “We have had such a great amount of fun and the feedback from the locals and visitors that participated has been so positive.

It has provided much inspiration for our planning of the 2019 series.”

Bianca extends a huge thank you to all their vineyard partners this year – Newton Johnson, Bosman Hermanus, Sumaridge Estate Wines, La Vierge, Hermanuspietersfontein and Benguela Cove – as well as their sponsors, Homes International, Oasis Water Hermanus, Coke, Wine & Co, Travelstart, SafariNow and Hermanus Adventures.

2 The runner-up in the 12 km trail run hosted by Hermanuspietersfontein, Alex Stuart-Smith from Cape Town, with winner Darren Kumbaca from Zwelihle. Darren also won the Sumaridge (6 km) and Bosman Hermanus (12 km) trail runs earlier this year.

For more information, visit www.vinetovalley.co.za or contact Bianca on 082 075 7477 or info@vinetovalley.co.za. Tickets are available at www.quicket.co.za

Bona Dea launches Mountain Villa Bona Dea Private Estate is hailed as one of the most romantic and dramatic locations in South Africa, with endless views across vineyards, fynbos and mountainous terrain making it the perfect destination for a dream wedding or an idyllic country escape.

Visitors to the Bona Dea Open Day on 19 December will have the opportunity to view the magnificent Mountain Villa when it’s opened to the public for the first time.

Perched on the steep mountain slope behind the Bona Dea Function Venue, with panoramic views across the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, this luxurious self-catering holiday villa has been recently refurbished to offer the ultimate in style, luxury and privacy.

The residence is surrounded by the beauty of nature, from the entrance bridge that crosses over calming Koi ponds, to the modern steel construction that is paired with natural hard-

wood and large expanses of glass to flood the sleek, open-plan design with natural light and invite the breathtaking views into every room in the house.

Comprising five beautifully decorated suites, opulent living spaces with expansive patios, a pool, Jacuzzi and steam room, the Mountain Villa is the perfect base from which to explore the Overberg. It can be booked exclusively for a family, a group of friends or a corporate breakaway. Each room has all the amenities needed for a pleasurable stay, including plush linen and bedding, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and more.

Rental enquiries can be directed to Sue Minnaar from The Champagne Collection on 028 312 1596 or 083 462 7978. For more information on the Bona Dea Open Day, contact 028 050 0370 or admin@bonadea.co.za

12 December 2018 | BUSINESS

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www.thevillagenews.co.za www.thevillagenews.co.za

Hermanus Old Town Shopping

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1 TO SANDBAAI

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Your local Overberg IT support company

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Bring this advert in to receive a

DISCOUNT at our store!

Repairs | Software | OS Training | Servicing | Updates T: 082 454 8329 E: rbradshaw@vodamail.co.za A: 24 Green Mountain Estate, Sandbaai 2

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12 December 2018 | ART

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Artwalk supported, no matter what The Night of a Thousand Drawings charity artwalk on Friday 7 December was a huge success, despite initial concerns that the protest march would deter people from attending.

“This event in aid of local charities entails a lot of hard work by the participating galleries,” says Terry Kobus, owner of Originals gallery and Hermanus First Fridays committee member.

“When we heard that the protest march was scheduled for that day, we were left feeling rather despondent, wondering if it was worth all the effort if people were going to stay away.

“But we needn’t have worried, as the Night of a Thousand Drawings was embraced by all with such generosity and enthusiasm. This charitable spirit of the people of Hermanus is the

reason why we love this town so much.”

Although the final count has not been done, Terry says the HFF committee is optimistic that last year’s amount, which exceeded R80 000, will be bettered this year. “Because there are now 19 HFF galleries in town, we received a greater variety of artworks this year that were donated in aid of charity and sold briskly at R100 apiece.”

The five charities that will benefit from this year’s Night of a Thousand Drawings are the Hermanus Visual Art and Design Centre, the Overstrand Whale Boxing Club, the Overberg Crane Group, the Hawston Cadet Group and the Hermanus Art & History Project. The next HFF Artwalk will take place on Friday 4 January.

– Hedda Mittner

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Artist Lize van der Walt (right) with Lydia de Vries preparing for the opening of Lize Art Gallery’s first exhibition on 14 December.

New gallery, new beginnings Writer & Photographer Hedda Mittner

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ocal artist Lize van der Walt hardly needs introduction. Her inspiring seascapes have met with wide appeal over the years and she continues to evolve as an artist with the creation of more abstract works that she calls ‘soulscapes’.

With the new direction that her art is taking, Lize has taken the decision to leave The Art Gallery in town, where she had been a partner with three other local artists – Jeandre Marinier, Christine Henderson and Erna Dry – to open her own gallery at her studio in Voëlklip, called, simply, Lize Art Gallery.

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1. The owner of Pure South, Amanda de Vos, hanging artworks to replace those that had been sold during the Night of a Thousand Drawings.

2. Local artist Christa Clark with winemaker Nils Verburg of Luddite Wines in Bot River.

3. Artworks lined the alley at Warrington Place, where the buildings have all been painted in bright colours.

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The gallery will be officially opened on 14 December with a group exhibition featuring Lize’s work along with that of four guest artists – Lydia de Vries, Quintus Marais, Stella Stofberg and Marnus van Dyk. “I’m so excited to share the wonderful work of these up-and-coming artists with the public,” says Lize.

