The village news 31 October - 13 November 2017

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Cape Whale Coast

31 Oct to 13 Nov 2017

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Seashells on the seashore

PHOTO: Fatbike Tours www.fatbiketours.co.za

The last few days have seen higher temperatures tempting people to the beaches to bask in the warm rays of the sun or take in some muchneeded biking exercise after a long winter. According to statistics supplied by the South African National Space Agency the warmest day in June was 27˚C, in July 31,9˚C, in August 26˚C, and in September 32,3˚C. The next few weeks will see temperatures hovering in the middle to upper 20s with intermittent showers predicted for the whole of November.

No water woes for Whale Coast De Waal Steyn

Deputy Director: Engineering Planning of the Overstrand Municipality.

he Overstrand community is exceptionally responsible with their water usage. In fact, despite the enormous growth in new residents over the last decade, our current average water usage is the same as what it was in 2008/’09,” says Hanré Blignaut,

While a crippling drought in the Western Cape has led to severe water restrictions in most of the province, the Overstrand has enough water to cope with demand during both the coming dry and holiday seasons. “Our residents are very mindful when it comes to

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conservation issues, as clearly illustrated by the water usage.

At the moment Hermanus uses 12 million litres of water a day,” he says.

measure the Municipality has announced Level 1 water restrictions from 1 November in Greater Hermanus Area (Benguela Cove to Voëlklip).

Of the 12 million litres, 7 million is supplied from the De Bos Dam and 5 million is extracted from 9 boreholes.

During the high season, demand for water doubles and as a precautionary

According to Hanré, the De Bos Dam level stands at 66.7%, while the Buffels River Dam that supplies Rooiels, Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay stands on close to 100%. The Palmiet River that supplies Kleinmond

is flowing very strong, while the fountains and boreholes that supply water to Stanford are also in good health. The Kraaibosch Dam in Gansbaai, which has almost the same 6 000 million litre capacity as the De Bos Dam, is overflowing.

According to Hanré, while the De Bos Dam level shows a small but constant decline, the dam will not dry up before the

next rainy season starts. “Even if we end up in a situation where the next few seasons are very dry, we will still be able to meet approximately 50% of our average water needs from the boreholes alone. We are planning to sink more boreholes in the next two years and the long-term plan is to also start recycling effluent water for re-use.”

Read more on Page 3

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31 October - 13 November 2017

WS E

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Residents unite to protect Fernkloof H T H E Opinion

ands off Fernkloof,” was the clear message from the public at a special meeting on 24 October to address the public outcry over the draft Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

The meeting, which was requested

by Ward 3 Councillor Kari Brice, drew a large crowd of about 500 concerned residents to the Municipal Auditorium. Scheduled to start at 18:00, the auditorium was filled to capacity by 17:40 and the rest of the attendees had to hastily be accommodated in the banquet hall, where speakers were relayed to enable them to follow the proceedings.

The outcome of the meeting was that the office of the Municipal Manager, Coenie Groenewald, has extended the deadline for comment on the draft IMP, which originally closed on 13 October, until 30 November. In addition, it was agreed that Stephen Muller, Municipal Director of Infrastructure & Planning, will consult with the Fernkloof Advisory Board (FAB) at a meeting next week. After addressing those aspects of the IMP that are unacceptable to the FAB and taking all the comments from Interested and Affected Parties (IAPs) into consideration, Muller has undertaken to amend the current draft IMP. “I have great appreciation for the high number of people who came to the meeting and for sharing their concerns with us.

It was heart-warming to experience how important Fernkloof is to our residents," Muller told The Village NEWS after the meeting.

More than 200 comments have already been received from IAPs, including conservation bodies closely linked to Fernkloof such as the Herma-nus Botanical Society (HBS), Whale Coast Conservation (WCC), Vogelgat Private Nature Reserve, and WESSA (Wildlife & Environment

NEWS Matters

By Hedda Mittner

Society South Africa) Western Cape.

Despite this promising outcome to the meeting, several comments posted on the Facebook page ‘Hands off Fernkloof Nature Reserve’ described it as “a waste of time” and the tone as “arrogant and patronising”. There were also complaints about the fact that the majority of the two-hour meeting was taken up by Muller presenting an overview of the IMP and that only 20 minutes were set aside for questions and answers. Muller’s response to questions by the public was also criticised as being “unsatisfactory” and “can hardly be called public participation”.

So what are the facts of this matter and where do we stand at the moment?

At the start of his overview of the draft IMP, Muller emphasised the global biodiversity significance of Fernkloof Nature Reserve (FNR) and the need to conserve it in accordance with the Protected Areas Act. “The primary purpose of managing the FNR is the conservation of its unique biodiversity, and the associated ecosystem features and functions.”

As the designated management authority which is responsible and accountable for FNR, the OM is required by the environmental legislation of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (NEM:PAA) to compile an IMP. The process to develop the current IMP, which entails a revision of the 2001

Ombudsman The press exists to serve society. Its freedom provides for independent scrutiny, and is essential to ensuring demo-cracy. It enables citizens to make informed judgments, a role that is recognised by the Constitution. The Village NEWS subscribes to the South African Press Code and thus to the South African Press Council and the South African Press Ombudsman. Should you feel our reportingis not fair, free or unbiased and without prejudice, or that serious errors have been made, you are welcome to lay a complaint with the O m b u d s m a n . R e a c h h i m o n 0 11 4 8 4 3 6 1 2 / 8 , e - m a i l pressombudsman.org.za or visit www.ombudsman.org.za

Fernkloof Nature Reserve Management Plan, started back in 2011 with the appointment of Withers Environmental Consultants. Since then the legislative process has gone through several phases to culminate in the current draft IMP, which was finalised in August and advertised for public comment in September. According to Muller, approximately R387 000 has been spent on consultation services over the last six years.

He said the overwhelming majority of negative comment received by the Municipality related to Section E of the IMP: Zoning and Landuse, which proposes dividing the reserve into three Management Units – a Conservation Management Unit; a Development Management Unit; and a Potential Development Management Unit (PDMU) that guide future use, permissible activities, management and development of the reserve.

While minimal development will be allowed in the first unit, where the priority remains “the conservation and protection of FNR’s biological diversity and the integrity of its landscapes and heritage features”, the PDMU is earmarked “for potential development of access, management infrastructure, accommodation, high intensity recreation, and commercial use”.

The objections centre on these key issues: ■ FNR is a proclaimed nature reserve and as such must be managed by OM in accordance with the provisions of NEM:PAA

and exclusively for the purpose for which it was declared. The Mission Statement is described in the IMP as: “To sustainably manage and protect the natural assets and cultural heritage resources of the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, in partnership with relevant community organisations in order to conserve and ensure the continued existence of its rich biodiversity, and its associated ecological processes and services.”

■ The inclusion of the PDMU, with its associated consent uses that include activities and infrastructure such as zip-lines, a cable way with landing stations, accommodation units, coffee shop, astronomy centre, 4X4 trails, camping, picnicking and boat launching, stands in stark contrast to the IMP’s Mission Statement. It is inconsistent with, and contradicts, the founding purpose of FNR and the legislation that applies to it. The proposal for a PDMU should be removed from the IMP and the area remain under conservation only.

■ The mountain areas that fall under the proposed PDMU are visited by tourists and nature enthusiasts to experience the unique natural environment of FNR in peace and tranquillity, all of which will be destroyed by these invasive activities. The concept of sustainable development (also referred to in the IMP as “triple bottom line development”) is inappropriate to the environmental management of a nature reserve falling within the ambit of the Protected Areas Act, which has the purpose of preserving and protecting ecologically viable areas of biodiversity, not of sustainably developing them.

■ The Fernkloof Advisory Board (FAB) is a statutory body appointed by the Overstrand Mayor, for the purpose of advising the Municipality on issues relevant to and affecting the FNR. Working closely with the FAB is the Hermanus Botanical Society (HBS), whose members have nurtured and

protected FNR since its inception in 1960. Neither the FAB nor HBS were informed of the current draft IMP, after having provided considerable input on the previous draft. The latest version of the IMP has been significantly altered without consultation, which brings into question the motivation of the new developmental proposals.

■ Both the FAB and HBS, and other key stakeholders, support the development of tourism facilities in an ecologically sensitive manner within the second unit, the Development Management Unit, which is already developed, by upgrading the management offices, nursery, herbarium, botanical gardens, research centre, tourism office, parking and picnic facilities. The improved infrastructure could also include a coffee shop, education centre and conference facilities.

■ The rest of the reserve however should be left untouched, except for conservation efforts such as the upkeep of the hiking trails and the clearing of alien vegetation, which need urgent attention. The possibility of rather accommodating some of the proposed tourism-related activities in the proposed new FNR extension areas, especially Erf 243 north of Rotary Way and above the Gateway shopping centre, should be considered. This could generate an income for the maintenance of the reserve, which is underfunded at present.

In conclusion, the desired outcome of the present controversy surrounding the future management of FNR is perhaps best described by WESSA in their public comment to the OM: “We commend the many Hermanus residents and local organisations such as WCC who take on so many custodianship tasks in the region and urge the Municipality to review the Fernkloof IMP so that it reflects the true value of this natural asset and adopts a sensitive and protective approach to maintaining it.”

This is the GOOD news

WHERE TO FIND US The Village NEWS is published fortnightly and the next edition will be available on 14 November. The NEWS can be found at over 100 distribution points on the Cape Whale Coast, from Pringle Bay to Gansbaai.

Get your FREE copy from major retail stores such as Spar, Checkers and Pick n Pay, and at restaurants, tasting rooms, galleries and shopping centres. Should you wish to receive a copy, call us on 028 312 2234 or 083 228 7523 or pop into our office at 6 Royal Street, Hermanus.

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Precautionary water restrictions From P 1 The aquifer that supplies the boreholes in the area forms part of the Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer system that runs along the west and south coasts. Natural discharge from this aquifer system happens via streams, springs, flow to wetlands and seepage to the ocean.

According to Professor Jenny Day, director of the Freshwater Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, the TMG fossil aquifer has been there for millions of years and holds tremendous amounts of water. In 2005, the Department of Water and Sanitation estimated that South Africa’s groundwater amounted to more than seven times the surface water stored in our major dams.

Hanré says that the aquifer levels are continuously monitored to ensure that they do not drop below sea level. “It is as important for us to conserve our ground water as it is for the water in our dams. The

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Rainfall in the region this year has been lower than normal with 398 mm measured for the first 9 months against an annual average of 620 mm.

April 31.6 mm / 55.4 mm; May 9.3 mm / 59.8 mm; June 82.1 mm / 80.3 mm; July 67.1 mm / 84.7 mm; August 123 mm / 81 mm; and September 30.9 mm / 50.2 mm.

From these figures it is clear that during the period from February to May this year, the rainfall was considerably lower than average.

However, good rainfall was recorded in August and aboveaverage rainfall is expected for November.

According to statistics supplied by South African National Space Agency, 412 mm was measured in the first 9 months of the year against 490 mm in the correspon-ding period of 2016, constituting an almost 16% drop in rainfall. The average rainfall for the same period measured over the last 70 years is 499 mm.

In accordance with the Overstrand Municipality’s Tariff Policy, water tariffs will only be increased to the 1st level of water restriction tariffs when the water level in the De Bos Dam drops below 40%.

The following water restrictions will come into effect on 1 November for the Greater Hermanus area:

■ Watering of plants in nurseries, etc., for commercial purposes, is exempted from the water restrictions.

The rainfall figures for this year compared to the average of the last 70 years are: January 42 mm/ 25.6 mm; February 11.8 mm / 29 mm; March 13.7 mm / 32 mm;

■ No watering of gardens, flower beds, sports fields, parks, lawns and other open spaces is allowed with municipal drinking water, except for:

■ If alternative water sources are utilised, consumers must ensure that they display the appropriate signage to this effect, clearly visible from a public thoroughfare.

aquifer levels are always kept at a minimum of more than three metres above sea level. This is especially important during dry spells such as we are in now as ground water systems take longer to replenish than dams.

- One hour per day, before 09:00 or after 17:00, two days per week.

- Even numbered street addresses ONLY on Wednesdays and Sundays.

- Uneven numbered street addresses ONLY on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

■ Washing of vehicles and watercraft with hosepipes is only allowed if fitted with automatic self-closing devices.

■ No washing or hosing down of hard-surfaced or paved areas with municipal drinking water is allowed.

Who will care for Fernkloof when we are gone?

uch has been written and debated about the threats to Hermanus’s natural haven that is Fernkloof. First there is the bypass road and now “development units” proposed for this tiny protected area.

Social media is awash with passion.

Fernkloof Nature Reserve is greatly loved by its many visitors. One comment on Facebook reads: Reasons why I love Fernkloof: The smell of fynbos, the peace and tranquillity, the magical moments in the mist, the diamonds of water drops on the grasses and spider webs, the vibrant colours of spring, the sound of water over the rocks, the rays of the sun into the ravines, the wind on my skin, the insects, birds, snakes, dassies, deer and the inquisitive baboons, the vastness of it all, so many species of plants, so special, so unique, our own piece of the Fynbos Plant Kingdom, our World

Heritage site, ours to preserve for the future… Gerda Bücker of Magical Mystery Tours Who will look after our natural assets when we are gone? Who are the next generation of carers?

They are the teenagers of today, wedded to LED screens like a match made in heaven. Many of them are children whose parents came to Hermanus for a better life than the one they left behind.

They are struggling with day-today existence with no-one to guide them to special places like Fernkloof where they can smell the aspalathus; where the only sound is the wind through the reeds, the calls of birds (and the odd frog) and the laughter of children.

teenagers the opportunity to connect with their natural environment and each other; where they can learn about the fascinating relationships between all things living; each species touching the life of those around it.

about themselves. The adults get to appreciate the aspirations and strengths of young people from different communities and the hurdles in their paths. This is when the magic happens and people start to reach out to others to give a helping hand.

