Ray Magazine Issue 4

LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E

E XC ELLE N C E O F L I F E

We talk to:

Prime Circle Craig Bone

Heinz & Alette Winckler experience: Knysna Elephant Sanctuary • Conservation Consciousness Jukani • Extreme Sport • Love & Mortar • Oystercatcher Trail Issue 4 / 2009

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Issue 4 / 2009

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CONTENTS

R AY M AG A Z INE

lifestyle, arts & culture: 74 76 78 82 84 86

Prime Circle Craig Bone Heinz & Alette Winckler Art as a Fun Investment Jaco van Schalkwyk Mariè Vermeulen-Breedt

sport: 156

Extreme Sports

motoring: 176 180

travel: 12 16 26 30 32 40 44 48 50 52

Monkeyland Jukani Birds of Eden The Whale Crier of Hermanus Manzovo Independent Trans Africa The Oystercatcher Trail Romonza Boat Trips White Shark Africa The Knysna Elephant Park

Outeniqua Transport Museum Outeniqua Choo Tjoe Train

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fashion & beauty: 116 138 142

A Tribute to Summer Celebration Summer Hair & Make-Up L’Aquila

inspirational: 102 104 108 110 112 4

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Character Kingdom The Divine Law of Life – Part 2 God’s Blessing Trusting God with your Success The Seagull and the Albatros

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culinary delights 64 68

Café Gannet Vibrant Juicing

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gardening 60 62

Water Wise Gardening Gardening for Small Spaces

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health: 90 92 94 98

ADD God’s Pharmacy – Part 2 Breast Cancer – The Good News – Part 3 The Mind-Body Connection

décor & design: 164 166 168 174

Sandpiper Guest Cottages Love & Mortar Shoreline Havens Beach House Must Haves

78 photography 147 152

Mitchell Krog Andrew Woodburn

regulars: 6 101 182 183 184

Editor’s Letter Ray of Hope Subscriptions Stockists Listing The Day of Grace Issue 4 / 2009

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editor’s

Image above: Rina Smit

LETTER

During this holiday time, South Africa embraces legions of visitors from all over the world, each one looking for a chance to enjoy our splendid weather. The air is filled with excitement over the prospect of the upcoming holiday season. It is a time to relax next to the swimming pool, have a ‘braai’ with family and friends, go on a picnic, lie on the beach, observe and listen to the splendour of the ocean and finally have a chance to shed the stresses of the past year, or enjoy your garden while listening to the different melodies of our feathered friends. Holidays should be crammed with fun activities, relaxation and summer bliss.

In this edition we showcase a variety of things to do and destinations to visit. Inside is a selection of home decor design and lifestyles that reflect the diversity of our country. We showcase a variety of healthy seasonal recipes and drinks for the hot summer days.

We would love to imagine your copy of Ray Magazine being marked with suntan lotion while you enjoy reading it on the beach, by the pool, at your bungalow, or beach-house.

The team had an awesome time compiling this issue and is looking forward to share the beauty of South Africa and abroad with

During this holiday time, South Africa embraces legions of visitors from all over the world, each one looking for a chance to enjoy our splendid weather our readers. Please allow us to take you on a journey. We love to hear from you and welcome any suggestions and ideas our readers may have.

Please address letters to: The editor, Postnet Suite 77, Private Bag x 37, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040 or email: rina-smit@mweb.co.za Wishing you the very best for this season and may you have a blessed time in the company of friends and family!

Rina 6

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discover

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YOUR ENVIRONMENT Creation knows no dull monotony or tedious uniformity. There are the rhythmical contrasts of day and night, summer and winter, sunshine and rain, and a multiplicity of colours and sounds, shapes and forms. When we travel we discover the enormous diversity of trees, plants, flowers, leaves and animals. Of course a beautiful young tree covered with foliage is a feast for the eye and a sought-after meeting place for birds of the air. South Africa is huge, varied, and vital. Her history has brought together an exciting mixture of races, ideas and potentials. She is blessed with great scenic beauty, wealth, and a sense of purpose. Whether you are heading North or South this summer holiday, there’s a vast array of wonderful places to visit along the way. South Africa is essentially a place of deep emotional involvements and definitely worthwhile to travel!

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MONKEYLAND Changing the Ways People Think About Primates Text: Lara Mostert – Marketing Manager, Birds of Eden and Monkeyland Images: Monkeyland; Michael Maherry

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What is a primate? A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. Primates are found all over the world. Non-human primates occur mostly in Central and South America, Africa, and southern Asia. A few species exist up into southern Mexico, and in Asia as far north as northern Japan.

Primates face an abundance of factors threatening to put them into extinction, but we can still prevent their loss if we so choose. Surprisingly, many people are not aware of, or choose to ignore, the fact that there are so many primate species on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, primate conservation is low on the list of priorities for a lot of countries (including ours).

The only way things are going to change is if people can learn to respect the other primates as not only a valuable component in the planets ecosystems, but also as our closest specie relatives who are in dire need of our help.

Since Monkeyland opened its doors to the public in 1998, the sanctuary has changed the way people think about primates.

America. There are many more species which call Monkeyland their sanctuary and have done so for over a decade now.

What is a sanctuary? An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives. Unlike animal shelters, sanctuaries do not seek to re-home animals; instead they care for each animal until his or her natural death. In some cases, an establishment may have characteristics of both a sanctuary and a shelter; for instance, some animals may be in residence temporarily until a suitable home is found and others may be permanent residents. The mission of sanctuaries is generally to be safe havens, where the animals receive the best care that the sanctuaries can provide. Most importantly, sanctuaries do not sell or trade with the animals in their care, nor are the animals used for filming television commercials, posed-for photo opportunities and animal testing. The resident animals are given the opportunity to behave as naturally as possible in a protective environment.

What distinguishes a sanctuary from other institutions is the philosophy that the residents come first. In a sanctuary, every action is scrutinized for any trace of human benefit at the

You can help by not becoming part of the problem. Educate yourself and your family and friends. Discourage those around you from contributing to the suffering inherent in the tragic ‘pet’ primate trade.

Many zoos and sanctuaries throughout the world have followed Monkeylands’ lead (monkey see, monkey do) and now provide more natural environments for their lemurs, monkeys and apes to live in.

The great thing about Monkeyland is that it is an unforgettable place to visit; the tours are fun, exciting and educational; and the animals are all happy, healthy and living as they should – wild and free in a natural habitat.

There is no need to travel to Madagascar to see a wild troop of Ringtail Lemurs, Monkeyland has 36 – the largest group outside Madagascar! Visiting South America to see Squirrel Monkeys and Capuchins? Monkeyland has over 100 Squirrel monkeys and 95 Capuchins – the largest free-living groups outside South

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expense of non-human residents. Sanctuaries act on behalf of the animals, and the caregivers work under the notion that all animals in the sanctuary, human and non-human, are of equal importance.

A sanctuary is not open to the public in the sense of a zoo; that is, the public is not allowed unescorted access to any part of the facility. A sanctuary tries not to allow any activity that would place the animals in an unduly stressful situation. One of the most important missions of sanctuaries, beyond caring for the animals, is educating the public. The ultimate goal of a sanctuary should be to change the way that humans think of, and treat, non-human animals.

How many living primate species exist today is not clear. The

TR AV E L number varies depending on whether closely related groups are considered to be varieties of each other or distinct species.

Most estimates are in the range of 230-270. The problem is the fact that every few years new kinds of primates are found.

The tropical forests of South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia may still be hiding sub-species that are unknown to the scientific world.

Many primate species are now in danger of becoming extinct. The primary cause is deforestation, driven ultimately by the ever-escalating human population growth. Additional pressure is placed on primate populations by humans hunting them as a food source (bush meat) and also by capturing and selling them into the pet trade. Despite the fact that the sale of “bush meat” is outlawed in most countries, it is now being sold illegally in Europe and North America and all over Asia. It can even be bought at stores that cater to African immigrants in Paris, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal, and some other major cities including cities in South Africa.

Monkeys and apes are our closest living relatives in the animal world and their facial features bear a striking resemblance to ours. As such, many individuals purchase baby monkeys/apes believing that these primates will be a suitable “substitute” or a “surrogate” for human children. Others are inundated with images of non-human primates in advertisements, on television and in the movies, which depict infants, and adolescent primates as “cute and cuddly”. Often the naive viewers are given the impression that non-human primates would make ideal ‘pets’. These individuals are - at best -misguided. The keeping of monkeys as pets is undoubtedly one of the worst scenarios that could befall them. It is unfortunate that monkeys and apes have become popular in the exotic animal ‘pet’ trade, and relatively easily obtainable. A quick search on the Internet alone reveals a few dozen web sites that currently specialize in selling baby monkeys and apes as pets.

Though infant monkeys and apes (like all mammalian species) are completely dependent on their caretakers, nonhuman primates are not domesticated, and their instincts remain very much intact in captivity. Adult monkeys and apes exhibit aggression and instinctively bite and scratch when provoked.

Individuals possessing primate species often attempt to change the nature of the monkey/ape rather than the nature of the care provided. Such tactics include confinement in small barren enclosures, chaining, shocking, beating “into submission,” or even painful mutilations, such as tooth and nail removal. Point is, non-human primates do not make good ‘pets’. They require special care, housing, diet, and need to live in well-structured family groups, something the average person cannot provide.

When in the hands of private individuals, monkeys and apes typically suffer due to poor care, boredom and isolation. A life in a backyard, basement or garage cage cannot even begin to meet these very social primates’ instinctual needs and desires, such as seeking a mate, raising young, foraging, basking in the sun and establishing territories. Non-human primates are social animals, and they need to be around their own kind for healthy mental development. Human substitutes are not capable of fulfilling this need.

Something else that needs to be mentioned is that baby monkeys and apes destined for the ‘pet’ trade are literally “pulled” away from their protective mothers when they are only hours or days old. Sadly, commercial gain (not compassion) is the breeder’s motivation.

Infant monkeys/apes and their biological mothers typically

suffer depression from the forced separation. “Breeder” females are often purposely impregnated at a frequency which can be 4-6 times higher than the species would breed in natural circumstances, leading to serious and often fatal/ crippling abnormalities like hemorrhaging and severe bone mass depletion. Bottom-line: purchasing an infant primate is supporting an unscrupulous trade. The only “winner” in this scenario is the dealer or breeder who profited from selling the baby monkey/ape. Like all wild animals, monkeys, lemurs and apes should be living in their natural habitats, not in situations where humans attempt to force domestication on them.

You can help by not becoming part of the problem. Educate yourself and your family and friends. Discourage those around you from contributing to the suffering inherent in the tragic ‘pet’ primate trade.

You can also help primates by refusing to buy any product tested on animals. When buying wood products or products from rain forests and other primate habitat, make sure you seek out companies that use sustainable logging and farming practices.

For example, palm oil plantations in Borneo are delving into orangutans’ natural habitat. Palm oil is used in things like soap, processed foods and personal care products. By checking labels on these products, you can make sure you’re not contributing to the destruction.

Oppose the use of primates in entertainment such as movies, commercials, television shows, circuses and the like: don’t spend money on entertainment or products that exploit primates, or any animal for that matter.

Avoid profiteers who use primates as photo props (sometimes found at tourist attractions especially in Asia). Support projects that protect primates in the wild and/or in natural habitats.

Don’t visit roadside type zoos that keep primates in small cages.

Don’t frequent markets that sell primates as pets or hotels that keep them, and always , where possible, educate others about the plight of primates.

There is so much we can do to ensure that future generations will have the privilege to see primates as they should be living free and in a natural habitat.

As Dr. Seuss said in The Lorax “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Monkey-land and Birds of Eden are two separate sanctuaries situated next to each other and are a must see when you’re in Plettenberg Bay. •

CONTACT For more information about Monkeyland, please contact Lara Mostert in the marketing division: Tel: +27 44 534 8906 Cell: +27 82 979 5683 E-mail: info@monkeyland.co.za or visit Website: www.monkeyland.co.za Issue 4 / 2009

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Jukani

Wildlife Predator Park

– Where big cats are at home Text: Adéle Minnaar Images: Rina Smit; Jukani

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“ I was absolutely amazed when Jurg entered the lion’s den, and I was sure that the pride male would tear him to pieces when he sat down amongst the lionesses – I could not believe what a relationship these animals have with this man – I will never forget it.”

Jann Bader – Switzerland, Visitor June 2009.

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Few other wildlife sanctuaries we have visited in

the past had the same mind blowing impact on us than Jukani.

This area with its vastness is home to some of the world’s most fearsome hunters. The experience made me reach for words: spectacular, thrilling, awesome, beautiful, and extraordinary are mere words to describe the experience when meeting these creatures face to face. Right in the heart of the Garden Route, just outside the picturesque town of Mossel Bay lies one of the most unique interactive wildlife predatory parks on earth – dedicated to the preservation and well being of the world’s most inspiring carnivores by changing attitudes and changing minds. The whole powerful experience of the park still remains vivid in memory. One of the biggest problems for conservation of wildlife today is the loss of habitat for these majestic animals.

As the human population grows, people spread out - cities expand and previously uninhabited areas become inhabited.

As these unfortunate events occur, the amount of land where wildlife can live in peace shrinks, and clashes between humans and wildlife increases. Additionally changing land use practices such as forests being cleared by logging (both legal and illegal) or for farming also destroys a large amount of wildlife habitat.

Large individual habitats offer the Park’s predators, including lions, tigers, leopards, wild dogs and hyena their own private lairs. They also have elevated platforms for relaxing in the mountain breezes. Many of the animals here have companions of different species, providing company and diversity.

The final area of conflict is people hunting animals.

Poachers will often set snares to trap antelope or other species so they can either eat the animal or sell its meat. The poachers snares are indiscriminate though and kill any animal that strays into them, so while African wild dogs for instance aren’t targeted by poachers they do still get killed by wire snares left for other animals. Animals are not just hunted for food - elephants are poached for their tusks (Ivory), rhino’s are poached for their horns, tigers are poached for their skins or for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and many other animals are also killed illegally for various reasons. Wildlife Human conflict is a key issue that is being addressed for long term wildlife conservation.

ABOUT JUKANI PREDATOR PARK Jukani Predator Park is the brainchild and a lifetime’s dream realized for Jurg and Karen Olsen whose relationship with carnivores of all sizes, from the mighty Tiger of Asia, to the cunning jackal of the semi desert Cape Karoo has grown to almost legendary proportions.

Singlehandedly, Jurg and Karen have assembled a cast of carnivores people at once either hate, love, despise or fear and each of these wondrous creatures does its share to change perceptions and allow those who come close for even an hour or so to leave with a new respect and a new will to fight for predators and wild creatures everywhere to have the right to land, freedom and a future that will see them enduring for our grandchildren’s children – and beyond! Park president Jurg says: “In order to achieve the union between man and animal, we must learn to look from their eyes, to make decisions based on both our viewpoints. Animals have needs similar to ours. If we address their needs, such as personal security, food, territory, and family and social requirements, then we can preserve them.

To this end the park has endeavored to isolate, understand and fulfill the essential needs of all its residents.” A dedicated team of professionals have the day-to-day responsibility for the care, feeding and well being of all of Jukani’s impressive collection of animals. His lifelong experiential study and work around wild

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animals ranges from caring for the abandoned to bottle feeding baby leopards to raising lions from cubs.

Looking into the minds of the animals under his care, Jurg and Karen describes each of them as having distinct personalities. “Every wild animal has a reason for what it does.

The most important of our responsibilities is to understand why an animal is acting in a particular way and to react intelligently, without resorting to human instinct.”

The Park works hard to help its members of the animal kingdom feel content, healthy, and happy by allowing them the room and provide an opportunity to be instinctual and territorial. It also makes sure that the animals have plenty of mental stimulation through interaction with each other and their environment, as well as with the caretakers.

“For individuals who are open to the amazingness of our animals,” says Jurg, “there is grandeur, awe, and joy to be found here.” Karen says her love for the animals inspires her and she is dedicated to educating people about them. “If people don’t learn to love and respect them now, then why would they care if they aren’t around 10 years from now? My job is to help preserve the species”.

Each of the animals at Jukani Predator Park is special – an ambassador for its kind, an individual that somehow seems to realize that it has a role to play in preserving its species. All are wild animals, none have had their spirits broken, none have been tamed, and yet when you see how they welcome and accept Jurg, Karen and their staff amongst them, you will begin to realize that something very special happens here between predator and man!

INTRODUCTION TO THE ANIMALS AT JUKANI Jackals – (Canis aureus), side-striped (Canis adustus), black-backed (Canis mesomelas)

Jackals live singly or in pairs, but are sometimes found in loose packs of related individuals. They are among the few mammalian species in which the male and female mate for life.

Mated pairs are territorial, and both the female and male mark and defend the boundaries of their territory. Sometimes pups will stay with their parents and help raise their younger siblings.

Most pup deaths occur during the first 14 weeks of life, so the presence of helpers increases the survival rate. Family or pack members communicate with each other by a screaming yell and yapping, or a siren-like howl when a kill is located.

Fast Facts Size: 15 to 20 inches at the shoulder Weight: 15 to 35 pounds

TR AV E L Lifespan: 10 to 12 years Habitat: Open and wooded savanna Diet: Omnivorous/scavenger Gestation: About two months Protection status: Not threatened “Our jackal family has won many hearts during the past year with their flamboyant personalities and never say die attitude.

When realizing how brave these little critters are one usually changes your preconceived ideas quickly and admire them for the survivors they are. In two hundred years time they will still be roaming the earth, when a lot of the bigger predators have not survived and became extinct,” says Karen.

Caracals – Felis lynx The lynx is a solitary cat that haunts the remote northern forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. Lynx are covered with beautiful thick fur that keeps them warm during frigid winters. Their large paws are also furry and hit the ground with a spreading toe motion that makes them function as natural snowshoes. These stealthy cats avoid humans and hunt at night, so they are rarely seen.

There are several species of lynx. Few survive in Europe but those that do, like their Asian relatives, are typically larger than their North American counterpart, the Canada lynx.

All lynx are skilled hunters that make use of great hearing (the tufts on their ears are a hearing aid) and eyesight so strong that a lynx can spot a mouse 250 feet (75 meters) away.

Canada lynx eat mice, squirrels, and birds, but prefer the snowshoe hare. The lynx are so dependent on this prey that their populations fluctuate with a periodic plunge in snowshoe hare numbers that occurs about every 10 years. Bigger Eurasian lynx hunt deer and other larger prey in addition to small animals.

Lynx mate in early spring or late winter. About two months later, females give birth to a litter of one to four young.

Humans sometimes hunt lynx for their beautiful fur. One endangered population, the Iberian lynx, struggles to survive in the mountains of Spain, far from the cold northern forests where most lynx live.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 80 to 100 cm; Tail, 10 to 20 cm Weight: 10 to 20 kg Protection status: Threatened Jade and Kisa are our two resident caracals (“rooikat” or “Lynx”) ambassadors. Jade got his name from his beautiful green eyes and Kisa is Russian for kitty. Although well behaved they pack a mean punch if they bite you or “whack” you with a paw. Known to kill up to five times its own bodyweight they are even better killers than lions who can only take down prey three times its own bodyweight. They love attention and admiration and a visit to Jukani Predator Park is not complete without a visit to their enclosure.

Serval cat - Leptailurus serval.

This is a medium sized wildcat whose main habitat is the large areas south of the Sahara what called “sub-Saharan Africa”. They do not occupy the desert or tropical rainforest.

North of the Sahara they occupy fragmented habitat in low populations.

Notable features of this cat are its rangy conformation, long legs, large ears, small head relative to body size and strongly spotted coat. Its body is designed to hear particularly accurately, jump athletically and run fast (up to 50 mph – the domestic cat has a top speed of about 30 mph).

The classic markings are black tabby spots on a well ticked yellow/tawny ground, but it can be melanistic black and white.

North of the Sahara in Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia they are assessed as “regionally Critically Endangered” Critically endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN for wild species. Critically endangered means that a species numbers have decreased or will decrease by 80% within three generations time.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 85 to 112 cm; Tail, 30 to 50 cm Weight: 9 to 16 kg in females and 12 to 26kg in males Life expectancy: 12–16 years in the wild, and up to 20–25 years in captivity.

Protection status: Critically Endangered “Chico is our resident serval cat and true to his nature very shy and prefers nocturnal activities. He is a beautiful cat and if patient he will reward you with a peek at his stunning spotted coat.”

Wild dogs - Lycaon pictus Known as African wild, painted, or Cape hunting dogs, these endangered canines closely resemble wolves in their packoriented social structure. The African wild dog typically roams the open plains and sparse woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa.

These long-legged canines have only four toes per foot, unlike other dogs, which have five toes on their forefeet. The dog’s Latin name means “painted wolf,” referring to the animal’s irregular, mottled coat, which features patches of red, black, brown, white, and yellow fur. Each animal has its own unique coat pattern and all have big, rounded ears.

African wild dogs live in packs that are usually dominated by a monogamous breeding pair.

The female has a litter of 2 to 20 pups, which are cared for by the entire pack. These dogs are very social, and packs have been known to share food and to assist weak or ill members. Social interactions are common, and the dogs communicate by touch, actions, and vocalisations.

African wild dogs hunt in formidable, cooperative packs of 6 to 20 (or more) animals. Larger packs were more common before the dogs became endangered. Packs hunt antelopes and will Issue 4 / 2009

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T R AV E L also tackle much larger prey, such as wildebeests, particularly if their quarry is ill or injured. The dogs supplement their diet with rodents and birds. As human settlements expand, the dogs have sometimes developed a taste for livestock, though significant damage is rare. Unfortunately, they are often hunted and killed by farmers who fear for their domestic animals.

African hunting dogs are endangered. They are faced with shrinking room to roam in their African home. They are also quite susceptible to diseases spread by domestic animals.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 11 years Size: 75 to 110 cm Weight: 18 to 36 kg Protection status: Endangered “Picasso and Mona Lisa are the perfect pair and their love and admiration for each other obvious. Being very social animals they care for each other and share their meat etc. Mona Lisa got sick a while ago and Picasso made sure she got food by regurgitating his meat for her. He made his intentions very clear when we entered the enclosure to treat Mona Lisa and we had a couple of close encounters with his canines. Mona Lisa has recovered perfectly and her admiration for her “hunk” is visible to all, his pride at being admired also.”

Pumas – Puma concolor The cougar has the largest range of any wild land animal in the Americas. Its range spans 110 degrees of latitude, from northern Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes. It is one of only three cat species, along with the Bobcat and Canadian lynx, native to Canada. Its wide distribution stems from its adaptability to virtually every habitat type: it is found in all forest types as well as in lowland and mountainous deserts. Studies show that the Cougar prefers regions with dense underbrush, but can live with little vegetation in open areas. Its preferred habitats include precipitous canyons, escarpments, rim rocks, and dense brush.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) currently lists the cougar as a “least concern” species. The cougar is regulated under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), rendering illegal international trade in specimens or parts.

Only females are involved in parenting. Female cougars are fiercely protective of their kittens and have been seen to successfully fight off animals as large as grizzly bears in their defense. Litter size is between one and six kittens; typically two or three. Caves and other alcoves that offer protection are used as litter dens. Born blind, kittens are completely dependent on their mother at first and begin to be weaned at around three months of age. As they grow, they begin to go out on forays with their mother, first visiting kill sites, and after six months beginning to hunt small prey on their own. Kitten survival rates are just over one per litter.

Sub-adults leave their mother to attempt to establish their own territory at around two years of age and sometimes earlier;

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males tend to leave sooner. One study has shown high morbidity amongst cougars that travel farthest from the maternal range, often due to conflicts with other cougars (“intraspecific” conflict). “ Rocky and Yukon are two American mountain lions also known as cougars and pumas. They are very shy and prefer to keep an eye on things from the safety of the back of their enclosure. If you’re privileged to see them, their beauty will take your breath away. They are stunning to watch and your effort and patience will be rewarded when they appear out of nowhere.”

Leopards – Panthera pardus Leopards are graceful and powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.

The leopard is so strong and comfortable in trees that it often hauls its kills into the branches. By dragging the bodies of large animals aloft it hopes to keep them safe from scavengers such as hyenas. Leopards can also hunt from trees, where their spotted coats allow them to blend with the leaves until they spring with a deadly pounce. These nocturnal predators also stalk antelope, deer, and pigs by

stealthy movements in the tall grass. When human settlements are present, leopards often attack dogs and, occasionally, people.

Leopards are strong swimmers and very much at home in the water, where they sometimes eat fish or crabs.

Female leopards can give birth at any time of the year.

They usually have two grayish cubs with barely visible spots.

The mother hides her cubs and moves them from one safe location to the next until they are old enough to begin playing and learning to hunt. Cubs live with their mothers for about two years—otherwise, leopards are solitary animals.

Most leopards are light colored with distinctive dark spots that are called rosettes, because they resemble the shape of a rose. Black leopards, which appear to be almost solid in color because their spots are hard to distinguish, are commonly called black panthers.

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T R AV E L Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 1.3 to 1.9 m; Tail, 1.1 to 1.4 m Weight: 30 to 80 kg Protection status: Endangered “We are very privileged to share our lives with Spirit, a black leopard, and Angel his spotted female. Spirit is true to his name the spirit of Jukani Predator Park and his superiority clearly visible for all to experience. He loves to appear from nowhere on his big tree log and then to disappear just as suddenly. An amazing friend and cat brother to all of us, he has taught us the true meaning of forgiveness. Angel is his female and what a beauty, soft to the touch but ever ready for a fight. She may be small and enjoys attention but do not upset her, true to the leopards’ nature she will sort you out even before you have realised a confrontation is on hand. No hidden agendas, what you see are what you get, dynamite in a small package. What characters they are!”