Brimming with undaunted optimism and energy, Lize says she started a whole new life in her forties. That was when she returned from the UK, where she had lived for 12 years, and settled in Hermanus in 2004. Inspired by the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape, she devoted herself to her first love – art.

Whereas her early works were semi-abstract with a strong graphic design element, she started specialising in more expressionistic paintings that display rich textures, multiple layers, poured paint, and brush and palette knife marks. Painting on canvas in acrylic and oil, she became well known for her exquisite seascapes, landscapes and treescapes.

Unfortunately, all was not smooth sailing in her personal life. Lize was very close to her father, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease and died in 2011. At the end of 2013 she was diagnosed

with breast cancer and over the following nine months had to endure surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. A year later she sustained severe burns to her hands, neck and face in a freak accident whilst operating an ethanol heater at her home studio in Voëlklip.

Lize credits her harrowing experiences and the generous way in which the community supported her through adversity for her deepening faith, which is expressed in her ‘soulscapes’.

These works are characterised by warmer and bolder colours and more contrasting textures.

Inspired by the ever-changing elements of sky, sea and rocks around her, her latest paintings are infused with a divine light and spiritual depth that reflect her emotional journey.

The guest artists who will take part in Lize Art Gallery’s opening exhibition on Thursday, 14 December at 15:00 are: Zumba instructor Lydia de Vries, who has lived in Hermanus for 12 years, only took up art earlier this year after Lize had seen a sketch she did 20 years ago and left unfinished. Encouraged by Lize to complete it, she has gone on to create an astonishing series of photo-realistic pencil and charcoal drawings.

Quintus Marais lives in Robertson and his work focuses on metal artistry and custom metal fabrication. He creates unique sculptures and furniture pieces from metal and organic materials such as wood in innovative ways.

Graphic designer and lay-out artist Stella Stofberg specialises in digital art that has been a natural progression from her work in the publishing industry, designing book covers. She works in different computer programmes to create painstakingly detailed artworks.

Marnus van Dyk is a talented young photographer who has an overwhelming love for nature. His subject matter includes landscapes, wildlife portraits and nature photography.

12 December 2018 | ART

www.thevillagenews.co.za www.thevillagenews.co.za

Stitching communities together Writer Elaine Davie

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t is probably fair to say that the past year has been a difficult one for all the residents of Greater Hermanus. The eruption and re-eruption of violent protests has torn apart the fabric of life in this beautiful town at the edge of a timeless ocean.

The disruption has had many consequences, some good and some very bad, some anticipated and some surprising. One of the positive consequences was that a significant number of people in the different communities began to realise that whatever our differences, our lives are intimately tied together. What is good for one, must be good for all; and what is life-threatening to one is life-threatening for the social and economic well-being of the entire town.

A group of six local women took matters into their hands. They formed the Hermanus Art & History Project with the aim of creating a non-threatening platform where all sectors of the community could share their stories and learn to work together on a joint project, which would bring pride and hope to the town. They had heard of the Keiskamma Art Project and the 120-metre-long tapestry the women of the small town of Hamburg in the Eastern Cape had embroidered for our Houses of Parliament and thought this might be the answer.

Inspired by the mediaeval Bayeux tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the Keiskamma women had created a tapestry using thread, wire, felt, beads and even Nguni cowhide to depict the Eastern Cape Frontier Wars of 1779-1878. The Hermanus group felt this might be just the kind of project they were looking for where the different communities could get together to tell the stories of each of them in a tangible form that would be accessible to generations to come.

No sooner said than done for Carol Hofmeyr, founder in 2000 of the now world-renowned Keiskamma Art Project and whose son lives in Hermanus was contacted, and without any hesitation, she agreed to help. Together they decided that the tapestry would showcase the narratives of all the peoples of Hermanus, giving them the opportunity to be heard, understood and respected.

The hope was that in making art and telling stories, our understanding of one another would improve and we would all be able to claim our place in the history of this place and this country. In addition, the participants would gain a new skill, which could possibly become income-generating.

The idea was that the communities of Zwelihle, Mount Pleasant, Hawston and Hermanus town would each design and hand-stitch a six-metre section telling their own stories, and that these would be sewn together to form the full sixty-metre long tapestry.

Each participant’s name and the name of the place they came from would be embroidered into the piece. From start to finish, the project would probably take about two years and the story would include events right up until its completion.

On the Hermanus side, word went out to recruit participants in Zwelihle, first to design their section of the piece and then to do the embroidery. In the meantime, the ladies of the Art/History Project started soliciting donations both in cash and in kind (embroidery thread, wool, needles, whatever they had that might be useful). They themselves invested money in the project in order, amongst others, to provide the participants with lunch and tea during the workshops, as well as a small stipend. The Zwelihle Youth Café at the RDP Centre made a venue available.

About a month ago, the first group of 20 Zwelihle participants (both men and women) got together with Carol as the main facilitator, to design their section of the tapestry. Over the period of a week, they began to tell their stories, both personal and historic, in word and art. Through a process of consensus-building, they were able to decide on the design and it was transferred by koki pen on to a six-metre long strip of hessian, approximately 50cm wide.