Some of the youth were so inspired by the camaraderie they had built up during one of the camps that they now regularly get together to clean up their environment. This enthusiasm attracted the attention of other residents of the town who also joined in. Working to a common purpose, cooperation arises naturally between different economic classes and between generations.

These young people are inspired by their environment and by the bonds they form while caring for it.

They are the decision-makers of the future who, through their experiences at WCC eco-camps, will be better equipped to protect our natural assets.

Whale Coast Conservation fills this role to a small degree with its holiday eco-camps. It gives

After each clean up session, the participants share a meal together and talk about the project and

■ The next Whale Coast Conservation eco-camp will be held from 27 to 30 November 2017.

Contact Sheraine at sheraine.wcc@gmail.com for more details.

- Anina Lee

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Large property developments planned for 2018 which consists of approximately 9,74 hectares of vacant land and the Klein River Lagoon Park, which measures 6 279 m² and has basic sewer and water services and access roads.

De Waal Steyn

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hree large developments planned for 2018 will further bolster the region’s economy after it was announced that more than 1 200 property transactions worth a total of over R2 billion took place in Hermanus in the first nine months of this year the highest rand value ever recorded for the town.

The Prawn Flats portion includes a boat launch site with two boat ramps and a separate entrance. Selkirk Cottage, situated on the Prawn Flats, is approximately 150 m². It is a fenced, standalone historical building which is listed on the Heritage Register and must thus be preserved due to its historical value. The developer is expected to include the cottage in its site development plan and look after its preservation.

The development of a resort at the old site of De Mond Caravan Park in Voëlklip is expected to start mid-2018, with the signing of a 45-year lease agreement between the Municipality and the Pretoria-based Pohl Property Development Group (PPDG) expected to be finalised by the end of this year.

This brand-new holiday resort will feature self-catering units, an international hotel, conference facilities, a wellness spa and a restaurant. Approval of the development follows a tender process that lasted more than a year after the closure of the caravan park in 2013, which made headlines when several long-time residents were forced to move out.

Excluded from the development are the lagoon edge, the Sea and Sand area and the Voëlklip solid waste drop-off.

The proposed new development at De Mond

The Municipality obtained the land (also known as The Fishery) in 1942 by way of a Crown Grant. The Crown Grant stipulated that the land may not be sold and must be used for a public resort or recreational purposes. The primary goals of the development will be to provide public resort facilities that will increase visitor numbers to Hermanus, especially during the traditional low and mid seasons, and create much needed job opportunities (primarily for members of the local community) during the construction and operational phases.

According to the development proposal, the project entails a mixed-use resort. The design concept fosters a sensitive environmental approach, whereby the milkwood forests, beach areas and heritage conditions dictate the proposed layout.

“The project will cater for a variety of clients, ranging from weekend visitors from Cape Town to corporate clients and wine-tasting tourists. Conferencing facilities, a wellness and fitness centre, as well as an exclusive restaurant form primary anchor points that will attract not only the local community, but also a wider catch net of users,” said Edmund Pohl, CEO of PPDG. “Nestled between the ocean and the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, the development’s

architecture entwines with the natural environment whilst echoing the greater Cape context through a contemporary vernacular of the Cape-Dutch architecture,” said Pohl.

Located centrally to the development is the grandiose boutique hotel which will serve as the heart of the development and host various

public facilities. From here concentrically, the density lowers as dwelling units are dispersed into the natural landscape. The building orientation is centralised around sea views to the south, mountain views to the north and forestations of natural vegetation. The development also allows for pedestrian access and movement along a scenic promenade that links

resort facilities with dwelling zones.

According to Pohl, this architectural language celebrates the uniqueness of the precinct and places the development in a luxurious class.

The development site encompasses various portions, including the old caravan park

The new year will also see the development of the piece of land commonly known as the ‘circus grounds’ near the Gateway Centre by Massbuild, which comprises Builders Warehouse, Tile Warehouse, Builders Express and Builders Trade Depot (formerly Federated Timbers).

According to Town Planner Riaan Kuchar it is expected that construction on the lifestyle home and garden centre will begin early in the

new year. The development will include a garden centre with a tea and coffee garden.

The tender for the sale amounted to R22,8 million – R6,1 million more than the tendered value of R16,7 million. The profit will enable the Municipality to approve a payment of R7,6 million to complete the construction of the Sport Centre (next to the Cricket Club) that was started in 2012.

According to the Municipality the money will be used to relocate the current tennis and squash courts to the Sport Centre and to complete the clubhouse. The current tennis and squash courts next to the Municipality are in dire need of an upgrade that will cost more than R400 000.

On the housing side the contracts for the sale of the Sandbaai Commonage have been completed and the development of houses and a retirement village is expected to start soon, as demand for property continues unabated.

According to Paul Kruger, Seeff's licensee for the area, Hermanus is one of the most dynamic coastal property markets in the Western Cape and continues to perform well above expectation, despite the poor economic climate. “The town and its surrounds has become a sought-after property destination, with luxury properties reaching prices of R20 million to R40 million.

“A New World Wealth Report named Hermanus as one of the most popular places for multimillionaire-owned second homes, ranking alongside the likes of Cape Town, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Zimbali in KwaZulu-Natal.

The latest Lightstone data shows the median price for property in the area has increased by about 12% over the past two years. In fewer than five years this price has increased by more than 40%,” says Kruger.

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Pioneers aim for a world first in wave energy Leigh-Anne Hunter

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ight now the story of wave energy in South Africa traces back to one man’s vision to harness ocean energy 33 years ago… That man was Dr Pierre Hugo, founder of abalone cultivator and export giant Abagold, in Hermanus.

Zoom forward to present day and I’m standing outside Abagold on a rock jutting out to the sea, with one Marius Hugo. Pierre’s prodigal son.

Marius wants to power his father’s research into the future – by building the world’s first commercially viable waveenergy converter (WEC). Standing on the wave-drenched site where they have started build-ing, you have this quite thrilling sense of glimpsing the future.

“I grew up with this,” says Marius. By “this” he means the ocean and around us, the complex arterial system of pumps and pipes that deliver 10 million litres of sea water to Abagold’s abalone farms every hour.

Marius is an electronic engineer and UCT MBA graduate and he heads up South African renewable energy company, Mean Sea Level (MSL).

MSL’s pilot wave-energy project is a 1MW (megawatt) waveenergy converter currently under construction. Marius has a deadline to flick the waveenergy switch in just 14 months. No pressure.

In his tiny office on site, I ask the young Marius if he thinks of himself as a pioneer. “A pioneer no. More a boer, as in ’n boer maak ‘n plan.” Just as his father, a veterinary scientist, did when he figured out how to breed the South African Haliotis midae (abalone) species – in his backyard.

The multimillion Rand pilot

Marius Hugo is powering his father’s research into the future – by building the world’s first commercially viable wave-energy converter at Abagold in the New Harbour. The photo on the left shows his renewable energy company Mean Sea Level’s attempt to construct the foundation of the wall for the wave-energy converter. project is situated near the New Harbour. “Will they pull it off?” is the big question. “The control systems and materials required to do salt-water hydroelectricity by the sea are very similar to what is used on the abalone farms,” says Marius. But despite their collective expertise and experience, he says they still have their work cut out for them.

“Sitting in a lab designing a wave-energy converter on a computer is easy, but as soon as you take your design close to the ocean, the harsh environment could easily result in it getting destroyed and ending up on the beach.”

Marius believes this is why no one to date has cracked the formula to make wave energy commercially viable. At R8 to R10 per Kilowatt hour, it’s far pricier than cheap (but polluting) energy guzzlers like coal. MSL intends to change that. “Our goal is to be on par with gas power and get it under R1 to make wave energy competitive.”

To get there is going to take the “try, try, and try again” approach. “Wave energy is still a highly complex thing. We have to perfect the know-how and figure out all the detail around how to do this repetitively, consistently, and in a cost-effective way.

Eventually we want to be able to identify sites for waveenergy converters and build them in 12 months. We are now where the wind and solar guys were 20 to 30 years ago but hopefully it won’t take that long to get up that curve.”

But it’s been no mean feat so far. Perfecting the technique to build The Wall alone (it deserves uppercase letters), which will close off the approximately 75-metre wide bay like a dam, has taken a heck of effort.

“Trying to build a wall right in the surf zone that will last is very difficult,” says Marius. But it’s crucial they get it right.

“The idea is that water runs up the sloped dam wall into the

dam and from the dam back to the ocean, through a hydroelectric turbine.”

skyscrapers. Divers bolted it to the ground with 36 chains and cables.

the rock bed, and post-tension them downwards with hydraulic pistons.”

The biggest challenge has been building The Wall foundation on a very uneven rocky surface – and doing it all underwater. “The wall needs to be structurally able to withstand the onslaught of the waves as well as to fulfil its purpose – and so we need a solid, level platform foundation to build on. We spent about a year just learning how to cast concrete underwater in the surf zone.”

It lasted one month. But they persevered, experimented.

Each time they went into the ocean there was just a small window of time to get it right.

After all the effort, however, many of the structures ended up being hammered by storms and heavy swells.

It’s taken them two years but they’re ready now to build The Wall, which will in itself be time-consuming, as they will build it in two-metre sections.

When completed it will be 16 metres wide with a length of about 75m. “Every time we go in we build all the way up, secure it, profile the next section of seabed, build, scan, build, scan…” The Wall will be reinforced with stainless steel to avoid corrosion. “This structure has to last 20 years in the ocean.”

They decided to build a watertight steel mould or caisson to cast the submarine concrete blocks (the technique used to build the foundation for the Eiffel Tower). A concrete leak was a no-go in this marine-sensitive environment.

“It was the way most people said we should go. So we built this big box and we made it as strong as we could.” Think steel I-beams used to build

MSL has now invented and patented a machine (yet another first) that scans the bottom of the ocean in order to create a 3D representation of the seabed profile. And it’s working.

They’re calling their device the Mechanical Seabed Profiler. It uses a piston that goes up and down 400 times in a 2x16m section to measure depth. The advantage of this technique is that they can now build the foundation on land. “We replicate the rock surface and cast the foundation blocks.

Then we take those and put them in the sea, drill them into

After many years of research, the wave-energy project formally started off as an Abagold initiative in 2012.

MSL was later formed as a separate business in order to give the technology the focus it would need to succeed.

Abagold is the off-take partner for the pilot WEC electricity production.

Continues on P 6

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Like father like son From P 5 “After people, electricity is Abagold’s second largest cost contributor,” says Abagold Managing Director, Tim Hedges. Their plan to use wave energy forms part of the company’s green energy programme. It will also enable them to keep their electricity cost constant. “We use on average about three megawatts so, longterm, wave energy could potentially meet all of our energy requirements.”

Wave energy provides more consistent supply than solar and wind power, says Marius.

“You can run a business 24/7

with it.” He says that South Africa’s location makes it ideal for this type of energy.

“Countries located between 40 and 60 degrees latitude north and south are ideal because of their strong winds.”

South America is one of the destinations he plans on targeting. That’s the dream.

“When MSL is building waveenergy converters all over the world.”

MSL will also produce the hydro-technology for the converter locally. “We want to create a local wave-energy industry in SA. We have had nothing but support from people in Hermanus, so we

feel that this is a community project.”

Whale Coast Conservation (WCC) has been involved in the wave-energy project from the conceptual stage and has been appointed to oversee compliance with the conditions specified in the National Environmental Management Act. Marius says that once the pilot is up and running, MSL intends to lobby Eskom to include wave energy in their renewable mix.

“What we are doing is venture capital stuff. It’s high risk. But if we succeed?” He pauses, smiles.

“We will have an amazing resource.”

Abagold’s novel solution to water shortages

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estcliff abalone cultivator Abagold is planning to construct the first desalination plant in Hermanus. The project will cost about R3 million.

Abagold Managing Director, Tim Hedges, says that the plan has been in the pipeline for some time and makes even more sense now that water restrictions are rolling out in Hermanus.

Desalination is a process whereby mineral components are extracted from saline water. Fresh water supply is essential for Abagold as it is used at all of their abalone farm hand-washing stations for biosecurity purposes, and also for many operations in the processing factory.

If approved, the plant will be housed on Abagold’s Sulamanzi farm. This is the largest of Abagold’s four abalone farms in Hermanus. Abagold will be applying to Overstrand Municipality for permission to build the plant. “We hope to have it completed by August or September 2018,” says Tim. The plant will use reverse osmosis technology to desalinate approximately six cubic metres per hour. “There will be some excess (depending on storage) and we would hope to get permission to provide this to surrounding farms and

households if approved by the Municipality, otherwise we will operate the system for less hours to meet our own requirements,” Tim says.

He explains that a key challenge regarding desalination lies in having to actually pump the water, from the sea, into the desalination plant. Fortunately, Abagold is able to overcome this as it already pumps 10 million litres of sea water every hour into its nearly 40 000 abalone tanks or “baskets” in a flowthrough system. Through desalination, sea water that has passed through the system will then be converted to fresh water.

“Because we pump water already, a large part of these costs has already been incurred, so Abagold should be able to desalinate at a much lower cost.”

Tim believes that being the off-take partner for Mean Sea Level’s wave-energy converter planned for December 2018 gives Abagold another edge, as wave energy will give them a more efficient cost of electricity, thus further reducing the cost of their desalinated water.

Abagold HR director, LouAnne Lubbe says: “Whilst we know unbelievable work has

been done in the water space in Hermanus, with responsible water management desalination could well be a secondary solution for Hermanus, if not for homeowners, then at least for industrial use.”

Wave-energy converter plus desalination plant equals jackpot. Tim: “It has the potential to eventually take us totally off the grid – no fresh water, no electricity required. Who knows, maybe Abagold will one day be using 100 percent renewable energy.”

The desalination plant is a byproduct from Abagold’s plans to mitigate the impact of future red tide events. “Our ability to protect ourselves against red tide requires significant investment in new recirculation infrastructure, which will allow the farm to survive extended periods of time without pumping red tide contaminated water from the bay. With the red tide earlier this year, we didn’t have this flexibility, due to the nature of our flowthrough system.