Jaguars – Panthera onca Jaguars are the largest of South America’s big cats. They once roamed from the southern tip of that continent north to the region surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. Today significant numbers of jaguars are found only in remote regions of South and Central America—particularly in the Amazon basin.

These beautiful and powerful beasts were prominent in ancient Native American cultures. In some traditions the Jaguar God of the Night was the formidable lord of the underworld.

The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word jaguar, which means “he who kills with one leap.”

U n l i k e many other cats, jaguars do not avoid water; in fact, they are quite good swimmers.

Rivers provide prey in the form of fish, turtles, or caimans—small, alligator like animals. Jaguars also eat larger animals such as deer, peccaries, capybaras, and tapirs. They sometimes climb trees to prepare an ambush, killing their prey with one powerful bite.

Most jaguars are tan or orange with distinctive black spots, dubbed “rosettes” because they are shaped like roses. Some jaguars are so dark they appear to be spotless, though their markings can be seen on closer inspection.

Jaguars live alone and define territories of many square miles by marking with their waste or clawing trees.

Females have litters of one to four cubs, which are blind and helpless at birth. The mother stays with them and defends them fiercely from any animal that may approach—even their own father. Young jaguars learn to hunt by living with their mothers for two years or more.

Jaguars are still hunted for their attractive fur. Ranchers also

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kill them because the cats sometimes prey upon their livestock.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 12 to 15 years Size: Head and body, 1.5 to 1.8 m; Tail, 70 to 91 cm Weight: 45 to 113 kg Protection status: Endangered “Onca and Amazon share an enclosure. They are still subadults but do not under estimate their ambush techniques or unpredictability. True to their nature, they always seem very relaxed and almost asleep, but they will act in a flash and surprise even the weary. Their stunning coats and love for water have seen many a guest spending hours in front of their enclosure. They love to play and swim in their pool, dipping their heads completely under the water. They are truly stunning!”

Bengal Tigers - Panthera tigris Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength.

There were eight tiger subspecies at one time, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced tiger populations from hundreds of thousands of animals to perhaps fewer than 2,500. Tigers are hunted as trophies, and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place.

Bengal tigers live in India and are sometimes called Indian tigers. They are the most common tiger and number about half of all wild tigers. Over many centuries they have become an important part of Indian tradition and lore.

Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful nocturnal hunters that travel many miles to find buffalo, deer, wild pigs and other large mammals. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 27 kilograms in one night, though they usually eat less.

Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous man eaters.

These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in an area where their traditional prey has vanished.

Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 8 to 10 years Size: Head and body, 1.5 to 1.8 m; Tail, 0.6 to 0.9 m Weight: 109 to 227 kg Did you know? A tiger’s roar can be heard as far as three kilometers away.

TR AV E L Protection status: Endangered “Juka and Shanti are two Bengal Tigers. Juka grew up in our house and also shared everything, mostly our bed. He is quite a dominant young man and has made sure that the hospital bills were kept high. He had colic when he arrived at only a week and a half of age and only through prayer and Karen’s determination did he survive. Today they share a very special bond and he even calls her late at night if he gets lonely in his enclosure. Irony is he prefers his big enclosure, but wants Karen to stay with him in the enclosure, competition for Jurg? Shanti is our young female with a personality rarely experienced; she loves walkies on the leash, greeting all the other animal brothers and sisters with a friendly “chuff” as she goes along. A sweetheart with a bad attitude at feeding time, believe me she does not share!”

Siberian Tigers - Panthera tigris altaica Many conservation programs have been established to save the critically endangered Siberian tiger, whose numbers have dwindled to mere hundreds in the wild.

Siberian (or Amur) tigers are the world’s largest cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia’s birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian tigers living in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these numbers are stable. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem.

The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia’s timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries. Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. There were once eight tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to perhaps 5,000 to 7,000. Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place.

Poaching is a reduced—but still very significant—threat to Siberian tigers.

Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes) and hunt by stealth. They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 27.2 kilograms in one night.

Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to

three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

Fast Facts Diet: Carnivore Size: 3.3 m Weight: 300 kg Protection status: Endangered “Tara and Lali are our two Siberian Tigers, the largest cat of all the cat species - adult males can weigh up to 380kg! They are two sweethearts and love all the attention they are getting from the staff and guests. Their arrival at Jukani Predator Park was filmed by Bush Radar’s Michelle Garforth and her crew and they have since developed a real celebrity attitude. Amazingly docile and always friendly, they have stolen many a heart at Jukani already. We can’t wait for them to grow up to experience their size and see if their temperament stays the same.”

White Lions “Tsau and Thendile came to us as two very young cubs.

From day one they stole our hearts and have since stolen many more. According to the African mythology a white lion are divine creatures send to earth to protect and warn humans to protect earth and nature. Tsau and Thendile are very special and still sleep in our house, albeit in a specially prepared room. They share their enclosure with two cheetahs, Shaka and Sheena, and the oddity of lions and cheetahs sharing an enclosure have lead to many a guest reaching for their camera in astonishment.

We realize that due to their power and size we will soon have to split them but dread the day as they really adore each other. To keep them “together” we will have their enclosures next to each other so that they still can socialize through the fence.”

Cheetahs – Acinonyx jubatus Sharp eyesight and raw speed make the cheetah a formidable hunter.

The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal. With acceleration that would leave most automobiles in the dust, a cheetah can go from 0 to 96 kilometers an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey.

Before unleashing their speed, cheetahs use exceptionally keen eyesight to scan their grassland environment for signs of prey—especially antelope Issue 4 / 2009

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and hares. This big cat is a daylight hunter that benefits from stealthy movement and a distinctive spotted coat that allows it to blend easily into high, dry grasses.

When the moment is right a cheetah will sprint after its quarry and attempt to knock it down. Such chases cost the hunter a tremendous amount of energy and are usually over in less than a minute. If successful, the cheetah will often drag its kill to a shady hiding place to protect it from opportunistic animals that sometimes steal a kill before the cheetah can eat.

Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days.

Female cheetahs typically have a litter of three cubs and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young cubs spend their first year learning from their mother and practicing hunting techniques with playful games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates.

Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 12,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 10 to 12 years Size: 1.1 to 1.4 m; Tail, 65 to 80 cm Weight: 35 to 65 kg Protection status: Endangered “Shaka and Sheena are the two resident cheetahs at Jukani Predator Park . Being very royal as their names suggest they

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demand royal treatment and also still sleeps in our house.

Convincing Sheena to leave her room during winter is not a task for the faint hearted as she does not believe in getting cold and wet unless under very special circumstances, which we have not experienced yet. She runs a tight ship and even the white lions are scared of her short temper, although not physically but very verbal. Both Shaka and Sheena enjoy a cuddle and will climb onto your lap giving you the privilege to share their presence.

Their purring will tell you they enjoy your company or walking away with a very arrogant step will tell you that they do not wish to interact with us humans. They are young, beautiful, extremely fast and very aware that everybody admires them.”

Lion – Panthera leo Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides. Prides are family units that may include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride’s lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age. Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male.

Only male lions boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads. Males defend the pride’s territory, which may include some 269 square kilometers of grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands. These intimidating animals mark the area with urine, roar menacingly to warn intruders and chase off animals that encroach on their turf.

Female lions are the pride’s primary hunters. They often

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W ildlife Predator Park

work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals of the open grasslands. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off.

After the hunt, the group effort often degenerates to squabbling over the sharing of the kill, with cubs at the bottom of the pecking order. Young lions do not help to hunt until they are about a year old. Lions will hunt alone if the opportunity presents itself, and they also steal kills from hyenas or wild dogs.

Lions have been celebrated throughout history for their courage and strength. They once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. Today they are found only in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, except for one very small population of Asian lions that survives in India’s Gir Forest.

Fast facts Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 1.4 to 2 m; Tail, 67 to 100 cm Weight: 120 to 191 kg Protection status: Threatened JUKANI PREDATOR PARK TOURS Tours take place from 9.00am to 4.00pm every day of the week, including Sundays. A tour lasts approximately one hour and you are guided through the park by one of their highly skilled and very motivated guides who will not only give you an insight into all the animals at Jukani Predator Park, but enable you to gain a better understanding of these creatures in the wild.

Bookings are essential for larger tourist groups as well as school groups.

After the tour, you are welcome to stay at Jukani Predator Park for as long as you like, their snack bar serves cold drinks, coffee and tea and snacks, and the curio shop is well stocked with mementos of your visit.

As Jurg and Karen Olsen is almost always at the park, there is every possibility one of them will join your group and let you into their private relationship with these fearsome creatures.

CONTACT US Jukani Predator Park, N2, Mossel Bay, Western Cape, South Africa, 6500 Postal Address: P O Box 2073, George, 6530 Tel: +27 44 698 2004 Cell: +27 82 785 7713 /+27 83 444 5216 E-mail: info@jukani.co.za Website: www.jukani.co.za GPS: 34°10’41”S; 22°01’32”E Sources: www.nationalgeographic.com / www.wikipedia.org

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME AT JUKANI. Imagine spending every day and night for six weeks working closely with Big Cats!

Imagine learning everything you can about these fascinating creatures simply by being in their company and not by reading books or watching TV! This is what is making the Jukani Predator Park Volunteer Programme one of the most sought after wildlife experiences on the planet and drawing people, young and old, from all over the world to break away from their everyday lives to come to Africa to live with predators! If you would like to join a group of volunteers, please email us at info@jukani.co.za This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will provide you with details of the next available space, the costs and answer any questions you may have!

A TYPICAL VOLUNTEER DAY: 6am Muster in the kitchens to begin preparing the daily

feed for the carnivores 7am Join the Jukani team for the morning enclosure

inspection to establish the well being of all the

animals and report back on night activities in

enclosures 8:30am If allocated, begin the daily enclosure fencing

inspection routine, checking electricity, fencing,

digging activities 10am Breakfast 11am Exercise programme for younger animals begins,

including cheetah, tigers, hyenas and white lions 1pm Lunch 2pm Assist guides with visitor management and visitor

activities 4pm Begin implementing daily enrichment activities

in all enclosures 6pm (After park closes). Begin assisting with ongoing

research programs currently underway in the park.

(Volunteers will prepare data without supervision

where possible) Issue 4 / 2009

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ofEDEN

BIRDS

- Shedding Weight And Gaining Capacity Text: Lara Mostert – Marketing Manager, Birds of Eden and Monkeyland

Images: Ray Magazine

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Nine years ago Tony Blignaut, our current CEO, asked me to take a stroll down to our neighbours’ dairy farm. Not the flat kikuyu fields, but the bit which was never used for much as it was in a forested ravine.

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I walked down

the steep decent with Tony and listened as he chatted about his idea for a bird sanctuary. He enthusiastically explained how the walkways would criss-cross the forest. He pointed out where he wanted to build a suspension bridge, an amphitheater, and the curio and reception zones. He explained how he would change the muddy swamp land outside the forested ravine to grassland. He wanted to create different habitats for the species, ranging from grassland to a simulated rain forest.

I listened, but wondered how on earth he was going to enclose this ‘planned’ bird sanctuary. The dome structure itself would be required to hold up to 88 tons of mesh which in turn needed to be painted with 10 tons of green paint.

Interested locals and visitors watched Tony and his team of local contracters built the 1.2 kilometres of elevated walkways.

When it was time for the dome to be put in place people often asked me how Tony planned to get it done.

I would look at the highest ‘support mast’ towering 55 meters above the ground and shake my head in despair.

I had no idea, it seemed an impossible task, but after 4.5 years Birds of Eden opened its sanctuary doors to the public.

The project was completed within its budget of R9,000.000.00 (December 2005).

It is interesting to note that enough wire was used in the encapsulation mesh to go one 7th of the way around the Earth!

28 thousand cable clamps were used during the construction of Birds of Eden and we used 300 cubic meters of concrete in the perimeter walls, and the mast and anchor pads.

The entire sanctuary was built using unskilled local labour from the neighbouring community, named Kurland. They were taught the required skills and trained in all aspects of safety and high wire construction. During the entire 4.5 year period needed for the construction of Birds of Eden, there was not a single injury on duty.

Birds of Eden is a magical place. Once you have visited it you will return time and again.

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I am more of a primate person and have been at Monkeyland (Birds of Eden’s sister sanctuary) since its conception 11 years ago. I liked birds, but knew very little about the different species of birds and less about bird watching. Birds of Eden has cured me of that. I am now an avid birder and I take as many photographs of birds as I do of monkeys. I proudly stroll about the sanctuary enjoying the forest and watching the birds in free flight, where they are also able to live natural lives and breed as they would in the wild.

At home, Tony and I feed fruit to the local Cape White Eyes, Oriels and Knysna Loeries (I know, their name has changed!) at bird feeders scattered across our balcony. It’s heartwarming to see the swarms of Cape White Eyes, and the Knysna Loeries’ families munching the fruits provided. They also love fresh orange juice.

Birding, or rather bird watching, is a very rewarding pastime.

I’ll begin by clarifying what a birdwatcher apparently is and does... It gets quite confusing!

An ORNITHOLOGIST is simply a person who studies birds.

It’s a term usually reserved to describe those serious scientific humans that have some sort of degree in the subject of birds and thus a rightful claim to moral superiority.

A BIRDWATCHER is simply a person who enjoys watching birds. Beginner or experienced, usually they own a pair of binoculars, a field guide, know where to find a cattle egret, sunbird and kingfisher. Some serious bird watchers keep a list of sightings. Bird watching has not always been a hip past time, but as us humans become more aware of the environment we seem to appreciate the natural wonders of life more.

A BIRDER is very serious about birdwatching and is involved in identifying and collecting listings. As an example; If you are a “birder” you don’t go birdwatching, you go “birding” to adventurous locations. Birdwatchers will not travel after birds, but simply enjoy seeing them when they do. A birder actively seeks opportunities to see new species of birds for the first time; such an event is called ‘a life’.

TR AV E L REVIEW Ray visited Birds of Eden and Monkeyland, close to Plettenberg Bay. Monkeyland and Birds of Eden are two separate sanctuaries situated next to each other. Their aim is the release of previously caged monkeys, apes, lemurs and birds into a free-roaming environment, under the auspices of Touch a Monkey’s Heart Foundation, a nonprofit body with the same goal. Monkeyland is the world’s first multi-species free-roaming primate sanctuary, renowned throughout the world for its rehabilitation work. Visitors are offered the opportunity to join a one-hour safari. Here you can expect to see many species of monkeys, apes and lemurs living in their forested sanctuary. A Living Forest experience that will stay with you forever. Birds of Eden was created with the intention of re-homing a number of unwanted birds, giving them the opportunity to live in a more natural environment. It is the largest single free-flight aviary in the world, and incorporates an indigenous forest with waterfalls and elevated walkways. Previously caged birds from every corner of the globe live here in free flight. This is not somewhere you want to rush through, so allow enough time to really soak up its splendour. A river runs through the entire park in a closed system and through a natural lung, so no pollution of any other water sources is possible by its existence. Part of this river system features a walk behind a waterfall. A mist system simulates being in a rainforest. 70% of the area under the dome is indigenous forest. An amphitheatre, which can seat 200 people, is available for use. A restaurant is situated at the larger dam, where one can relax and see most of the different species of waterfowl.

It was such a pleasant experience walking so nearby all these beautiful birds, catching sight of the huge variety of birds under one ‘roof’ something never seen in a normal garden. The place is beautiful and clean and the birds are well taken care of. It is certainly a place to visit during holiday time.

A TWITCHER is someone who is obsessed with `Ticks’ (British for “mark it off your list”). Twitchers race around the country and/or world, chasing rare birds. They also use all the correct terms to describe the birds they see and they religiously mark them off the list as they go.”

Birds of Eden has had visits from all the above. The Ornithologists have loved the fact that we have such a large variety of species, and they enjoy seeing the once caged birds fly free again.

The birdwatchers visit Birds of Eden in their droves tagging their families and friends along too. Many have taken out membership cards at Birds of Eden. I find that they visit without binoculars, but most have a camera with them. Not the long lensed type, just a point and shoot.

The Birders visit using lenses longer than my arm, and they spend hours in the park. Most arrive early morning and leave late afternoon.

camouflaged than the exotic ones, and to spot them you have to carefully look for movement.

Both 2009 and 2010 are very exciting years for us. This year we are replacing the weld mesh that currently encapsulates Birds of Eden. A new revolutionary mesh has been developed abroad in the United States, and is now available in South Africa. It’s called knit mesh, and it is made from woven stainless steel wire. The new mesh has a lifetime guarantee and is almost feather light. Although knit mesh is now being manufactured in South Africa, no local company had the capacity take on our massive order, so we had to import the 27,000 square meters of knit mesh needed for Birds of Eden from Wales.

By removing the current weld mesh and replacing it with the new knit mesh product, we will reduce the overall weight on the dome infrastructure by 80 tonnes, as the new Knit mesh only weighs 8 tonnes compared to the 88 tonnes of weld mesh currently up there.

Bird watching has not always been a hip past time, but as us humans become more aware of the environment we seem to appreciate the natural wonders of life more.

The Twitchers don’t tick their lists when they visit Birds of Eden, cause a true sighting is never ‘real’ or ‘noted’ if the bird is seen in a captive environment. Twitchers only tick the birds they have seen in their natural wild habitat.

I assume that many of the people reading what I am writing may have never visited Birds of Eden. For those not knowing, Birds of Eden is 3.2 hectares in size. It is the world’s largest free-flight bird sanctuary.

Our aviary is larger than the ones in Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park and Kuala Lampur’s KL Bird Park. In fact, you could comfortably hide the UK Millennium dome inside!

The sanctuary opened with 1,500 birds in 2005, and today over 2,500 call the sanctuary home.

The birds are varied, and although the exotic species seem to outnumber the indigenous species by virtue of being more visible, it is in fact the species indigenous to Africa that are the more abundant such as the tauraco’s, barbets, hornbills, flamingo’s, spoonbill’s, ducks, weavers and starlings.

By 2010, Birds of Eden will have an even higher number of indigenous species, as we plan to introduce many more before the FIFA soccer World Cup. It is important to note that the indigenous birds are better

Birds of Eden will therefore be shedding 80 tons of weight during the next few months!

The exciting news is that the aperture of the new revolutionary Knit mesh is 3.5 millimeters compared to the 25 millimeter aperture of the mesh we are removing. The smaller aperture will have enable us to keep smaller birds such as finches, wax bills, kingfishers, weavers, sun birds and many more in Birds of Eden.

The valuable lesson I have learnt from the creation of Birds of Eden is no matter what the obstacles are, you can create greatness from nothing. You don’t require a huge budget and/ or a perfect location to realize a dream. You can realize any dream you have by simply focusing, budgeting, improvising, working hard, and getting the job done.

CONTACT For more information about Birds of Eden, please contact Lara Mostert in the marketing division: Tel: +27 44 534 8906 Cell: +27 82 979 5683 E-mail: info@birdsofeden.co.za or visit Website: www.birdsofeden.co.za • Issue 4 / 2009

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Whale Crier OF HERMANUS

The

Text: Hermanus Tourism Bureau Images: Ray Magazine

The Whale Crier‘s Kelp Horn was first heard in

Hermanus in August 1992. Pieter Claasen, then an employee of the Old Harbour, was our first Whale Crier. Little did he realise, when he agreed to dress up in the now familiar regalia, what he was letting himself in for. His friends and associates all felt that he was making a fool of himself dressing up as a “papegaai”. With constant encouragement from Jim Wepener, his mentor, he stood his ground and as his reputation spread abroad literally, they slowly changed their tune. Trips to Cape Town and Johannesburg followed and one of the highlights of his time as Whale Crier was surely his trip to Topsham in the United Kingdom where he was Guest of Honour at the annual Town Crier’s competition. He opened the proceedings with a call on his famous kelp horn and then shouted his greetings from Hermanus in true Town Crier fashion. He received a resounding applause. Later in the afternoon he led the colourful procession of Town Criers, floats from far and wide and a large crowd of onlookers down the main street of Topsham.

During the trip he also participated in a presentation on Whale Watching in Hermanus and the Whale Route at the South African Embassy in London. Subsequently a letter received from the Ambassador said that the invited guests had enjoyed the

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presentation tremendously and congratulated the delegates saying it was one of the best presentations given at the Embassy.

Subsequently as the information has spread far and wide about the wonderful whale watching in Hermanus, so has the media interest increased both in the Whale Crier and Hermanus.

Pieter has given literally dozens of press and TV interviews and these have continued to publicise Hermanus as an important tourist destination.

Pieter was succeeded by Wilson Salukazana, a well respected and dignified figure from Zwelihle, Hermanus. He took the Whale Crier icon to greater heights and is arguably the most photographed South African after Nelson Mandela! One of his career highlights was his visit to Great Britain, representing Hermanus as the only whale crier in the world in the city of Manchester. He walked the cliff path beat for eight years imparting his vast knowledge of the whales and the surrounding town, Hermanus. At the same time he has always been very closely involved with the Zwelihle community. He started his own township tours called Ubuntu Tours which are thoroughly enjoyed by visitors. At the age of 66 Wilson retired as he said it was time to slow down a little. Needless to say he only “slowed” for a few months!

TR AV E L Godleck Baleni was the following person to show off the Whale Crier boards and blow the kelp horn! He had very big shoes to fill and did a sterling job. His huge smile and charming character was a great tourist attraction for visitors. Sadly the pressure of holding such a prestigious position overwhelmed him and he too resigned.

Pasika Noboba joined the Hermanus Tourism team as Whale Crier in September 2008. Pasika, which means Good Friday in English, was born in Umtata on Good Friday, 10th March 1979. His nickname is Pascal which is Easter in French! He was educated at Bafazi school in Elliotdale until eleventh grade and matriculated at Zwelenqaba Secondary school. It is clear that he was born to carry the name of Worlds only Whale Crier™. His personal profile shows his dedication and great achievements. He bears tremendous knowledge of whales and Hermanus, but is so keen to learn more. He is well respected in all communities for his humble friendliness. His passion for working with children and the elderly equals his passion for nature. We envisage him expanding the brand of the Worlds only Whale Crier™ to an even greater platform.

He is particularly proud of two achievements he has made: Firstly that he was the first boy in his tribe to matriculate and the first to pass all his grades from Sub A to Matric with distinctions.

He was raised by his widowed mother along with seven siblings so unfortunately he could not further his studies due to financial constraints.

He is from both the Tembe and Bomvana tribes, as his mother

Trips to Cape Town and Johannesburg followed and one of the highlights of his time as Whale Crier was surely his trip to Topsham in the United Kingdom where he was Guest of Honour at the annual Town Crier’s competition. was born in Elliotdale but moved to Tafalehashe when his father passed away. He bears some fascinating stories regarding the history of these tribes.

He has always had a strong passion for nature. After leaving school he relocated to Hermanus and settled in Zwelihle with his brother. After successfully completing a security guard course he worked as a security guard. At the time he also completed a course for Snake Handling and Conflict Management to resolve problems between people and wild animals. He joined Cape Nature as a baboon monitor supervisor. He was head hunted by one of the shark cage diving companies who sent him on a Tour Guide course which included a First Aid course and obtaining a public driving license.

He is very knowledgeable about Hermanus, the whales, fynbos and marine life. He is well respected in all communities for his humble friendliness. • For additional information about Hermanus, please contact: HERMANUS TOURISM BUREAU Postal address: P O Box 117, Hermanus, 7200 Tel: +27 28 312 2629 Fax: +2728 3130305 Email: infoburo@hermanus.co.za For accredited accommodation, go to www.hermanusaccommodation.co.za Issue 4 / 2009

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Manzovo “Place of the Elephants”

Text: Adele Minnaar Paintings: Craig Bone

From his home

in Lonehill, Johannesburg, accomplished story-teller and author, Gary Albyn, is busy crafting his third book. His first, ‘Manzovo-Place of the Elephants,’ is being adapted to both screen and stage musical. He gave Ray Magazine an inside peek into this magnificent book, while he chatted to us at his home.

Nestled like a rare jewel in the inhospitable but alluring Zambezi Valley, Mana Pools provides the early setting for Albyn’s first book, ‘Manzovo-Place of the Elephants.’ Thandi, now at the height of her prime, is the astute and respected matriarchal head

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of a herd of elephants. While she and her herd have to deal with brushes with predators, farmers, poachers and culling gangs, their odyssey across Southern Africa also embraces some of the cultures, natural wonders and landmarks that give character to this region. This astonishing 106 verse poem portrays their epic travels at a time in our past when elephants were able to range, with relative ease, across the timeless plains of Africa. Subtle and compelling, the story weaves in the arcane rhythm which pounds like a tribal drum deep in Africa’s chest.

Illustrated throughout by Craig Bone – world-renowned

TR AV E L

wildlife artist and fellow ex-Zimbabwean – Gary recently spoke to ‘Ray Magazine’ about their book Manzovo. “Well-steered

by Chris and Kerrin Cocks of 30 Degrees South Publishing, Manzovo first hit the shelves in October last year. Despite many frustrating attempts at finding a willing artist, it was they who managed to secure the prolific and prodigious talents of Craig Bone. Craig has published several books in the past. It was a bold move for him to go-forth into un-chartered waters as he had to create a series of paintings for this book where each picture had to depict the scene described in the corresponding verse.