Last week Carol was back again with three of her embroiderers from Keiskamma to teach a new set of 25 participants (including a couple of members of the original group) to embroider and appliqué the design. The group included elderly ladies, a young girl of 13, two young

men, one of whom crochets and creates dreadlocks for a living, and some members of the Art/History Project.

One could have heard a pin drop as they sat at two long tables, each concentrating on their particular section of the tapestry. As Carol says, “They have been absolutely wonderful to work with, so focused, enthusiastic and committed. It’s been really exciting for all of us from the Eastern Cape to be part of this project. It’s going to be fantastic, something the whole town will be proud of.”

The completed Zwelihle section was on display last week during the Night of a Thousand Drawings at the Kunskantoor Gallery, owned

by Carol’s daughter-in-law, Renzske Scholtz, but will be officially launched on Thursday, 20 December. The Keiskamma Project has now found a permanent home in Renzske’s gallery, where other embroidered artworks and crafts such as cushion covers are on display.

The next phase of the project will take place in Mount Pleasant during the first quarter of 2019. As one of the organisers, local artist Gillian Hahn says, “Although we’re trying to keep costs to a minimum, we are really hoping that people will want to be part of the project by sponsoring a metre or so of the piece, so that we can see it through to the end.”

She points to a messy ball of thread exploding in a corner of the room. “You see this, this is what the project is all about, undoing the tangle that Hermanus has become. And we’ll do it. We all want this to succeed and it will.”

Members of the Hermanus Art/History Project are Kathie Buley, Alyson Guy, Fikiswa Gxamesi, Gillian Hahn, Angela Heslop, and Ann Mapham, with the assistance of Carol Hofmeyr.

For more information contact Kathie Buley on pjbuley@telkomsa.net or Angela Heslop on aheslop@hermanus.co.za. Please attend the opening of the Art & History Project at Kunskantoor in The Courtyard, off Harbour Road, on Thursday 20 December at 18:00.

Or visit keiskamma.com for more information.

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12 December 2018 | ACTIVITIES

Life’s a beach - your guide to the best spots

H

ermanus has a long and varied coastline that offers a choice of beaches. From the expansive Blue Flag Grotto Beach to quieter secluded beaches tucked away between the cliffs and dunes, every beach offers a unique experience.

Grotto Beach holds the record for achieving the longest uninterrupted Blue Flag status in the country. Kleinmond and Hawston beaches were also granted Blue Flag ranking, which means visitors can expect a clean and wellcared-for environment, changing facilities – and lifeguards.

During peak holiday season, the following beaches will be manned by lifeguards daily from 09:00 to 18:00: Hawston, Grotto East, Grotto West, Voëlklip, Kammabaai, Onrus, Langbaai, Sandbaai, Kleinmond, Kleinmond Lagoon, Palmiet, Betty’s Bay Main Beach and Silversands, Pringle Bay Main Beach and Castle Beach (Pearly Beach).

Hawston Beach Hawston boasts one of the best beaches in the area. Children enjoy paddling in the water and adults can laze in the sun while enjoying exceptional views.

Brêkfis Bay This little beach in Vermont is ideal for a relaxed picnic or snorkelling adventures. Thanks to its location between magnificent sand dunes, it offers visitors a protected cove with plenty of space to play, relax and explore. Because of its

seclusion, however, it is safer to go there in a group as there have been incidents of women being attacked and robbed when they were alone on the beach.

Onrus Beach Onrus Beach offers a perfect place to swim and enjoy the sunshine. The Onrus River Lagoon mouth is ideally suited to family outings, where small children can play in the calmer waters of the lagoon and older children and adults can brave the waves. Onrus Beach is also a favourite haunt for local surfers, but more inexperienced swimmers should be aware that the sea bed drops sharply from the beach, making swimming tricky and sometimes dangerous.

Note: Keep an eye out for the information sign that warns about faecal pollution in the lagoon. The sign has a QR code pointing at a website page with information about the current water status and potential health risks of swimming in the lagoon. The website page can be viewed at http://whalecoastconservation. org.za/goinggreen/eco-community/onrus-river-estuary-lagoon/ Sandbaai Main Beach Surrounded by rocky outcrops, Sandbaai Beach offers countless tidal pools to explore. The shallower pools are perfect for children to swim in – or for a quick cool down. Excellent diving and snorkelling conditions are just beyond the rocky ledge. Changing facilities and parking make it easily accessible and popular with families.

Langbaai This small beach is protected on either side by low rocky cliffs that have the effect of funnelling good body-surfing waves into the cove.

The beach has limited parking and there are quite a few steps to the sandy shore, but it offers a beach experience that is well worth the effort.

Kammabaai Another beach with shallow water, ample parking and excellent facilities makes this ideal for family outings. The beach is linked to the larger Voëlklip and Grotto beaches via the Cliff Path.

Voëlklip Beach An alternative surfers’ favourite. This beach is also ideal for non-sand lovers as it offers level grassy lawns to picnic on, as well as a small sandy shoreline. It is popular among younger adults, particularly during the peak tourist season.

Grotto Beach The largest beach in the area, it stretches along the coast for more than 18 km. The Blue Flag Beach at Grotto is a small section of this, but it is still the most popular location for beachgoers. There’s plenty of space for any sized crowd and the parking area winds along the road for easy access via several designated pathways.