“What we are now creating will allow us to recirculate the water in our system until such time as we can access clean water and then we will revert to our existing system.”

- Leigh-Anne Hunter

7

31 October - 13 November 2017

Annual bonus: how do you spend it wisely?

It is nearly bonus time for many employees! Now is the opportune time to plan on how you can use the funds as a means to manage your financial wellbeing. WERNER GERBER of PSG Wealth Hermanus Portfolio Management and Stockbroking looks at 4 real-life ways on how you can spend your bonus more wisely.

1. Pay off debt The first priority is to review all your debt in order to determine what is costing you most in terms of interest.

For example, if we assume you have a credit card balance of R40 000 at an interest rate of 26%, a personal loan of R100 000 at an interest rate of 21%, and a R10 000 overdraft facility at a rate of 11%, your strategy should be to first settle your credit card and only pay the minimum installment on the personal loan until the credit card is paid off. Once the credit card is paid off, you can increase the installment on your personal loan. As soon as the personal loan has been settled, you should start paying off the overdraft.

In the above example, using a R20 000 bonus could result in a

saving of more than R5 000 on your interest expenses for 2018.

This saving should be used to pay down more of your credit card debt, and with good planning and discipline this could result in you settling your debt much sooner.

2. Beef up your emergency fund A simple calculation would prove that, in most instances, it would be better to eliminate one’s debt before adding to your emergency fund. If the interest rate you pay on your debt is higher than the interest you earn, you are losing money.

To return to our previous example, if our reader were to pay down R20 000 on her credit card, she would in effect now have a R20 000 emergency fund. It is however critical that these funds are for

emergency purposes only.

Examples of emergencies include major events such as job loss, medical or dental emergencies and unexpected vehicle or home repairs which aren’t covered by insurance.

whichever is greater, but capped at R350 000. The effective tax deductions vary depending on your annual income, ranging between 18% and 45% of the contributions to the fund.

Once all high-interest debt is paid off, she can start to save the equivalent of 3 to 6 months’ salary in an emergency fund.

She will then have emergency savings helping her to avoid taking on new high-interest debt when unexpected expenses arise.

4. Be financially savvy with tax-free investments Someone who already contributes the maximum amount to their retirement products can consider contributing to taxfree investments (TFIs). TFIs are suitable for most investors. TFIs are investment vehicles that do not incur any taxes. Contributions aren’t tax deductible as with retirement funds, but all investment returns are tax free i.e. no income tax, dividend withholding tax or capital gains tax are payable.

3. Invest for retirement Tax payers are incentivised to save for retirement through tax deductions on contributions to retirement funds. You are able to deduct your contributions to retirement funds subject to an annual limit of 27.5% of taxable income or remuneration,

TFIs may consist of a variety of underlying assets and will

depend on the investor’s risk tolerance and investor profile.

These asset classes include cash and related interestbearing assets, listed exchange traded funds (ETF’s) and various unit trust funds. Only South African resident individual investors (not trusts, companies, etc.) are eligible and contributions are restricted. The maximum current contribution per person is R33 000 per year and R500 000 over a lifetime.

You can make monthly installments or invest a yearly lump sum (some product providers may put a minimum limit on your investment for administrative purposes). Any unused portion of the annual limit is forfeited and cannot be carried over to the following tax year.

Contributions that exceed the annual limit are taxed at 40%.

Investors have unrestricted

access to the capital but to discourage impulsive withdrawals, the annual and overall limits are not adjusted for withdrawals made. A long-term investment horizon of 10 years and longer is recommended to fully reap the rewards of compounding your return tax free.

TFIs needn’t be an “either/or” choice but should be used in combination with other investment products. Consult a financial adviser to ensure that you make the best decision for your personal circumstances.

PSG Wealth Hermanus Portfolio Management and Stockbroking 028 312 1508 10 Magnolia Street www.psg.co.za/hermanus stockbrokers Send your financial questions to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

8

31 October - 13 November 2017

THE

NEWS

Let’s Talk

Town councillors getting carried away and wasting money

Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

This is a letter to remind the Town Councillors of Hermanus how important it is to focus on the job at hand and not to get carried away by daydreams that cost money. Money was wasted on the dream of a bypass when the investigation should never have gone further than a traffic count at the circle leading to Voëlklip, which would have proved that the bulk of traffic goes into Hermanus and not through Hermanus.

Why should baboon rights take precedence over citizens’ rights?

Re Mr Lombardi’s letter (Baboons – there are solutions) in The Village NEWS of 26 Sep – 2 Oct: Perhaps there are people whose property is protected by electric fencing or who can afford state-of-the-art burglar bars, or who don’t mind having their homes redecorated after a troop of baboons have trashed it. I can tell you, though, that I do not appreciate that kind of treatment from the baboons.

I don’t have important letters behind my name. I am just an ordinary person, living an ordinary life, paying my taxes and striving to do my bit to keep our society a sane and functioning place to live in.

And I mind very much having to get new curtains, couches and carpets that have been destroyed; not mentioning the garden I have spent so much time, money and sweat on so that I can enjoy my own backyard. Why should I, or anyone else, have to put up with having our property vandalised on a regular basis?

Do we not have a constitutional right to be protected? Why are the rights of the baboons more important than ours?

I have been so traumatised by these baboon invasions that I now feel helpless, defenceless and let down by the authorities that have the responsibility to protect citizen’s rights on their legal property, but have all

kinds of unacceptable reasons why they can’t act. I really don’t understand the breakdown in rational thinking when the vandals are baboons. If they were a pack of stray dogs out on the streets aggressively trying to find food, I’m sure a “solution” would quickly be found, but because they are baboons they are untouchable! My exasperation and frustration is with the authorities who have no idea – and obviously don’t care – what it feels like to be continually violated in this way.

I feel confused and saddened by the fact that so much money has been spent already and that so much more is sought, to finance these seemingly pointless “baboon solutions”, while there are countless thousands of human beings living alongside of us in our communities who don’t have food to eat or proper houses to live in.

I believe it won’t be possible to find a proper “solution” unless we have determined what value system we apply in the situation and have identified proper priorities.

This is a territorial issue about having mutual respect for one another’s legal boundaries – the kind of setup that makes Hermanus a nice town to visit

and live in. We as Hermanus citizens do not go into baboon territory and vandalise their environment; yet they regularly come onto our properties and plunder to their hearts’ content. While they roam free, we have to fortify our properties and live in virtual prisons. When we do not succeed in keeping the baboons out, we also have to carry the cost of cleaning, refurbishing, repainting and replacing what they’ve destroyed, which sadly not all of us can afford.

We are constantly reminded of the dire consequences should anyone think of touching a baboon. But when hungry human beings steal because they need to eat, what value system is applied to them? Are they not apprehended, prosecuted and dealt with accordingly? Why then should the baboons’ rights – to vandalise and plunder with no fear of consequences – be protected, at the cost of my rights?

The logic is simple, so perhaps we need to consider what value system we apply with regard to baboon “solutions”, so that we can come up with a way to deal with perpetrators while protecting law-abiding citizens.

Baboon victim

Development is necessary for tourism I have lived in Hermanus for nearly 10 years and laugh at the “moaners” of Hermanus.

Whenever there is something new to be developed they love to complain about it. Lots of bored pensioners, I think.

Development is necessary for us to bring in tourism. I would like to mention that before they worry about the shape and colour of a new building,

what about the tramps lying around all over Hermanus and as for the Post Office area, well that is a disgrace.

in 10 minutes and that’s it.

Perhaps they should have it on a school field now as it is just another outdoor show.

I do agree with Beth and Noel Hunt in this week’s Village NEWS (Whale Festival has little to do with whales, 17 – 30 October 2017) that the Whale Festival has lost the plot. It has been the same for the last 9 years – you can walk around it

I love your paper – very interesting and I always look forward to it. I don’t even bother with the other local publications now!

Mrs Davies

We now have money wasted on the crazy debate of the development of Fernkloof as a playground for the masses.

Once again a no-brainer that could have been shot down

without a second phase by testing out the idea by putting the plan to the people of Hermanus for comment.

Anybody who has been to the annual Airshow at Eastbourne in England, who has parked his car two miles from the esplanade and caught a bus, will tell you just how impractical the whole event really is, and the people of Fernkloof will want to know exactly how the crowds and their cars are going to be accommodated in their upmarket suburb. Crazy crazy idea, when what needs to happen to this valuable valley is the increase of the floral kingdom into the valley along

the lines of Harold Porter. This area is a jewel never ever to be tampered with.

Other than this the Councillors are doing a great job of keeping the ratepayers happy and the town solvent, but being a retired padmaker (road engineer) can I also suggest that they need to plan for a double carriageway from the other side of Hawston into town and the small matter of a pedestrian bridge over the present double carriageway, to eliminate the crazy pedestrian crossing whose unsynchronised robot (ignored by many vehicles) causes confusion and traffic holdups.

Padmaker

Extend R43 double carriageway to solve traffic problems Reading the local press over the past few weeks, there has been some controversy or other – be it about the bypass road, the proposed development plan for Fernkloof or the traffic congestion during the Whale Festival.

I live in Onrus and it was sad to see the veteran / classic cars stuck in the bumper-tobumper traffic on the R43 on the Saturday of the Whale Festival. These chaps must have left at about 06:00, for a pleasant drive to their destination, the Whales & Wheels Vintage Car Show at Hermanus Primary School, by

the start time of 08:00. From my vantage point I counted seven of these cars, but there were probably many more further down the line, and the time was already 9:20. How disappointed and frustrated they must have been!

The Afrikaans language has the answer to all these controversies – slaan twee vlieë met een klap dood (kill two birds with one stone).

Cancel the proposed bypass, which would only benefit 7% of the motorists coming into Hermanus. Instead, use that money which has already been approved by Province, to extend the R43 double

carriageway from the Sandbaai intersection to Hawston (which I understand was also approved years ago when the intersection was done, but they ran out of money).

This road would benefit 100% of the motorists coming to Hermanus, not just at peak times but every day. It will also solve the problem which all the motorists from Fisherhaven, Hawston and Vermont have to endure every day when they sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic every morning and afternoon on their way to and from work.

It is a win-win option.

Rob Gray

Focus on cause of baboon problem, not symptoms The baboon saga rumbles on and on. It seems to me though that all the discussions centre on the symptoms and not the cause of the problem.

We have taken from the local baboons not only their space but consequentially their source of natural food. The only long-term solution will be to ensure that they have ample access to food and water in their allocated space

by planting indigenous fruitbearing trees, tuberous plants and ones that attract the insects they thrive on.

Landowners, both private and public would need to allocate areas away from our homes and as a community we should help with funds to purchase and plant saplings and seeds. This would be compatible with preserving our wonderful environment.

The areas needed are small and the cost insignificant compared to baboon monitors, virtual fences and some of the other solutions being discussed. It is long term but prevention is always better than cure.

And yes, I would contribute if this comes to fruition.

Rob Molyneux Vermont

9

31 October - 13 November 2017

Hermanus Bird Club is 20 years young At the Hermanus Bird Club’s monthly meeting on 18 October in Fernkloof hall a special milestone was celebrated before Faansie Peacock presented his hourlong show, Bird Brain – a comedic look at what makes birders tick.

contribution to the club. The certificates were handed out by birding guru Mike Ford, a past chair of the club and a member for 18 years.

The occasion marked the 20th anniversary, almost to the day, of the founding of this vibrant club of enthusiastic bird watchers. With the intention of sharing a hobby they all love and spreading the word about the fascinating world of birds, particularly in the Overberg area, the club was founded by 20 like-minded people on 16 October 1997.

The Hermanus Bird Club now has 235 active members and is an affiliate of BirdLife South Africa. “We try to accommodate all levels of birders,” says chairperson Craig Holmes.

“We have regular monthly meetings with presentations by either members or experts in all fields of birding sharing their experiences with us.

These meetings usually draw an audience of between 60 and 100 of our membership and are also open to the general public.”

It was quite extraordinary to note that 14 of the founder members are still active in the club – and 10 of them were present at the meeting to receive certificates for their 20 years of involvement and

The club also organises monthly outings to birding areas in the region and three or four away trips a year to explore, discover and learn more about birds that are found in other regions and

may not have been seen before by members. “In midNovember, 16 of us are off to The West Coast National Park which is a haven for birds. At this time of the year the area hosts many of the Waders that have flown to this part of the world from colder climates. It will be an especially interesting trip for those who attended Faansie Peacock’s presentation on Waders a few weeks ago,” says Craig.

For more information or to join the club, visit hermanusbirdclub.wordpress. com or contact chairperson Craig Holmes on 028 313 2458 / 083 227 9003 or pcsholmes@telkomsa.net, or any of the committee members whose details can be found on the website under ‘Contact us’. Annual membership fees are R135 per person or R235 per family.

- Hedda Mittner

At the 20th birthday celebration of the Hermanus Bird Club, several of the founding members who are still active in the club received certificates for their many years of dedication to the club. Among them, from left to right were the first chairperson of the club, Alan McLennanSmith, Lee Burman, Anne Philip, Vanessa Ovenstone, Carol McLennan-Smith and Cathy Dolpiere, with current chairperson Craig Holmes. The other recipients not in the photograph were Debby Brook-Sumner, Margaret Loesch, Barbara Palmer and Mike Ford.

Oompah und Bratwurst? Jou Ma se Oktoberfest While using my photographic memory training to scan encyclopedias for any upcoming pub quizzes, I came across some interesting facts about Oktoberfests well worth sharing.

However, I’ve finally accepted my photographic memory was never developed – didn’t even reach the darkroom. Why go through the schlep of developing our general knowledge when information is just a click away? With the help of a clever mouse called Google, we can get virtually any info we need in seconds – and sadly that’s how long it usually remains in our memory banks.

Ergo, if today’s school-kids can’t pass exams without mice, buy them more iPads with our taxes, and lower the pass-rate to 30%.