No mean feat!

“Craig is busy doing the paintings for our next book, due for release in early 2010. It’s a sweeping African drama that chronicles the destinies of two young warriors – one a Zulu boy, the other a leopard, set against the backdrop of the historic battle of Isandhlwana. Our formula has proven so successful that we are now researching our third collaborative effort; a story based on the true-life drama of world-renowned conservationist, Dr Ian Player, and his trusted friend Magqubu Ntombela.”

Tell us more about your background? Where were

you born? What did your parents do for a living?

I was born and grew up in Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe. Kids of my generation were encouraged to play outdoors; what a privilege it was to be able to go camping (without the folks) out on the farms or in the bush – and we were only ten or so at the time! My dad was a policeman and my mom was a court stenographer.

What was your childhood like? What was your fondest childhood memory of Zimbabwe?

I had a happy and carefree childhood. Many of our school holidays were spent visiting the game reserves and famous natural or historic sites of the country. One enduring memory was of being woken by my dad one night as we camped out under the stars in the Mana Pools Reserve. No more than two paces from the end of my camp stretcher was a huge elephant.

I was nine or ten and it was a defining moment: the story of Manzovo chrysalised out of that encounter.

Where did your affinity and allurement to the beauty of the African bush start?

My dad played an important role in this regard; we spent a Issue 4 / 2009

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T R AV E L lot of time outdoors. His respect for nature was apparent and I guess it was natural that I assimilated that same passion.

Where and when did you start writing? Do you write at home or do you need to take trips to the bush for inspiration?

Deep down, I’ve probably been a frustrated writer for many years! I eventually heed the nagging call to start on Manzovo in late 2004. Although I can write almost anywhere where there’s silence, I’m definitely infused with inspiration each time I’m either in the bush, or recently returned from the bush!

Do you have a strict schedule you adhere to?

I’m starting to learn that deadlines strangle a writer’s creativity – well mine at least! My challenge is to manage the stress associated with meeting an editor’s expectations. As a relative newcomer to the world of words, I try to write as the inspiration grabs me. I’m often up at three in the morning hammering away at the keyboard, not because of a looming deadline, but rather because of a nocturnal flash of inspiration!

When did you leave your country of birth?

Along with most young men of that era, I was drafted into

Craig is busy doing the paintings for our next book, due for release in early 2010. It’s a sweeping African drama that chronicles the destinies of two young warriors – one a Zulu boy, the other a leopard, set against the backdrop of the historic battle of Isandhlwana

national service. Aside from nature and the bush, my other abiding passion is aviation. I applied for a position on one of the Air Force’s exacting pilot training courses and attested in early 1979. I signed a 10 year contract. However, with the cessation of hostilities a few years later, along with Zimbabwe being granted independence, I chose to emigrate and start a new life in South Africa.

Are there any other writers in your family?

Thankfully not in my immediate family! Apart from Dan Brown, Wilbur Smith and JK Rowling, there aren’t that many wealthy writers about!

You have a degree in civil engineering. When did you make the switch to writing or was it always present, lingering in the background?

It’s always been a lingering passion and I have enduring memories of friends and family exhorting me to pursue my dream. I guess, in that sense, it’s never too late!

With your book “Manzovo – Place of the Elephants,” you hope to bring attention to the plight of Africa’s diminishing herds. Tell us more about these amazing animals and their sweeping

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journey through Africa.

Using a combination of sophisticated modeling techniques, along with historical records, biologists calculate that Africa was home to 10 million elephants around 100 years ago. There are now less than half a million elephants roaming the continent and their numbers are being decimated for ivory and bush meat on a daily basis. We face an ecological disaster unless something radical is done to reverse the destruction.

Your first book Manzovo has been adapted to both screen and stage musical. Tell us more…

The film is actually still in the “pipeline.” Interest in the documentary has been shown by a number of well-known production companies. The only impediment right now appears to be securing a financier: particularly difficult in the current economic downturn.

Progress on the musical has, however, been more tangible and rewarding. My musician friends - Sandy Voortman and Russel Stirling - have written a lively, catchy score for the show.

We are presently negotiating with a number of individuals, as well as organizations, to not only take the show to theatre, but also hopefully into the school drama system as well.

TR AV E L Tell us about the individual elephants’ characters featuring in your book Manzovo, as well as their journey through the bushveld and across the open vistas of Southern Africa.

The more I learn about elephants, and elephant behaviour, the more I realise the depth and complexity of their “personalities.” Scientists rigidly advise against the practice of projecting and equating humans’ understanding of emotions onto animals. Investing them with human-like characteristics or qualities is known as “anthropomorphism.” Sadly, this is still largely anathema to the scientific community. What will it take before we realise that every organism, every natural system, plays a key role in the survival of the biggest system, Mother Nature itself? A decipherable and structured “language” is utilized by elephants; this has only been determined in the

the inspiration behind these poems.

Did you write all 3 within the same time frame?

The three poems in question follow a slightly different structure, or meter, to the rhyming quatrain of Manzovo. They are also much shorter. “Father Time,” “Mother” and “The Dwindling Bushman Clan” all convey the same message as “Manzovo”: the sands of time are running out.

What were the events that led up to your alliance with one of the worlds’ most renowned wildlife artists, Craig Bone?

Of course, there are very few current and ex-Zimbabweans who haven’t heard of the prodigious talents of Craig Bone.

I first came across one of his exhibitions in 1981 and vowed then that one day I’d own a Bone original! When contemplating the possibility of publishing an illustrated Manzovo in 2006, I fleetingly entertained the thought of Craig as the artist, but dismissed it as an outrageous and fanciful idea; after all, it was common knowledge that he’d since attained international status and acclaim as a wildlife artist. In quick succession,

last 20 years. What further revelations await the scientific community? Or will we have destroyed all that’s left before more important discoveries and disclosures are revealed to us? I have unashamedly given names and personalities to two of the “characters” in my book – I hope that die-hard scientists quickly realise that the secrets they are missing are actually staring them in the face.

Give us your favourite poem excerpt from Manzovo.

Echoing faintly off distant cliffs A fish eagle’s cry is trilled, The morning rent by his strident call Africa’s essence distilled.

To me, this embodies the quintessential sound of Africa. Ask any expat what sound of Africa they miss the most…

The International Library of Poets® has honoured some of your poems, three of which have recently been published in their various anthologies.

Describe

three talented artists committed to the project, but all had to withdraw at various stages due to pressing work or personal commitments. When I eventually met with Chris Cocks, my publisher at 30 Degrees South, he nonchalantly dismissed my concerns regarding the lack of art for the book, casually saying he’d get Craig to do the job. Simple as that!

I believe you and your wife are relocating to Knysna. What are the reasons behind your move?

The Knysna Elephant Park is a unique establishment. Theirs is not a mere zoo-type environment set up for the purpose of exploiting captive elephants. Remember, these are animals that would otherwise have fallen victim to culling operations or, worse still, canned hunting operations. The Knysna Elephant

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T R AV E L Park is actively engaging the scientific community and will soon be offering serious researchers an opportunity to observe and study animals in a controlled, free-range environment. Full-time, on-site facilities, offering accredited post graduate research opportunities, are being developed at KEP. Furthering our understanding of these magnificent creatures is a fundamental step towards best being able to save them from extinction in the wild. Along with the academy, the construction of the “Manzovo Theatre” and other exciting developments at KEP, there will certainly be enough to keep my wife and I busy when we get there!

I heard that you’re able to recite ALL 106 verses from the Manzovo poem. Is this true?

When I’d finished writing Manzovo it remained, at that stage, a fitting tribute to the elephants – it was a labour of love. I had no notion then of publishing the story. In the absence of any idea to publish, I decided instead to memorise the poem and deliver its message in the age old tradition of Africa – that is, orally.

What is your personal favorite of Craig Bone’s paintings and why?

He captures Africa – in fact all his subject matter – so beautifully, that it’s difficult to distinguish. Paintings however appeal at a primal, perhaps subliminal level. My favourite is a majestic scene depicting a distant range of low-lying hills being assaulted by a furious African storm, with forked lightening splitting the dark and ominous clouds above. A small herd of elephants in the foreground, meanwhile, are still bathed in the pale light that occupies the periphery of those intense and concentrated storm fronts. We realise our insignificance in the face of a true African storm.

What valuable lessons have you learnt in life?

Have you got a motto you live by?

There might be many important, even valuable life lessons that are encapsulated in mottos, sayings or quotes, some profound, some not. I don’t attempt to live my life by mottos or sayings but there is one, a quote by Erica Mann jong, which resonates completely with me and summarizes my “carpe diem” attitude: “And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk more.”

Have you got any encouraging words /advice for talented writers and poets in this industry?

Test your writing skills on your friends and family – insist that they give you honest feedback in response. Some people are born to write, others have to toil and hone the skill; essentially though - if it’s something about which you are passionate – you can improve both your writing and your story telling techniques.

There are subtle differences. Enroll on courses as well. Get a fellow writer to critique your work before submitting it to a publisher.

How do the overseas markets compare to the South African market in terms of response, sales, exposure etc?

Broadly speaking, the book market world wide is in a terrible slump at the moment. Sadly, South Africa has a low literacy level and this translates into per capita book sales that are amongst the lowest in the world. Even “literate” nations are feeling the pinch and many top international publishing houses have put a moratorium on new fictional releases. This is due to a combination of facts: book purchases are widely deemed to be indulgent – something the present economy has effectively suffocated; the fictional genre is saturated; the electronic

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TR AV E L invasion allows for stories to be compressed into a few bytes and read (or even told) via neat hand-held devices.

In respect of Manzovo, describe what the whole publishing process was like?

Despite articles and friends’ forewarnings of wholesale rejection by dozens of publishers, I walked into 30 Degrees South offices in Johannesburg with no more than a lengthy poem…and walked out with an agreement! Chris and Kerrin Cocks immediately intuited the book’s potential – a fresh concept combining two of the more traditional or classic art forms – namely poetry and fine art. The beauty of this particular combination, I believe, is that the book is almost a contradiction: it makes no attempt at being pretentious, sophisticated or esoteric, despite its poetry/art content. It’s an important message, told in verse, and illustrated by the world’s finest practitioner of ultra-realism. No more, no less.

Tell us about your second book. I believe the Zulu monarch, King Zwelithini Goodwill, agreed to endorse your second book, and write its foreword.

Whilst doing research for our second book, Craig and I were hosted by the King at his royal kraal earlier this year. The second

project is a fictional story about a Zulu boy’s encounter with a leopard and, like Manzovo, it too carries a strong conservation theme. I have managed to weave into the story some very important Zulu history, adding a factual dimension that nimbly supports the fictional element.

You are due to release a third title in 2010. Please supply more info?

Release of the third book will depend largely on the success of the Zulu/leopard story. It’s likely to be a sequel to the Zulu story and, with permission from his family (and in collaboration with the iconic conservationist Dr Ian Player), I would like to base the story on the life of one of the Zulu nation’s finest naturalists and story-tellers, Magqubu Ntombela. He was Dr Player’s lifelong friend.

Apart from writing full time, do you have time to indulge in any hobbies?

I’m a voracious reader and I’m seldom without a book. I get inspiration from the wide open spaces and I’m an inveterate traveler/explorer. I sketch a bit and also hope to resume my private flying activities shortly.

Describe your state of mind when you held Manzovo in your hand for the first time.

Of course, there are very few current and ex-Zimbabweans who haven’t heard of the prodigious talents of Craig Bone.

Not quite like holding my new born children, but certainly amongst the more meaningful and emotional occasions in my life!

Which author or poet’s work do you admire most?

Evidently, writers tend to gravitate towards those genres where they have found a happy medium between being comfortable and being successful. For me, no one particular writer stands out above all. However, within their genres, I certainly do have favourites. I enjoy Sam Harris for his intellect and insight into important world affairs, Wilbur Smith for sheer swashbuckling adventure and Martin Meredith for effortlessly bringing potentially stodgy historical events to life. Phillip Pullman is an author I admire greatly, cleverly crafting fantasy adventure and melding it with quantum mechanics. Cullen Gouldsbury, a colonial officer in Rhodesia in the early 1900’s,

was a prolific writer and poet. He was, at the time, described as Africa’s Kipling.

Your favourite poem / music / food / book / destination.

Poem: The Place Where the Elephants Die. Cullen Gouldsbury.

Music: The Division Bell. Pink Floyd Food: Any meal shared with my family.

Book: For its sheer expansiveness and beauty, Shantaram.

Gregory David Roberts.

Destination: Anywhere away from pollution where I can see the horizon.

If you could escape for a year and see the world, which places would you visit and why?

The gorillas in Central Africa, before they’re all destroyed for their meat, hands and feet.

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The Artic Circle, to witness the beauty and brilliance of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

The subterranean caves of Mexico – but sadly they’re now closed to the public.

India, for its diverse offerings.

Burning Man in the Nevada desert USA. Apparently this is an event unlike any other and defies description.

The migration across the Serengeti.

You are a conservationist at heart. How can the public become involved in conservation matters?

There are literally dozens of registered organizations that work tirelessly towards achieving their specific conservation objectives. They are largely dependent on donations and subscriptions from concerned members of the public or, in a few notable cases, from responsible and enlightened corporations.

The names – and the causes – of these various entities appear fairly regularly in most of the wildlife and nature-based magazines. Find out more about nature and the outdoors in

The film is actually still in the “pipeline.” Interest in the documentary has been shown by a number of well-known production companies. general by subscribing to any one of these great publications.

You will soon connect with a cause that you believe is worthy of either your time, effort or money. Be sure, however, to thoroughly research and verify their history, as well as any notable achievements; sadly there are a few unscrupulous fund raisers who parade under the banner of conservation.

Where can the public purchase your awesome books?

“Manzovo – Place of the Elephants” is available through Exclusive Books. Remember to order your copy if they have sold out!

Contact details: albyn@global.co.za •

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Gary pictured alongside Harry, the Knysna Elephant Park bull.

TR AV E L

MM Photography, Multimedia Studios Video and Television Productions HD Camera, Editing and Blu-Ray DVD Beautiful Wedding Videos, Birthdays, Graduations Professional Events, Concerts, Corporate Videos GET YOUR EVENT VIDEO DONE BY THE BEST USE OUR PRODUCERS, CAMERAMEN, EDITORS WITH 8 YEARS OF TELEVISION PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE Professional Photography and Web Design

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Issue 4 / 2009

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preparing for an

Independent Trans Africa

trip

In September 2003

I invited a friend to accompany me on a short trip to the Garden Route. When he asked me if he should pack bedding or a towel my response was: I will never again stay in a place where I need to take my own towel or bedding… At the time I was making a living from photographing fancy hotels and lodges and always ended up staying in the place I was working for. When asked what I did for a living I often said: I visit the nicest places in the country and leave invoices when I go… Famous last words!

Towards the end of 2004 my wife (then girlfriend) and I borrowed a small Suzuki SJ 410 jeep and toured Namibia for 25 days and travelled some 6,500km. We spent every single night sleeping in a Roof Top Tent using our own bedding. We had no airconditoning and swam almost every day, needing our own towels. We had to carry enough food for us for a week at a time and on a few occasions even enough water to survive for 3 days.

We never saw the inside of a lodge or hotel and we really did get to see the nicest places! We found that, for us, the nicest places were the least travelled and known places around and that you really did need a 4x4 to reach them… Or a helicopter, but they

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Text & Images Dawie du Plessis

are noisy and a little more expensive!

Returning to life as photographer of hotels and lodges I soon found that you could be in the nicest place imaginable, doing the most amazing things you can dream up, but unless you have someone to share it with, it’s just another room in another place with another view.

Now we look back at that first trip as the “make or break” of our relationship. I’d like to think it was the start of magical things to come. Not only in our relationship, but also in the way we travel and experience things. We have come to realise that we are at our most comfortable when we are completely self sufficient and self-reliant. Besides, there is a basic primal satisfaction, or joy in the knowing that you can disappear into the African Bush for a while without the need of any of our modern day amenities or luxuries.

In 2005 we invested in our own 4x4 (A 1989 Toyota Hilux Double Cab) and spent the next 4 years perfecting the art of independent overland travel. As Catt (My wife) was studying at the time, we had ample opportunity to practice our art and explore our neighbouring countries. (Students sure do get lots

TR AV E L

of holiday!) Most of the time we travelled alone, and even to the remotest areas we preferred it this way. The once or twice we travelled with someone else we found ourselves closer to “Safari guides” than travellers and although we still thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, we definitely prefer being the latter.

It came as no surprise when we established, or admitted to ourselves, that we would absolutely love the idea of becoming perpetual travellers. This, as you can imagine comes with its own very unique challenges and problems, finances being the most obvious and difficult one to overcome. Starting a family is a less obvious, but equally challenging idea if this is to become our chosen lifestyle.

the end of 2008 when we decided to put all our efforts and means into a twelve month independent, self sufficient, self funded trip in a 4x4 through the eastern side of Africa and onto the UK where Catt is from.

The planning and preparation for a trip like this can very easily take as long as the trip itself. I’m fairly confident that you can manage with a lot less preparation, but our time frame had two very fortunate restrictions; After Catt finished her studies, she had to work as a community service dietitian in a Government hospital for 12 months, and because of the places

When asked what I did for a living I often said: I visit the nicest places in the country and leave invoices when I go… Famous last words!

We also had to admit that the dream or idea may just be a little more romantic in theory than in practice, so we needed a project to test our willingness and adaptability to be on the road for an extended period of time. This project was born at

we would like to go and see, we have to wait until the end of the next rainy season before setting off. This established our leaving date to be around May 2010 and gave us 18 months from the day of the decision to the day of departure to prepare ourselves; Issue 4 / 2009

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It came as no surprise when we established, or admitted to ourselves, that we would absolutely love the idea of becoming perpetual travelers. a vehicle; and our bank accounts for the epic adventure of a lifetime!

The first, and arguably the most important part of the planning revolved around a vehicle.

In January 2009 we managed to find a suitable vehicle. Our chosen one is a 1996 model Toyota Landcruiser 80 series. It has a very mechanical 4.2l diesel engine and manual gearbox. It has been very well looked after and maintained and has very little “fancy gadgets” that can go wrong. I flew from Johannesburg to Cape Town to inspect the vehicle and was so impressed that I drove it back home over the next two days. I fell in love with the size and comfort of this beast of a car and cannot imagine life without it any more!

When we bought it, it had aftermarket suspension and a duel battery system for running a fridge installed.

We were fortunate enough to already own most of our camping equipment from previous trips and expeditions. There is however certain vehicle specific equipment you need, so over the last 8 months we have invested in the following: • Replacement Bull Bar, integrated winch and built in compressor/tire pump • Replacement rear bumper with double spare wheel carrier.

(You need to carry two spare wheels) • Longranger 156l extra fuel tank to give us a range of around 1 800km between fuel stops.

• Frontrunner packing system and fridge slide. We had a 12 V fridge/freezer already.

• Frontrunner Roof Rack with high lift jack, spade, and storage box, awning and roof top tent fitted to it.

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• 90-Watt Solar Panel for charging batteries when we are not driving. This makes relaxing on a beach in Malawi so much more relaxing!

• 55l Water tank • A snorkel fitted by our good friend, Louis from Menlyn 4 x 4 Megaworld.

• A Stereo with an Auxiliary plug for use with the IPod. • We were fortunate enough to have top of the range off road tires sponsored by Bridgestone. We look forward to taking these Dueler D673 Mud Terrains off road!

All this came to a cost of nearly R60 000 and we’re not quite done yet!

The next step in our planning was all about the countries we wish to visit and the things we wish to see and do. Our list of countries is: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania (Including Zanzibar), Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, France and the UK. As for things to see and do, that’s the difficult part. We invested in Lonely Planet guides for all the countries and started reading them. We read other traveller’s websites and blogs and spend an enormous amount of time on forums and still there is no feasible way we can see to plan this. We have decided to start with a rough idea of the first three counties and then plan as we go. Through research and interaction with other travellers it became apparent that things change all the time in Africa and the best source of current information is the campsites and places like minded people stay.

We are both very adventurous people and our biggest fear on this trip is missing out on something, or anything along the

TR AV E L way. When we started making lists of sites and activities by country we intend to visit, we quickly realized that 12 months might simply not be enough! To add to this phenomenon, we did a SCUBA diving course and completed our PADI Advanced diver ratings earlier this year. Because of places like Lake Malawi, Zanzibar, Kenya and the Red Sea we thought it would be irresponsible not be able to SCUBA when we get there.

Our rough plan also includes visiting the famous game parks of Southern and East Africa. These parks are really expensive ranging from US$60 to US$ 280 per night for the two of us to camp. There are so many that I cannot even list them all, but they include places like: • Gonharehou, Hwange and Mana Pools in Zimbabwe • Lower Zambezi, Kafue and South Luangwa in Zambia • Liwonde National Park in Malawi • Ngorongoro Crater, Ruaha, Selous, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Tarangire in Tanzania • Kibale, Mgahinga Gorilla Park, Murchinson falls and Queen Elizabeth in Uganda • Amboseli, Masai Mara, Nairobi, Sibiloi and Tsavo in Kenya • Semien Mountains in Ethiopia Although we live in a society where most people have a fairly inactive lifestyle, we still have activities we participate in and go to gyms, to try and keep in shape. People I know who make a living from the comfort of an office chair all do some kind of sport or activity to keep fit and healthy. Catt and I are very active people who love walking with our dogs every day and swimming to keep fit. The challenge on a trip like this is to avoid being stuck in a car for a year without any exercise. Keep in mind that travelling like this is to become a lifestyle, and not just a holiday.

For this reason we have identified a few “must do” activities inbetween the game park visits.

These include: Fly Fishing and hiking in the Zimbabwe Highlands A canoe trip on the mighty Zambezi SCUBA Diving and Kayaking in Lake Malawi Hiking and fly fishing in the Malawi Highlands More SCUBA in Zanzibar and climbing Kilimanjaro Gorilla Trekking in the forests of Rwanda Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda Visiting Murchison Falls (source of the Nile River) SCUBA diving in Kenya Hiking to the ancient churches of Ethiopia as well as in the Semien Mountains • Visiting the ancient ruins and pyramids of Sudan, Egypt and Libya • More SCUBA diving in the Red Sea • • • • • • • • • •

As you may now clearly realize, 12 months will probably become 18 months to fit all this in!

The final part of planning before we set off has now begun.

This involves paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork!

From passports to Visas to vaccinations to international driver licenses need to be organized and if we don’t keep on top of it all the time, we may not get it done in time!

We both need to start with a new passport, as in most of the countries we visit we need a full page for a visa. For some of the Arab countries you have to have an Arabic translation of your passport stamped into it. Fortunately there is a man at our local Mosque who is certified to do this. It is impossible to organize all the Visas from South Africa, as some of them are only valid for 30 days from date of issue. For this reason we have to find out

where along the route the best places would be to obtain Visas.

With my South African passport, and Catt’s British Passport, the first Visa we will need ahead of time is for Ethiopia and we can easily get them in Nairobi within a couple of days. We both need international driver’s licenses for all the countries outside of SADC. The AA issues these and it is really not hard to get.

The car needs its own passport. This is called a “Carnet de Passage” which is obtained from the AA of South Africa. The carnet is simply a guarantee from the AA to pay import duties for the car to any country where the car is imported and not exported. Without this document you would need to pay import duties in every country north of Tanzania and then try and claim that money back when you exit the country. The duties range from between 35% (Kenya) to 200% (Egypt) of the value of the car. The AA requires you to give them a refundable deposit of 200% of the value of the car to get the Carnet, but at least I am confident we will get it back at the end of our travels! Can you imagine trying to claim back some R50 000 in some border town at the northern end of Lake Turkana?

Some of the countries we intend to visit require Yellow Fever and Typhoid vaccinations.

These are easy enough to obtain from your local travel clinic and they suggest a whole range more including things like Rabies, meningitis, Cholera, Hepatitis etc. It’s probably wise to get them all and for some of these you need to allow three months before date of departure.

We are now at the stage where we have a spreadsheet with “things to do” and “dates to do things by” stuck to our fridge door. Every day starts with reading this list and ticking off the things we did the day before. The intensity of this list will increase to ballistic proportions in the last three months before we set off.

Yesterday I started making a list of services and payments to cancel before we leave. This includes things like DSTV subscription, Cell Phone contracts, magazine subscriptions etc.

When Catt and I met, and started dating we could fit everything we owned into two duffle bags and one camera bag. I find it utterly astonishing how “complicated” and “involved” our simple life has become in the short 5 years that we have lived together in South Africa.

Contact Dawie du Plessis Specialized Photography; Aerial Photography; Event Photography; Stock Images; IPIX Photography Cinematography Tel: +27 74 131 4351 Fax: 0086 556 5366 Email: photographersa@gmail.com Websites: www.tandemadventures.co.za; www.pictureafrica.org; www.photographersa.co.za • Issue 4 / 2009

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The

trail

Oystercatcher in Mossel Bay

– Take a walk on the wild side

Walk along the sea shore and the unspoilt golden beaches of the Western Garden Route.