Families can enjoy the calmer waters of the Klein River Lagoon on the eastern side of Grotto Beach, which is also a popular kitesurfing spot.

Kleinmond Beach This Blue Flag beach is at the mouth of Kleinmond Lagoon in a natural and unspoilt environment. It’s easy to understand the reason tourists flock here throughout the year. Having the option of enjoying the sea – or fresh lagoon water – makes this an ideal location for getting those paddle skis and boats out and it’s an ideal space for children.

Silver Sands Beach Looking for a beach that is the perfect spot for a picnic with the family? Silver Sands Beach, west of Stoney Point in Betty’s Bay – a colony for African Penguins managed by CapeNature – is worth visiting. From building sand castles, swimming and collecting shells, to searching through the rock pools, there is plenty for children to do. You can comfortably relax and tan here while enjoying the surrounding beauty.

SOURCES: www.hermanus.co.za; www.sa-venues.com; xplorio.com; NSRI; Overstrand Municipality EMERGENCY NUMBERS - NSRI Station 17 Hermanus: 082 990 5967 - NSRI Station 42 Kleinmond: 021 449 3500 - Sea Rescue Emergency: 112 - Overstrand Municipality 24-hour Fire & Rescue: 028 312 2400/028 313 8980 - Law enforcement: 028 313 8111 - Hermanus Police: 028 313 5300

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They’re not waving, they’re drowning Writer & Photographer Elaine Davie

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he question is, with the ocean and lagoon on our doorsteps, why can so few local children swim? And why are both the children and their parents seemingly so unaware of the dangers of water?

This year in Kleinmond alone, three children drowned and a fourth was rescued and resuscitated in the nick of time.

Famke Boonzaaier, who runs the only swimming school in Kleinmond is distressed, as many locals are, about these tragic incidents. Her school operates at full capacity every day of the week and there is a long list of children waiting their turn for lessons; nevertheless, the reality is that many parents will not be able to pay to send their children for training.

With the school holidays fast approaching, Famke has persuaded the newly launched NSRI station in Kleinmond to join her in running an awareness-creation clinic at the lagoon on Saturday 15 December from 14:00 to 17:00.

It also helps that her husband, Schalk Jnr, is the Station Commander.

“The idea is not to be unrealistic and try to teach the children to swim in one lesson,” says Famke, “but to get them to realise that although they may think of the water as their friend, they must never forget that, whether they can swim or not, its power and unpredictability must always be respected. We will spend 20 minutes with each child in the water, one-onone or one-on-two, demonstrating what to do if they find themselves in difficulties, especially in the lagoon.”

As Schalk explains, “Because the lagoon hasn’t broken through to the sea for several years now, its floor has become incredibly uneven, especially around the hidden rocks. One minute you’ll be standing on firm sand and the next minute, you’ll be in a deep hole and unable to stand at all. The other problem is that the water is very murky at the moment, so you can’t actually see the bottom.

“This is a Blue Flag beach, so life guards are on duty throughout the season, at two separate stations, one overlooking the lagoon and one overlooking the ocean, but especially when there are a lot of children in the

A swimming clinic for children will be held in Kleinmond on Saturday 15 December from 14:00 - 17:00.

lagoon, playing and splashing and making a noise, it’s very difficult to notice when one is missing.”

While Famke and the 10 NSRI crew members will be working in the water with the children, the shorebased volunteers will speak to the parents. They emphasise that no child should enter the water without an adult to supervise them and if they can’t swim, the children should be wearing water wings, a noodle or a floaty of some kind. It doesn’t help to have the adults sitting on the grass or the beach chatting with one another while their children are in the water.

By the time they remember to look for the child, it could be too late.

“One of the most important lessons to learn for the children as well as the parents,” adds Famke, ‘is to try to stay calm. As soon as children get into a panic in the water, they start to thrash about and swallow water and that’s where everything starts to unravel.

It’s very important for a child to keep his or her head above water when in difficulties. The other thing for them to remember is to stay on the shallow, sea-side of the yellow safety buoys which have been placed across

the lagoon.”

Bookings for the clinic on the 15th can be made by sending a WhatsApp to Schalk on the number below.

“We will take any child from the age of three upwards,” says Famke, “as long as they are accompanied by a parent. We really want to do our best to avoid any more tragedies these holidays. This will be a trial run. If it is successful, we may do more of them in the future.”

For more information email station42@searescue.org.za or call Schalk on 083 419 4557.

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Be safe on the beach this season Writer Jeremy Ryall

A

special blue flag hoisting ceremony was held on Friday, 30 November at Kleinmond’s Main Beach, Hawston and Grotto Beach in Hermanus to mark the beginning of the Blue Flag season in the Overstrand.

Blue Flag status is a well-respected international award, ensuring that each Blue Flag beach is not only beautiful and safe but also environmentally friendly, socially responsible and has accessible facilities for the disabled. The accreditation is awarded for one season at a time and if conditions at the beach deteriorate, it can be withdrawn.

Grotto’s Blue Flag status kicked in on 1 December and remains effective till 31 March 2019. In the case of Hawston and Kleinmond, this status will come into effect on 14 December until 13 January 2019.