Simple. It’s called ‘Dumbingdown for Scholars 101’ – information in bucketfuls, knowledge in thimbles.

Wit’s End Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

Anyway, I found a memoire written by an old physician back in 1770 recounting a conundrum he faced as a young doctor. One day, on returning to his surgery after a yummy sauerkraut and apfelstrudl lunch – he was after all German – he found a lady in his waiting room seeking his help. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with Oktoberfests, but hang in there. In short, she wanted to terminate her pregnancy.

She’d already borne seven children and didn’t relish the thought of a number eight.

After consultation it was revealed that among her off-

spring, three were born deaf, two were blind and one, sadly, was mentally disabled. She also had syphilis. Now, according to his own transcript, our dedicated doctor was deeply conflicted but felt he had no choice. He treated her syphilis and sent her home – embryo intact. Good thing too. That abortion would have killed Beethoven.

However, if our dear Ludwig hadn’t been around to educate and enlighten local musicians in the fine art of sonic sculpturing, one shudders to think how many more oompah bands would have belched forth

from around Bavaria.

This brings us to the phenomenon called the Oktoberfest.

Oddly enough, it traditionally starts halfway through September and ends in early October, but who cares? It all began in 1810 when the future Bavarian King Ludwig I wanted to show off his new bride. To celebrate the royal occasion the citizens of Munich were invited to a big bash in front of the city gates.

Some bright spark came up with the idea of getting everyone drunk, so they got hold of some beer and have been doing exactly that ever since. Solid stuff like pretzels, bratwurst and sauerkraut, although renowned for generating excess gas, soon became popular and still generate today.

Despite Beethoven’s sophisticated audio-scaping

lessons, many oompah bands slipped through the cracks and they’re encountered at all self-respecting Oktoberfests.

But it’s their funky instruments that’ll get any party pumping.

In oompah bands, the ‘oom’ sounds form the backbone of the song. They’re those deep flatulent bass noises, blurted out with shameless enthusiasm by large men wearing tubas and leather shorts.

The ‘pah’ is a stab or swirl of accordions, clarinets or saxophones to fill the gaps between the ‘ooms’. Waltzes require two ‘pahs’ otherwise it’s a polka. Percussion instruments like tambourines, bass drums and cymbals help create an ambience of jovial inebriation.

As for the vocals, any bandmember may join in provided they keep smiling while singing. Yodeling – originally

prescribed by doctors to cure tonsillitis or snoring – has inexplicably been woven into the fabric of some songs.

Martinis, champagne or brandy ’n cokes are taboo. However, armfuls of local beers are dished out by delightful serving wenches wearing fixed smiles, blonde plaited braids, and breast-enhancing corsets. This helps more beer to be drunk.

Despite being a hoot though, October thankfully takes 12 months to return. To recover fully from the excess of fermented barley, the hysterical yodeling and the flatulence of the tubas and sauerkraut, regular afternoon naps are required. Plus of course, the need for appropriate counselling, and perhaps some inappropriate pampering.

Now, where’s that delightful Fräulein with our bottle of Scotch?

10

31 October - 13 November 2017

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Good Guide

REGULARS Every Saturday

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Friday 3 November

■ 500th Anniversary of the Reformation: U3A Overberg hosts guest speaker Dr Allan Maker, who will present the second part of The Faces of the Reformation, taking a look at who the reformers were and why they came to hold their positions.

This session will focus on Martin Luther. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

■ Hermanus First Fridays: Join the HFF Artwalk as the galleries in the centre of Hermanus remain open from 17:00 – 20:00. Follow the orange as you stroll from gallery to gallery, meet the artists and mingle with fellow art lovers. (Find the HFF map on P 12.) Be sure not to miss the Open Garden at Tutamen in High Street in all its spring glory.

■ Lemm’s Corner Market: This popular Sunday market also trades on the first Friday evening of the month to coincide with the Artwalk. You’ll find exclusive fine arts and crafts, locally manufactured clothing, accessories and home décor, as well as delicious specialty foods, craft beers and a wine bar.

On the corner of Main and Harbour Road, Hermanus, from 17:00 – 20:30.

■ Zulu Pop-up Dinner: Janine van der Nest from Zulu Home Cooking will collaborate with host Wessels van Vuuren in presenting a pop-up dinner at Caffè Blu. The menu is organic and local and packed with heritage flavours. Paired wines and craft beers on sale. At Caffè Blue at 18:30. Call Janine on 073 367 6371 to book your table.

Saturday 4 November ■ Onrus Markie: Join this community market in the heart of Onrus on every first Saturday of the month. At the De Wet Hall in Roos Street, from 09:00 – 12:00.

■ Coastal Cleanup: Join “Beach Sheriff” Antonio da Silva-Swart on a coastal cleanup in Betty’s Bay. Volunteers will meet at The Kleinmond Waste Water Treatment parking area and clean the 2,5 km area towards Jock’s Bay, starting at 10:00 and finishing with a sausage braai sponsored by Checkers Hermanus. Bring your own drinks and fold-up chairs, and additional salads and drinks if you wish.

Contact Antonio on 072 462 4271.

by cocktails on the stoep and a 2 course lunch.

R395 pp. At the Manor House restaurant on Stanford Valley Guest Farm, at 11:00 for 11:30.

Booking essential; contact 072 198 0862 or info@stanfordvalley.co.za

Monday 6 November ■ Blue Planet: Join U3A Overberg for the third part of this six-week BBC DVD series of 50 minutes each with David Attenborough. Blue Planet reveals the complete natural history of the oceans that cover 70% of our planet – from its familiar shores to the mysteries of its deepest seas. The series took five years to make and the photography is generally judged to be the best ever recorded. The third part in the series is entitled Open Ocean: Hunting Skills. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

■ Cosmology: Join the Hermanus Astronomy Centre for an in-house discussion on Quantum Mechanics. At the Catholic Church hall, at 19:00.

Contact Pierre Hugo at pierre@hermanus.co.za

Tuesday 7 November ■ Whale Tales: Whale Coast Conservation presents a talk by Dr Els Vermeulen which will focus on the southern right whale, giving a local as well as a global perspective on the species. She will address issues such as historical whaling, the current state of whaling activities in the world, the pros and cons of whale watching, the latest research results from aerial surveys, an interpretation of these results (including the decline in sightings especially last year) and a comparison with similar research conducted in the other breeding grounds of the species (Argentina, Brazil and Australia). At the Green House, R43, Vermont at 17:30.

Thursday 9 November ■ Hermanus Bird Club outing: Birders are invited to join the club’s outing to De Mond, led by Mike Ford and Chris Cheetaham. The drive to De Mond will take approximately 2 hours and the walk itself will be 2 – 3 hours. Bring something to eat and drink for lunch. Meet at Fernkloof at 07:00 to consolidate transport and divide into two groups for the outing. Contact Daphne on 079 364 8827.

clusters, a spiral galaxy and the Magelanic Clouds.

At Gearing’s Point, at 19:30. If the weather is bad, the date will be moved to Saturday 11 November.

Contact hermanus.astronomy@gmail.com

Saturday 11 November ■ Cautiously Coward Cabaret: An exclusive dinner theatre evening with enchanting, nostalgic, Noël Coward songs from the 1920s to the 1950s, performed by experienced singers and accompanied by professional musicians. The cost is R180 (inclusive of the show and a two course meal) or R220 (for a three course meal). Drinks excluded. At Soul Café, Hermanus, at 18:30 for 19:00. The first show on 4 November is already sold out, so hurry up and book your tickets now!

Contact Hermine on 028 313 2137.

■ Elim Wine Festival: Once a year, the wine farms at the most southerly tip of Africa come together to celebrate their unique cool-climate wines. Enjoy a host of activities exclusive to this local farm-style community, along with elegant wines, sumptuous local food, refreshing craft beer, and a country market. Join the winemakers of the Elim Wine Ward for an intimate tutored wine tasting or find out more about the area’s craft beer at the Brewmaster sessions. At Black Oystercatcher, from 10:00 – 17:00.

Tickets cost R130 and include tastings and a branded wine glass. Book online at elimwines.co.za

■ OnVerWag Car Boot Sale: Find unexpected treasures and help OnVerWag to raise funds for the Onrus/Vermont Neighbourhood Watch at their car boot sale. The new venue for this event is the vacant plot between Aida and the Hire Centre in Van Blommestein Street, Onrus. Due to its popularity, the Car Boot Sale will now take place every second Sunday instead of once a month, from 10:00 – 14:00. R100 per car boot. Contact Michelle on 076 617 8203 or mnheks@hotmail.com to book. For more info call Caroline Gabb on 082 554 0811.

■ Fernkloof Holistic Faire: Gather in the natural beauty and tranquillity of the botanical garden with people who promote health or offer alternative services. The focus is on refreshment, wellbeing and higher awareness. With food, arts, crafts and music. Every second Sunday of the month. At Fernkloof Nature Reserve, from 10:00 – 15:00. Contact Lucia on 082 811 6061 or lucia@bridge-infotech.com

Monday 13 November

■ Skaapkopfees: The peaceful hamlet of Baardskeerdersbos is the venue for this annual festival, with a beer tent, food stall, tug-of-war, live music from the B-bos Rummi orkes and Gansbaai Academia, Marimbaband and many more. At the Baardskeerdersbos Dutch Reformed Church, from 10:00 – 17:00. Tickets available at Protea Flora, Gansbaai Spar centre. For more information contact Aletta Groenewald on 082 499 0230 or skaapkopfees@gmail.com ■ Gin Revolution: Tutored Gin Tasting, followed

Every Sunday ■ Lemm’s Corner Market: This popular Sunday market offers exclusive fine arts and crafts, locally manufactured clothing, accessories and home décor, as well as delicious specialty foods, craft beers and a wine bar. On the corner of Main and Harbour Road, Hermanus, from 10:00 – 15:00.

Every Monday

■ Rotary Club of Hermanus: Weekly meetings every Thursday at Mollergren Park, at 19:00.

Visitors welcome. Contact Ian Wallace on 082 895 8738 or Metcalf Fick on 082 568 2193.

■ Blue Planet: Join U3A Overberg for the fourth part of this six-week BBC DVD series of 50 minutes each with David Attenborough. Blue Planet reveals the complete natural history of the oceans that cover 70% of our planet – from its familiar shores to the mysteries of its deepest seas. The fourth part in the series is entitled Seasonal Seas. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

Friday 17 – Monday 20 November

■ Stargazing: Join the Hermanus Astronomy Centre for a spot of stargazing and get up close and personal with Saturn, two nebulae, two globular

■ Market in the Garden: Set among the trees in the heart of town, at St Peter’s Church in Main Road, from 09:00-13:00.

Every Thursday

Astronomy Centre will host a presentation on Nebulosity. At Deon Krige’s house, at 19:00.

Contact deonk@telkomsa.net

Hermanus singers, plus Stanford’s own Bea Whittaker, accompanied by professional musicians, will take you on a tour of Noël Coward songs from the 1920s to the 1950s. The cost of R150 includes a glass of wine and a light supper. Tickets are available from Stanford Tourism; contact 028 341 0340 or book@stanfordinfo.co.za. All proceeds go to the Stanford Swop Shop. At Okkie Smuts School Hall, at 18:30 for 19:00.

■ The Hermanus Country Market: A favourite among the locals, young and old. Fresh local produce, wholesome goodies, and home-made crafts. Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00-13:00.

■ Classic Monday Bridge Club: Duplicate Bridge, every Monday at 13:00, at Fernkloof Hall.

To join the club, contact Riekie on 072 230 9179.

■ Astrophotography: The Hermanus

■ Cautiously Coward Cabaret: Eight well-known

■ Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market: In the courtyard at HPF cellar, The Village, from 09:00-14:00. Where wine and food lovers both local and international meet.

Sunday 12 November

Friday 10 November ■ 500th Anniversary of the Reformation: U3A Overberg hosts guest speaker Dr Allan Maker, who will present the third part of The Faces of the Reformation, taking a look at who the reformers were and why they came to hold their positions.

This session will focus on Zwingli. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

■ Hermanus parkrun: Meet at Hermanus Forest in Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at 08:00.

Free timed 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine.

The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

■ The Great Karoo Photo Tour: Join thephotowalkers.com for an educational photo tour to capture the magic of this dry country.

Discover the unsurpassed beauty of the Karoo and the people that live in it by exploring its back roads and small towns, including Matjiesfontein, Sutherland, Price Albert, Oudtshoorn and the unique “dorpies” in between. The Photo Tour includes shared transport, airport transfers and help with accommodation bookings. Only 4 places left! For more information and to book, contact Leanne on 083 293 7208 or send an email to tours@thephotowalkers.com

■ Creative Notions Sewing Club: Whether you'd like to learn how to sew or are an average stitcher experiencing some sewing challenges, bring your sewing machine, together with your item and attend a session or two with an expert tutor, combined with a mug of delicious filter coffee. Any time between 09:00 - 13:00, at Creative Notions, 23 Long Street, Hermanus. The cost is R100 pp and booking is essential; contact 028 312 2182.

Every Friday ■ Hermanus Hacking Group: Meet at the green reservoir off Mountain Drive, close to the Gateway intersection, at 07:15 for 07:30 until 09:30 every Friday. All volunteers welcome.

Contact Charlyn Vosloo on 082 558 8731 or mcvosloo@mweb.co.za ■ ‘Kolwyntjie-Teetuin’: Everyone in the area is invited to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at the Onrus Care Centre (‘Dienssentrum’) of the Dutch Reformed Church, Onrus for only R30, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

■ Bhuki Café: Enjoy tea, coffee and eats for only R20 (2 eats) or R30 (3 eats) to support the Friends of Hermanus Library, every Friday from 09:00 11:30.

Send your events information to hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

Village

EXPLORER EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ART

Draw your heart out for charity

Hedda Mittner

T

here is only one month left until the evening of 1 December, when the Hermanus First Fridays (HFF) art galleries will again host Night of 1 000 Drawings. This muchanticipated annual event is based on the concept that we should all be able to enjoy the indulgence of purchasing an artwork – even if it is modest in terms of size and price.