Allow nature to embrace you while discovering ancient Stone Age caves, dolphins, whales, remote dunes, rare plants, Oystercatchers and other birds, seals and marine rich rocky pools.

Text: Ray Magazine Images: Oystercatcher Trail

Swim in small safe bays. Marvel at starry nights and

enjoy sunshine days on these fully guided, 4 day hiking trails from Mossel Bay to Gourits River. Accommodation options are in luxury cape cottages or rustic character accommodation. Fully-, semi- or self catered.

• The OYSTERCATCHER TRAIL is rated as one of the top hiking experiences in the world by the BBC in their book “Unforgettable walks to take before you die”.

• GETAWAY magazine rated it as one of the top 5 Hiking Trails in South Africa.

• NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC considers it as “One of the top 50 tours of a lifetime”.

• THE STAR TRAVEL considers it an “’Unforgettable experience not to be missed”.

• LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH refers to it as “The Freshest Air that you can breathe”.

They currently offer three unique coastal hiking experiences in the Garden Route area of the Cape Province of South Africa: The OYSTERCATCHER TRAIL is a guided, luxury and fully catered slack packing trail where your every comfort is looked after. You only have to carry a small day pack. The rest is supplied. Your luggage is shuttled. The meals at night are never forgotten.

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PRICES from R5,450 per person sharing inclusive from starting point (R150 per day extra for single supplement).

This fare includes all meals, accommodation, luggage shuttling and guides, as well as transfers to and from George airport.

It excludes bar drinks and therapies.

The HUNTER GATHERERS Hiking Trail is a “back to basics” experience where they will take you along this beautiful coast line and explore the ways, habits and legacies of the ancient beach wanderers from the later Stone Age wanderers to the Khoi San clans.

PRICES from R1,950 per person sharing The SEA TRADERS TRAIL is a new self catering trail. This experience will focus on the history of Old Dutch and Portuguese Sea Traders routes and trading places of Mossel Bay. PRICES from R2,875 per person sharing THE DEDICATED TEAM Fred Orban - Owner; Nature Conservationist, Willie Komani – Chief Guide; Passionate environmentalist, Cobus Mostert – Guide and Operations Manager; Annemarie – Bookings Gerda Muller – Massage Therapist, Lenette – Chef, Japie and Lena – A husband and wife team ABOUT THE OYSTERCATCHER TRAIL On this 4 day hike they focus on the habits and plight of

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the endangered AFRICAN BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, you will however enjoy a total ecological encounter with marine species, wonderful beaches, dynamic dunes, rare plants and a wide variety of birds and mammals. It promises to be a truly eyeopening educational experience (media raves).

Trail Sections: • Mossel Bay – Danabaai: 15km • Danabaai – Boggomsbaai: 12km • Boggomsbaai – Kanon 15 km • Kanon – Gouritzmond: 5km ITINERARY: DAY 1 (Day of Arrival) Arrive Mossel Bay and check in at luxury sea view, pre arranged venues between 14h00 and 16h00. Meet and Greet with Fred Orban or leading guide at 18h00. Dinner at top restaurant.

DAY 2 Breakfast with guide(s). Depart from St Blaize cave and hike high above stunning coast line. Trail crosses Pinnacle Point Golf course. Visit to spectacular ancient caves with great archeological significance. Arrive Dana Bay late afternoon and get transported to Sandpiper Cottages in Boggoms Bay. Traditional fireside dinner or “braai.”

DAY 3 After breakfast be transported to Dana Bay to continue hike along sandy beach. Visit Khoi San and ancient middens and Stone Age workshops. Observe Oystercatcher nests and their feeding habits. Marvel at surfing dolphins and giant Southern Right whales (in season). Arrive for welcome snacks and refreshments at Sandpiper Cottages in Boggoms Bay. Another scrumptious and romantic fireside dinner/”braai.”

DAY 4 Depart after breakfast and hike along marine rich rocky shore to historic Fransmanshoek peninsula where lunch will be served. After lunch hike along massive sand dunes of Kanon beach and overnight either at Haus Dunen (Dune House) or at Cape Vacca at the edge of the rolling surf. A fresh fish and “vetkoek” dinner is served with the sound of the ocean always present.

DAY 5 Lazy breakfast and short hike along the coast or through the prolific coastal vegetation to Gourits river. Our boat will pick you up and take you up river, weather permitting. Transport to Boggoms Bay for bubbly Cap Classique and wild oyster send off snacks. We return you to Mossel Bay or George airport for continuation of your own journey or return to your home.

MEDIA RAVES Top BBC Presenter Films Mossel Bay Hikes Top BBC presenter, Julia Bradbury, visited Mossel Bay in September this year with a crew from the British television production company Skyworks to film a documentary on the town’s Cape St Blaize and Oyster Catcher Hiking Trails.

“We’re doing a four-part series on walking in South Africa for BBC Four - which is known as the ‘thinking channel’ because of the serious nature of its material, which is not afraid to tackle complexity,” said executive producer Eric Harwood.

“In our programmes, we try to find out more than just where the walk leads you physically - so we’re also making a social history programme, because we’re examining all aspects of the recent and ancient history of the area.”

Mr. Harwood said that the show could expect to draw an initial audience of between 3- and 4 million viewers, “and would Issue 4 / 2009

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probably be repeated two or three times.”

Besides BBC Four, it will also air on BBC 2.

An important part of Ms. Bradbury’s visit to Mossel Bay included a walk to the Pinnacle Point Caves, and an interview with Professor Curtis Marean of the Mossel Bay Archaeology Project, which is studying the climate of the area over the past four hundred thousand years as it’s recorded in the Caves, as well as the human habitation of the Caves over the past 165,000 years.

Mr. Harwood said that the crew of six (producer, director, presenter, sound man, camera man and production assistant) would also be filming walks in the Augrabies Falls and Kruger National Parks, and in the Drakensberg, and that the four-part series would air well before next year’s 2010 World Cup.

You and a partner stand a chance to

win a hiking trail experience of a lifetime.

The prize includes a 4 night stay for two adults, all meals and five star accommodation included. Terms and conditions apply. For more information and full terms and conditions, Visit: www.ray-magazine.com.

Competition closes on 31 December 2009.

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“BBC Four is looking at airing a whole season of programmes about South Africa in the run-up to the event, and we’re planning to produce three more series - on the history of Safaris, on lost and hidden kingdoms, and on South Africa from the air - on their behalf,” he said.

Mr. Harwood said that it helped that “We’ve felt very welcome here (in Mossel Bay). People have been phenomenally supportive, generous and warm - and that makes you want to come back.”

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm said that a number of production crews had already begun planning similar visits to Mossel Bay, and that a Brazilian company had recently announced that it would be visiting in the near future.

“Many of these opportunities to showcase our town and region would never have arisen were it not for the World Cup which has opened an unprecedented number of doors for South Africa in general and for Mossel Bay in particular,” she said.

“It is indeed the biggest marketing event we’re ever likely to see, and we’re grateful both to FIFA for choosing our country and to companies like Skyworks for choosing Mossel Bay.” More about Julia Bradbury at www.juliabradbury.com CONTACT For advance bookings (hiking trails and cottages), please contact: Tel: +27 446 991 204 Cell: +27 82 5504 788 Fax: +27 446 991 951 E-mail: stay@sandpipersafaris.co.za Website: www.oystercatchertrail.co.za

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ROMONZA boat trips Seal Island Trips and Boat Based Whale Watching in Mossel Bay

Text: Richard Cowley Images: Romonza/Andrew Schreuder

Whale watching in South Africa – Every year, these

beautiful gentle giants congregate to our shores to mate and calve. South Africa has got to be one of the most incredible destinations in the world for watching marine mammals. In early June, southern right whales leave their Antarctic feeding ground to frolic in the warmer waters of the Western Cape coast. Here they mate, calve and generally hang out, occasionally flopping a tail up, or sticking their heads out of the water, much to the delight of onlookers. They are a true marvel to behold.

Whale watching in South Africa is done from June to November, although it’s not uncommon for whales to be spotted outside this period. They pick some of the most beautiful stretches of our coast for their activities. Some of the best viewing spots include Lamberts Bay on the Cape West Coast, the Cape Peninsula, False Bay, Hermanus, Arniston, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Some 37 species of whales and dolphins are found in South African waters, but the most common are the humpback whales and southern right whales (in spring), which are frequently encrusted with white barnacles. Humpback whales are similar in size to southern right whales (around 15m), and are often seen off the South African coast between July and November as they move to Mozambique to calve and breed, and to Antarctica, where they feed.

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The absolute best way to enjoy whale watching in South Africa is to go on a whale-watching boat trip. The boats are big, comfortable and moderately dry. Boarding is easy and people in wheelchairs can be accommodated. In some cases, the prices of these whale watching boat trips can be quite high, but the chance to get within meters of whales at water-level is simply unforgettable.

Go on an adventure with renowned skipper, Robert Klapwijk, who together with his qualified crew has a treasure-house full of knowledge about the whales. It’s a family business with Robert’s charming wife, Charmaine and his only son, Robert junior and daughter, Amanda also on board. The original owner was Willem Klapwijk, who derived the name “Romonza” from his children’s names; Robert, Monica and Zandra. Experience an up close and personal experience from as close as 50 meters, which will leave you with fond memories.

“We mostly see Humpback Whales throughout the season and on the odd occasion Bryde, Minke, Southern Right and Sperm Whales are spotted. A variety of prolific bird life and other marine mammals like Whale Shark, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Flying Fish, Marlin, Sailfish and Shark can be spotted,” says Robert.

The oceans once teemed with these wonderful mammals that, like us, breath oxygen, give birth to live offspring and have

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a complex family- and social structure. But their numbers were decimated by humans for profit and many whale species were driven to the brink of extinction and are still in grave danger of vanishing forever.

Despite an overwhelming majority vote amongst the Earth’s population to protect the whales, there are still some nations that kill them for money. Help stop this senseless killing. Learn and educate yourself with facts about whales and begin to understand this majestic animal and how it shares the world we reside in…

SEAL ISLAND TRIPS Romonza trips depart from a comfortable harbour for Seal Island every hour on the hour, 10h00 – 16h00 all year round weather permitting. We stop for a fascinating closer look at 4,000 Cape Fur Seals on an island in the sheltered bay…

BOAT BASED WHALE WATCHING - JUNE TO NOVEMBER One and a half to three hour trips depending on the proximity of the whales. They depart twice daily. 99% Guaranteed sightings of Southern Right whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, birds of the ocean etc. Site Guide on board with all the information you need to know about our ocean and animal/mammal life.

SUNSET CRUISE One and a half to two hour cruise in bay, including Seal Island. Champagne and snacks or oysters can be arranged or bring your own.

THE VESSEL 16 Meter, 25 ton Hartley Design Ketch; Motor Sailor, 9 berth; Powered by a ‘Perkins six cylinder 140hp’ marine diesel engine.

ON BOARD THE SHIP ROMONZA: Open decks or wheel house for plenty of fresh air; Bathroom facilities; Lots of saloon and cabin space; Cash Bar; Plenty fresh water and fuel; Life jackets for everybody; Full capacity life raft and first aid kit.

REGISTERED, LICENSED AND PERMITTED BY: • SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Association) • MCM (Marine and Coastal Management) • SABBWWA (South African Boat Based Whale Watching Association) • NPA (National Ports Authority) • DEAT (Department Environment and Tourism) • CONTACT ROMONZA BOAT TRIPS cc PO Box 95, Mossel Bay, 6500 Port of Mossel Bay, CBD, Mossel Bay Tel: +27 (0)44 690 3101 Fax: +27 (0)44 690 3101 Mobile: +27 (0)82 701 9031 Email: romonza@mweb.co.za Homepage: http://www.mosselbay.co.za/romonza Also visit: www.sa-venues.com for interesting Whale Watching destinations in South Africa.

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White Shark

africa

– A “mouthful” of adrenalin.

Text & Images: White Shark Africa & Adele Minnaar

Mossel Bay is a very rich area with its abundant sea

life of diverse fish, seals, whales, penguins, other sea birds, dolphins, the occasional orca and, of course, a plentiful supply of Great White Sharks.

The sad story of a mutilated shark…

She was breathtakingly beautiful as her four-meter long body rose towards the surface of the Indian Ocean. In the crystal clear water, each of her intricate markings could be seen. She was (Alopias Vulpinus), the largest of the Thresher Shark family with a tail as long as her muscular body and far more lethal than her small harmless jaws. Although she looked very big, her body was only two meters long with her impressive tail adding on the additional two meters to her length. This was a young animal, not yet sexually mature, with several more years ahead before she would mate and give birth to three young. Her bluish green back broke the surface of the calm Indian and for several seconds she displayed her glistening back to a wondering Albatross. She was not capable of understanding why she could not return to the depths to where she wanted to be or why the small, almost inconspicuous piece of sardine, had caused her so much pain and discomfort. For several hours now, she had been fighting against something impaled deep in her throat, but now she was exhausted, too exhausted to even panic and too weak to resist her alien attacker.

Two meters above her, the most efficient and deadly predator on earth took careful aim, hesitated for a second, and then struck with perfect precision. The steel talons pierced her soft skin and sank deep into the back of her neck, sending an electric pain through her limp body as she was lifted from the

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water, and deprived of her dignity. The predator had no time to waste on her, it had others to hunt, so it released its grip and sent her crashing to the cold and blood soaked steel deck of the 3000 ton factory ship. The fall onto the hard deck violently extinguished what little remaining strength she might have had.

She lay motionless on her side with one of her eyes submerged in the blood of her cousins, which had come to the same traumatic end just moments before. The strange noises which she could faintly hear around her were the voices of the men laughing and joking as they walked in her blood. One of these men grabbed her beautiful long tail, the tail which had propelled her through the oceans for nine years, and in a quick flash of steel, cut it right off. He tossed the tail onto a pile of other tails and then with the same expert precision, he quickly cut her high dorsal fin and two big pectoral fins off. She lay there with her eyes wide open, with a body reduced from a magnificent oceanic predator to a now mutilated and useless carcass on a cold steel deck. There was no more pain, and she could barely feel the two steel hooks piercing her body, or the rough deck as she was dragged over it towards the other side of the ship.

The two men stopped dragging her, and started pushing and kicking her towards the edge of the deck. She was in their way now and they wanted to get rid of her body as quickly as possible. A moment later she fell back into her beloved world, which only minutes ago was her existence, but was now to become her grave. She could not swim anymore so she floated slowly down into the depths and died. She was not the only animal to be butchered and murdered for her fins that day, she was one of thousands of sharks of different species, and by the

TR AV E L end of only one year she would be just one of 150 million sharks to be wasted for the finning trade. These millions of sharks are subjected to trauma and huge stress while struggling on long lines, sometimes for hours, are cruelly butchered and crippled on the decks of boats and are then wasted as they are dumped into the ocean. These are animals, just as dogs, cats, lions and rabbits are animals, so why should it be legal to subject them to such cruel treatment? As far as we are concerned, the finning of a shark is no different to the skinning of live terrestrial animals and just as we would go to any length to stop the cruelty to land animals, so too should we protect and conserve the animals of our oceans.

White Shark Africa was founded in 1995 and has been running successfully ever since. The company has always had a great passion and love for the sharks and has often supported and assisted shark research in the area. White Shark Africa’s staff has a proud history in white shark research, conservation and education, so you can be sure that they have a passion and love for these animals and their environment.

It has always been apparent to them that most, if not all of their clients suffer a total misconception of sharks, and in particular the GREAT WHITE SHARK. Most of the clients arrive with a 90% fear level and 10% respect and they strive in changing this attitude. They are sure that after a day at sea with them you’ll find that old attitudes are reversed and you will leave with 90% respect and 10% fear and perhaps understand that the sea is the domain of the GREAT WHITE and we have no right to harm this magnificent predator (or any other for that matter).

A Typical Day We meet at our office at the commercial slip next door to the yacht club. We like our clients to be there an hour before launch time so you can relax, have some breakfast, chat to our staff and listen to the safety and boat trip briefing. The trip from the dock to the shark site is only about ten minutes, so there is no long and tedious boat ride. In fact, Mossel Bay has the most accessible white sharks in the world. The bay is also protected so our sea conditions are normally very calm and comfortable.

The crew will provide a briefing concerning the cage diving on the boat.

“To find the sharks we have to bait and chum. The baits and chum are natural marine products. We do not use anything that is not natural to the sharks and the environment. It can take several minutes or several hours for the first shark to appear.

Once we have sharks at the boat, the cage will go into the water and the diving will begin. Topside viewing is exciting for the non-diver and as the shark works very close to the surface you will have plenty of opportunity to take some action shots.

This is not a jaws movie set so we do our best not to have the sharks banging into the boat and cage as this injures them and produces a false impression”.

A trip generally lasts for +- four hours and they offer a light lunch, snacks and drinks on the boat and there is plenty of opportunity to chat to the staff and ask questions. Upon return to the dock, they offer afternoon tea and hand out the certificate of the day to all the guests.

“Our Boat, “Shark Warrior” is a modern 11.5m long and 4m wide motor cat custom built for shark cage diving. The boat has a large viewing platform on top, space on the main deck for seating and viewing and is equipped with toilet facilities in the main cabin. “Shark Warrior” is not exactly the QE II; however it was designed with your comfort in mind. Our Diving and Viewing trips are wonderfully educational, enriching both mind and soul.

As the only White Shark operation along the Garden route, we’re afforded the advantage of seals being our only competition for the shark’s attention. Historically, we have an 84% annual average rate of successful shark viewing and diving”. • To fully appreciate the beauty and splendour of these magnificent ocean creatures, please contact: Postal Address: Po Box 2979, Mossel Bay 65000 Physical Address: Quay 4 Commercial Slipway, Mossel Bay Harbour Bookings: Tel: +27 446 913 796 Cell: +27 82 455 2438 HITE HARK africa Fax: +27 86 693 9834 Email: info@whitesharkafrica.com Website: www.whitesharkafrica.com •

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The Knysna

PARK

– Be touched by an elephant today Text Reuben Strauss Images Jo Howell; A. Minnaar

The Knysna Elephant

Park was born of the struggle of the Elephants in the Knysna Forest, who for many years roamed freely in large numbers in their natural forest habitat. Today, a sad testimony to our society’s conservational failure, only one has been reported to survive in the dwindled forest area. Some 30 years ago, the famous writer Romain Gary was quoted in Time Life magazine to have said, “In a truly materialistic society, poets, writers, artists and elephants are a mere nuisance.”

Knysna and surrounds is an area rich in natural beauty and history, with the world’s southern most elephants forming an integral part of this fascinating history. Though small in the face of the African Elephants’ plight across the continent, the sad story of the Knysna elephants and their demise is perhaps true to Romain Gary’s prediction.

The fascination with elephants and their untamed environment began for Ian Withers in his childhood when he spent many holidays exploring the forests surrounding his grandparent’s home in Brakenhill outside Knysna. In the evenings, gathered around the kitchen fire, Ian’s grandfather would tell of his encounters with “Big Feet” – the elephant – and how his great grandfather had built road passes along the tracks made by these elephants through the Groot River and Bloukrans gorges and forests. Elephants and conservation were deeply rooted in Ian’s foundations and tourism, he saw, provided a window of opportunity to obtain his wildest dreams, driven by the fact that in 118 years the elephant population in Knysna had crashed from between 400 and 500 to 1 elephant cow in 1994: to bring elephants back to Knysna. In later years Ian played a role - through WESSA (Wildlife Association of Issue 4 / 2009

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that they maintain.”

She continues: “Another answer is that they are long-lived animals and much of their social and ecological knowledge is acquired through learning over many years and, as a result, they have a need to communicate rather complex thoughts!” Little wonder then that our little herd would want to communicate with their mysterious sisters (and brother?) in the forest.

The park offers a range of inspiring activities like Elephant back rides and walks as well as their exclusive sunrise / sunset rides. Accommodation is also provided in the form of the unique Elephant Lounge, where you are able to spend the night within the boma, overlooking the elephant stables. The Knysna Elephant Park is also a popular wedding venue. When next in the Knysna area don’t miss the wonderful opportunity to meet these gentle giants. The hefty family have entertained and educated visitors over the years, successfully living in a controlled-free-range-environment, and thriving on all the love and attention they get. Visitors to the park leave having gained a healthy respect for these wonderful animals, and a better understanding of the African elephant and his plight across the continent. •

CONT

South Africa) - in the attempt to relocate elephants from Kruger Park to the Knysna Forests. During October 1994 the first two elephants, Harry and Sally, having escaped a Kruger culling program, arrived at the Knysna Elephant Park. It seems fitting then that the foundation of Knysna Elephant Park was built on the struggle of the elephants in the Knysna Forest.

Their mission is to provide for the welfare of elephants in need through the application of excellent management and welfare principles, and to educate the public on sound conservation ethics using this keystone species as an ambassador of wildlife.

By doing this, Knysna Elephant Park provides jobs to local people as well as a conservation cornerstone to the region.

These elephants’ contribution to science and research has been consistent over the years. Numerous research projects have been conducted at Knysna Elephant Park to learn more about wild elephants and certain dynamics that will undoubtedly assist in their management in the future. Famous Harry has spent time at other ecosystems, giving researchers the opportunity to observe his preference in edible vegetation, providing invaluable insight into elephant populations possibly inhabiting in those ecosystems in the future.

It was previously believed that there was only one elephant remaining in the Knysna Forest, but more recent DNA research suggests that there could be as many as six elephants roaming free. The elephants of the Knysna Forest are in fact the only elephants in South Africa that are not fenced in and they occupy an area of land 80 000 hectares in size.

Some have witnessed the eerie sight of our elephant herd standing absolutely still, one foot slightly raised, toes just touching the ground and the trunk in a strangely outstretched position just off the ground – as if listening for something.

Researcher, Joyce Poole, states the following: “One answer is that elephants have a very complex social system - one of the few fluid fission-fusion societies - and, therefore, they have needed to develop a complex suite of vocalisations to interact in an appropriate way with the many different individuals they meet on a daily basis and to mediate the many complex relationships

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Knysna Elephant Park Tel: +27 44 532 7732 Fax: +27 44 532 7763 Email: info@knysnaelephantpark.co.za Website: www.knysnaelephantpark.co.za INDLOVU Photographic Experience: Wedding, Portrait, Commercial, Wildlife Jo Howell Tel: +27 71 444 2175 Email: jo@indlovupe.com Website: www.indlovupe.com

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section T I T LE

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http://vontyras.jimdo.com or contact Corinna 078 801 9698

GARDE NI NG

Image: Rina Smit

blossoms

AND BLOOMS If you stop and look at almost any flower, you cannot fail to notice and admire the ingenuity of its form. Designers use paths to take visitors on a journey through a garden. Gardens are a reflection of the passion in people who make and maintain them.

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WATER

W I SE gardening

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Designing your garden to be water wise is not as hard as you might think. There are a few simple principles to keep in mind and after that it comes down to using drought-tolerant plants.

Text & Images: Blue Rain Creations

The main focus behind creating a water wise garden

is to create a garden which is both attractive and thrives with minimal water. Outdoor water use makes up more than 40% of residential water consumption, and research indicates great savings can be made if water wise gardening techniques are applied. Water wise gardening means thinking about things like watering techniques, plant selection and design.

You can create a water wise garden by using both exotic, but mainly indigenous plants. It is important to know that the exotics and indigenous both need to be planted in specific zones to use the water most efficiently. To creating ideal conditions for a water wise garden start by improving soil conditions to retain more moisture in the soil by adding organic material such as composts and soil conditioners. Use mulch around the base of plants to minimise evaporation, maximise water retention and inhibit weed growth while protecting your plants from frost and heat. Most important, keep your garden free of weeds. Weeds harbour pests and diseases, and use up valuable water!

Whether creating a new garden or working with your existing garden, by following some small changes around the garden, such as careful plant selection and smart watering techniques, you can save water while watching your garden thrive! The advantage of indigenous plants is that they: • • • • • •

garden and a safe environment for your family as well as birds and animals in your garden. Indigenous plants also make very effective windbreaks. It is a good idea to leave hedges in coastal gardens untrimmed and a bit wild so they act as wind breaks.

Some indigenous plants also bring a wonderful perfume.

A fragranced garden appeals to one of most evocative senses and with careful planning one can have a perfumed garden throughout the year. You can also plant shrubs closer together so they can protect each other.

There is a huge range of drought-tolerant plants for all types of gardens – from local indigenous plants, as well as plants from other parts of the world that do very well on minimal amounts of water. They come in all types and effects too, so that you should be able to choose just the right plant for the situation, as well as creating the look you are after!

For more information on how to get your indigenous garden growing water wise, phone Blue Rain Creations for a free consultation. •

Can eventually maintain themselves in the poor soils Require less or little water Evergreen Attract birds and wildlife Source of medicinal plants Important habitats for natural fauna

However, one of the most important advantages of planting indigenous is water saving. Start saving money and contributes towards overcoming South Africa’s critical shortage of water. There are many benefits to using indigenous plants for gardening, because these plants have developed especially to cope with the dry local conditions and are hardier. A simple test is to press your finger into the soil past your first knuckle; if the soil is damp it does not need watering. Train your plants to be water wise by water for a little longer but less frequently to encourage deeper roots and increase the drought tolerance of your plants. Watch your plants by looking for signs on how the plant is responding to your watering methods. Ensure they receive adequate water, but remember people waste water, not plants. Water in the coolest part of the morning or evening and avoid watering when windy or hot.