Castle Beach in Pearly Beach has been granted Blue Flag pilot status for a second year which, if it prevails, may see Overstrand boasting four fully-fledged Blue Flag beaches by 2019. The pilot period for Castle Beach will be from 14 December 2018 to 13 January 2019.

Kleinmond Councillor Grant Cohen applauded all stakeholders for the different roles they played in ensuring the retention of the status. “Blue Flag status provides the necessary assurance to beach goers that the beaches are kept clean and all the facilities are well managed.

Cohen thanked Blue Flag Beach Coordinator, Lauren Rainbird, for hearing their pleas to provide Kleinmond with their own beachfriendly wheelchair that will ensure

everyone gets to experience the wonderful beach and sea, with the assistance of lifeguards.

of being awarded Blue Flag status for the most consecutive years in the country.

Deputy Mayor Elnora Gillion said Blue Flag beaches are of great importance from an economic and tourism marketing point of view as tourists are drawn to Blue Flag beaches because of the quality and environmental standards that they represent.

Beach safety tips: While everyone is very excited about going to the beach this summer, it is important to ensure that you are well informed about staying safe in the ocean, says Deon Langenhoven, Station Commander of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Hermanus Station 17.

“With tourism being one of the world’s fastest growing industries and, more particularly, the highest revenue generator for the Overstrand we understandably take extra pride and care of our coastal resources,” she said.

“We urge our communities to use beaches and their facilities responsibly and to understand the importance of promoting conservation of our marine and coastal environments for the advantage of present and future generations,” she added.

Grotto has one of the most accessible beaches in the country for people living with disabilities, who can make use of the beach wheelchairs. In addition, Grotto beach holds the record

“One of the characteristics of our beaches is the rip currents. It is important for everyone to understand what rip currents are, how they can be identified and what to do when caught in one.

“If you stand on the beach looking towards the ocean and somewhere in the water there is a portion that is nice and flat with no breaking waves, it is most probably a rip current. Bathers often mistake the calm water for an ideal spot to go and swim. That is where the danger lies, because that is exactly where the rip current sits. The water seems calm because the rip currents are pulling the waves and swells back to sea and preventing them from breaking,” explains Deon.

According to him, rip currents dissipate as soon as they get to the backline of the water. The closer to the backline, the weaker the current becomes. “If you are caught in a rip current raise your arm and help will come,” he says.

“Do not try and swim back to shore, but rather swim at a 90˚ angle out of it or let the rip current take you and swim diagonally out of it towards the breaking waves on the side and then make your way back to shore. If you can’t, or if you are too tired, rather let

Surviving a rip current: • Don’t panic or try to swim against the current; • As tough as this sounds, let the current take you out to sea; • Raise one arm in the air and wave and scream to alert people on the shore that you’re in trouble; • At the first chance you get, swim parallel to the beach until you’re free of the rip current, then use the incoming waves to aid your progress to get back to shore.

There is a myth that rip currents will "pull you under, rip currents can never pull you under the water, it is just going out and not pulling down.

- Deon Langenhoven

the rip just take you back to shore.

The most important thing is to just relax and stay afloat.”

Because rip currents in the Overstrand are erratic, it is difficult to pinpoint specific areas where they occur.

Safety Tips: • Swim only when and where there are lifeguards on duty and where signs indicate that it is safe to swim; • Always swim between the red and yellow flags; • Never swim alone; • If you find yourself in trouble, raise your arm to attract the lifeguards’ attention; • If you see someone in trouble in

the sea, alert the lifeguards or find help. Don’t attempt a rescue and put your own life in danger as well; • Don’t consume alcohol and swim; • Don’t dive from tidal pool walls.

• Swim only at low tide when no waves are breaking over the walls.

During peak holiday season, the following beaches will be manned by lifeguards daily from 09:00 to 18:00: Hawston, Grotto East, Grotto West, Voëlklip, Kammabaai, Onrus, Langbaai, Kleinmond, Kleinmond Lagoon, Palmiet, Betty’s Bay Main Beach and Silver Sands, Pringle Bay Main Beach and Castle Beach (Pearly Beach).

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MY WELLNESS Practice makes perfect The fourth Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies practice walk took place on Sunday 9 December. The group met at Dutchies at 07:00 and covered a total of 12 km from Grotto Beach to Sopiesklip and back again along the beach.

The walkers had a short break to rest and eat at Sopiesklip before returning to Dutchies. They were joined by one of the L2L sponsors, Johan van Zyl

from Toyota and his family.

The main charity chosen for 2019 is Camphill School Hermanus, established in 1952 as an independent residential and day school for children and young adults with special educational needs. They will receive the funds raised from the main walk in March 2019.

The second charity for 2019, the

Overstrand Association for Persons with Disabilities, will benefit from the funds raised at the official practice walk in February 2019.

The next practice walk will take place on 20 January in the Hemel-enAarde Valley (21 km route). All the L2L ladies, their family members and friends are invited to take part.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer For more information visit the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Facebook page or their website www.lighthouse2lighthouse.co.za.

On Sunday the L2L ladies walked from Grotto beach to Sopiesklip and back, a total of 12 km, in perfect hiking weather. This was the fourth practice walk in preparation of the big walk from 7 - 10 March 2019.