More importantly, Night of 1 000 Drawings is an art-for-charity initiative that changes lives. The event originated in Johannesburg in 2006, when the delivery bakkie for the inner city soup kitchen, Paballo ya Batho was stolen. Overnight it became impossible to feed and provide basic support to hundreds of homeless people. The idea of a Night of 1 000 Drawings was born as a fundraising rescue: they would ask everyone and anyone to donate A5 drawings to be sold for R100 each at an inner-city art exhibition.

During the run-up to the event, the charity received a donation of a new delivery van, but decided to continue with the 1 000 Drawings event that had started to gain momentum and a global following. The original 1 000 Drawings project in Johannesburg has now grown and been adopted in other parts of the world, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Dubai, Johannesburg, Munich, Tuscany, Hong Kong and Australia. All proceeds from the exhibitions are donated to worthy charities.

Over the coming weeks, anyone who feels they have any artistic ability, is encouraged to produce a painting, drawing, sketch or illustration, be it on paper, card or board, whether in oils, watercolours, pastels, ink, pencil or

The Night of 1 000 Drawings is an annual highlight hosted by the Hermanus First Fridays (HFF) galleries in town. Following this week’s HFF Artwalk on 3 November, the following one on 1 December will again feature A5 artworks for sale at R100 each at all the participating galleries. The proceeds will be donated to three local charities.

PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner charcoal, of a landscape, seascape, portrait, abstract or still life. In fact, the only stipulation is that the artwork should be sized A5 and the artist must be willing to donate it.

Blank A5 cards can be collected from the chair of the HFF committee, Liz Coates at Pure South Gallery in Main Road. The completed artworks can then be handed in at Pure South or any of the participating HFF galleries in town.

In addition to the artworks sent in by members of the public, gallery owners will be approaching the professional artists who regularly exhibit in their galleries and asking them to contribute their own artworks. These will be mixed in with the other donated works, and the total body of collected artworks will

then be divided among the galleries.

During the Night of 1 000 Drawings on Friday 1 December, the artworks will be displayed at all the galleries and available for purchase – at R100 per artwork. The proceeds from the sale of the artworks will be divided between three charities.

According to Liz Coates, a record number of artworks were purchased by the public during last year’s Night of 1 000 Drawings, raising over R70 000 for charity.

“This would not have been possible without the active participation of the Hermanus community,” says Liz, “and the HFF galleries are again inviting artists and art lovers to be part of this joyful and uplifting event.”

Any Hermanus charities wishing to be considered as beneficiaries should drop a letter of application off at any of the galleries or send an email to hermanusfirstfridays@whalemail.co.za. The letter should give a brief description of the charity, its history and objectives.

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Viva Zeitz MOCAA!

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ew York, Paris, Bilbao, Cape Town? Of course, all have iconic art galleries by top architects. You may think of other “starchitects” besides Frank Lloyd Wright who did the NY Guggenheim Museum in New York, such as Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the Pompidou Centre team – and, twenty years ago, Frank Gehry of Guggenheim Bilbao fame. But now you must add to the list Thomas Heatherwick; and you will, as soon as you have seen the dramatic, brutal silo in Cape Town’s Waterfront transformed into the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art. It opened to much acclaim on 22 September.

Architects Thomas Heatherwick, a designer of huge talent and invention in his mid-forties, leads a London-based studio.

Assisted in the execution of the project by a local firm, Van der Merwe Miszewski Architects, the Heatherwick Studio design yielded a cathedral-like interior by carving the concrete columns – some 42 of them – so that well-lit galleries emerged on the lower floors with a six-storey five star hotel on top (starting from around R15 000 a night, since you ask).

There is a sculpture garden plus restaurants and the obligatory museum shop. From the outside, pillowed glass window panels, faceted like giant diamonds, are a feature of the concept and lighten its huge bulk.

The Silo Completed in 1921, decommissioned in 2001, the massive grain silo at 57 metres high completely dwarfed its neighbour Bertie’s Landing, among the first of the restaurants in Cape Town’s now worldrenowned Waterfront. The presence of the old silo did remind us that we were looking at an industrial working harbour, not a Disneyland pastiche, but it was pretty hideous.

Repurposing was the answer.

The owners of this prime piece of real estate, The Waterfront Company (in turn owned by the Government Employees Pension Fund and Growthpoint Properties) have invested R500 million to provide a home for a world-beating collection of

Art News Patric Chapman

The massive grain silo on the Cape Town Waterfront, dating back to 1921, has been transformed into the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA). current art from the African continent assembled by the German ex-CEO of Puma (think sports gear), Mr Jochen Zeitz. In addition to showing his substantial body of artworks in the museum, which is structured as a Non-Profit Organisation with a board of eminent trustees and a need for substantial funding, Zeitz appears to have underwritten the running costs and a budget for the appointed curator, Mark Coetzee, to extend the collection. Coetzee is Cape Town-raised with top international experience and clearly must share the vision of Mr Zeitz.

The art So what can you expect to see inside? There are 18 educational areas, bags of exhibition space including a splendid Atrium around which are 80 gallery cubes. You can hardly miss Nicholas Hlobo’s mythological dragon artwork. Other South African names include William Kentridge with a panoramic installation, Mary Sibande, Kendell Geers and Penny Siopis… and lots more; sculpture, photography, fashion and installations from the Congo, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and other African countries whose art we seldom come across. The MOCAA vision includes training curators so you will see many interns even if you don’t glimpse the curator-in-chief.

Niggles Inevitably there were a few concerns about blind spots in the collection, a possible con-

flict in the role of Coetzee as curator /executive director of the museum and as advisor to Mr Zeitz; the worry that the selection of works appears to be largely a one-man job; and some galleries and artists may feel a little overwhelmed by the significant impact on the cosy South African art world. Whole exhibitions of a favoured artist’s work can be swept up to add to the holdings. What is the reaction of established SA galleries and how do they adjust, if any adjustment is advisable?

Is the whole offering too Western in presentation? Too elitist? But this is not just about SA art, it is the world’s largest collection of African art and it is on our door-step in a breath-taking building. It deserves every fanfare and, surely, every wish for success.

When to go?

The museum is open from Wednesday to Monday from 10:00. On Wednesdays entry is free to African citizens from 10:00 – 13:00, and on the first Friday of the month after 16:00 it’s halfprice. Closed on Tuesdays. It’s worth mentioning that over 60s can get a year’s subscription for R185 (or R250 for under 60s) which is a steal as the regular day ticket is R180. You can book online at Webtickets. Under 18s get in free.

Is it worth a trip to Cape Town?

The WOW factor must mean “yes.” When I am excited, my Latin just pops out: Ex Africa, semper aliquid novi! Viva Zeitz MOCAA! Yay for Jochen!

31 October - 13 November 2017

The Hermanus art community remembers Ortrud Mulder (1936 – 2017)

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n Wednesday, 11 October 2017, Ortrud Mulder of Abalone Art Gallery passed away after a long battle with cancer. Her art gallery, situated in The Courtyard off Harbour Road, held a special place among the many galleries in Hermanus as the home of South African modern art.

As an experienced art advisor, dealer, curator and gallery director, Ortrud devoted her life to art for more than two decades. Apart from the works represented by Abalone Gallery, she offered an advisory service to collectors and investors, ranging from sourcing single pieces, including old masters, to a complete selection of works for residences and business premises.

Even as a schoolgirl in Germany, Ortrud had a special interest in modern art and was fascinated by the fundamental upheavals in the art scene of post-war Germany and Europe. She later studied German and Art History, and had been an avid art collector all her life. Through marriage to her South African husband, Ortrud came to know and love South Africa, and after his sudden death she decided to stay in her adopted country.

She opened the Guild Gallery in Pretoria with her business partner Frieda van Schalkwyk in 1986.

“It was a very difficult time for artists in this country – especially abstract and black artists,” Ortrud told me during an interview a year ago. Determined to give those artists she believed in the necessary support and exposure, Ortrud hosted several exhibitions at the Guild Gallery featuring artists such as Jan Visser and Nils Burwitz whose work reflected the political struggle during the Apartheid regime.

Isabel Mulder with her late mother, Ortrud Mulder in Abalone Gallery, which sadly will close its doors at the end of November.

PHOTOS: Hedda Mittner “People who viewed these exhibitions were touched deeply,” said Ortrud. “And that is what art means to me – it is not just about 'pretty pictures' but about exposing a truth that people are often reluctant to acknowledge.”

Sensing the wonderful potential of this somewhat tucked away corner, she turned the old shed into a unique and captivating space with the help of Heloise and well-known architect Nicolette Lloyd.

In 1993 Ortrud returned to Germany and opened a gallery in Cologne specialising in modern Spanish art. However, as the curator of several exhibitions of South African artists at galleries, art associations and museums in Europe and the USA during that time, she remained committed to South African art.

“Over the years, Ortrud brought the great creative wealth of contemporary South African art to Hermanus and to the many visitors from other parts of the country and abroad who regularly visited this town,” recalls Ortrud’s daughter, Isabel Mulder.

“Many artists were old acquaintances from the time when she had her gallery in Pretoria, such as Nel Erasmus, Lynette ten Krooden and Louis van Heerden. But in Abalone Gallery, there was also space for innovative conceptual art and installations, like the works of Alta Botha, Linda du Preez or Elzaby Laubscher.

Lien Botha’s captivating photographic installation ‘Wonderboom’ in December 2016 was certainly the highlight of the season.

Returning to South Africa in 2001, Ortrud decided to settle in Hermanus. At first she exhibited at the Abalone Guest Lodge, owned by Heloise Smit, an art lover and friend from her Pretoria days, but the success of her art exhibitions soon made her look for a bigger and more accessible space.

In 2004, she discovered a shed in The Courtyard, then a workshop for furniture repairs.

“Ortrud was also greatly inspired by the powerful,

imaginative work of Judith Mason or Diane Victor. Unforgotten are the Judith Mason exhibitions during the FynArts Festival 2013 and 2016, and with Judith Mason’s death in December 2016, Ortrud also lost a dear friend.”

Isabel also recalls how her mother decided in 2013 to open the space in the courtyard up for sculptures. “She developed it into an enchanted spot for art that frequently made visitors pull out their cameras to capture the mix of brightly blossoming geraniums and Gordon Froud’s steel mesh polyhedra, Mariki Chin’s Dolos or Shepherd Ndudzo’s wooden figures as a memory of Hermanus to take home.”

Artist Louis van Heerden, whose association with Ortrud goes back four decades, says he will always remember her as one of the most unpretentious gallery owners he ever worked with. “Ortrud always surprised with her relatively conservative dress, but the minute she engaged with you, her passion and love

Ortrud with artist Louis van Heerden during FynArts 2017. for art, and for her artists and their creations, eclipsed the business nature of her attire and the true woman was revealed. Her feel for art, and her understanding of the tastes of her clientele, brought a regular international and local following to her gallery.

She was highly respected for her integrity as she would never compromise her standards to suit a client.

“Her gallery spoke to her personality. As an experienced and recognised dealer in Europe, America and in South Africa, she had an eye for the unusual and the experimental.

She sought out artists who pushed the limits of creativity in all genres and the atmosphere she created was conducive to the works of art she liked to display. Now that

the heart and soul has left this special space, it is a loss to her artistic family and to the community of Hermanus.”

Isabel expressed her wish to thank all the artists, friends of the gallery and visitors who have enriched her mother’s life as a gallerist in Hermanus. “As a family, we mourn her loss, but we take comfort in the knowledge that through her passion and love for art, she will be remembered by many, even after the doors of Abalone Art Gallery must close at the end of November.”

A memorial will be held for Ortrud on 4 November 2017, at 11.30, at Abalone Art Gallery, The Courtyard, 2 Harbour Road, Hermanus.

– Hedda Mittner

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Rayno and Celia Rabie with their two Mercedes-Benz Eat Out Awards for Everyday Eateries in the Western Cape.

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Betty Blue shines at Eat Out Awards

ur Betty has done it again. Flying the flag for Hermanus at the annual Mercedes-Benz Eat Out Awards for Everyday Eateries in the Western Cape, owners Rayno and Celia Rabie brought home a Highly Commended certificate in the Coffee Shop category. The announcement was made on 17 October.

In addition to the Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards in honour of the finest South African dining establishments, the Eat Out Everyday Eateries Awards were introduced three years ago to acknowledge the top casual restaurants of the different provinces in the country. Betty Blue was the winner in the Western Cape Bistro category last year.

The top eateries in each category were determined this year by a two-step process. Star ratings given by the public on eatout.co.za from 1 October 2016 to 30 August 2017 were tallied, and those establishments that received a large volume of high scores from fans were then visited by Eat Out's professional critics, who gave their own ratings. Final results were based on a 50-50 composite score from the public and the critics.

“While the winners in previous years were determined solely based on public reviews, this year restaurant owners and food enthusiasts asked for the experts on our panel of critics to play a bigger role,” said Anelde Greeff, editor-in-chief of Eat Out. The Western Cape winner in the coffee shop category was Meraki in Stellenbosch and the highly-commended Betty Blue was the runner-up.

Although all Betty’s fans agree that she is much more than just a coffee shop, Rayno and Celia are delighted with their award. “We are very proud of the quality of our coffee,” says

Betty Blue’s barista Unathi Ponco and his assistant Ian Chakayuka.

Rayno. “You know, you can use the best roast and invest in the most expensive coffee machine, but the coffee can still be mediocre if you don’t have a properly trained and educated barista. The barista needs to know what he is doing!”

And that Betty Blue’s barista Unathi Ponco and his assistant Ian Chakayuka certainly do.

Countless coffee lovers who have put them to the test will tell you that they deliver a knock-out caffeine kick, whatever your preference – be it an Americano, Espresso, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Cortado, Mochachino or a Rooibos Flat White. And with summer on our doorstep, do yourself a favour and try one of their cold coffees such as the Dom Caffe, Affogato, or Cold-brew Taai Ice Coffee (all I will say about the latter is that it involves condensed milk and will instantly bring back sweet childhood memories).