Watering of lawns is one of the first things to be affected by water restrictions, so it makes sense to have as little of it as possible if you want to keep your property looking green and attractive.

Remember, too, that an area of plants will use less water than the same area of lawn, and the more drought-tolerant the plant, the less water is used. So replacing lawn with hard surfaces and water wise plants will also reduce your water bill Indigenous plants can be used to create impenetrable barriers and block out sound, making your garden a haven of security and tranquillity. An old favourite is to create a secure Issue 4 / 2009

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for small spaces

Garden Design

Text & Images: Blue Rain Creations

Gardening in a

small space has its own rewards and challenges. The basic principles still apply, but when you’re whole garden can be viewed at once, there’s no room for error.

In a small garden, the gardener can pay attention to detail.

You can keep on top of maintenance, while still having time to sit and enjoy your small garden. In fact, many small space gardens are designed around entertaining and sitting areas, rather then the need to nurture plants.

By planning a small garden, a good site assessment is vital to any garden design. When creating a small garden, every space is important. Where to put the garden, how large to make it and the choice of plants - all must be carefully selected.

The difficulty in choosing plants for your garden is cutting down the list of plants you love to the list of plants you will use. This is even harder with a small garden. Try to avoid this challenge by creating a framework for plant selection, before you begin your list.

It’s important to create Focal Points in a small garden Small gardens can pose difficulties for creating a focal point.

Obviously you don’t want to sacrifice your entire garden space to one large plant or tree. But focal points can be scaled to the size of your garden. Even the smallest space could have one unique, flamboyant plant or water feature that calls attention to itself.

Although it was once thought to be an impossible task, swimming pools for small areas are becoming more popular amongst homeowners. If you’re looking to add some splash to your life, but don’t have a lot of room, you do have a number

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of options to consider. From the basic lap pool or hot tub, to a uniquely shaped pool or above ground instalment, you can find swimming pools for small areas.

Some easy ideas for swimming pools for small areas include a smaller lap pool, which provides just enough room for a lap to be swum back and forth. Those that like to entertain adults may like the idea of a hot tub. These can be found in a number of configurations and allow the users to sit and relax without having the whole yard taken up. You can even install a hot tub in the garden with a backdrop of plants and utilization of decking around it.

Patios and Terraces are now looked at as extensions to our homes and outdoor rooms. They can be linked to the outdoors with some clever planting. Whether you are looking for a way to create a garden at arms length, or a way to cut back on gardening without sacrificing the beauty, patio and terrace gardening could be the answer.

Use containers and pots to utilize small spaces. Containers give you the chance to experiment and try different plants. If you don’t like it or a plant is under-performing, it is easy to correct.

But where containers really excel is in control. The gardeners can choose just the right soil, the right exposure and the right cultural conditions.

To get your small spaces utilized to its best, phone Blue Rain Creations today for a free quote! •

F OOD

Image: Rina Smit

delights

CULINARY South Africans are blessed to have a marvellous array of fruits available in every season. This is indeed a healthy practice as nutritional fruit is one of the richest sources of vitamins and fibre and natural sugars. A definite must to include in your summer diet. We introduce you to two great concepts, namely vibrant juicing and vibrant raw foods‌

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Café GANNET – Mossel B ay’s Seafood House

Text & Images: Ray Magazine

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King João (John) 11 of Portugal was determined to find a sea route to India via the southern tip of Africa. In 1482 he sent two ships to survey and chart the West coast of Africa. Cão, on his first and second voyages, paved the way for Bartolomeu Dias, who left Lisbon in August 1487 with two caravels of 100 tons each, and a bigger store ship. Dias sailed along the coast of Africa as far south as a harbour later known as Baia dos Tigres.

He passed Cão’s last padrão at Cape Cross. With the northern Cedarberg in sight, Dias probably grew tired of tacking against a stormy southern wind, and sailed out into the open sea. Thus he sailed round the southern tip of Africa without realising it.

It was when he steered eastward and could not find any land that he took a northerly course, thereby seeing land again at the Gouritz River. Here the waves prevented him from landing, but on the festival day of Saint Blaize he managed to do so further on in a protected cove which he named “Aguada de São Bras” (watering place of Saint Blaize), because of the freshwater spring he found there. In 1601 it was renamed Mossel Bay by the Dutch navigator Paulus van Caerden, as he found the bay to be abundant with mussels.

The Old Post Office Tree: In 1500 Pedro de Ataide, Commander of one of Cabral’s ships, on his return journey from the east, left a letter of importance in a shoe under a large tree. In 1501 this letter was found by Joao da Nova, commander of the third East India fleet en route to India. In this way the first Post Office in South Africa was founded. The large tree, a Milkwood (Sideroxylon inerme) has been declared a national monument and is generally known as the Post Office Tree.

Café Gannet is overlooking Santos Bay, who’s nestling on the Mossel Bay shoreline with the majestic Outeniqua Mountains as a backdrop. Added attractions are the close proximity to shopping facilities, the yacht club, harbour and north-facing, sun splashed beaches.

It is situated within the Bartolomeu Diaz Museum Complex and a stone’s throw from the famous Post Office Tree.

Café Gannet History & Overview: After graduating from the Hotel School of SA in 1982, with a national degree in Hotel Management, JJ Moorcroft decided to further his career as hotelier. In 1988 he ventured into his own business and opened Café Gannet. After 20 years of serving great food the Gannet celebrated its birthday last year by offering its first menu from 20 years ago at the prices from when the restaurant opened.

The bread recipe used in the restaurant today is the same one that was used 20 years ago and the kitchen still uses JJ’s secret calamari seasoning recipe.

The Café Gannet is Mossel Bay’s Seafood House and an exciting and inviting a la carte menu - a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike. Fresh Mossel Bay mussels, sole and wild coastal oysters are delivered from the harbour daily.

Café Gannet serves sumptuous meals throughout the day. Enjoy relaxed alfresco dining in the afternoon on the sea view patio; breakfast is available from as early as seven in the mornings. It is open seven days a week.

The restaurant offers the Blue Oyster Bar. This cocktail lounge with its own special ambience and superb sea views is the perfect place to kick off a decadent evening out, or simply just relax and enjoy the sunset. Watch out for the whales at play in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and if you spot them – ring the big brass bell to inform fellow diners.

The Gannet & Ochre Barn recently underwent refurbishment to ensure that they maintain the competitive edge with their clientele.

WHAT’S FOR LUNCH Appetizer: Baked Oysters – Shucked small oysters, topped with bacon and cheese and oven baked to perfection, garnished with a sundried tomato tapenade.

Camembert Cheese coated in Cashew Nuts, served with preserved fig slices and cranberry coulis.

Main: Kingklip Fillet laced with Salmon & Encased in Phyllo, oven baked and served with a creamy mushroom sauce. Placed on a bed of vegetables and accompanied with potato wedges.

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Six Large Black Tiger Prawns, butterflied and pan fried to perfection, served with a trio of flavoured butters & savoury rice.

Dessert: Homemade Cheesecake & Blueberries, vanilla ice-cream and homemade fridge cheesecake topped with berry compote.

Decedent Home Made Chocolate Ice Cream Explosion, topped with brownie cubes, wafer logs, Frangelico Liqueur and strawberries.

REVIEW: What stood out for us was the chef’s use of basic, honest and fresh ingredients. They stay away from tricky stuff, which tie in with international trends. The winning back-to-basics approach works marvellously well in this establishment. The reinvention of forgotten ingredients included in their local seafood specialities, ingeniously prepared, does justice to their claim to fame of being “Mossel Bay’s Seafood House.”

Apart from seafood, they offer a delectable and varied a la carte menu, which includes pizza, salads, meat dishes and light lunches. Ray will recommend this eatery overlooking the Indian Ocean...

The Cafe Gannet is a great treat, which will please the most discerning palate and also very trendy, so bookings are recommended.

Your visit is sure to be a memorable occasion. The service was superb and celebrated sommeliers and maitre’ds at their best...

The Ochre Venue – an ‘extension’ of the Gannet: The Ochre is singled out from other establishments. This beautiful venue with its dramatic stone walls is one of the oldest in Mossel Bay, a graceful landmark, built in 1846.

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Catering is done by the Cafe Gannet, “Mossel Bay’s Seafood House”, so set menus are an option, as well as delicious, varied buffet meals.

The venue comfortably seats 80 to 100 guests.

This unique venue is ideal for hosting memorable banquets, cocktails and romantic wedding receptions.

SRT Premium Functions: Event hiring, planning & Décor Company.

Initiated by Janine & Gareth Shippen in 2007. Being involved in events and weddings through the course of their work in the hospitality industry, they realised that there was need for a service oriented function hiring & décor company in the area.

SRT stands for Special Response Team.

“For us it has always been, and will always be, about quality.

We’re passionate about ensuring that you get the highest quality products and the greatest service.

We want what you want, a unique wedding, a trendy event, and a stylish affair… nothing less will do! We embrace diversity and want to create events which are as exceptional as the people or companies they represent. We invite you to join us on our journey to an amazing party, we promise that it will be an extraordinary ride,” said our bubbly host Janine Shippen.

Café Gannet & SRT Premium Function amalgamated in 2008.

“It gives us the opportunity to provide a great product, combining youthful dynamism & JJ Moorcroft’s wealth of knowledge, extensive experience and great charm.” • CONTACT Café Gannet Open 7 days a week from 7h00am to 11h00pm Tel: +27 44 6911 885 Email: gannet@oldposttree.co.za Website: www.oldposttree.co.za The Ochre Venue & SRT Functions Janine Shippen PO Box 349, Mossel Bay, 6500 Bringing experience to the Party!

Tel: +27 44 691 3738 Fax: +27 866 443 669 Email: janine@srtfunctions.com Website: www.srtfunctions.com

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VIBRANT juicing And Vibrant Health Spreads – Enjoy healthy summer living…

Text Joan van Rensburg and Edwardene Visser Images: Ray Magazine

Enjoy breakfast or lunch “Al fresco” style in

your garden or next to your pool this summer. These recipes are full of nutrients and so easy to prepare and bound to fill your body with loads of energy to enjoy this season to the fullest…

RAW FOOD = LIFE. Raw foods = raw energy. Raw foods = live foods = life giving properties = LIFE!!! Our bodies are comprised of live cells and thrive on raw whole foods. One of the greatest downfalls of our modern lifestyles is the habit of over-eating refined, denatured, processed, fast foods, micro-waved and overcooked foods.

Whole raw foods in the form of fresh fruit, salads and vegetables are bursting with all the building blocks and energy sources your cells need to be healthy. Raw foods will heighten your senses to their delicate aromas. They contain all the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants the body needs to be healthy, and best of all, they are found in exactly the right proportions and ratio for the necessary absorption and utilization. Just as nature intended! However the most important component in raw food

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is the ‘living enzymes’ it contains. Enzymes are ‘the key to life’. Enzymes can be divided into 3 categories namely: Digestive enzymes, metabolic enzymes and food enzymes. Cooking, heating and processing destroy enzymes. RAW FOOD IS THEREFORE LIVE FOOD. Some of the advantages of a high raw diet include: • You will have more energy • You will cope better with stress • You will recover faster from illness • You will loose excess weight • Raw foods raise the level of cell vitality in the body • They boost the immune system • They detoxify the body • They are alkaline on digestion, making them a powerful ally when treating cancer patients!

F OOD RECIPES FOR A HEALTHY FESTIVE SEASON Savory Snacks Mini corn crisp bread-gluten free, mashed avocado seasoned with Mary-Ann’s seasoning salt and fresh lemon juice, rosa tomatoes.

Place enough avo on crisp bread and top with tomato.

Oatcakes – cottage cheese/ mashed goats feta cheese, yellow pepper, cut into strips, cucumber rounds, peppered trout- just browned in just a teaspoon of palm fruit oil.

Place enough cottage cheese on oatcake and top with trout alongside, cucumber and pepper strips.

D… is for dates.

The date palm is a tree growing in the desert. Dates make delicious quick energy snacks. They are high in natural carbohydrates and low in fat. They contain potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.

DATE & COCONUT BALLS 250g dates 250g desiccated coconut 250g oats 20 ml carob powder (optional) 250g Nuts of your choice (optional) Pre-soak dates in warm filtered water. Drain. Keep some of the water and add to the mixture if it is too dry. Blend all the ingredients together. Roll into balls and smother in coconut. To give this recipe a more spicy flavour you can add chopped nuts, grated lemon rind, mixed spice and ginger. These balls can be frozen and served immediately and can be a healthy replacement for Christmas pies.

The coconut can be coloured green with a Tbsp BARLEYLIFE, ‘pink’ with a Tbsp of REDIBEETS or ‘orange ‘with a Tbsp of JUST CARROTS. (Whole food supplements) This is a nutritious sweet treat for your children’s lunch box. They can even make it themselves.

F... is for fat.

There is so much misconception and confusion regarding fat. Our bodies need fats for hormones, cell membranes, nerve conduction, and the transportation of nutrients and for fat soluble vitamins. Fats also supply the body with heat and energy. Some fats are vital to our well-being, while others are detrimental to our health.

The secret is to eat the “good” fats and exclude the “bad” fat from your diet. Whether a fat is good or bad depends on how it has been treated.

For example, has it been heated, exposed to light, hydrogenated, how old it is and where it is derived from.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID SALAD 3 ripe tomatoes 2 ripe avos 2 raw sweetcorn ½ english cucumber 1 cup black or green olives (in brine or olive oil, not vinegar) ½ cup chopped pecan nuts Chop and mix together. Raw sweetcorn can be cut off the cob. It is much sweeter and much healthier when eaten raw.

Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves and dress with cold-pressed olive oil, or AIMEGA, freshly squeezed lemon juice and herbal salt.

Decorate with chopped pecan nuts.

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F OOD Gluten-free Fruit cake cups, 6 Free range eggs (shake in shaker); 4 cups gluten-free cake flour; 500g butter; 1 ½ cups fructose/molasses; 1 ½ cups raw honey; 2 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp bicarb (in 1 tbsp lemon juice); 1 tsp vanilla essence; 2 tbsp apricot jam; 1 cup brandy; ½ tsp sea salt; ½ cup ginger preserve cut into small pieces; ½ cup fruit mince; 250g dates; 250g raisins; 250g currants; 500g sultanas; 125g peel; 125g pecan nuts chopped ; ¼ tsp cloves; 250g cherries cut; ½ cup watermelon and ginger jam.

Wash currants, raisins and sultanas well. Boil in ½ cup of purified water; add butter and fructose, honey, bicarb and apricot jam. Let it stand over-night. Coat all cut-up fruit with corn starch. Add all the ingredients, folding in with a wooden spoon. Fill

your paper cup cakes, remember 4 papers at a time, which have been buttered well and covered with three sheets of brown paper. Bake for 1 hour in 140°C, then remove brown sheet and bake for a further hour in 130°C. Let it stand for 1 hour and pour over the brandy. Wrap and place in cake tin.

When your guests arrive just top with icing – ½ cup of soft butter; ½ cup of fructose; 200ml cottage cheese; 2 ml vanilla essence. Cream together, ice and decorate with maraschino cherries with stem. Remember this is only for a festive season.

Smoothie recipes Banana & Pineapple Smoothie 1 banana; 2 spears of pineapple; 3 tbsp low- fat Ayrshire yoghurt Peel the banana and break into chunks. Remove the fibrous skin from the pineapple and cut into spears, then into chunks. Place all the above into the blender and blend until smooth. You can replace the yoghurt with Tofu Ice-cream.

Mango & Peach Smoothie 1 mango; 3 peaches; 3 tbsp low-fat Ayrshire yoghurt/Tofu ice-cream Stone the mango and peaches and cut into chunks. Place all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth Almond Shake (Mary-Ann Shearer) ¼ cup almonds (finely ground); ½ pineapple; 1 cup freshly extracted orange juice Blend the almonds and pineapple well in a food processor. Add the juice and blend until smooth. To ring the changes, use 10 strawberries or 3 kiwi fruits instead of the pineapple, and replace the orange juice with either grapefruit or naartjie juice. This recipe makes one glass of shake.

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F OOD J... IS for juices A juice extractor is a wonderful culinary tool.

The juices of fresh fruit and vegetables play a vital role in restoring and maintaining optimum health. Raw juices are very potent both for fortification against disease and the treatment of certain ailments. They help boost the immune system and raise the body’s resistance to illness.

Many people turn to harmful stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol and cocoa. On the other hand, raw juices are alive with enzymes, vitamins and minerals and are natural thirst quenchers.

They are very valuable in times of illness, when the patient has lost his appetite. Always remember juices must be freshly squeezed or extracted to retain their valuable nutrients. They are then alkaline forming. When fruit juices are heated they become acid forming.

JUICY INFO • Never combine fruit and vegetable juices as this may cause flatulence and fermentation. Some veggie juices are often too strong to be drunk alone except in small quantities. They are more palatable if mixed with carrot juice.

• Cabbage juice helps improve arthritis, stomach ulcers and digestive problems.

• Potato juices also help for ulcers.

• Celery juice is very eliminative and helps for bladder problems and arthritis.

• Tomato juice cleanses and refreshes.

• Beetroot juice is good for the liver and anemia.

• Carrot juice has a positive effect on the mucous membranes. It helps for constipation and diarrhea.

Carrot juice also helps for skin problems and contributes towards a healthier complexion. Because it is high in beta-carotene it is also good for the liver, lungs and eyes.

• Cucumber and watermelon juice are diuretic in action.

• Mango juice is very high in vitamin A. • Orange juice is very high in vitamin C. • Apple juice is good for the colon and gastric flu.

Juices should be sipped slowly and drank on their own. One glass of vegetable and/or fruit juice a day will suffice.

The only thing left to do is to relax and watch your guests devour this healthy spread…

Contact Joan van Rensburg, Vibrant Health & Juicing, Tel: +27 72 267 8160, email: joan.partner@gmail.com Edwardene Visser, Metanoia, Tel: +27 83 728 3630 email: metanoia@lantic.net

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LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E

Image: Rina Smit

lifestyle, arts and Making art requires more than knowledge of theory and technique, although these are necessary. Colour is the essence of painting. The colours in a painting will effect the viewers’ perceptions and ultimately determine whether a painting evokes feelings of warmth and happiness, calm and intimacy, or drama and chaos.

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circle’s

prime ALL OR NOTHING goes platinum

Text: EMI Music Images: Michael Maherry

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Hot on the heals of their hugely successful tour of India, South Africa’s premier rock band Prime Circle continue to celebrate with news that their third album and EMI debut “All Or Nothing” has just gone platinum “We poured our hearts and souls into All or Nothing,” Lead singer Ross Learmonth says. “Having our South African fans confirm that what we believe is great, in buying the album, is testament enough to us that they’re enjoying what we do as much as we do.”

After nine years and three progressively strong albums behind them, the band comprising Learmonth on lead vocals and guitar, Dale Schnettler on drums, Dirk Bisschoff on lead guitar, Neil Breytenbach on keyboards and Marco Gomes on bass concur that their success is squarely attributed to their ever-growing and genuinely fanatical South African base”.

Never ones to suffer celebrity, Prime Circle have worked extremely hard in attaining impressive platinum sales. With a rigorous tour schedule that commenced with the 2008 release of All or Nothing, the band’s mission continues to be to take their music to as many people as time and distance will allow. “The hard work is paying off,” Dirk agrees. “Going platinum is a great pit stop for us to celebrate with our fans and it makes each of us only more passionate about taking what we do to the next level.”

“It’s the ultimate pat on the back,” Neil agrees with regards to their great sales success. “It was always on our agenda, but having another of our dreams realised rested squarely with the people who believe in us and celebrate the songs as much as we do – that’s what makes this landmark moment extraordinary!”

First came “Out of this Place” then “She Always Gets What She Wants”, but it was their third single “Consider Me” that has turned into a true anthem that the entire world can and is relating to on a multitude of levels. Just one week after Prime Circle returned from their groundbreaking Indian tour in late August, “Consider Me” went straight in at the top of the national chart there, followed one week later when South Africa responded, confirming the same much sought after accolade.

With a record label that supports the bands collective vision to captivate and entertain all who will hear has, between three monumental singles and equally compelling live performances, Prime Circle has, in the words of Marco; “paid their school fees,” performed their final dress rehearsal and now, thanks to what their South African fans have afforded then, are ready to build on what is clearly a very solid foundation.

With still more singles to come from All or Nothing – never has an album title rung more true for a group humble, exceptionally hard working and truly gifted in the art of great musicianship.

Prime Circle is on the cusp of bigger things thanks to three equally compelling singles, platinum album sales and sold-out shows each time they step up to celebrate their place. “We do what we love,” Dale concludes, “and we intend capitalising on every drop of sweat and encore now, and well into the future.”

Rest assured the road ahead for Prime Circle is booked and confirmed to take modern rock to new heights – all you need to do is make sure you have front row seats as it happens.

Check out www.primecircle.co.za for regular updates For further information contact: Franie Kotze @ Prime Circle Management @ franie@primecircle.co.za Natasha Kok @ EMI Music on (011) 911 1518 or natashak@emimusic.co.za Ray Magazine was present during a live interview with Jacaranda 94.2.•

“The Lipizzaner breed around 1562 when Ar started to breed Spanish village in the modern da

10 Ray readers can win Prime Circle’s platinum status album “All or Nothing”.

To stand a chance to win this outstanding CD, simply send an email with all your contact details to: marketing@ray-magazine.com, Subject: Prime Circle. Winners will be notified in person.

L I F E ST Y L E , A RT S & CULTURE

CraigBONE

– Ultra realism artist

Text: Ally Mesnard Images: Craig Bone

Craig Bone continues to dominate the art market as one of the most renowned African wildlife artists today. His ultra-realistic style of painting has enabled him to break auction records, feature on magazine covers, and illustrate a variety of books. Craig’s works vary in a selection of sizes and mediums ranging from oil on canvas to pen and ink pieces…

Tell us more about your background. Where were you born?

I was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia in 1955. I attended Art College in Durban, South Africa.

At what stage in your life did you start painting?

I started painting at a very early age, though there were no artists in the family then.

Are there any artists in your immediate family?

My daughters and brother have all become artists.

You first started painting vivid scenes of combat.

One of your paintings “Earth, Wind and Fire” was sold for US$106,000 (All proceeds went to Vietnam Veterans). This painting is now hanging in the Pentagon. Can you provide more background on this painting?

The painting was a donation, and had to have a wildlife and army theme. I have always been interested in the history of the Vietnam War, so I decided to do a memorial to the soldiers who gave up their lives for freedom and democracy during that war.

The helicopter has a broken windshield which is in the shape of Vietnam. There is a tiger in the foreground; I later discovered that they were a frequent threat to soldiers in the jungle. I have also concealed six hidden soldiers in the painting - this is a reminder that there are still many servicemen MIA (missing in action). The painting, at that time, was the largest I had ever done. 8 feet x 10 feet. I have since done an even larger one, entitled ‘8th of November’.

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upliftment work. Are these ventures close to your heart? How can the public make a difference or become involved today?

When I was injured in the Rhodesian war I became very aware of the wonderful work of St. Giles in Salisbury. I decided to help with fund raising and that led to various other charitable functions. For a number of years I supported the Cancer Association and the Red Cross Association. After I started a family, I became more involved with the rural areas, and began to support The Wildlife Society of Zimbabwe, particularly the Mana Pools game count. Now that I have left Zimbabwe, the focus is now on supporting the Old Age Pensioners of Zimbabwe.

You are responsible for all the magnificent artwork in yours and Gary Albyn’s book, Manzovo.

Did you enjoy this project and can we expect more projects like this in future?

I was introduced to Gary through a publisher friend. By that stage, Gary had completed much of the poem. It proved to be an instantaneous and productive collaboration. It was exactly the change of pace I craved at the time as it involved fresh subject matter and challenged my artistic abilities. It is a meeting place of the two arts - poetry and painting.

Your inspiration comes from nature and wildlife and you spend hours observing and photographing these animals. Is there a particular favourite animal you love to paint?

Because of the detail required, I am challenged by paintings of the elephant and the leopard.

Describe the progress when you receive an order for a specific painting?

With Gary and the Manzovo poem, what I would do was read the verse, visualize what was happening and then sketch out an idea. After talking with Gary, I would introduce my interpretation

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and try to marry the two disciplines. Sometimes he would change a verse or two to suit the artwork.

How long did you take to complete the Manzovo project?

I worked solidly on the paintings for over 6 months, day-in, day-out!

Apart from being an artist, which is a fulltime profession, do you have any hobbies?

I really enjoy being out in the bush taking photographs and getting inspiration for my work. I enjoy working with leather, and would unwind at the end of the day by doing an hour or two of cutting and stitching. I make briefcases and shoulder bags and they make great gifts for friends and family. I am fortunate enough to be able to watch most of the SA rugby and cricket on satellite TV here in the States, although it’s not always live! I’m passionate about my sports! I also write children’s stories. At present I am writing my memoirs.

Have you got any advice that you can share with talented novices in this industry?

Observe your subject, know it completely and then discipline yourself: never accept second rate or below-par work from yourself.

Which artists’ work in your genre do you admire and why?

I have always loved Rembrandt’s rich colours and his use of chiaroscuro with the human form.

What are your tools of the trade? Do you prefer to work in oils only?