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A quick fix for every occasion…

N

o-knife, quick-fix skin treatments see the steepest rise in enquiries in the lead up to Christmas.

It’s that time of year when everyone is scrambling to find the perfect party dress and nab the coveted 5pm blowdry spot. With the working week longer than ever for many women, and the festive period one of the busiest times of the year, it’s unsurprising that fast-fix treatments are booming in advance of the Christmas party season.

Here are our 5 top tips on how to collect compliments and look gorgeous for those under-the-mistletoe moments.

1. IPL skin rejuvenation: This intensive light treatment tops the list of quickfix enquiries. It minimises broken and spider veins, skin pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles. A popular lunchtime top up, it will leave your skin glowing, fresh and pigment-free in no time!

2. The one and only ‘One stitch lift’: This is a minimally invasive, super-sneaky way to lift cheeks and jowls, reduce double chins and tighten saggy necks. It is done under local anaesthetic and involves having just one stitch on each side of the head,

buried in the hair. The results look natural and the procedure is ideal for women from around 40 onwards, who don’t need the full works but feel their sagging skin is making their face look tired and old. (Madonna is rumoured to have had a similar treatment.)

3. Dermaplaning: This treatment improves skin texture, removes dead skin cells and gets rid of unwanted ‘peach fuzz’ (facial hair). It is combined with a light peel to lighten and brighten the skin- and leave you glowing and fuzz-free for summer.

4. Injectables for your wrinkles: With zero downtime, Botox is perfect for those looking to achieve a quick and subtle holiday beauty boost. This popular neuromodulator is a ‘wrinkle relaxer’ that blocks the muscle contractions that lead to facial lines.

Dermal Fillers are ideal for correcting facial volume loss associated with ageing, making one look tired and drained, especially under the eyes.

Dermal fillers can bring back the youthfulness associated with, say, full cheeks (they’re also great for plumping a particular part of the face, like the lips). Best of all, a short recovery time makes them a perfect beauty pick-me-up for the busy holiday season.

5. Lunch-time treatments: Chemical peels are another amazing way to revive and refresh your skin at this time of year. In essence, they work by peeling away the normal build-up of contaminants and dead cells, literally in your lunch hour. At Refine, we are all about combination therapies - add a Tripollar treatment for instant tightening in the jawline and smoothed out lines and wrinkles. Then have an LED light treatment to stimulate collagen, heal and repair skin damage – and you are ready to glow at the Christmas table, all in no time!

With time being a luxury for many

women, it’s no surprise to see a clear and growing preference for treatments that can be squeezed into a lunch hour, or early in the morning.

Premium clinics know that in order to keep customers happy, they have to work around busy schedules, which is why we at Refine will adapt to suit our clients’ needs in this time running up to Christmas, making sure that there’s no excuse for not looking picture-perfect in your Instagrams!

We wish you a very festive holiday season. Enjoy and relax… and be sun-wise!

T: 028 316 4122 A: Hemel-en-Aarde Village

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MY HOME GAS INSTALLATIONS

T: 028 312 2020 A: 8 Arum St, Hermanus Industrial

Timeless furniture for modern living

T

he spacious showroom of Woodenways Hermanus in Hemel-en-Aarde Village is a treasure trove of interior design, offering a wonderful space to wander through and find inspiration in the extensive ranges of handcrafted furniture on display.

Inspired by nature, Woodenways succeeds in creating furniture pieces that everyone can relate to. Their styles range from classical to contemporary and from country chic to minimalism – all with your utmost comfort in mind. And because everything is handcrafted from natural materials, no two pieces are exactly the same.

Made from a range of beautiful, sustainable timber such as Oak, Mahogany, Kiaat and Sapele, you will find everything from bedside cabinets, dressers and desks to dining room tables and chairs. In collaboration with Nakara Tannery in Namibia, and Hertex Fabrics, Woodenways also offers you the best there is in soft furnishings. Their trademark is their wide range of couches and occasional chairs, covered in the latest fashionable fabrics or finest Nakara leather such as Eland, Kudu and Gemsbok – unique pieces of furniture that are guaranteed to be loved for years to come.

Owned by Seugnet Martin and managed by Lilani Radley, they have recently been joined by interior designer, Hélène de Waal, and now offer a full interior design service. “Woodenways’ extensive ranges ensure that there is something for everyone instead of just one particular style,” she says. “Another advantage is that, because we produce everything ourselves, there is always stock available and clients don’t have to endure the frustration of a long waiting period.”

Hélène sees clients’ homes as private spaces and the process of designing their interiors as a trusting relationship where psychology plays as big a role as design skills. “In order to guide clients you have to be able to make a connection and develop a relationship built on trust and respect,” she says. “You will not be successful unless you understand the client’s personality, lifestyle, taste and needs.

You have to know exactly what it is they want.”

Woodenways Hermanus works with architects, private and corporate clients to find complete interior solutions for private homes, businesses and accommodation establishments.

Their primary goal is to make stylish living accessible and they stock not only furniture for bedrooms and liv-

ing areas but also accessories ranging from scatter cushions to lamps and paintings.