The Rabies don’t do anything in half measures and in their quest for the perfect cup of coffee they invested many hours in research, training and experimentation. “Celia and I have travelled throughout the Western Cape and visited countless coffee shops to find out what the good ones are

doing right,” says Rayno. “It taught us a lot but at the end of the day you can’t just copy someone else – you have to be innovative and put your own spin on things.”

Owning and running a restaurant is a “relentless and exhausting business”, says Rayno, to which Celia adds: “You are only as good as the last cup of coffee or the last plate of food you served. Consistency is one of the biggest challenges, not only in the quality of your drinks and meals, but also the quality of the service and the ambience. That is why our staff members are hand-picked and properly trained to ensure that our customers have the best possible experience.”

Judging from the numerous awards that are vying for wall space in their upstairs office, I’d say the Rabies have a winning way when it comes to satisfying their customers. The latest Eat Out accolade was a fitting birthday present for young Betty, who celebrated her second birthday last month, only to be overshadowed by the even more joyous news that Celia has become a grandmother. Congratulations all round!

– Hedda Mittner

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Prost to Sir Robert Stanford’s Oktoberfest!

The Oktoberfest hosted at Sir Robert Stanford wine estate on Saturday 28 October was a great way to launch their new amphitheatre as a fully-fledged venue for family fun.

Young and old gathered to enjoyed the festivities on a gloriously sunny day, including pony and tram rides, live music, food trucks, pizzas straight from the new oven, and plenty of local beer and wine. Among the visitors were a bachelor party group, Germans dressed up in their authentic lederhosen and

dirndls, sexy young ladies in skimpy outfits and men showing off their tug-of-war and beer quaffing skills.

“There were so many fun elements to the day,” says organiser Janet Marshall of Stargazer Promotions. “Between the food, beer, music and the great vibe, we were very happy with the success of the first annual Stanford Oktoberfest. What a positive start to a long line up of events and live acts that are in the pipeline!”

Sir Robert Stanford Amphitheatre is the ideal venue for year-end functions and they are open for bookings in November. Among Stargazer Promotions’ upcoming events are the Saturday Night Sokkie with DJ Kim ‘Sharklady’ on 16, 23 and 30 December, and the Albert Frost Live Act on 27 December. They will also be hosting Sunday Family Picnics & Jazz.

For more information, contact Janet on 082 456 8091 or Pieter on 083 457 8235.

Bouchard Finlayson introduces First Fridays pensioners’ discount Bouchard Finlayson has launched a ‘First Fridays’ promotion aimed at the Overberg retired (over 60’s) market, offering 20% discount on wine sales at the cellar door on the first Friday of every month. Valid for visitors to the Estate only, the special offer takes place on Friday 3 November and offers 20% discount across the winery’s full portfolio, as well as other memorabilia.

The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and its associated terroir is regarded as one of the Cape’s most treasured locations for Pinot noir and Chardonnay.

Current Bouchard Finlayson vintages include the award-winning 2015 Crocodile's Lair/Kaaimansgat Char-donnay and 2015 Missionvale Chardonnay, as well as the unwooded 2016 Sans Barrique Chardonnay. Renowned for its world-class Pinot noirs, the 2013 Têtê de Cuvée Pinot Noir and 2015 Galpin Peak Pinot Noir are also available at the cellar door, alongside the unique 2015 Hannibal red blend.

Jan Malan, owner of Sir Robert Stanford Estate, with the organisers Janet Marshall and Pieter van Aswegen of Stargazer Promotions.

Among the out-of-towners who attended the Oktoberfest were Im Naudé, Hennie le Roux, André Wicht, and Hettie Munnik, who enjoyed the day with locals Angelie van Veyeren and Martin de Klerk.

PHOTOS: Rina de Wet

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; email info@bouchardfinlayson.co.za; or visit www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Better than the best view in the world In the second part of a series on what makes Hermanus unique – and important, not only to its community but to our nation and the world – HARVEY TYSON turns his attention to the South African National Space Agency, one of Hermanus’s finest assets.

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laced between the mountains and the sea, Walker Bay has limitless views to Danger Point and stretching further, beyond sight, across open seas to the icemountains of Antarctica. The view forms a mental image treasured by many holidaymakers and residents.

Yet it is as nothing compared with the greater, practical and relevant view which Hermanus should cherish.

‘Our own’ space station provides a magnetic view of the southern skies, stretching to the Sun, and to ‘nearby’ Saturn. And because it works closely and constantly with the international network of all forms of Space probing, Hermanus staff have been well aware of the dramatic flights of the spacecraft Cassini as it explored the mysteries of Saturn’s rings. They knew, long in advance, of Cassini’s plunge to its planned death in Saturn’s atmosphere on 15 September.

“Cassini blazed a trail, showing us new wonders and demonstrating where our curiosity can take us if we dare,” said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

The SA National Space Station, SANSA, crouching in its own little nature reserve opposite the Hermanus Mediclinic, is today part of a chain of about 20 similar magnetic observation points stretched across the world to keep a constant check on the vicious storms and vagaries of Space in Earth’s small solar environment. These are linked, in turn with nearly 200 telescopic and other space stations on our planet.

Hermanus is the home of a space station because of its situation nearest to the ‘South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly’ which has indicated a weakening of Earth’s

M81 is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light years away. It is both bright and relatively large in the sky, making it a frequent target for amateur and professional astronomers. Learn more about M81 galaxy and the other wonders of space at the SANSA Museum.

Interesting facts you will learn at the SANSA Museum Q. How do homing pigeons find home?

A. By magnetic navigation.

Q, What do you get when you CRAM 14 400 000 000 000 000.000 000 000 teachers (yes 23 noughts: trillions of teachers) into a Volkswagen Beetle?

A. “Would you believe, a Black Hole?” The explanation is given in about 70 words.

Q. Where is our place in the Universe?

A. Classic photograph of 5 000 year old Stonehenge that marks the rising and setting of the sun... juxtaposed with an ultraviolet image of Galaxy M81 with its hundred trillion suns, viewed from a Space shuttle. magnetic field – something that no-one can fully explain.

Hermanus is in an ideal spot to monitor this matter of global concern.

Local legend has it that the ‘Space Station’ wouldn’t be in Hermanus were it not for Sir William Hoy. Based in Cape Town, Hoy was head of South African Railways in the early 1900s. But he and his wife, Gertrude, loved their little bolthole in Hermanus. A railway station had been built in the village in anticipation of a railway link. Hoy, reluctant to pollute his favourite holiday

place with dirty steam-trains and the hoi polloi, steadfastly thwarted any plans. The railway station, still without a rail link, remains, and is now the headquarters for the Hermanus Tourism office.

True in a sense, but Sir William had bigger motives. He was a key figure in southern Africa before this nation was born, and by the 1920s had created a railways, harbours and airways unitary system with precise engineering and economic aims in mind. It became one of the most successful stateowned enterprises of its kind in

the world. He remains a village hero, but deserves a major place in national and perhaps international history.

Soon after his death the Magnetic Observatory in Cape Town had to close because of the effects on it by train traffic.

And thus was the Hermanus Observatory founded on a trackless 16 hectare nature reserve which accommodates birds, fynbos and tortoises... ironically, as the Space Station was to deal with sun-bursts involving the speed of sound.

Today’s SA National Space Agency records that the

decades that followed World War II saw a gradual growth in both the routine and scientific research activities at the Observatory. Participation in the internationally coordinated scientific programmes such as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957, the International Quiet Sun Year (IQSY) in 1964-65 and the International Magnetospheric Study (IMS) in 1976-78 contributed in several ways to the development of an active research programme at the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory. As a result of these activities, the Observatory formed part of the first South African Antarctic Expedition (SANAE 1) in 1960, when South Africa took over the Norwegian Station.

Dr Peter Sutcliffe of Hermanus continued after the 1960 Antarctic Expedition to be involved for many years in Antarctic research, and our local Space centre is today responsible for collecting solar information from Antarctica as well as from southern Africa, Marion Island and Gough Island. Its work is twinned in the Arctic, with magnetic observatories in Svalbard archipelago and Tromso in Norway keeping a similar 24hour watch on the North Pole.

In 1969 the Hermanus magnetic observatory was placed under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). In 2011 the Hermanus observatory migrated to SANSA, where it has become a strong link in the global network, and a vital ‘Space Education’ centre attracting skills in Maths and Science and talents from across Africa.

SANSA today is standing guard against vast solar storms whose sun-burst effects travel at a speed that would reach Johannesburg from Hermanus

in less than a second. The space station provides seven-day predictions of Space weather, anticipating magnetic disturbances that could harm 21st century technology on Earth ranging from GPS, radio and the Internet to cellphones, DSTV and our electrical power grids. Solar storms can also affect today’s world of navies, armies and airforces, so that the local space station aids these services as well and trains key South Africans.

South Africa also builds satellites and helps to protect them.

Today SANSA is focusing more and more on tomorrow in preparation for meeting new emergencies and better services for limitless boundaries. The Hermanus Space ‘Science Centre’ is a passionate project designed to open young minds to a vast view of Space, as if seen from a cliff-top bench.

In a hall, dedicated to the young, there are model satellites to touch; magnetic games to play, questions to answer; and posters to make you jump. To catch your breath, if you’re a tough nineyear-old, you can build a model solar system, or visit The Past which is represented by a small magnetic observatory museum.

If you are eight or nine times that child’s age, you can join Hermanus’s very active Astronomy Centre (HAC), or stand on the Hermanus Cliff Path and look into space, past Saturn or even Jupiter’s finest moon, perhaps.

What an uplifting, out-of-thisworld mental view for earthbound citizens!

The next in this series addresses another view: the view of underprivileged families needing more help in enlightening their children in ways that increase their understanding, and their opportunities in a quickly levelling Walker Bay society.

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31 October - 13 November 2017

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Do your bit for the Great Nurdle Hunt

urdle. Seems like such a silly word, right? It sounds like the verb for a nerd. ‘The pale man nurdled the day away in front of his games console.’ But NOOOOOO! It is something way more sinister than that. In fact, our coastline is facing a major nurdle hurdle.

You see, nurdles are small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil. Countless billion are used each year to make nearly all our plastic products.

During the massive storm that lashed the port at Durban on 10 October, a container vessel transporting vast volumes of these beads had a cargo spill and millions of these little beads ended up in the ocean.

“Because of the strong current down the coast from Durban some of the spilled nurdles have made their way into our waters and onto our beaches,” says Meaghen McCord Gray of the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) based in the Old Harbour. That’s a distance of more than 1 500 km in just over two weeks!

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levels millions of times higher than the surrounding sea water.

HELPING Hand Sponsored by Hermanus “During one of our regular clean-up sessions we found two pockets of nurdles washed up on Grotto beach.

We immediately contacted the Municipality and other conservation entities along the coast to alert them of this.”

While the nurdles themselves are not toxic they never disintegrate but merely break into smaller fragments, absorbing pollutants which are harmful to both marine life and humans. Once at sea, nurdles and other plastics attract other contaminants, known as persistent bioaccumulating toxins (PBTs) to their surface.

PBTs are industrial chemicals that can accumulate in animal and human tissue causing long term damage. Plastics act like a sponge for these toxins and can concentrate them to

“This environmental disaster gives us the ideal opportunity to study the distribution areas along our coast as well as the effects of pollutants on marine life,” she says.

More than 180 species of marine animals including, mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates have been found to have ingested plastic. Plastic can get trapped in the animal's stomach causing ulceration, making them feel full and stopping them eating real food.

“This is why we take the nurdle pollution on our beaches, especially those with Blue Flag status such as Grotto, as well as in our Hope Spots along the coast very seriously. Over the next month, SASC, the Overstrand Municipality, Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot, Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) and others are working on a project to collect nurdles along the Cape Whale Coast as

part of a larger study to investigate the distribution and movement of nurdles along the entire South African coast,” says Meaghen.

Those who want to assist in the Great Nurdle Hunt are invited to join the conservation teams on Saturday 4 November at 10:00 on Grotto Beach. Bring along a bucket and a shade cloth or small netting to rinse out the nurdles from the sand.

According to Meaghen anyone who finds nurdles along the beach should please seal them in a bag and note the area and time it was found. You can contact the SASC on 028 312 3029 or DICT on 082 907 5607 and they will collect.

Fishermen are also encouraged to seal the entrails and stomachs of the fish they catch in a bag with the time, date and place where the fish were caught. The conservation teams will collect the bags and analyse the entrails for any signs of nurdles.

- De Waal Steyn

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Smart Toys turns seven

Make you own whale workshop

mart Toys Hermanus celebrates its 7th birthday this month, but owner Sue Raven’s passion for children – caring, playing, teaching and learning – goes back 15 years to when this mother of three boys started the Bumps & Babes mums and tots group and hired out cots, car seats, highchairs, prams, and baby baths at a nominal fee.

Realising that there was a great need for quality, affordable educational toys, she started sourcing her own stock and selling it from her home. Seven years down the line she is running a successful store in the Station Centre with the active involvement of the whole family, including her husband Chris, mom Anne Philip, older son Cameron and middle son Daniel, who help out in the shop during the school holidays.

Smart Toys Hermanus has a comprehensive and rather astounding collection of educational toys, games, puzzles and books for a shop of its size. While browsing through this childhood wonderland even adults become mesmerised, so be forewarned that while you are shopping for those special children in your life, you may be sorely tempted to treat your own inner child!