I do love to work in oils, but am just as happy with water colours and pen and ink.

A lot of your paintings are of enormous proportions. What are the measurements of your biggest painting?

It is another Vietnam painting titled “November the 8th.”

and it measures 226 inches x 115 inches; about the size of a double garage door!

What makes Craig Bone content with life?

I have an extremely satisfying job. I’m surrounded by my family, I can watch my sport, I have great friends and I enjoy a glass of good red wine at the end of the day!

The “Chitake Collection” will be released at SCI Reno (USA) on January 20th, 2010. Can you tell us more about this collection of paintings?

I am trying to get out some really strong images of the beauty of Africa, and the Zambezi valley in particular. Chitake (in the Zambezi valley) was once an absolute wonderland of wild beauty.

What was the inspiration behind this collection?

The Zambezi has been a wonderful inspiration for me and has spurred my creativity. As I grow older, memories of certain places start to form into a particular vision in my mind. I wanted to capture all of that on canvas, as I feel we are rapidly losing the primeval Africa of my youth.

Where are your works exhibited around the world?

I have numerous works in private collections, mostly here in the States and Canada. “Earth, Wind and Fire” hangs in The Pentagon and other pieces are displayed in various museums in USA and Europe.

Where would South Africans be able to purchase your work?

I have a couple of websites which list where I am exhibiting.

It is always possible to contact me through them. For those South Africans interested in my art, I have appointed Gary Albyn to manage the local scene. • Contact Craig Bone at albyn@global.co.za or visit his website at www.craigbone.com.

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Heinz & Alette

Winckler “Ek kan weer in liefde glo”

Text: JoAnne Smith Images: Hendré Louw

South Africa’s first Pop Idol, Heinz Winckler, and his beautiful wife, Alette, need no introduction. Unlike other South African idols winners who have vanished into darkness, Heinz has been doing very well in his career. The public response here and overseas has been overwhelming. The couple managed to fit some time for Ray Magazine into their hectic schedule…

What has been going on in the world of Heinz & Alette Winckler lately?

I am in the process of releasing and launching my new and first mainly Afrikaans album. I’m very happy with the final product and can’t wait for people to hear it. I’ve been working on it with Select Music since about March 09. I also played a short role in the MNET show Binnelanders earlier this year.

Earlier this year Alette successfully completed an internationally accredited course in image consulting and she is now doing that full time as well as being a distributor for the revolutionary new skin range from Nuskin. She’s also been helping me manage my career and also playing piano with me at my shows.

Can you tell us WHO your top five current bands / solo artists ARE? I listen to a lot of Christian Contemporary artists, and there 78

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are so many good ones that many people don’t know about.

My all time favourite and one of my heroes is Steven Curtis Chapman, then there’s Jeremy Camp, Lincoln Brewster, The After (awesome new rock band), Third Day; and then I’m a also a big fan of local bands like Niemand and Prime Circle and I’m very excited to see what John Ellis from Tree63 is going to bring out as a solo act.

What characteristics in your wife attracted you the most? What makes her so special?

There are so many, and I’ve learned there are even more in our just over 3 years of marriage. But the ones that stand out for me are: her absolutely contagious passion for life and all things beautiful, her energy that draws people to her, her ability to connect with pretty much any kind of person and how quickly people trust and like her, her love and passion for music, her solid faith and belief in God and the way she inspires others to do the same, her unwavering love and loyalty to her family, and of course the big bonus is that she is drop dead gorgeous!

Alette, what personality traits makes Heinz different to any other man you’ve met?

Heinz is gentle and strong at the same time. I have never dated anyone else who serves me like he does. He would get up

LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E from his side of the bed to give me something on my side of the bed. Just nothing is too much to ask for. He is extremely loving and always puts me first. And I still get breakfast in bed every morning and it is over three years now!

Was it instant attraction for both parties when you finally met?

YES! Where do you unwind, if time permits, in your hectic schedule?

Mostly at home actually. We travel quite a bit, so when we can, we like to just enjoy our home. We love watching good TV shows, we have a few favourites that we record with the amazing invention that is PVR and watch when we have time to chill. We both enjoy reading a good book and sleeping is a huge favourite!

Alette, you are musically gifted as well. What instruments ARE your forte?

I play the piano. I always wanted to also play guitar but honestly I was too lazy to learn and used the excuse that my fingers were too long! I come from an extremely musical family,

on everyone she met. I have honestly never met anyone like that. My grandparents on my mom’s side were missionaries and still they managed to raise 6 children with no money and lots of faith. I have awesome parents who are also in the ministry and have been married for 38 years now. I am the youngest of 4 siblings and have 2 brothers and one sister and family gatherings can get quite loud!

Heinz: My parents are Theo and Elsa Winckler. They both started out as teachers, but have since gone into different directions. For the last few years, my mom has been the secretary for the English department of the University of Stellenbosch, but has recently become a published romance novel writer when she won Rooi Rose’s book writer’s competition and now she’s on a roll! My dad has been a financial advisor at FNB Stellenbosch for quite a few years and by the time people read this will hopefully be a CFP (certified financial planner). I’m the eldest of 3 – my brother Johan is 2 years younger than I am. He’s an actor and also teaches at Hyde Park High in Johannesburg. He has had roles on The Res, 7e Laan, Egoli, Binnelanders, you name it! The

There is a much stronger appreciation for and culture of going to watch live music and theatre shows in the US and it was great to see and experience that. It’s something that’s growing here in SA mother, father, brothers, sister, cousins, uncles, aunts, THE WORKS and we recently got hold of some footage from where I was about 5 and the WHOLE extended family was together and all we did was sing and make music for hours on end!

You have played in a good variety of places and countries. How have your experiences been, playing in South Africa? How has the response been to your brand of music, and how is it different from the response you get in other countries?

I haven’t had the chance to play my own music much overseas as I’ve went mostly to play a role in a musical. But I did have the opportunity to play my CDs to some influential people there and I also jammed in college bar. One night we were on tour in the US and on both counts I’ve received very good feedback. There is a much stronger appreciation for and culture of going to watch live music and theatre shows in the US and it was great to see and experience that. It’s something that’s growing here in SA, but we still have a long way to go, I think. I have played here a lot, all kinds of different shows and setups and for the most part I’ve had extremely good responses.

I love what I do and I’m passionate about it and I like to believe that my energy connects with people.

What is the one thing you guys love most about South Africa?

Most of our family and friends are here, and we love them dearly.

Alette, is there a specific Heinz Winckler song you treasure?

The one song that must stand out is I do on his album “Moment of truth.” On the night he declared his love for me he played me that song and I still didn’t have a clue. Only later he confessed that the song was about me and that I was “THE ONE.” Family is very important to you both. Tell us a bit more about your immediate family?

Alette: My whole family on either side of my parents are very musical and they love God! We just buried my grandma recently and she was a legend and had such a huge influence

youngest is my sister, Mia Boonzaaier. Yes, she is married and lives in Rawsonville near Worcester where she works as a quality controller for Rainbow Chicken. We’re a very close-knit family and get along very well. I’m very fortunate and blessed to have parents that are still together and siblings that I love.

What has been your favourite venue to play in so far?

With the Rent tour I’d have to say it was the so called Fabulous Fox theatre – a beautiful, classic looking and huge 4,500-seater theatre in St Louis, Missouri. In SA it was when I played the Coca-Cola dome in Johannesburg, opening for Westlife, and I played with my live band for 18,000 people.

How do you go about writing music? What’s the process like?

It’s something that I’ve been working on for years, since it’s not a talent that comes to me as naturally as singing. I’m still working on it, but I’m happy to say I’ve grown in my confidence.

I also get good results when writing with other good song writers. For this new album of mine I wrote one English and one Afrikaans song myself, and I co-wrote 5 tracks, which is a record for me and I’m really proud that I was able to do that. To answer your question, for me the process varies, but normally it starts with a chord progression on the guitar and a melody that I play around with and then I try to come up with a theme for the lyrics and I jot down lines and phrases, and then I try to put it all together in a way that makes sense and fits with the music. Best advice I got for song writing was: “Don’t wait for inspiration, just start writing!”

About recording your songs: what’s that process like? Do you always record in Johannesburg as was the case with your other albums?

This solely depends on who the producer is and where he/ she is based. On my latest album half the album was produced by a guy in Cape Town and the other half with one in Pretoria, so I recorded in both places.

You have a unique one-of-a-kind sound. Would you care to define your sound? Can you tell the readers about your major influences?

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Wow, thanks! I actually listen to a lot of guitar driven and drum heavy acoustic rock, rock and pop/rock music where the lead vocalist normally has a very gritty rock vocal like Nickelback or Daughtry. But I have very clean, clear more pop vocal. So I think the uniqueness may be the interesting blend of a rock / live band sound with a pop vocal over it.

What did you grow up listening to? Which songs have been your biggest inspiration / influence for your distinct sound?

When I was little my parents, although Afrikaans, listened to a lot of Elvis, Beach Boys and Beatles. We used to drive long distances quite often as well and we usually had a Pop Shop tape in the car. Later, as a teen, I was a big fan of Roxette, Tiffany and (don’t tell anyone) Modern Talking. In high school I discovered U2 and Live, and also went into a grunge rock phase as this was huge at the time, but still enjoyed my pop and more commercial stuff. Then Steven Curtis Chapman and Third Day came along

Lifetime” and best pop album for One Step Closer.

Was this a surprise?

In a way yes, but I was confident we had a good pop album and that it should be a strong contender.

In 2003 with the inaugural World Idol competition, you came fourth behind Belgium’s Peter Evrard (3rd), the USA’s Kelly Clarkson (2nd), and Norway’s Kurt Nilsen (Winner).

Yes, but you’re leaving out that I beat Will Young who came 5th…

Your second album, “Come Alive,” was released via BMG, and features more ballads and rhythmic songs. It includes the singles “Can’t Lose With You and Thank You”, as well as “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing”. Also included are songs written by YOU; “Drowning Me” is a track co-written by YOU. Did you write some of the songs on your new album: “ Ek kan weer in liefde glo”?

Yes, I wrote 2 songs myself and 5 co-writes.

Who or what inspired this album?

I wanted to create an album that on the one hand is something a big part of my fan base has been asking for for years – an Afrikaans album. And on the other hand I wanted to create an Afrikaans album in my own style which I hope will be something original and fresh to the Afrikaans market.

He performed Chasing Shadows, the theme song for the Disney movie Treasure Planet. Is this a venture you like to repeat, to work with Disney again?

Of course!

By name, lyrics, and design, your songs suggest a happier predisposition than most band compositions out there. Is that a conscious effort?

I’m a happy and blessed person, not without challenges and

and also had a big influence on me, especially Steven. One of his songs, Speechless, made a huge impact on me. Other songs that have stood out for me are The Look (Roxette) and With or Without You (U2).

If you could create a new genre of music what would it be called and what would it sound like?

I’d call it POCK. It would sound like Michael Jackson meets Nickelback.

Tell us a bit more about your Post-Idols career?

It’s been 7 years of working hard as a live performer and recording artist. There have been hard times and times of much insecurity, but for the most part I’ve been loving it and I know I’m doing what I was made for. I’ve now recorded one single, 4 studio albums and also one live DVD. I had the privilege of singing “Chasing Shadows” on the soundtrack of Treasure Planet, toured with Westlife, came 4th in World Idol, did West Side Story in Toronto, Rent US/Japan/Canada tour, did a short stint in Binnelanders and am now pursuing a career in the local Afrikaans market.

Your debut single, “Once in a lifetime,” went double platinum in South Africa. Describe the feeling?

Awesome and unexpected!

You were nominated for two South African Music Awards, including best single for “Once In A

trials in life, but in essence I feel privileged to know my Creator and who He made me to be. So I think my songs and content naturally reflect something of who I am.

While we’re on the topic, what are your favoUrite songs to play live?

Can’t Lose With You, Drowning Me, cover of With or Without You (U2), and recently “Ek Kan Weer in Liefde Glo.” Tell us about the formal training you had in music and the steps you took to get where you are today?

Not much formal training to be honest. Most important part though was probably my 4 years in a church band in Stellenbosch during my first 4 years of Varsity. There I learned all about being in a band, how to rig sound, what a monitor speaker is for, mic technique, even how to mic up a drum set. I was also part of a duet with another vocalist and guitarist and we did a lot of cover material which came in very handy when I did Idols, as I was able to do songs I’ve done before and were familiar with. I did a year of classic guitar training and had a day long crash course in vocal training in 1997. That’s about it. The rest I learned “on the job”. The Rent tour was also a wonderful training ground especially for my vocal range and ability.

What has been your biggest faux pas, if any, during a live performance so far?

The knowledge that I’m here for a reason, that God has a unique and specific plan for my life, as he does for everyone and that as long as I’m obedient to Him, I will be successful.

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LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E Totally forgetting the words to my own songs and not being able to recover! With the Rent tour when we were in Nashville a very influential artist manager was able to come watch the show and on this show and this show only I dropped the leading lady in the only dance routine I had. We both fell over the front of the stage into cables and monitors, but the show had to go on!

Who can you single out as your greatest mentor?

My one pastor, Phillip Pretorius, who started to mentor me when I needed it most – a few months after Idols. Then when I moved to Johannesburg my pastor there, Andrew Gosman, also made a huge impact on my life.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?

Probably a lawyer as that is what I was studying. But I would probably be sneaking off to do gigs as often as I could.

The personal highlight in your phenomenal career is?

It’s probably a tossup between opening for Westlife in the dome and being the lead in the touring company of the Broadway hit, Rent.

How do you deal with your success, all the attention, media, fans etc?

Very carefully!

Apart from your fabulous music career, what makes Heinz Winckler the person, content with life?

The knowledge that I’m here for a reason, that God has a unique and specific plan for my life, as He does for everyone and that as long as I’m obedient to Him, I will be successful.

You share all your success with your beautiful wife, Alette. Where did you meet?

At a friend’s games night.

If there is a recipe for a blissfully happy marriage like yours, what would the ingredients consist of?

Total trust in God, lots of humility and a focus that’s it’s not about me and what I can get out of the marriage, but what can I give and how can this marriage serve God’s kingdom. It’s hard, as your nature fights against this kind of attitude, but it’s the only way.

What is your favourite — Heinz Colour: ocean blue/green Sound: crashing of waves Smell: ocean air Record: Steven Curtis Chapman - Speechless Concert you played at: opening for Westlife in dome Band: U2 Genre: Pop/Rock Instrument: guitar Heinz Winckler song: Can’t Lose With You Destination in the world: Mmm… toss-up between Stellenbosch and Nashville, TN Ok, time for some of your ‘lasts’ — 1] Which was the last CD you guys purchased?

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night 2] Who were the last music star / celeb you shook hands with?

Christi Panagiotopoulus What is your favourite — Alette Colour: Turquoise Sound: Must be beautiful MUSIC Smell: The smell of soil just after the rain and also sun tan lotion on the beach!

Record: Too many to name Concert you played at: We did a show recently at the Musaion at Tuks University and it was lovely especially the SOUND Band: Goodness I have another one every week but let’s say “Desperation Band” Genre: Christian Contemporary Instrument: To play, piano but I also love the violin and cello Heinz Winckler song: At this moment: “Secret worth hearing” Destination in the world: Prague Ok, time for some of your ‘lasts’ 1] Which was the last/CD you guys purchased?

We normally buy music online on ITunes and the last one I bought was Britt Nicole 2] Who were the last music star / celeb you shook hands with?

It must be my friend, Christi Panagio, that I hugged the day before yesterday!

Any famous last words or advice for talented, novice artists in the music industry?

Make sure it’s what you were made to do, that you have sufficient talent and the guts and determination to see it through once you start, because there will be lots of rejection and hard work before you have success. Be original, remember that the focus is to entertain and always stay humble and teachable.

And finally, your fans all over South Africa and the world would love to listen to more of your unique music. Any future plans you’d like to share with our readers?

The new Afrikaans album will be something everyone can enjoy, I believe. I also hope to go to the US in the next year to pursue my career there as well.

If you guys could take a year’s break from work and society, where would you go and what would you do?

Travel first class to Europe and the East mostly where there are beaches. Alternatively I wouldn’t mind sitting in a CapeDutch house overlooking a vineyard while playing guitar and writing songs. • Contact Reservations - Platinum Promotions: Carmen Kleinhans: 083 325 7922 / carmenk@select.co.za Jani Claassens (021) 702 3372 / 082 882 7622 / jani@select.co.za www.platinumpromosies.co.za

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To stand a chance to win this outstanding CD, simply send an email with all your contact details to: marketing@ray-magazine.com, Subject: Heinz Winckler. Winners will be notified in person.

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as a fun ART INVESTMENT Fine art prices are rocketing globally and locally. Investors continue to buy pieces at record prices, particularly contemporary works.

Text & Images: Jacques Durandt

According to Business Times, 6 September 2009, Stephan Welz said that there were some 60 records set for South African art this year. A rare painting of Irma Stern bought more than 30 years ago for R4,800 recently sold for R7.2 million on auction at Strauss & Co. The May moses annual all-art index vs S&P 500 total return index from 1957, art outperforms the S&P. Art 30% a year from 1985 to 1990. The past 5 years averaged 23%.

Art has been used by the wealthy for more than 5,000 years to exhibit their wealth.

According to Stephan Welz art is not truly an investment.

As it does not pay dividend, bring in no rent and then there is also the cost money to keep up. He calls it a form of wealth.

On the other hand Graham Britz Fine Art stakes his business that it is a definite investment and he regards himself as an art fund manager.

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Our experience is that art is definitely part of one’s investment portfolio. South African art is currently outperforming share portfolios and property investments.

The current characteristics of the art market are that there is a shortage of quality stock and it is currently a world wide phenomenon. (See art times - May 2008 and www.z.nysun.10m/ article/60389.) Also in SA there is a shortage of good quality stock. See Financial Times 18 Aug 2004 – Fine Art – Fine Investment. In Simpiwe Piliso’s article in the Business Times of 6 September 2009, he says that collectors show art is ignoring a recession and South African paintings are flying off the walls.

There is a very active secondary market of auction. The number of art auctions for example, in Pretoria Bernardi’s Auctioneers had four and now six auctions and Sotheby’s two and now four to six auctions per year. There are also new auction houses like Stauss & Co as well. Other auction houses are 5th

LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E Avenue and Westgate Walding in Johannesburg and Ashbey’s in Cape Town and Canons in Durban.

South Africa has a big international exposure as well.

Bonham’s in London has two South African only auctions per annum and each time they advertise it as the largest ever SA art auction.

The number of Editorial received in newspapers, magazines and TV are also very high. There were the Pierneef record sales in Bonham’s London and the Brett Kebble auction recently.

There are also numerous art fairs, like Exhibition Johannesburg art Fair.

There is also a tendency of contemporary art galleries jumping in to find and/ or sell on behalf of collectors their old masters art work.

The current characteristics of the art market are that there is a shortage of quality stock and it is currently a world wide phenomenon.

Currently we are still behind international trends regarding art prices still being very low. There is a definite price difference between regions. As an example, Jan Volschenk sells for 30% higher at Cape auctions than in Johannesburg. An artist’s works sell for the lowest price in the town he/ she stays.

Some artists fetch up to 30% higher prices in Cape Town than in Pretoria. Hennie Niemand and Conrad Theys – they sell higher for instance in Pretoria than in Cape Town.

Prices at auction fetch higher prices than at the galleries.

Ample examples: Marie Vermeulen Breedt. Sotheby’s Nov 2006 and Conrad Theys.

Then, what are the evaluation criteria for determining a winning investment artist?

Firstly if one look at the old masters there is a traceable track record. There is a steady increase in their value from day one.

Secondly, for contemporary art and old masters the artist must be a professional artist. Do painting for a living. Try to understand how ambitious and how dedicated they are. You can see how sustainable they are.

A living artist must exhibit regularly, solo exhibitions major galleries locally and overseas. The artist must have a foot in the international scene, with result that there is an intrinsic value in their art anywhere in the world. This can also serve as a rand hedge.

It is very important that the artist must have a secondary market at Auction. How will you be able to resell?

There is also the important question of who else collects the particular artist’s work and which big art dealers support the artist.

The general rule is that the artist should be good, the painting must be pleasant to view and the artist must be able to work in oils, water colour and pastels.

Another important criterium is that the artist must bring in a new dimension into the art world e.g. Gregoire, Battiss and Fasciotti, Niemann. Buy innovators not imitators.

The artist should be diverse; he must be able to produce and also sell still life’s, landscapes, figures, interiors and wildlife. In today’s market the artist should also have his own book.

The question is how to start collecting art?

I would recommend that you buy what you like or love as long as the artist concurs with most of the criteria given previously.

Buy preferably oils. In South Africa the tendency is that oil paintings are most sought after. Buy the best work of the artist you can afford. It is also very important to talk to experts, gallery owners and auctioneers. Buy from Gallery and Auction Houses with a good reputation. The auction market does not offer bargains anymore.

The work should be pleasant and enjoyable. You will be hanging it on your wall for years to come!

Ross Douglas says that you must listen with your heart.

Use your intuition, but buy with your head. Melissa Mboweni, a Soweto Born Contemporary art specialist says she uses her heart for collection and her head for investing.

There are also risks when buying paintings. The buyer must be aware about misinformation by so-called experts. People who do not know art can be duped into the wrong purchases.

Why is art a fun investment?

There is an art genre for every taste. Conservative, romantic or modern. When buying art you can involve family and friends in the purchase process. It can be a nice relationship building activity.

Art is the ultimate shopping experience. Interior decorating can now be a real investment. One can buy pretty things for the house with investment orientated husband or wife actually agreeing. Your furniture is for the first time actually growing in value. Capital gains in reselling your art are currently not taxable.

You can now actually exhibit your wealth like the wealthy for the past 5000 years.

A painting is like a comfortable arm chair – you can sit in it for hours.

If anyone is interested in collecting from the artists featuring in these articles or for sound expert advice Jacques Durandt can be contacted on: Tel: +27 82 454 2001. • Issue 4 / 2009

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“I want to inspire a sense of nostalgia in those who view my work, I want them to think back to all the good things in their lives and have my paintings resonated with those feelings….”

JACO van Schalkwyk Text Jacques Durandt Images: Jaco van Schalkwyk

Jaco van Schalkwyk is a young and very talented South African artist and his works are currently on demand not just in South Africa but in the USA as well.

He has not just distinguished himself as an artist who brings African wild life and domesticated animals to life on canvas, but also specializes in still life studies and figures.

He finds inspiration in the everyday South African surroundings. He manages to capture the essence and character of Africa by the painting of domesticated animals like Nguni and dairy cattle, goats, farm horses and wildlife. Jaco embraces the feeling of Africa, its character and nature in his work.

In Jaco’s works he portrays his experiences as young boy on his grandfather’s farm near Carolina in Mpumalanga as well as experiences on a dairy farm where he worked after leaving school. He says that many South Africans have good childhood 84

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memories and experiences of nature and farm life and that his paintings bring back those treasured memories.

Atmosphere is central to Jaco van Schalkwyk’s paintings.

The theatrical play of light and Shadow is more important to him than the subject matter.

He is strongly influenced by the seventeenth century artists like Vermeer and Rembrandt with the use of dramatic light and dark contrasts. By creating a sense of movement he endeavors to portray the character and mood of the subject matter.

His gentle and kind nature portrays in his paintings. He is soft spoken and his work is done with dedicated precision.

He works from the same studio as Mariè Vermeulen-Breedt now for the past six years and is also currently busy with his final year BA Degree studies in Art History at UNISA. In 2008 he did an Artist Residency at the New York Art Students League,

LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E

Jaco Van Schalkwyk - Exhibitions 2004 Southeastern Wildlife Expo, Las Vegas, USA Rooms-on View, Press Lounges, Johannesburg, South Africa Jannewales-op-Kloof, Afrikaans Cultural Exhibition, Cape Town, South Africa 2005 Nederburg Wine Auction, Paarl, South Africa Vodacom Durban July (Dual Exhibition), Durban, South Africa Jannewales-op-Kloof Afrikaans Cultural Festival, Cape Town, South Africa Make-a-difference Art Auction and Exhibition by invitation of Francois Pienaar, St. Georges Hill Estate, London, United Kingdom Make-a-difference Art Auction, Sante Wine lands Estate, Franschoek, South Africa 2006 Media 24, KKNK Exhibition, Oudtshoorn, South Africa Art-on-View, Johannesburg, South Africa Jannewals-op-Kloof Afrikaans Cultural Festival, Cape Town, South Africa Iart Gallery-Opening exhibition at IART Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2008 Artists residency at the New York Art Students League, Vytlacil Campus

Vytlacil Campus, and studied different works of Vermeer in New York and Washington.

Painting ABOVE: The Last Hour In this work he uses symbolism to create a theme. The young girl symbolizes the fleetingness of youth and beauty.

Beauty and youth is temporary and the choices you make are conclusive. The travel bags and empty container are metaphors for life’s journey. The girl walks away from the light with her extinguished lamp. The extinguished lamp refers to Matthew 25, the parable of the five foolish and the five wise virgins. • Contact If anyone is interested in collecting from this artist or for sound expert advice, Jacques Durandt can be contacted on: Tel: +27 82 454 2001 Issue 4 / 2009

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Mariè Vermeulen-Breedt

An artist full of enthusiasm and passion for life…

Text Jacques Durandt Images: Mariè Vermeulen-Breedt

It is a bundle of energy and positiveness that beams through the door when Mariè arrives and this zest for life reflects in her work as she embraces life. She is always busy with something or on her way somewhere. Mariè Vermeulen-Breedt is a dedicated artist who has produced an impressive collection of work and has built for herself a successful career with works in the major collections of banks, businesses and universities both locally and internationally.

