What's on in Hermanus

Good Guide

Friday 7 September

■ The Sound of Colours: Northcliff House College presents their annual concert entitled The Sound of Colours, which will see learners from Grades R – 11 performing songs that have colours in either the title or the name of the artist. Tickets at R50 pp are available from the school or at the door on the night. There will be a tuckshop run by the Grade 11 class as a fundraising opportunity. At Hermanus High School, at 18:00 (the show starts promptly at 18:30).

■ St. Peter’s Quiz Nite: The church is having its annual Quiz Nite a little earlier this year in order to raise funds towards the events taking place during the eleven days in October celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Parish of St. Peter’s. R85 pp or R510 per team of 6 will include soup and breads. Bring your own liquid refreshments and glasses. There will be great prizes on offer. Call or WhatsApp Anne Philip on 082 399 3925. At St Peter’s Church in Main Road (enter from carpark in Marine Drive), at 18:30 for 19:00.

Friday 7 – Saturday 8 September

■ Botrivier Challenge: SA's most unique sports event where you can ride MTB (55 km, 40 km or 15 km), run trail (15 km or 8 km) or road (21 km, 10 km or 5 km) or simply do a guided historiccultural walk. This is combined with a lovely Spitbraai Festival and includes a Potjiekos Competition. All proceeds are used to support the Botriver Education Foundation. So don't miss out on this fun-filled day with exciting prizes, great food and warm hospitality. Registration for all races takes place at the historic Botrivier Station on Friday 7 September from 15:00 - 18:45 and on Saturday from 05:00 to the race start. Enter online at www.webtickets.co.za. In Botrivier, from 07:00.

■ The Singing Cook: The Spring Opening of this new restaurant will be a family-friendly affair (kids and dogs welcome) where guests can enjoy an a la carte menu or a picnic on the lawn while the children play on the jungle gym. Booking is essential. Contact Antonio on 072 462 4271. At The Singing Cook @ Rivendell Wine Estate, corner of R43 & R44, from 11:00.

Sightseeing from a sidecar with African Hoopoe Tours

Marius du Plessis has only been in Hermanus for four months and already he says, “I don’t want to be anywhere else!” His enthusiasm and optimism about the future of our region is evident when he talks about his desire to add value to our town by offering visitors bespoke sidecar tours in and around Hermanus.

As an experienced tour guide and the owner of the dynamic tour and charter company, African Hoopoe Tours & Safaris based in Cape Town since 2007, Marius has been in the tourism industry for over 20 years. “My mission has always been to enrich lives by creating unique experiences,” he says. “When I did my research on what is already available in Hermanus it struck me that this region offers a plethora of adventure activities. So it made sense for me to combine my tours with a central information and booking service in collaboration with all the established and operating adventure companies.”

Marius du Plessis of African Hoopoe Tours & Safaris recently took The Village NEWS’ photographer & social media manager, Taylum Meyer, for a spin in his sidecar to the top of Rotary Way. “It was really interesting to sight-see in the open air instead of through a car window. Taking in the smells and sounds really adds to the experience... and the sidecar was remarkably comfortable.”

Add to this service Marius’ unique tours that combine his passion for vintage vehicles and you have a recipe for some serious fun. His Hermanus Sidecar Tours involve a two to three hour trip in one of his BMW sidecars, complete with vintage helmets and goggles. It is designed for two people – one in the sidecar and one behind the driver on the bike, taking turns – and takes clients up Rotary Way for a bird’s eye view of the Overstrand, down the other side for a wine tasting at Hamilton Russell or one of the other wine farms, and back to town for a tour of the most interesting and scenic spots, including a stop at Hoy’s Koppie.

Apart from two sidecars, Marius also has a number of classic vehicles that include a beautifully preserved ’64 Mercedes Benz Fintail, a ’74 Cheverolet Commando Station Wagon and a ’77 Mini GTS. He uses these vehicles for his Slow Tours, where the pleasure of a scenic trip is combined with the rare opportunity of riding in one of these nostalgic vehicles. Marius also rents out his classic vehicles for special occasions and functions.

Another innovative option is a cultural tour that includes a traditional lunch in Zwelihle. This tour is offered in collaboration with William Ntebe, the owner of the Zwelihle Youth Café at the RDP Centre, with 5% of the tour cost being donated to the Youth Café for their various community projects.

Apart from these tailor-made local tours, African Hoopoe also offers half-day and full-day tours of the Cape Peninsula, the Winelands and the West Coast, a full-day tour to the southernmost tip of Africa, a fourday tour of the Garden Route, and several safari tours in Namibia. “We have a fleet of vehicles, motorbikes and sidecars to choose from for your adventure tour,” says Marius, who has a particular passion for on- and offroad motorbike trips. “But for the longer tours clients usually opt for the comfort of our 18-seater Mercedes Sprinter bus.”

He is looking forward to being of service to Hermanus by creating memorable experiences for our visitors, adds Marius with a big smile. “Just tell us what you want and we’ll make it happen.” Contact Hoopoe Tours & Safaris on 021 510 7809 or info@africanhoopoetours.com or find all the details on their website www.africanhoopoetours.com

Click on the link below to see more from the Good Guide!