Known as “the tiny shop with so

The owners of Smart Toys Hermanus, Chris and Sue Raven, with Sue’s mom Anne Philip. This proudly local, family-owned business is celebrating its 7th birthday. much to choose from”, Smart Toys’ main products include LEGO and Duplo (including rare sets such as Minecraft); a selection of speciality board games (including Cranium, Catan, Lord of the Rings, Risk, Plants versus Zombies, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit Family Edition, to name but a few); the largest collection of Ravensburger puzzles in one shop in the Western Cape (ranging from 12 – 9 000 pieces); Greenbean & Gigo learning resources; Melissa & Doug kits; Plus-Plus and WOW toys; Brain logic games; Top Trumps cards; books in Afrikaans and English by Julia

Donaldson, DK, Letterland and more; Top Model books; and Brio trainsets with battery operated trains and accessories (compatible with Bigjigs).

There is something in this amazing shop for all ages, with toys and games to keep the young ones occupied on their own, or with a group of friends. There is also an assortment of interactive games in which the whole family can participate, from pre-schoolers up to grandma and grandpa. All the products have been carefully selected to stimulate imaginative play, promote fine motor skills,

improve reading skills, and enhance spatial awareness.

These thought-provoking toys that simultaneously engage the brain, eyes and hands to create or work out something, are designed to aid children’s attention span and ability to concentrate, and can be helpful to those challenged by learning problems such as dyslexia or ADD - and even delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.

“Children today spend too much time on computers and other electronic devices, and watching television and movies,” she says. “This primarily

Make your own Hermey, the humpback whale – a cute, 52 cm long soft toy. No sewing skills required. For children aged 10+ to adults. Great as an introduction to sewing, birthday party or school activity. At Creative Notions, 23 Long Street (diagonally opposite PostNet), from 10:00 – 12:30 or 14:00 – 16:30, every day except Sundays. The cost is R350 pp and booking is essential; contact 028 312 2182.

stimulates the right hemisphere of the brain, which responds to visual images and focuses on the big picture rather than the details. When engaged in learning activities such as educational play, the left hemisphere, which specialises in analytical and sequential thinking, logical reasoning and problem solving, is stimulated.

And besides the educational value, these games are a fun way of interacting and promoting social skills.”

With Christmas fast approaching, make sure you don’t miss out on Smart Toys’ fabulous

birthday specials. Find them just inside the front entrance to the Station Centre (Checkers Centre) on the corner of Royal and Lord Roberts Streets or contact them on 083 422 8164 or smarttoys@hermanus.co.za - Hedda Mittner ■ During the month of November, customers will get a free LEGO Friends polybag when spending R300 or more; or a free LEGO Chima game when spending R500 or more (max 1 per paying customer per day, while stocks last).

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Photographers wowed by new mirrorless camera technology

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nthusiastic photographers, both professionals and hobbyists, gathered at the Bouchard Finlayson wine cellar on 20 October for an introduction to the new Mirrorless Camera Technology from Olympus.

The event was one of four launches hosted by The Photo Shed (sister company of thephotowalkers.com) in the Overstrand, including Hermanus, Betty’s Bay, Stanford and Gansbaai.

After a presentation by Accredited Professional Photographers Leanne Dryburgh and partner Peter Hassall on the new Olympus Mirrorless camera range, a lively exchange of questions and answers followed and everyone was invited to test drive the cameras both inside and outside. Expert advice was on hand – Leanne is after all the Western Cape Manager of South African Professional Photographers (SAPP) while Peter is the National President of SAPP. You may ask: So what is all the fuss about? Well, it seems that Olympus has done to photography what Smart

Phones have done to mobile communication. The Olympus Mirrorless camera range puts an entirely new breed of camera in your hand.

Designed from the ground up as a digital camera, it is compact and state-of-the-art, with interchangeable lenses and intuitive controls, placed exactly where you’d expect to find them on a modern camera.

Their patented micro four thirds system and image stabilisation means smaller, lighter, faster and less expensive, giving you exactly the same quality that you expected from your Digital SLRs (the mechanical Single Lens Reflex cameras from the 1950s that had a digital storage unit added and bolted on the bottom by NASA, Kodak and Nikon in 1991), with features and ease-of-use that will take your photography and videography to new levels.

So it’s out with the old and in with the new – and if you are an enthusiastic photographer but missed the launch events (your bad, as it involved not only lively and informative

From left are Cecilia Cyster of LoveAbility, Tanzie Nutt of Pretorius Meubels, Rosemary Norman, Susan Thiart, Annette Norman, and Gwyneth Norman. In front are Audrey Mbang and her daughter Lucia.

Women in their element Peter Hassall and Leanne Dryburgh (standing on the left) of The Photo Shed launched the mirrorless camera range from Olympus at Bouchard Finlayson Wine Estate last week.

discussions, but also snacks and wine), head out to The Photo Shed on Market Square or contact Leanne on 083 293 7208 to learn more about this exciting new

technology. It’s lighter, cheaper and easier to use – without compromising on quality. What’s not to like?

– Hedda Mittner

The intimate premises of the arts, crafts and décor shop Elements was crowded with well-wishers when they recently celebrated their new partnership with LoveAbility, Pretorius Meubels and bakers Audrey Mbang and Susan Thiart.

Owned by mother-anddaughters team Annette, Rosemary and Gwyneth Norman, Elements supports various community projects and functions as an indoor market for crafters from all over the Overberg. Everything in the shop is homemade, including unique items of clothing, jewellery, accessories, home and garden décor, pottery, hand-painted cards, organic beauty pro-

ducts, paper maché items, and wooden furniture from Pretorius Meubels. It is the perfect place to find those quirky, original and reasonably priced gifts for the special people in your life.

Elements also doubles as a home-industry bakery and coffee shop, with a delicious assortment of rusks, cakes and cookies. Customers will now also be able to find the exquisite Belgian-style biscuits, cakes, tartlets and pastries of Audrey Mbang of CupNCake fame at the shop.

Find Elements in Broad Street (next to Amulet) or contact Annette on 081 426 5205.

– Hedda Mittner

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Listen to your gut - feed it fermented food Leigh-Anne Hunter

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love all things science. My first crush was on the periodic table. Which is how I came to be standing with a motley crew of young and old, clued up and clueless, in the kitchen of the indefatigable Jeanne L Rae. Jeanne’s ‘Cultured Kitchen’ workshops in Hermanus and Stanford show you how to concoct and experiment with cultured and fermented foods.

She calls it a blend of health and fun and that it certainly was…

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There are fermenting groups sprouting all over the world linking up via social media, doing a swift trade in heirloom yoghurt cultures and water kefir grains, etcetera.

MY Health

some alcohol. By the time the Kvass came around, we were merrily toasting each other with, “Kvass!” It’s a Slavic fermented drink typically made from rye. Jeanne’s version was made from beetroot – a recipe used to preserve eggs back in the day.

The kitchen’s counters are chock-a-block with shot glasses and swing top bottles. It looks a bit like a shebeen where bacteria come to jive on Saturday nights.

The swing top bottles? That’s so you don’t have a nice explosion when you open the bottle, all over you and your kitchen. Don’t get me wrong.

The gassier the ferment, the better. As Jeanne says: “It’s all about the fizz.”

As an introduction to fermented drinks, we downed several, including Jun. Not to be confused with gin, Jun is fermented green tea and honey. These drinks do, however, contain

Jeanne is a personal trainer who specialises in ‘rebalancing massage’, which comes in handy when she kneads heaps of raw vegetables to make her fiery chilli sauer-

Today’s DIY lesson covers the basics of the different cultures (milk, water, Scoby, and fermented veg). In Jeanne’s more advanced courses you can learn to make everything from sourdough to kefir (pronounced kee-fer) cream cheese and honey-fermented garlic – a fantastic cure for flu apparently.

kraut. She got into cultured and fermented foods a few years ago after reading about the health benefits.

“The gut is being termed ‘the second brain’. Ninety percent of the body’s serotonin and dopamine are produced in the gut. You can imagine if you’re sitting with a kilogram of toxins in your stomach. You’re going to be a miserable git.”

Jeanne says people have told her they’re more focused and calmer on these foods.

I couldn’t get enough of Jeanne’s smashing probioticrich yoghurt. (On that note, a little fermenter’s inside joke: What’s the difference between Greek and Bulgarian yoghurt?

The culture.)

Fermenting is as old as grapes.

Jeanne shares a story about Roman soldiers who encountered the happy accident of cheese – in their gourds that had been filled with milk for long journeys. It’s coming back into fashion in a big way.

Jeanne tops the yoghurt with berries fermented in honey, orange juice and cloves (the recipe is on her blog) to make a knock-yoursocks-off treat. “That’s the beauty of DIY ferments,” says Jeanne. “There are 100 ways

Jeanne L Rae recently conducted ‘Cultured Kitchen’ workshops in Hermanus and Stanford.

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31 October - 13 November 2017 of doing one ferment.”

What I found particularly interesting was the way she treats her ferments like people.

After all, they are living things.

I tend to commit culpable homicide on my houseplants which is why I was a bit nervous about the prospect of raising bacteria beyond infancy. But Jeanne says you soon get into a rhythm.

“I wake up and just like you would a baby, I burp all my bottles.” (This is to release the gas so it doesn’t accumulate.)

“Then I check all my cultures and ferments to see if they need feeding. They like to eat. It’s a bit, ‘Feed me Seymour, feed me’.

I hate it when I share my cultures and people tell me they died. I feel quite affronted. You didn’t look after my babies.”

What do these bugs eat?

SUGAR! “They love just plain white sugar; don’t give them fancy sugar.” Since the sugar

gets munched up you don’t have to worry about high sugar content, although Jeanne says diabetics should be cautious.

Cultures such as milk kefir lurve cream, and if you’re lactose-intolerant you can drink milk kefir because the lactose gets chomped up too, says Jeanne. “Throw some cream into your milk kefir, or let [the bacteria] ferment cream and you’ll end up with beautiful crème fraiche.” Milk kefir will last in your fridge for weeks, she says. “It’s already gone off!”

Like people, these goggas also get tired when they work too hard and need to go on regular holidays for a boost, says Jeanne. She reveals a large glass container with several layers of what looks like plastic film. “This is my Scoby Hotel, where my Scoby come to languish for a while before going to

work again,” she says.

Scoby stands for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast’ and it is what is used to create Kombucha and Jun. One has been “trained” to eat black tea and the other green tea and honey. (I wanted to ask if they can fetch a ball too.) “You layer them all in there. Then you take them out to work – but never your mother Scoby.

Never mess with your mother.”

Not only are these foods good for you but the by-products also have plenty of uses, such as whey, which is a by-product of kefir cream cheese. “Milk kefir is pure lactic acid so it’s amazing for your skin. I drink my shot of milk kefir and whatever is left, I put on my face. Your cats will want to come and lick you.” She laughs. “Don’t worry. I’m not a hippy. I use proper soap.”

Visit www.culturedkitchen.co.za

At the back, from left to right are: Hayley van Stenis, Leanne Steinmann, Dr Michelle Emett, Daphne Moonsamy and Janene Crafford. In front are Patricia la Cock, Tina Mwakiz, Lindi Prinsloo, Carin Stander, Rolanda Jansen and Mugelaine Wakefield.

Recapture your youth Refine Anti-Ageing and Laser Clinic recently held a Women’s Pamper Party at their premises in Hemel-enAarde Village. Not only was this a joyful day of pampering, great talks and demos, loads of freebies, prizes, raffles and beautiful eats – it was also a celebration of space.

Dr Michelle Emett Medical Aesthetics now has her own reception area and more rooms, which means that clients are attended to faster and this area offers more privacy when it comes to anti-ageing skin and

medical treatments.

Refine Anti-Ageing and Laser Clinic proudly opened their doors on 3 December 2009 in Hermanus. The clinic was founded by Lindi Prinsloo, who has worked in the beauty industry for 17 years. For the past 10 years she has worked intensely in the aesthetic field, specialising in laser and light therapies.

This fully-fledged aesthetic centre is celebrating their 8th birthday and is going from strength to strength. Their philosophy is to provide clients with a professional treatment they can trust, in a

serene and caring environment. “And what better place than Hermanus – with the wonderful ‘champagne air’ already an anti-ageing treatment in itself,” says Lindi.

Refine Clinic specialises in Laser & Injectable Aesthetic Anti-Ageing Treatments as well as the full portfolio of beauty treatments. Their services now also include a full-time hairdresser, Hair@Janene.

All proceeds of the day went towards the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk Charity.

– Rina de Wet

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31 October - 13 November 2017

What kind of mandate should you give your estate agent?

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n agent is not allowed to market a property unless he or she has been given a mandate to do so by the Seller, so one of the key decisions you are going to have to make when selling your property is whether to give one agent a sole mandate, two or three agents a joint mandate, or to give an open mandate to any agent who wants to sell the property. And it’s very confusing to know which way to go.

Virtually every agent will give you the same advice: “Give me a sole mandate”, which obviously makes sellers a little bit suspicious about the agent’s objectivity and motivation in giving that advice.

So, let’s analyse your choices: 1. The logic behind a joint

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MY Home

certain that they will earn something on the sale, they are more inclined to use their more expensive marketing techniques, such as bigger adverts in expensive magazines and widely-read newspapers, and international marketing etc, all of which increase your possibility of securing more potential buyers and therefore the best price for your property.

mandate is that you can get two or three of the best agents in your area all working on your property. 2. The logic behind an open mandate is: Why cut out anybody? Even the smallest agency sometimes finds a buyer.

they each know that if another agent sells the pro-perty, they will earn nothing. So, securing a sale is all that counts, the price you get for your property is, in truth, completely and absolutely irrelevant to the agent.

In both cases you are hoping to get a frenzy of activity around your property as the agents compete for the sale.

But let’s stop for a moment and reconsider what I’ve just said – the agents are competing for the sale, because

Now let’s look at the logic behind a sole mandate: In a sole mandate, you mandate only one agency to market your property.

And because their earnings are calculated as a percentage of the purchase price they achieve for you, the agent is focused on getting you the most money for your property without having to worry about the sale being snatched away from him or her.

Why is that important? Because the mandated agency is

So now, instead of agents competing for a sale, buyers

are competing for your property – a much better arrangement for you!