“There are definite thematic periods in my work that correspond with different times in my life. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, when my children were small, I mostly did child studies. After hearing a lecture by Prof Alan Crump at the Watercolour Society in 1982, I was inspired to spend the next 86

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five years experimenting, with little concern about whether my work sold or not. In the late 1980’s, after moving to the farm in Bapsfontein, I began my erotic studies that included nudes and forbidden fruits. This is one theme that has resurfaced over the years. In the 1990’s my work was primarily interiors and horses, reflecting my time on the farm and traveling through the South African countryside. Since about 2000, I’ve mainly produced landscapes, which are still my current focus.”

Mariè has an honest approach to portraiture and has made her a popular choice for painting iconic figures. She has a keen eye that doesn’t miss much and with her easy manner she puts people at ease. The artist’s portraits depict the sitter in

LIFEST YLE, ART S & CULT U R E a moment that exposes their true self, and capture revealing aspects of people’s personalities and Rory Bester, art historian and critic regards this ability a true test of a good portraitist.

Mariè has created a remarkable record of the everyday lives of a cross-section of South African society, featuring politicians, business people, academics, farm and domestic workers.

“My portraits of Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki were unusual in that I had to work mostly from photographs. Commissioned for the University of Pretoria’s new human rights law library, they were unveiled by President Mbeki.

As Oliver Tambo was already deceased, I did picture research at the University of Fort Hare, and also visited and interviewed Adelaide and Dali Tambo. They gave me additional photographs to work from. It was impossible to have Mandela and Mbeki sit for me, but I’d met both of them before, and had a strong visual sense of their public personas in my head. As public figures, they are often in the media, and the combination of careful observation of photographs from the Pretoria News archives and television footage, along with personal recollections, allowed me to build clear mental pictures from

“Horses are so much a part of my home and daily life. I love seeing them running at the bottom of the garden. I visit my stables every day, even when they’re empty and quiet. I love their smells and sounds – they might be environments only horses can inhabit, but they still have a special warmth and feeling that makes me want to linger”, she says.

Even after painting for so long, and working with so many subjects, a bare white canvas remains intimidating when starting a painting. This is primarily because I don’t know where to end the movement of the brush, and the edge of the canvas is already very imposing. That’s why I prefer to paint onto a colour that I’ve already put down on the canvas, and why I do a whole lot of canvases with different backgrounds, and then work over them at later dates. Painting is often a journey in which I revisit the same canvases over and over. It’s a journey that never really ends, and I‘m often drawn to rework canvases that I thought were finished a long time ago.”

Mariè’s landscapes are telling tales of journeys taken, not taken, or those still to come. There is a sense of movement that feels unending. “Like my interiors, my landscapes are often bathed in late afternoon sunlight. It brings a calming effect to the landscapes. This particular effect is important to me in my landscapes. If there is something disruptive in the scene I’m painting, something that makes me feel unsettled, I’ll remain true to what’s there in my view- it’ll be there as a layer of observed and painted space – but it’ll be obscured with dust or mist that I’ve subsequently added over the disquiet.”

Mariè Vermeulen-Breedt’s paintings have the ability to project a mood in much the same fashion as delicious food or soothing music would do. They are pure compositions of the celebration of life. • Contact If anyone is interested in collecting from this artist or for sound expert advice Jacques Durandt can be contacted on: Tel: +27 82 454 2001

which I could begin to understand Mandela’s and Mbeki’s individual personalities.”

“Interiors are an extension of the persona of whoever inhabits them. That’s why I call my interior paintings “portraits by omission”. The inhabitants are nowhere to be seen, but they are also everywhere in the way that they’ve occupied the interiors. So it’s not surprising that I’m drawn to interiors that portray something of the character of the inhabitants. The interiors remember the habits of the inhabitants. At the same time, I’m drawn to interiors that evoke precious memories from my own life. I paint the rooms, furniture, objects and light in other people’s homes when they remind me of the houses I grew up in. I’m often looking back at my own memories – my own “interior”- through the interiors of others. This is especially strong in early memories of living with my grandmother in Pretoria West,” Marie states.

“Horses are a symbol of strength and beauty in my paintings, and I’m especially drawn to painting the relationship between humans and these animals, whether saddling up in the stables or riding out of the farm. In the stables, I’m drawn to the quieterand often more intimate moments between the horses and the people attending them, and with riding scenes I try to capture the oneness of horse and rider, their synergy in movement through the landscape. But no matter where I paint my horses, it’s always the physical appearance of the animal that’s most aesthetically pleasing to me. A horse really is the most beautiful animal to paint!”

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HE A LT H

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health

CONSCIOUS

Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? There is no doubt that what we eat affects our health. The way we live our lives today, in a fast-moving world of technology, means we often have less time to look after ourselves properly.

Issue 4 / 2009

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H E A LT H

A.D.D.

(Attention Deficit Dilemma)

The last thing any parent wants to hear from a teacher is; ”I think your child has ADD or ADHD and needs to go onto medication.”

Text: Jonathan Woolf

The immediate reaction is, “where have I gone

wrong?” As a parent of four boys, I have heard this many times. I do acknowledge that medication is necessary for extreme cases of ADD and ADHD. I believe that many teachers and parents use medication as an easy way out. They are not coping with the challenges of daily life, therefore the children need medication.

In the majority of cases, children need a little, or a lot, of extra attention and an improved lifestyle. Good nutrition, less sugar, less television and no cartoons.

Children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) are inattentive & easily distracted. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or hyperactivity is a term often used to describe young children who have the qualities of ADD but are also impulsive or hyperactive & lack concentration or are difficult to manage. Parents, teachers and doctors can find it difficult to decide whether a child is showing symptoms of hyperactivity, which requires early treatment & management, or whether he is just displaying ‘normal’ behavioural problems, which they will eventually grow out of. There are also varying degrees of hyperactivity & some children may suffer from a mild form, while other children may be more severely affected. Unfortunately, a child is often diagnosed as having ADD / ADHD, when he merely suffers from behavioural problems. Many parents even claim that their child suffers from ADD / ADHD as an excuse for bad behaviour.

Below is a list of symptoms of ADD / ADHD: • constantly screaming & crying • irregular sleep patterns • difficult to settle & constantly wakes up • suffering from colic • difficult to feed • irritable • dislike cuddling • jumped at every sound • excessive dribbling • always thirsty • persistently banging his head or rocking his cot

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Some of the symptoms that toddlers display can be considered fairly normal for 2 year-olds, however an older toddler who has had many of the symptoms for more than 6 months, may be hyperactive. The following symptoms can be seen in toddlers and pre-schoolers suffering from ADD • excessively high energy levels • clumsy or accident prone • restlessness • irregular sleep patterns • constantly fidgeting • dislikes staying still or sitting for even short periods • easily distracted • frequently aggressive • dribbling excessively • always thirsty • poor appetite • inability to accept discipline or correction • overreacts to minor things & is difficult to calm down • poor self-esteem • constantly touches & meddles with everything • grabs objects such as toys • continuous crawling & climbing • difficulty in learning to dress himself • stammers or talks continually • does not like to share • lacks concentration • never finishes anything he has started • difficulty in regulating temperature • does not like change • usually suffers from an allergy, tummy ache, ear or chest infection etc.

• does dangerous things without any sense of danger or sign of fear ADD is usually diagnosed when a child starts school. Some of the symptoms displayed by school aged children & adults include: • excessively high energy levels

HE A LT H • always thirsty • poor appetite • easily distracted • inattentive • difficulty in listening • problems with school work • lack of perseverance • failure to finish tasks • finds it difficult to follow directions • poor memory retention • restlessness • abrupt activity shifts • trouble with organizing things • continually interrupting & excessive talking • impulsiveness & impatience • frequent mood swings • disruptive • frequently aggressive DO NOT PANIC! The experts will say that if your child has four or more of the above symptoms, they may suffer from ADD/ADHD. They keep on inventing new names for new symptoms and linking ADD to autism, Tactile Defensiveness and Sensory Integration Disorder. It feels like you heart has stopped beating! Let me encourage you by saying that all children will grow out of most of these symptoms. The strategy of the school system is to get all children to conform to their teaching methods, and if they cannot conform, then they must be ADD/ADHD. We sent our first

(report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome): • headache • stomach upset • weight loss The side effects that are not mentioned include • uncontrollable mood swings • loss of appetite • zombie-like behaviour • withdrawal • growth suppression There are clinical studies that have shown that ADD/ADHD medication causes cancer in laboratory animals. There are certain organizations that have linked ADD/ADHD medication to drug abuse in later life.

2. Diet: There is no doubt that a controlled diet helps immensely with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. • Eliminate foods that contain caffeine, sugar, artificial colourants, MSG, etc from your child’s diet. (sweets, chocolates, fizzy drinks, chips, white bread, and take aways) • Feed you child plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt and whole wheat bread and water.

• Vitamins will also improve their appetite. There are many good products available from supermarkets.

• There are also natural and herbal supplements that specialize in ADD/ADHD that are available from health shops and pharmacies.

In the majority of cases, children need a little, or a lot, of extra attention and an improved lifestyle. Good nutrition, less sugar, less television and no cartoons. child for test after test after being assured by the experts that he will not “keep up” at school and will therefore not fit in if we don’t solve his “problems”. He is now 13 years old and getting A’s at school. We refused to give him medication. We also found that we were being referred from practitioner to practitioner and the bills grew accordingly.

Do not allow teachers or doctors to label your child as ADD/ ADHD. The doctors, paediatricians, neurologists and all the other experts do not have all the answers. We know, we have tried them all. Your child will grow out of this.

CAUSES OF ADD/ADHD: The causes of ADD/ADHD are unknown TREATMENT OF ADD/ADHD: 1. Medication: The most common treatment is to administer medication in the form of Methylphenidate (the generic name of the drug) This is an excerpt from their website: Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible: • allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue • anxiety or severe nervousness • chest pain • fast, irregular heartbeat • fever, or hot, dry skin • high blood pressure • uncontrollable head, mouth, neck, arm, or leg movements • unusual bleeding or bruising Side effects that usually do not require medical attention

3. Sleep • Plenty of exercise will also improve the appetite, get rid of excess energy and improve sleep patterns.

• As parents we need to learn to enforce proper routines for our children, especially for sleep.

4. Television: • This is the babysitter of the 21st century.

• Too much TV over stimulates children and is a major cause of the above-mentioned behaviour patterns.

• Children should not watch programs with violence, cartoons and anything else that will over stimulate and over sensitise them.

5. Quality time: Your children love you and want to spend as much time with you as possible. Many of these symptoms are the result of lack of attention. Children who feel neglected either seek negative attention or withdraw. The most important thing to remember is that each child is a unique individual and has their own developmental growth patterns that cannot be measured against a list of symptoms.

Our current lifestyles have led to the breakdown of the family unit; it is no wonder that children are displaying bad behaviour patterns. They see bad behaviour from their parents, from society, from TV and from the school system. God has entrusted you with children to care for and nurture, they are not a burden, but a blessing.

Contact service@yourlifesa. co.za for more information. •

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GOD’S pharmacy Part 2

Text: Herman Uys Images: Rina Smit; iStockphoto.com

Cabbage was used by the ancients for medical

purposes as well as nourishment. Cabbage used to be a punishment to children, because of its bitter taste (magnesium), but today cabbage has lost most of its mineral properties due to soil quality deterioration. But it still has many of its anti-inflammatory powers and also carries certain chemicals that aid as a prevention against cancer. Cabbage juice relieves eye infection and is an excellent antacid, if eaten raw. Raw cabbage disinfects an inflamed colon. Cabbage often relieves headaches. Raw cabbage leaves can be used on inflamed wounds to draw out poisons. Basic cough syrup is made from cabbage leaves.

USES: • Gargle with white cabbage juice, found on cabbage leaves for a sore throat.

• Fresh cabbage juice is a fantastic anti-cancer, and fights bronchial infections.

• A raw cabbage leaf that is torn here and there can be placed on the mastitis infected breast, to relieve pain and clear up infection.

• Raw cabbage juice is excellent for asthma and bronchitis.

CARROTS Carrots keep the lymph glands clean and healthy. If carrots are eaten regularly, a woman’s monthly cycle can benefit by it. Carrots are an anti-inflammatory, as well as an

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antiseptic. Why not get a bag of carrots every month from your grocer and juice them, freeze the liquidise and drink a glass every day. The changes in your general health will surprise you. Do this especially if you’ve been on a sickbed to get your immune system back on track. Raw carrot juice can also be poured onto wounds to fight infection and heal sores quickly.

CELERY This veggie has a calming effect on the nervous system due to its high calcium levels. Celery must be eaten raw – the leaves as well as the stem. Celery seed is rich in iron and vitamins A, B and C. Celery seed is an excellent liver tonic, and fights high blood pressure. Celery is healing to the kidneys, and does wonders to urinary tract infection and bladder infection. If you have celery soup before a meal, it will suppress the appetite.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativis) Cucumber is rich in vitamin C and can be used as an inner and outer body cleanser. It’s a good skin cleanser, and an excellent anti-inflammatory vegetable. Drink cucumber juice for inflammation and arthritis. Cucumber juice is a good remedy for stomach ulcers and heartburn. If your eyes are irritated, tired, stressed and overworked, cut two thick slices of cucumber and place them on your eyes, lie on your back for 20 minutes.

Cucumber juice on sunburnt skin cools the skin off and

HE A LT H

soothes the sting. Drink cucumber juice every 2 minutes to bring down fever.

GARLIC What an amazing veggie did our God create! Garlic gives a strange note to the breath, but its properties are worth it. Garlic is an age-old antibiotic, which fights any form of infection and flu in the human body. It strengthens the immune system and can be used as much as needed. It’s an anti-cancer, anti-cold and flu remedy and helps fight diabetes. Garlic kills parasites in the body, fights arthritis, eliminates growths, and removes lead and other heavy metals. Garlic is an anti-fungus, antiseptic veggie.

LIQUORICE (Glycyrrbitga glabia) The liquorice sweets that we enjoy eating come from a magnificent plant with a blue flower. Very few people know about its existence. The roots of the plant are finely grounded, and cough syrup, stomach medicine, shoe polish, liver and heart tonics are made of it. Liquorice fights lung infections.

It stimulates the production of the adrenalin hormone.

Liquorice can be used to raise low blood pressure. It can be used to raise low blood pressure and it also stimulates kidneys and excretion functions. It cleanses and strengthens the liver. Liquorice can lead to liquid retention. Liquorice

Cucumber is rich in vitamin C and can be used as an inner and outer body cleanser.

Garlic is a wonderful body cleanser and aids the multiplication of friendly bacteria in your stomach and intestines. This is important to survival. It brings down high body temperature and is excellent for the stimulation of your heart valves and muscles.

Garlic relieves high blood pressure and is a natural antioxidant.

It also stabilises the acidity levels in the stomach, as well as the fertility system.

USES: Peel the garlic cloves and swallow it whole to prevent bad breath. Otherwise, if you must chew them, eat parsley, drink lemon juice, or eat an apple afterwards.

nourishes and builds the heart valves and muscles. Warning: If you are prone to high blood pressure, don’t eat too much liquorice.

Rev. Herman Uys grew up in a small town, Bethlehem, in the Free State, South Africa. He graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1984 with a BA and BD degree, and a diploma in theology. His interest in the field of natural healing took him on a road of intense study in this subject. His book: “God’s Pharmacy” was birthed in 2003, as a spontaneous overflow, and as a result of public demand. •

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Good

BREAST CANCER

THE

N E W PART S 3

Modern Management of Breast Cancer

Text: Dr Alwyn Carstens Images: iStockphoto.com

In this Part 3 of the Good News, we will be discussing the exciting new management of breast cancer, which is not really new, already about 30 years old. However, for many doctors and patients it might be new, because old dogmas still prevail. Typically in western medical practice it takes 50100 years to admit that we were wrong, before we accept new concepts and embrace them in our day-to-day practice.

It is often, like in breast cancer management, the patient’s pressure that moulds her doctor into new ways of treating and forces him/her to study and adapt his/her practice to new concepts in treatment. Breast cancer management is such an example.

For the past 100 years, surgery was the only treatment available for breast cancer. This meant mastectomy and the complete removal of the glands in the armpit. Unfortunately many doctors still offer this as first option to a woman with 94

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breast cancer. Radiation of the axilla was then added in this mutilation process.

This has changed and it is indeed GOOD NEWS for women.

Although I call it The MODERN management, these concepts are already researched, and practiced in many overseas centers for more than 30 years. Let us now point these out to you.

BREAST CANCER SURGERY Mastectomy today, is the last option! The breast surgeon is no more the first line of attack. Before any surgery is done on a breast lump, the diagnosis should be made non-invasively with a cutting needle. Not by fine needle aspiration! This was discussed in Part 2. Once an open, surgical biopsy is done, the chances of saving their breast are dramatically reduced and more surgical inventions will follow.

After the diagnosis (histological) is made by the Pathologist, the woman must be consulted by a Br Ca specialist TEAM.

HE A LT H This team must consist of a breast Radiologist, Surgeon, and practicing Oncologist, as well as the woman and her husband. Often a Reconstructive Surgeon is also necessary.

The appropriate treatment options will then be discussed from each team member’s perspective. The treatment plan must be explained to the woman. She must be fully informed, her questions must be answered and she must be given time to research and obtain other opinions from renowned cancer centers. (The internet is easily accessible from everywhere.)

Our aim should be to conserve the breast!

Why? Because all the research since 1993, showed that women do not live longer after mastectomy than women who only had a lumpectomy with radiation of the remaining breast. Look at the following graph showing survival of mastectomy versus lumpectomy patients. There is no difference in survival after 20 years.

THIS IS GOOD NEWS!! Women do not have to loose their breasts to live longer!!

This is proven by many other trials of which a summary follows: Table 14.1

Breast-conserving therapy: Randomized trials

Institution

Years

No of patients

Overall survival (%)

Milan (1)

1973 – 1980

349 (M)

Same (20 years)

352 (Q + XRT) NSABP-B06 (2)

1976 - 1984

590 (M)

Same (20 years)

629 (L + XRT) Danish Breast Cancer

1983 - 1987

Cooperative Group (BCG) (3) Institute Gustave-Roussy

82 (6 years) 79

430 (L + XRT) 1972 - 1979

Breast Cancer Group (4) NCI (5, 6)

429 (M) 91 (M)

65 (15 years) 73

88 (L + XRT) 1980 - 1986

116 (M)

75 (10 years) 77

121 (L + XRT) EORTC 10801 (7)

1980 - 1986

426 (M)

63 (8 years) 58

456 (L + XRT) Guy’s Hospital (8)

1981 – 1986

185 (M)

Equal (54 months)

214 (L + XRT)

Let us see what Dr Alberta Costa, a breast cancer expert, say about these studies: The way forward: Breast cancer surgery Alberta Costa Director, Breast Surgery Unit, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Pavia and Director, European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy I have dedicated my entire professional life to the field of

breast cancer, an experience which has transformed me. I have operated on more than 3,000 women. While I do not remember all of them, they all have left something in my mind, in my heart, in my experience of life.

I started to study medicine because I was attracted by science. Science is based on curiosity and doubt. This is an important aspect that scientists and advocates share. Advocates should always doubt, not trust, and should always ask why and if it can be done another way. History of medicine indicates that there are very few dogmas which persist over the years.

Over the last 30 years, what we have done in breast cancer has been a constant challenge to our dogmas. My mentor, Umberto Veronesi, did this in 1973, when we accepted the first volunteers willing to be randomized to have breast-conserving surgery instead of mastectomy. I was very lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I will never forget those women in 1973 that were diagnosed with breast cancer but did not have a mastectomy. It was something extraordinary, very challenging and dangerous. However, now we know that mastectomy was a dogma and that it was correct to challenge it. Today, the future of breast cancer patients does not depend on how much of the breast is removed, but on other factors as explained below.

In both advocacy and science, there is a strong need to constantly re-discuss and reconsider. This is a duty. There is also the dogma of axilliary resection and the need to remove all the lymph nodes. This is not necessary now as the sentinel node biopsy is an effective procedure. There is also the dogma of full radiotherapy.

TREATING THE AXILLA The glands in the axilla do not need to be removed if not affected by the cancer.

This is GOOD NEWS. In the past, the axilliary lymph glands were often removed unnecessarily. Axilliary dissection carries a high morbidity.

Swelling and pain in the arm is debilitating. Removing the glands in the armpit was mainly done for staging, and not for treatment.

To make this staging procedure less invasive, Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) mapping was developed about ten years ago.

It enables the surgeon to remove only the SENTINAL node to check for involvement during the initial (lumpectomy) surgery.

Trials have shown that if the SLN is not involved, the chances of other glands to be infiltrated are small.

This procedure also helps us to decide whether aggressive treatments will be necessary after the surgery (e.g.

Chemotherapy) This procedure is of value and can be done after preoperative systemic therapy and after failed excision biopsies.

This procedure has paved the way for less invasive surgery of the axilla, which in any case was only for staging and not for treatment.

All patients planning breast surgery should enquire if SLN mapping is available in her hospital, and if the surgeon will make use of it.

PRE-OPERATIVE SYSTEMIC TREATMENT (PST) With this approach, the tumour size is reduced before surgery, with chemo or non-chemo drugs. This results in a smaller volume of breast to be removed. The oncologist and surgeon should have the intimate involvement of the breast-radiologist to do this with confidence and safety. The shrinking of the tumour size is often remarkable. The cancer is often completely eradicated and killed and about 18% of cancers show complete pathological remission when examined by the Pathologist Issue 4 / 2009

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afterwards. Before the cancer completely disappears, our technique of Internal Carbon Tattoo, ensures that the surgeon do find the tumour bed at lumpectomy. About 300 cases of carbon tattoo has been successfully done and indentified by the pathologists, in our Breast Unit. This method (I am not aware of any other Centre in S.A. that does this) is essential

measured, while the cancer is still in the breast, by measuring it with ultrasound mammography or MRI. If it does not shrink, you know your treatment protocol is ineffective and should be changed. When surgery removes the tumour first, you never know if your treatment is having an effect. We thus have a measurable tool.

Surgery was for 100 years the only treatment available for breast cancer. This meant mastectomy and the complete removal of the glands in the armpit. for effective pre-operative treatment. See our technique of tattooing the shrinking tumour with activated carbon to assist with future removal of the remaining tumour (www.breastcare. co.za activated carbon tattoo).

This enables us to remove a smaller portion of tissue and leaves the patient with a better breast volume and cosmetic result. Often mastectomy can thus be avoided.

The type of treatment depends on the histology and receptors of the tumour which is obtained with cutting needle biopsy. Not with fine needle aspiration.

Advantages of treating first and then surgery.

1) The effect of the treatment can be judged, and

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2) Treatment can be started immediately (systemically).

When surgery is done first, one has to wait (+- 6 weeks) for the wounds to heal before you can start chemotherapy. Surgery delays treatment and does not attack cancer cells that circulate in the rest of the body. Killing these cells are more important than the tumour in the breast. It is not the breast tumour that kills a person but metastatic seeding to other organs.

3) When the tumour has shrunk, the surgeon only needs to remove a smaller portion of the breast. This also downstages the type of surgery and a mastectomy can often be avoided.

Less aggressive surgery of the axilla can be done then.

4) Many trials show that the survival rate in PST patients are

HE A LT H not compromised, compared to surgery first. In actual fact, there are certain types of Breast Cancer (Her-neu positive) that have worse prognoses when operated on first, before PST. 5) It must always be kept in mind that it is the systemic spreading of the cancer that kills, and not the tumour in the breast. The sooner cancer seeds in the body are treated, the better.

Chemotherapy The GOOD NEWS is that not all patients need to be treated

These include well known agents like Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors. There job is to block the growth stimulatory effects of circulating estrogens in the woman’s body. This is effective in cancers which are oestrogen receptor positive. About 72% or more of breast cancers are now found to be Er.positive.

Anti-estrogens are today a valuable new weapon in our treatment armentarium. In young women with ovarian function, the function of the ovaries can also be knocked out by chemicals instead of removing the ovaries surgically. THE BOTTOMLINE IN

The type of treatment depends on the histology and receptors of the tumour which is obtained with cutting needle biopsy. Not with fine needle aspiration. with Chemo!

It took us many years to realize that not all types of breast cancer respond on chemo and that we were actually harming some patients by giving them chemotherapy. Chemotherapy today is only reserved for certain types of Br.Ca and not given to older patients. As explained above, it is now often used before surgery to test response and shrink the tumour, to be able to save more of the breast tissue.

New treatment regimes are better and patients become less affected by chemo. In our Breast Care Centre we also use Antioxidant supplements to reduce the toxic effects of chemo so that patients feel better and are less nauseous. This helps the patient to receive the full course of treatment instead of being too weak to continue. This often happened in the past.