With the summer season on our doorstep there is a strong focus on outdoor furniture and all-weather sun umbrellas, of which Woodenways stocks a selection ranging from 2 metre to 4 metre cantilever umbrellas. In addition to a new range of cost-effective outdoor patio furniture, they are proud to be the sole distributor in South Africa for 4Seasons Outdoor Furniture, imported from Europe and known as the world’s finest garden and patio furniture.

Manager Lilani Radley and interior designer Hélène de Waal in the spacious Woodenways Hermanus showroom.

Innovative design and quality finishing distinguish these stylish and durable pieces, which have a 15-year guarantee on their aluminium frames and UV protection in the weave of their fabric. Perfect for the South African climate, this exceptional al fresco range can be enjoyed all year round.

Seugnet, Lilani and Hélène enthusiasm for their products, their professional service, attention to detail and focus on customer care make a visit to Woodenways an enjoyable and inspirational experience. “Decorating a new home or business can be stressful but we are here to help our clients relax and to guide and support them

through the process, one room at a time,” says Helene.

Woodenways has four branches, of which Hermanus was the latest one to open in 2015. The other three showrooms are in Bethal, which is also their distribution centre, Pretoria and Nelspruit.

Visit the Woodenways Hermanus showroom at 15 Village Lane (next to Hermanuspietersfontein) or call 028 050 0589. They are open Monday – Friday from 09:00 – 17:00 and on Saturdays from 09:00 – 13:00. They deliver throughout the Western Cape.

– Hedda Mittner

12 December 2018

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Heading into 2019 on a more positive note

T

he property market in South Africa has experienced a decline in expected sales volumes over the last year. Hermanus as an area has mirrored the national trend, albeit with local issues gaining a high level of exposure, both nationally and internationally, which has helped to dampen the market even more than expected.

The decline can be attributed to a number of factors, but most of them have their roots in ‘the outlook for the future’.

This future outlook can be positive or optimistic, negative or pessimistic, or any range in-between, but at the end of the analysis, it has to be realistic and expected (or capable of projection) in order to allow the economy in general to adjust and grow.

Realism tells us that in the lead up to a national election political discussions are more often focused on the accumulation of votes than on the realities of economic growth. That noted, there have been some significant positive, economy-based statements from President Ramaphosa, Finance Minister Mboweni and Public Enterprises Minister Gordhan relating to previous blights on the South African economic environment.

State capture is being addressed, the Land Bill is being extensively discussed, and StateOwned Enterprises are definitely under a new,

brighter spotlight. Irrespective of the outcome of (particularly) the Land Bill discussions, the markets, which drive the economy (both locally and internationally,) prefer certainty to uncertainty.

As long as we keep on focussing on being realistic, lifting the fog produced by a lack of knowledge as to what the future holds, the economy and the property market will return to previous levels of activity.

Expectations as to selling prices need to be tempered in the current buyers’ market, and real capital growth should not be expected over the last year (always remembering that most people buy and sell in the same market conditions, so what you lose on the swings, you will ultimately gain on the roundabout).

There is so much to be positive about in this beautiful and multi-faceted country. A realistic outlook will ensure that economic growth will ultimately triumph over pockets of negativity.

– Stephen de Stadler, Managing Director, Fine & Country Hermanus, Arabella and Kleinmond • The views expressed above are those of the writer in his personal capacity and may not necessarily reflect the views of Fine & Country as a national and international brand.

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Putting Pirate

New rules start for Hermanus

By Julian Shaw

G

reetings to all, and here we are in the Christmas month, or, as we know it, the silly season. The course is really coming on well and we have had a lot of compliments already!

I hope by now all golfers have obtained a copy of the new rules. I must admit it’s quite a change from the old. Anyway, the whole push as I understand it of the new rules is twofold. One is to speed up play – we all no doubt really welcome this – and the second is honesty.

The new rules place a lot more emphasis on the fact that it is you against the course, so certain rules such as when identifying a ball, you can mark it, pick it up and identify the ball without first calling over your marker, which again saves a lot of time.

The first four rules have been adopted early by the club and the full list of new rules will come into effect on 1 January 2019.

Until next week have a great one and remember play the course as you find it and the ball as it lies.

Julz and the team.

Scores at a glance SATURDAY ALTOGETHER 1 DECEMBER 4BBB Stableford East Course (Red) 1 - 9 & 10 - 18 1st: A Gouws and AP Gouws (C/I) 43 2nd: H Schreuder and A van der Merwe (C/O) 43 South Course (Green) 10 - 18 & 19 - 27 1st: G Brown and D Bunn 46 2nd: G Combrink and T Richards (C/I) 45 North Course (Blue) 19 - 27 & 1 - 9 1st: D Adams and J Metcalfe 48 2nd: F Esterhuyse and H Steyn (C/I) 46 Best Gross: Andrew Philip 75 gross LADIES’ TUESDAY 4 DECEMBER Betterball Stableford 48 players Winners: Melinda Smith and Joan Geldenhuys 43 points Runners-up: Adele Basset and Moira Stadler 42 points MEN’S WEDNESDAY 5 DECEMBER Betterball Bogey Plus 149 players Winners East course: Willem Krige and Leon Rauch +9 South course: Ian McAdam and David Boers +10 North course: Tony Richards and Peter Bennett +12 Ball pool pays to +7 4 two clubs Best gross: Tyron Davidowitz 68

12 December 2018

www.thevillagenews.co.za

Summer Music Colour Run returns to Hermanus

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ith three new experiences to elevate this year’s Retail Capital Summer Music Colour Run series, this will be an event you won’t want to miss. Runners will get off to a sparkling, glittering start and enjoy a festival zone with a giant inflatable slide as well as a dodgeball arena that will add to the festive atmosphere.