If you choose the right agency and your property is priced right, your property is more likely to sell quicker and achieve the highest possible market-related price than marketing your property on an open-mandate basis.

To sum up: if just securing a sale at all costs, irrespective of the selling price, a joint or open mandate may well have merit. If, however, you want to get the best possible price for your property, then the advice most agents give you, namely “give me a sole mandate” is, surprisingly enough, at least half right.

What I would, therefore,

advise you to do is to give the very best agent in your area a sole mandate and, provided you have taken my advice (published in The Village NEWS of 3 – 16 October) on how to choose the best agent and how to determine your selling price, you will be able to sit back and watch a consummate professional in action!

Always remember: If you had a bad experience with a sole mandate, the sole mandate itself is not the problem – the problem might be the agent you chose. You can compare it to an unhappy marriage where the marriage is not the problem – the partner you chose is the problem.

Paul Kruger, Principal: Seeff Hermanus

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31 October - 13 November 2017

Construction of the Curro Hermanus High School is making good progress. Among the many new classrooms being built are two computer rooms, a large art studio, a restaurant, technical drawing class, and two laboratories. These facilities will give learners a decided advantage in preparing for their future careers. There is also great excitement about the heated indoor swimming pool which is nearing completion. The bus service between Curro and Pringle Bay, Caledon, Stanford, VoĂŤlklip, Onrus and Hermanus is running smoothly, providing learners with transport to and from the school.

Curro Hermanus is proud to announce their new student council for 2018. In front, from left, are: Tal Chowney, Christoff Jordaan, Mrs Rocky de Villiers (Grade 12 teacher), Gabriel Stratford, Maryke Hoogenboezem, and Danielle Strydom. At the back are Keegan Ferreira, Tshegofatjo Mogashoa, Ruben Harmse, Mr Johannes Mouton (executive head), Mr Pierre van der Westhuizen (High School phase head), AmĂŠ Vorster, Kaci van Romburgh, and Kirsten Larney.

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE BY WHALERS MASTERS ATHLETES The first Leo Benning Masters Athletics Meet of the new season kicked off in Parow in October. Five members of the Whalers Athletics Club in Hermanus participated. Two of the athletes, Norman Hough and Zelda Erasmus, are competing in a new age division this year and there is great expectation that these two superb athletes will set more new records. The athletes are pictured from left to right: JOHN MULLER (M 80-84) participated in the discus throw and emerged the winner with a distance of 26,09 m which is the SA standard.

ZELDA ERASMUS (W 65-69) participated in five items and achieved superb distances, winning the shotput, discus throw, javelin, hammer throw and heavy weight. She also achieved

the SA standard in discus and heavy weight.

NICK ERASMUS (M 65-69) came first in the heavy weight, and took second place in the shotput, discus throw, javelin and hammer throw.

NORMAN HOUGH (M 70-74) performed extraordinarily well by achieving first place in five events: shotput, discus throw, javelin, hammer throw (PB), and heavy weight. He surpassed the SA standard in three items.

MONICA NEL (W 55-59) participated in 10 items during the afternoon meet: 100 m, 200 m, long jump, high jump, triple jump, discus throw, shotput (PB), javelin (PB), hammer throw, and heavy weight. She achieved 7 first places and 3 second places. It was the first time Monica had participated in the triple jump, achieving a distance of 7,38 m.

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31 October - 13 November 2017

LEFT: Dillon Maree, a learner of Hermanus High School, was selected for the U17 Boland Rural Team. This team will represent Boland in Cricket South Africa's National U17 Tournament to be held from 8 – 14 December in White River, Mpumalanga. Dillon also represented the school's U19A cricket team for the last three years and is an excellent all-round cricketer.

RIGHT: On 24 October Hermanus High School held their annual Service Awards in the school’s Blêr Theatre where learners were acknowledged for their contributions in various activities.

Learners apply for these awards and are then scored according to a set of criteria. The learners who were awarded full and half colours were, back from left: Christiaan Conradie, Jober Scheepers, Abulele Mapukata and Lilitha Bango. Front from left: Tumé Bester, Michelle Kleynhans, Shreya Prag, Tayla Gordon, Yanna Stergianos and Simone du Randt. Daeun Kim and Matthew Smith were unable to attend.

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31 October - 13 November 2017

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Plenty of drama at Senior Tournament

reetings once again from your resident Putting Pirate. This week I have all the details from the South African Senior Amateur which took place at our won-derful course from 17 October and wound up on the 20th.

The Putting Pirate Julian Shaw

“I feel 10 feet tall,” said the beaming Van der Merwe. “I’ve won more than 50 titles in club opens or Boland Golf Union events, but this is such a special moment. I’ve hit the ball so well all week, but the putts refused to drop.

It really was a super tournament and the course was in excellent condition considering that we have only just finished our spring preparations. Professional writer and photographer Lali Stander from The Write World Sports Media Consultants shared this report with me, which she’d written on behalf of GolfRSA, and I thought it was so comprehensive I should also share it with you all. Thanks Lali!

Unheralded Ferdie van der Merwe sealed a sensational maiden victory when he clinched the SA Senior Amateur Championship title in dramatic fashion at Hermanus Golf Club on Friday. The 51-year-old from Wellington stunned the field when he shot into contention with successive rounds of 72 in his debut on the senior amateur national circuit. Not surprisingly, the ‘rookie’ earned overwhelming applause after he defeated reigning Players champion André van Dyk at the first extra hole of a suddendeath play-off.

Van der Merwe started the final day three shots off the pace from former SA Mid-Amateur Stroke Play champion Graeme Watson, another SA Senior Amateur Championship debu-

chipped, but his effort raced past the hole and Van der Merwe also put too much pace on his birdie putt. However, when Van Dyk missed the return putt for par, Van der Merwe drained the “putt of his life” and his ball dropped to the bottom of the cup.

“It was frustrating, but I had my part-ner Cornel (de Jager) on the bag and she kept me calm and confident that the

putter would warm up.

“That last putt wasn’t very long – maybe six feet – but it rolled on the perfect line all the way and when it dropped, I almost couldn’t believe it.

You know, I nearly didn’t even enter. They told me I had to enter online and I couldn’t figure it out, so if it wasn’t for Mariette at Boland Golf Union, I wouldn’t even have been here this week.

“I’ve played Hermanus just twice in the last 18 years. We had to endure three club winds in all three rounds and this week was a real test of patience, but what a fantastic test of golf. To beat some of the legends of the game and to win on the senior circuit has

been a dream, but now it’s a reality. I am sure this is how David felt when he knocked down Goliath.”

Le Roux closed with a 75 to finish third on 223 in a tie with Watson, who signed for 82.

Final Result (Top 10) 222 Ferdi van der Merwe (playoff / first extra hole); 222 Andre van Dyk; 223 Francois le Roux ; Graeme Watson; 224 Stephen Johnston; 225 Craig Poulton; Rurik Gobel; Morgan Phillips; 226 Jock Wellington; 227 Brian Mampies; Stanley de Beer; Richard Bruyns; 228 Archie Steyn; Colin Mavuso; 229 Adrian Kriel; Japie Koopman; Pieter Cooper; 230 Mzuyanda Zingela; Schalk Naude; Ramon Rahme.

Ferdie van der Merwe with his trophy. tant. He trailed by five strokes after a double bogey at nine, but just when it looked as though Watson would set an imposing clubhouse target, his title bid abruptly collapsed.

The Ekurhuleni golfer gave eight shots back to the field over the first six holes of the back nine.

A birdie at 12 helped Van der Merwe to shoot to the top of the pile, with Stephen Johnston from Gauteng and fellow Boland golfers Van Dyk and Francois le Roux also in pursuit. Van Dyk, who stayed within two shots of his lead, bogeyed the last hole and set the target at six-over-par 222 with a round of 75. Van der Merwe – playing in the final group – had a two lead

coming down the 18th hole.

“I hit two good shots, but I duffed my chip and three putted for a double-bogey,” said Van Der Merwe after closing with a 78 to join Van Dyk at six-over-par 222. “I should have won it in regulation play, but once again my putter let me down.”

The pair headed back to the 10th tee, where Van der Merwe mailed his tee shot straight down the middle. Van Dyk hit a huge drive that drifted down the left and finished just short of the fairway bunker. His approach to a pin, tucked back right, flew the green, while Van der Merwe hit his second pin high right. Van Dyk

Scores at a glance LADIES TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER 40 PLAYERS Better ball stableford Winners: Lyndsay Henderson and Jacky McDonald 45 points; Runner up: Sheena Bennett and Petro Streicher 43 points.

WEDNESDAY MEN’S 11 OCTOBER 112 PLAYERS Better ball stableford Winners: GP le Roux and Pete Gray 49 points c/i R/up: Neil Malan and Peter Richardson 49 points c/o; Ball pool 46 points; Best gross Tyron; Davidowitz 71; 6 two clubs at R25 SATURDAY, 14 OCTOBER Alliance Stableford East Course (Red) 1 – 18 1 Tony Runkel, Deon Esterhuyse, Frans Esterhuyse & Peter Gibson – 86 2 Adré Smit, Ian McAdam, Jonathan Stern & John Pearce - 85 North Course (Blue) 19 – 27 & 1 - 9 1 Jan Swanepoel, Paul Vorster, Lucien le Roux & André du Toit – c/i 88

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Izak Krige, Rob Gillespie, Pete Gray & Pierre Husselmann – c/o 88 South Course (Green) 10 – 18 & 19 - 27 1 Tony Behagg, John Atkinson, Bill McGeachy & Dave Johnston – 93 2 John Stergianos, Frans Prins, Richard Jones & Kevin Middleton - 92 SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER East Course (Red) 1 – 18 1 Andre Sherriff and Jan Cloete 49 2 Desmond Sauls and David Botha 44 North Course (Blue) 19 – 27 & 1 - 9 1 Tony Runkel and Peter Gibson 48 2 Johan Krog and Jacques Nell 45 South Course (Green) 10 – 18 & 19 - 27 1 Trevor Schouw and Gavin Levick 47 2 Louis Bester and Andre Gouws 47 SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER MIXED Fourball Alliance Winners: Cheryl and Peter Richardson, Marlene and Gawie Erasmus 85 points

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Fishermen ready to fly in the valley

he Hermanus Fly Fishing Club recently stocked the club dams in the Hemelen-Aarde Valley with additional, healthy 1,1 kg Rainbow trout.

Contrary to other regions in the Western Cape and against expectations, the club dams in the valley are 90 to 100 % full and with trout aplenty, the summer months are ready to welcome the fishermen.

Offside Tony O’Hagan

The club held its Annual General Meeting on 12 October at the Walker Bay Ski Boat Club under the chairmanship of Richard Tate. Other members re-elected to the Committee are Brian Bain (secretary/treasurer), John Leppan, Charlie Jenkins, Greg Tutt, and Tim Tindall.

The club is in a healthy state with membership on the increase, including a pleasing influx of younger members.

The ‘semigration’ of populus from up North, has resulted in mem-bers from other regions joining the club. The Hermanus Fly Fishing Club is reputed to be the third largest in the country and with further growth projected, the future

looks bright. Chairman Richard Tate comments: "The club is run on the principle of ‘no bells and whistles’; we just provide good fishing for our members."

The club reported that the database reflects some 230 members fished the dams during the last 12 months with over 200 fish caught, the

majority being catch and release. Summer’s imminent, the dams are full, the trout are beckoning… so fishermen, get your tackle ready and enjoy the experience in magnificent surrounds.

For bookings and further information contact Cherry at Hermanus Property Sales on 028 313 0914.

Sports Trivia Do you consider yourself a sporting pundit?

Try these trivia questions (answers provided below). See how you fare and test your friends, but no peeping at the answers! There are some difficult questions, so a score of over 50% puts you in the ‘sports fundi’ category.

Under 4 correct answers suggests you stick to gardening and cooking and don't give up your day job!

Here we go: 1. Which current England cricketer has the nickname Westlife?

2. Both Shaun Pollock (421) and Dale Steyn (416) have taken over 400 test wickets for South Africa. Who is in 3rd place?

3. Who, with 16 goals, holds the record for the most goals scored in a career in World Cup soccer finals?

4. How many times has Arsene Wenger won the FA Cup as manager of Arsenal?

5. Which country won the Gold medal for men's rugby sevens at the Rio Olympics?

Who did they beat in the finals? (Half point each.)

6. By how many points did the Wallabies beat the Springboks in the 1999 rugby World Cup semi-finals?

SPORT NEWS?

7. Who has earned the most Springbok caps coming off the bench?

8. Which two schools have each produced two Springbok captains since readmission? (Half point each.)

9. How many times have Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal won all four Grand Slams between them in a calendar year?

10. Including doubles, how many Grand Slam titles has Serena Williams won: 29, 33 or 37?

11. What do you call getting a 4 under score on a single hole in golf?

12. 103 PGA Professionals were surveyed by ESPN – which player was voted least likely to be helped if caught in a street fight?

ANSWERS: 1. Stuart Broad; 2. Machaya Ntini; 3. Miroslav Klose; 4. Seven; 5. Fiji beat Great Britain in the final by 43 points to 7; 6.

By 6 points (Reason it's a good question is because most people remember Larkham's drop goal at the death and assume that's what won it for the Aussies. It wasn't.); 7. Ollie le Roux (43 of his 54 test caps were earned as a substitute); 8. Paarl Gymnasium (Jean de Villiers/Schalk Burger) and Hilton College (Gary Teichmann/Bob Skinstad); 9. 4 times (2006, 2007, 2010 and 2017); 10. 37 (23 singles, 14 doubles); 11. Condor (Only 4 generally accepted condors have been recorded, all involving aces on par fives); 12. Bubba Watson

Share your sport news, results or photos with us! It has never been easier. Just send the information or image to sport@thevillagenews.co.za and we will gladly consider it. Competition results, a friendly rivalry, a funny anecdote, a once-off feat or a major improvement – all news is welcome. We would like to feature our community’s major sport stars as well as its unsung sport heroes – just let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you.