The 2018 series will comprise three events held in Mossel Bay, Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay during the December holidays. Together these towns attract more than 600 000 visitors to their shores over the festive period, boosting their tourism-reliant economies.

“Retail Capital partners with South African SME’s to help grow their businesses and so it was important for us to sponsor an event series like the Summer Music Colour Run, which boosts the local economy of towns like Hermanus, especially during the holiday season,” says Erin Louw, Chief Brand Officer of Retail Capital.

“We find that most of our clients are adventure and solo sport enthusiasts and as much as we would like to sponsor events that test their mettle, we are also about fun family events where young and old are rewarded with shared memories. This is the first time that Retail Capital will be part-

nering with Coastline Events to bring this colourful event to life.”

The annual family sporting festival includes a 5 km fun run. It will boast its usual compliment of three colour stations, immersing participants in vibrant colours. Local DJ’s will dominate the two music stations, adding further entertainment along the route.

“We’re really proud to showcase our new experiences as part of our fifth birthday celebrations,” said Bianca le Roux, the owner of Coastline Events, which organises the annual Summer Music Colour Run series. “We’ve been blown away by the interest shown by holidaymakers, which has certainly helped to grow the event immensely.”

The alcohol-free event is aimed at bringing families together to celebrate summer in a fun and interactive way during the end-of-year holiday season. The entry fees are R260 per person and children under 10 run for free.

Each entrant will receive a T-shirt, race number, a sachet of colour powder as well as entry to the festival zone with the colour burst, giant inflatable slide and dodgeball arena.

Each entrant will also receive a R150 Travelstart voucher and a R300 Safari Now voucher!

“We’ve been impressed by the manner in which the local communities within the coastal resort towns have embraced the event,” says Bianca. “It’s a superb day out for the family and a really special way to add some colour to your holiday.”

Join the Retail Capital Summer Music Colour Run in Hermanus on 26 December at 16:00 at Hermanus High School.

For more details visit www.summerrun.co.za

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12 December 2018

www.thevillagenews.co.za

MY SCHOOL

All aboard for local learners!

Writer Taylum Meyer

D

id you know that according to UN News, there are as many as 51 trillion microplastic particles in our seas? Or that the Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis) is currently listed as an endangered species?

Four learners from Gansbaai Academia (GA) and Generation Schools Hermanus (GSH) recently went on a seven-day trip on the research vessel, Fleur de Passion to learn more.

One of the biggest sources of pollution on our planet is ocean debris. An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans every year, causing severe damage to aquatic life and ecosystems. By 2050, our oceans will carry more plastic than fish.

This is the disturbing reality that was brought home to the learners when they joined the Fleur de Passion to spend a week on board the sailing vessel, which is currently on a fouryear trip around the world to map the state of our oceans and to measure the impact of plastic pollution caused by humans.

The trip was made possible by CapeNature, in partnership with the Swiss Embassy, and four learners who excel in maths and science were invited to join the expedition. In the end it was Phumelela Siweni (GA), Caitlin van Eeden (GA), Zanabo Anzuruni

(GA) and Kyle Saville (GSH) who were selected for this life-changing experience from 25 November to 2 December.

The learners met in Kynsna where they spent the first day of their trip on board the Fleur de Passion, learning from a local scientist about the endangered Knysna seahorse.

The next few days were spent on the Knysna lagoon where they learnt about the marine environment and how to measure the levels of microplastics in the water. They were also required to work as a team with the crew members and learnt how to sail.

From Knysna, the learners assisted the crew in sailing the vessel on an eight-hour trip to Mossel Bay, where they had the opportunity to explore Seal Island and its marine life, including great white sharks.

Their adventure came to an end after seven eventful days and the learners left the Fleur de Passion with a new awareness of the dire need for marine conservation.

After his return to Hermanus, we caught up with 17-year-old Kyle Saville to ask him about his experience.

“We all learnt a lot and had fun doing it,” he said.

“We not only learnt about the impact of plastic pollution on our oceans but also about sailing. We were tasked with keeping the boat clean and tidy and helping the boat’s cook in the kitchen. We ate a lot of Swiss food

Edward Adonis, the CapeNature official who joined the learners on their trip, with Kyle Saville from Generation Schools Hermanus, and Caitlin van Eeden, Zanabo Anzuruni and Phumelela Siweni from Gansbaai Academia before boarding the research vessel, Fleur de Passion in Knysna. PHOTO: CapeNature

and one day we made a South African curry for the Swiss crew – they really enjoyed it!”

Kyle and the three learners from Gansbaai Academia will travel to Cape Town on 18 December to be part of a press conference at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. Visit www.capenature.co.za/aboard-youth-sea-project/ for more photos and information on the Fleur de Passion trip.

PHOTO: Kyle Saville

Nicholas 082 437 9776