Do not believe the old dogma that patients should not take anti-oxidants (nutritious raw fruit and vegetables, whether in food or supplements) while treated with chemo or radiation. It cannot make sense to be advised to only take low quality food (low in anti-oxidants) while the body is dosed with toxins like chemo. We do not want to kill the body with the cancer. Many other breast care centres proved that anti-oxidant supplementation while on chemotherapy, in fact improves the efficacy of chemo. Below a quote in this regard: Study on the Role of Antioxidants in Reducing Chemotherapy Toxicity to Be Presented At ASCO 03 Jun 2007 A new study showing a reduction in the toxic side effects of ROS-generating chemotherapies with concurrent antioxidant supplementation will be presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) that takes place June 1-5 at McCormick Place in Chicago. According to the study’s authors, mitigating chemotherapy toxicity by supplementing with antioxidants may improve survival rates and tumor response by helping patients complete their prescribed treatment cycles.

The study was co-authored by Robert Newman, PhD, Professor of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Several of the studies reported fewer chemotherapy dose reductions, fewer treatment interruptions, and less need to discontinue treatment prematurely among the antioxidant groups. These results were previously reported in a paper by the same authors as evidence that oncologists do not need to be concerned that supplements will interfere with the tumor killing effects of chemotherapy. (http://www.blockmd.com) Hormonal Manipulation(Anti-oestrogen therapy) A large percentage of breast cancers today are oestrogen receptor positive. That means they are fuelled by estrogens.

Anti-estrogens are used to treat before or after surgery.

TREATMENT IS: All women should be treated according to her specific cancer type and there is no universal treatment for all cancers like believed in the past.

It must always be kept in mind that it is the systemic spreading of the cancer that kills, and not the tumour in the breast. The sooner the cancer seeds in the body are treated, the better.

Trials to support this approach and that it is safe, can be read under FURTHER READING AND TRIALS on our website (www.breastcare.co.za) Monoclonal Antibodies In aggressive types of cancer where we found a certain oncogene (Her-neu) to be present, a specific drug is used to suppress cancer growth. This reduces mortality significantly.

This is exciting and GOOD NEWS that we can now target a previously deadly type of Br.Ca effectively. Two international trials are now conducted at our Centre, evaluating different treatment protocols with monoclonal antibodies. Patients on these trials respond favourably but the final outcome of these trials will take a few years to be announced. REMEMBER, this is not chemo.

Very GOOD NEWS indeed.

Radiation treatment After lumpectomy the rest of the breast is “sterilized’ by radiation. The axilla is not radiated if the sentinel node biopsy was negative. The world is also moving away from whole breast radiation which influences breast cosmesis. Partial breast radiation is evaluated and already used overseas.

This is also GOOD NEWS. In conclusion I must again urge all women to take time for planning and decision making, before she succumbs to old outdated dogmas and treatment options. Please seek more opinions and walk the road with a specialist team who respects your body and strives to save your breast. There is no survival benefit if you have your breast removed.

(In the next issue, we will discuss the causes and prevention of breast cancer.”The Holy Grail must break”.)

Dr Alwyn Carstens is a physician with special interest in Women’s Health and specifically Breast Health. He practices as a diagnostic Radiologist at The Eastleigh Breast Care Centre in Pretoria. Together with a specialist team, his mission is to provide First World breast cancer treatment and to empower women to take part in decision- making. He has now spent 35 years of his life in the art of Medicine.

Many of these topics are discussed in more detail on his website at www.breastcare.co.za Issue 4 / 2009

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The

MIND-BODY

CONNECTION from a Biblical perspective

– Part One

Text: Dr Frans J Cronje Images: Rina Smit

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HE A LT H

In spite of having all the benefits of science and modern healthcare, mankind has never been as sick as it is today! While illness and health care costs continue to rise, science doggedly pursues the ultimate remedy to man’s misery. Sadly, even though there are daily scientific breakthroughs and discoveries, the remedy remains elusive to those who hold the belief that the present human condition is due to chemical imbalances or improper nutrition only.

The Bible clearly describes an association between

sin and disease. Let me hasten to say that sin is much more complex and insidious than our stereotyped concept of it as crude immorality and bad habits. What science labels as negative emotions is no different from that which the Bible calls sin. What has confused me as a doctor, however, is trying to understand how sin leads to disease; and what has frustrated me as a Christian, is that we do not seem to be learning anything from our diseases, they seem to be the random sufferings of a fallen world.

Amazingly, while nearly all people fear disease, most eventually accept them – even as a necessary suffering from the hand of God – or simply suppress the symptoms and the pain through the use of medication and make the best of it. Surely there must be a better way... This is not consistent with God’s promises or the restoration Jesus died for. What I would like to share with you is what God has been revealing to us over the past year in his mercy and compassion. For me, this represents a truly revolutionary key to understanding the interrelationship between spiritual problems and the diseases they cause.

If readers take only two principles from this, it should be (1) that it is God’s will that you be in health and (2) that there are specific associations between diseases and sins and that God

through a personal relationship, to bless others and particularly the next generation, and to end one’s life in a dignified death at the appointed time. This is confirmed in Exodus 23:25 and 26: You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst. None shall lose her young by miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfil the number of your days.

Unfortunately, this is not the norm. What we call normal ageing is an ongoing tug-o-war between sickness and health in which the battle eventually goes in favour of sickness and usually ends in death somewhere between 65 and 80. Of course there are also multiple opportunities for premature departures at the hand of sickness and injuries. None of these are God’s will although, He is usually blamed for them… In reality, it now appears – and this is confirmed by science - that it is our own sin that jeopardizes our health. Yet we remain ignorant about the cause and therefore oblivious to the remedy.

SIN & DISEASE The first clear cause and effect relationship between sin and disease is presented by God in his covenant with Israel. In Exodus 15:26 God announces His covenant name of Jehovah Ropheka – The Lord who heals you: “…If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is

Amazingly, while nearly all people fear disease, most eventually accept them – even as a necessary suffering from the hand of God – or simply suppress the symptoms and the pain through the use of medication and make the best of it. is ever ready to restore us, when we allow Him to do so, through repentance.

WHAT IS HEALTH? We all strive to be healthy – even in the midst of our strange lifestyles and bad habits! But we also know that we are all in the process of dying. Cynics even say that health is only the slowest possible way in which to die. In part this is true: Death affects us all eventually. However, what we all hope for is the best quality of life while we are alive, and the word we usually use for quality of life is health.

Of course our state of health changes as we age. Of all the individuals who are born healthy – and many aren’t – very, very few exit on the other end without contracting several acute diseases on the way. Most also develop some chronic diseases beyond the age of 35. So we tend to move from health to sickness as we age. The pervasiveness of illness has now established the fallacy that we actually need a disease to die. This is not true; medical science recognizes successful ageing in which one literally dies of old age. We have several examples in the Bible of people who died of old age: Jacob, for one, died of old age.

Presumably so did Abraham, Isaac, Moses and David. The heart can be worn out sufficiently that it will eventually fail to continue beating. This is different from dying due to an acute heart attack! God’s will for mankind – as clearly revealed in Scripture – is to have a full life with all its seasons, to glorify our Creator

right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you.” Clearly sin is a cause of sickness if obedience is a condition for healing.

Another example is given of the paralyzed man at the Bath of Bethesda whom Jesus heals but later warns that further sin may result in something worse, indicating that his former condition was due to sin, and that failure to change his ways would have health consequences.

Why tell you this? Because we have believed error. We have believed that diseases are random events and that we are defenseless against them. We believe that we have to die some day and that this is inevitably through some or other disease. So we accept this, blindly…: As God says in Hosea 4:6: “My people are perishing for lack of knowledge…” Diseases are not random events. We do not wake up one morning with cancer, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. More than 80% of all incurable diseases are an extension of underlying disorders within the spirit and soul – including diabetes, cancer and autoimmune disease. So the question we now need to answer is how spiritual issues cause sickness? What is the mechanism whereby sin, disobedience or iniquity may lead to disease? For if we understand the mechanism, we would be able to learn from our diseases. To be continued • Issue 4 / 2009

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Image: Rina Smit

SPIRIT

soul, body... ”Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Remember, O Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from old.” Psalm 25:4-6

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IN SPIR ATIONA L

RAY of hope In these days when you feel darkness surround you and your situation and circumstances cage you in, let Ray and a team of prophetic counsellor’s help you face tomorrow.

Categories: • Hope and encouragement • Dreams • Visions • Where to now – Destiny and purpose Write to us for sound advise Address: Ray of Hope.

Posnet suite 77 Private Bag x 37 LYNNWOOD RIDGE 0040 0r Email: hope@ray-magazine.com Please let us know should you like us to place our reply to you in Ray-Mag or answer you confidentially.

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CHARACTER KINGDOM

success &

Reclaiming Authority in the Marketplace Text: Pastor Wandi L. Hasheni Images: iStockphoto.com

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Making major life

decisions are sometimes a difficult task and it challenges a lot of character. Many of the questions that we’re toying with are: Which job should I take? Is this the person I should marry? Should I get angry? Should I join this ministry? Should I start a ministry? Should I go to college?

The choices we make are entirely determined by the level of maturity in our spiritual life. One’s success depends entirely on the choices one makes, which in turn reflects on his/her character as a person.

Fortunately, God wants you to know the answers to all of these questions and any others you may have. In other words, God wants you to know it all.

Before Jesus died on the cross, He promised His disciples that He would send them a Helper and that is the character of Christ, which is faithfulness. The Holy Spirit was the Teacher and Friend who came to lead them and guide them into all truth (John 16:13). The good news is that the Holy Spirit is still here for believers today!

The mark of a true believer who follows the example of Jesus Christ and His character, is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. You must have real fellowship with Him in order to have your prayers answered. You may not know which way to go in your situation, but the Holy Spirit knows. And because of your

spiritual requirement to imitate Christ.

6) You must walk in love. If you want direction from God, you must learn to walk in love. Walking in love means living without malice and anger. When you walk in love and keep God’s commandments, you demonstrate that you love Him. And He wants nothing more than to talk to those who love Him. Together, these principles will put you in position to receive direction from the Holy Spirit and build a good character, in line with the principles of the Word of God. Acknowledge His presence and His power, and you’ll discover that, through Him, you are able to achieve the highest degree of righteousness, inner peace and self-discipline. Your success depends greatly on whether you yield to the Holy Spirit in your daily life. Think about what it means to yield. When you see a yield sign on a road, it means you are to stop, and let the driver with the rightof-way proceed. In the same manner, yielding to the Holy Spirit means you stop, and allow Him to proceed before you: then follow Him do not lead Him. Joshua was a man who experienced supernatural success.

The nation of Israel was on the line and God needed Joshua to take over where Moses left off. In Joshua 1:5, He lets this great leader know, “There shall not any man be able to stand before

Fortunately, God wants you to know the answers to all of these questions and any others you may have. In other words, God wants you to know it all! relationship with Him, He is willing to share what He knows with you. In fact, 1 John 2:20 says, “...ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”

To develop an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit and receive His guidance and direction, you must meet a few key requirements: 1) You must be born again. Before the Holy Spirit can lead you, you must invite Jesus Christ into your heart and accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. When you do this, God recognizes you as one of His children, and He speaks to you and blesses you.

2) You must develop a spirit of meekness. Meekness is the strength to exercise humility and self-control even while you’re suffering an injustice. When you walk in meekness, God will show you what to do in every situation.

3) You must have faith. Faith is having confidence in God and His Word. In order to be led by the Holy Spirit, you must first believe wholeheartedly that His words have power, and that acting on His words will change your circumstances.

4) You must fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Don’t be afraid to talk to the Holy Spirit. Ask Him questions and seek His help.

He is a Friend who wants to reveal information that will make you successful.

5) You must learn to be quiet. Many people have so much drama, stress and worry in their own spirits that it becomes difficult for them to listen and hear the Holy Spirit.

But the Bible encourages you to cast all of your cares on Jesus (1 Peter 5:7). It then becomes difficult to imitate God as required by the Word in Ephesians 5:1. It is a

thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

The secret to his success was his character. He obeyed God, trusted in Him and meditated on the Word of God and had a teachable spirit. Joshua spent most of his life under the teachings of his mentor (Moses) who imparted knowledge and wisdom to him. Moses’ success in preparing Joshua can be attributed to his character. Teachability, obedience, meekness and humility were some of the strongest qualities that Joshua had under the mentorship of Moses. • “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

Proverbs 16:32 (NKJV) “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14 (NKJV) Scripture References: John 16:13

Ephesians 5:1

Romans 12:14 1 John 2:20

Joshua 1:8

Proverbs 16:32 1 Peter 5:7

Matthew 5:5

1 Corinthians 13 Joshua 1: 5

Romans 12:14

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of life

A medical Word-founded approach to the healing and renewing of your mind.

THE DIVINE LAW Part 2

God’s Word is life and healing to your soul and renews your youth like that of an eagle. God sends forth His Word to heal us!

Text: Dr Rudi Buys Images: Mitchell Krog; Rina Smit

Your thoughts, and

what you see and hear, influence your inner dialogue – your silent conversation with yourself. The inner dialogue is the “stage” where your thoughts play their roles and create their own “show” and then entice you to act.

Thoughts have an inherent ability to create a chain reaction: one thought leads to another, to another and so on.

It is a remarkable mechanism through which thoughts gather “power” to develop passion in order to go over into action and to overcome any threat.

An example of a typical progression or linking of thoughts: A guy is retrenched. His economic situation, which is no reflection of his abilities, creates despair in his thought life. To overcome this “threat”, the subconscious mind needs to act to get out of the “trap”. The inner dialogue starts gathering other thoughts. “You are a burden to your family.” “Your situation is

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hopeless.” “There is no solution.”

One distorted thought links with another distorted thought, and another, and another, and in time these thoughts create a picture - a “play” - in the mind that doesn’t reflect reality at all. In time you validate this perception and it becomes your personal truth. A personal reality, a personal truth, is created, based on circumstances. It usually results in a completely distorted perception, for example: “I am not worthy!” The message from the subconscious is: Action is needed. The problem must be resolved. The only alternative is suicide! The subconscious does not know right from wrong. It is compulsive and can’t comprehend what the consequences are.

A destructive inner dialogue starts a cascade of events in the mind and body. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, which, with the help of adrenaline, helps to activate the fight, flight or freeze response. But you needn’t be at the mercy of a sequence of biological processes. You can get skilled to order

IN SPIR ATIONA L your thoughts, take control and put the “lion” behind bars. It is therefore absolutely essential to have a strategy ready to steer thoughts in a productive direction. In this situation, if you have operational skills, you can arrest destructive thoughts and inner dialogue by saying: “I am not a failure. The situation failed me! My circumstances don’t define who I am. The Word defines me and it says I am precious to God. If I put my trust in Him, He will deliver me from trouble. This is an ideal situation to explore new avenues, to add spice to life etc. I refuse to be immobilized by the situation. In Jesus I have a future!”

Thoughts of trust, rest in the Word, peace, and the awareness of God’s big helping hand, activate the safety zone and reward centre. These thoughts activate the parasympathetic nervous system. (It’s easy to remember: the “P” stands for peace.) The brain is stimulated to secrete endorphin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters that counteract the effect of adrenaline and its poison. Feelings of well-being and purpose are propagated.

The good news is that your thinking program can be changed.

Here follow some basic skills to help you order your thoughts, put the “lion” behind bars, and become productive.

How can you get order in your thoughts?

• First of all, position yourself in the arms of your loving Father: “I am not an orphan! I am not alone. I have a Father who waits to help me!” The Word says: Cast the whole of your care – all your anxieties, all your worries, All your concerns, once and for all – on Him; for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 1 Peter 5: 7 [Amplified] Powerlessness or desperation is experienced the moment you feel alone, confess the negative, or has lost contact with God. If you trust in Him, stress is dissolved. His blessings can’t

my God, my strength, in whom I will trust. Psalm 18: 2 • Focus on Jesus - instead of the uncertain future.

Don’t dwell on the problem, or fear the future. Tomorrow’s worries can steal all your energy. You can’t live tomorrow today; it only creates a trapped feeling. The question, “What is going to happen to me tomorrow?” is an outcry of being trapped. Feeling lonely, desperate, or powerless causes stress. Jesus is there for your tomorrow. Take every thought captive into obedience to Christ, the Messiah. 2 Corinthians 10: 5 Just say: “STOP! I’ll take the risk of tomorrow with Jesus on my side. I will not take my eyes off Him. He will never forsake me!”

The light of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is single, Your whole body shall be full of light. Matthew 6: 22 Let your eyes stay fixed on Jesus. In Him you have a future!

Take therefore no thought for tomorrow, For tomorrow shall take care of itself. Matthew 6: 34 …. do not worry about your life, What you will eat or what you will drink; Matthew 6: 25 Parents will feel terrible when, during a nice holiday, their son worries constantly and keep asking them: “Do we have enough money to pay for our return journey?” The parents planned ahead and now their son doesn’t trust their competency and can’t even enjoy the holiday!

Focus on, and trust His provision. Keep yourself busy with and see His solutions, expecting His answers. Tomorrow will be sorted out. Matthew 6: 34 And we know that all things work together for good To them that love God …….. Romans 8: 28 • Know that you are empowered.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4: 13 The Amplified translation is powerful and clear: I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me.

A destructive inner dialogue starts a cascade of events in the mind and body. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, which, with the help of adrenaline, helps to activate the fight, flight or freeze response. flow where there is no trust. Contact with God opens the door to escape the feeling of being “trapped”. God hates murmuring because He knows that murmuring causes destruction in the mind! Murmuring is being offended with God, “blaming” Him for your situation. Murmuring is praising the enemy. Even to have a scapegoat gives the mind a message that you are cornered.

Your mind gets the message: “Don’t try anything; nothing can help in this situation.” It is so easy to become the victim in your mind. Then a downward spiral starts: victim - self-pity offendedness - resentment and on and on. Questions like, “Why me?” forces a path of destruction, eroding all faith and trust.

To ask futile questions, to keep yourself busy with “What if?” drains energy and pollutes you with stress. These questions are actually motions of “no confidence” in your Supplier. Your thoughts come to rest the moment you cast everything on Him once and for all! Then you can hear His voice!

• Take your stand on the Rock – the Word.

Your only position must be the Truth: I have a loving Father!

Ask yourself: “What will move me? The facts or the Truth?”

“What impresses me more? What I see, or what the Word says?”

Keep yourself busy with the Word’s answers and with Jesus. Let nothing move you, stand firm on the Word.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,

I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me?

I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. Philippians 4: 13 It is He who enables you. You will be ready for everything through Christ. You are complete in Him. The knowledge and trust that God, through His Spirit, is always present to protect you, to show you the way, to guide you and to give you the answers you seek, ends all the uncertainties of stress and brings peace, joy and health!

• A practical MUST to get rid of turmoil in your thoughts: Exercise!

The ultimate aim of stress is action. How can exercise relieve tension? The body is designed to have action when in turmoil!

By exercising, your body burns up all excessive adrenaline and this alleviates stress. A feeling of accomplishment and relief is obtained. The message to the sub-conscious is: “There was action and direction; you are out of the trap.” Endorphin, the body’s feel-good hormone is released. Endorphin is the body’s own drug. It has the same effect as morphine. This hormone is designed to help you survive and to soften the effect of adrenaline on the mind and body. Any successes and rewards are stored in your “mind files” to help with future motivation.

That is why the hunter will bear hardship again because a Issue 4 / 2009

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• Become a detective - look for happy moments.

During the day, make it a quest to gather happy moments.

Treasure the smallest thing that uplifts your spirit. At night re-live, or recount the occasions during the day, when you experienced success, happiness, joy or fun. Plant new thinking seeds and care for those seeds every day!

To be a born again child of God doesn’t automatically release you from sense knowledge: You are still influenced by what you see, hear, think or feel. The following can illustrate it to you: I crushed my pinky once. For ten days my mind, my body, my thoughts became one big pinky. My inner dialogue elaborated on this pain. The only relief from my soul’s dialogue was when I took tablets or was sleeping. This pain influenced the loving relationship with my wife and even with my God. Our minds, with its bio-chemical activities, are as fertilizer to the seed of thoughts, pain, disease, hurt, resentment, worries and guilt. The growth of these seeds gets out of control if you don’t replace them with God’s seeds or answers.

Only entering into His “rest” and care, allowing the Word to dominate my senses, my soul - the pain, hurt, etc., can be saved.

All thoughts are like seeds: Thoughts, like seeds, grow and render a harvest. Many a thought will like to put down roots in your mind. The choice is always yours.

What do you choose to cultivate in your mind? Once a seed is planted and has put out roots, it takes a lot of commitment to root it out. It is far better not to allow a destructive thought to settle and start growing. A thought seed is planted when you allow it to dwell in your mind. As often as you contemplate the thought you nurture it and give it water. Once you voice the thought, you validate it and confirm its right to existence.

All countries appoint customs officers to prevent the import of dangerous seeds and plants. Their task among other things is to prevent contamination and the spread of diseases and weeds. Prevention is better than the problem of eradicating it later.

We should follow their mode of action with our thoughts: • Reject the dangerous seed or plant immediately. Refuse entry! The Word gives you clear indications which thoughts are dangerous! Exercise foresight…. secure God’s unmerited favour…. that no root of resentment shoots forth and cause trouble… Hebrews 12 : 15 [Amplified Bible] • Put the suspicious seed under quarantine until being cleared or not. When not sure, stop your thoughts and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and give you insight into the trend of your thoughts.

• Allow the seed entry – it’s legal! Let His peace be your referee. When your thoughts produce the fruit of the Spirit, they are “legal”!

An example of the consequences of bad seed: A thought seed of unforgiveness is planted. Roots develop and control your mind and subconscious. Then a habit – the stem – grows out, ruling your life. It may even bear the extreme fruit – murder! If a seed of unforgiveness is allowed to inhabit your thoughts, it also spreads roots of resentment, bitterness, jealousy and pride. These roots invade your soul and multiply.

It can develop into a habit of hate, and the ultimate fruit of this planting is murder – the “saving” action. Within a short while you have an unholy “family” of thoughts residing in your mind.

Thoughts can contaminate you and make you a captive of a situation or of people.

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We can’t help which thoughts come into our minds, but: We can choose what to do with them!

If you are not on guard, certain negative thought patterns establish themselves in your mind, overgrow your faith and trust, and take control. Your thoughts are always the battlefield where the “war” is won or lost. The imagination supports negative thoughts, or fear, and stimulates their growth. With your imagination the “scenes” your thoughts create, are embroidered and coloured. Use this ability to your advantage and with your thoughts, and your imagination, create seeds of love and peace!

Negative thoughts always result in action. It will manifest to the outside or inside the body where it affects the health.

Negative thoughts pollute, causing disease. It produces toxins in the brain and body.

A choice can set you free from old thinking patterns: Study the following chart to give you insight in the progression of thoughts. (With acknowledgement to Ernest J. Gruen, “Freedom to Choose”.)

The first column shows the thought seed that is planted and its accompanying roots that spread out under the influence of stress. The next column shows the progression - the habit that is established. Given enough thinking time, the thought seeds will develop and progress into a habit. The third column shows the ultimate fruit into which this seed can develop. The subconscious needs action – the end result is usually disastrous action! For every bad seed there is the alternative seed you can plant – God’s seed. A valuable “tool” to restore order and to take control over your thought life, is to proclaim: “I’ll turn my back on my own weapons, my own “security system!” Stop! I am not going to allow this thought or habit to contaminate me or lead me to disaster. I choose to plant Life seeds!”

Plant God’s seeds by proclaiming His promises – as shown in each text box. Although you might “feel” you don’t believe your words, or voicing them might sound artificial and strange to you, if you’ve made a commitment your words aren’t lies. God is not a liar! Identify the corrupted seed that is rife in your mind and write down your commitment and strategy to plant God’s seed. •

IN SPIR ATIONA L Negative, untamed thoughts lead to habits and disastrous action: THOUGHT SEED (HABIT)

HABIT DEVELOPS INTO:

EXTREME ACTION (ends in action):

Hatred Unforgiveness: Hurt; resentment; jealousy; bitterness God’s Seed:

Murder Stop! I will not allow contamination or toxins and destruction to take root! I choose to obey the Word! I plant God’s seed! I am filled with His love. I choose to forgive! Love endures all.

LOVE

THOUGHT SEED

Hopelessness Discouragement: Despair; depression; disillusionment God’s Seed:

JOY

Suicide Stop! I will not allow contamination in my life! The joy of the Lord is my strength! I put on His garment of praise! He turns my sorrow into joy.

I have a future in Jesus

THOUGHT SEED Fear

Nervous Breakdown Worry: Tension; fretting nerves; confusion; restlessness God’s Seed:

PEACE

Stop! This is poison to my soul and opens the door to fear!

Jesus is my peace! I have cast all my cares on Jesus. He cares for me!

His love drives out fear!

THOUGHT SEED Violence

Rage, fury Impatience: Bad temper; sefishness; disharmony; annoyance God’s Seed:

PATIENCE

Stop! I refuse to pollute others or myself! I shall not be moved, except by His Word. I needn’t fend for myself.

I have patience.

THOUGHT SEED Unsteadiness Doubt & Anxiety: Hesitation; indecision; negative faith

God’s Seed:

FAITH

Total collapse Stop! I’ll take the risk with Jesus on my side! I am anchored in Jesus.

I am single-minded. In Jesus I have all the answers for my life!

THOUGHT SEED Insanity

Unreasonableness Inconsideration: Harshness; arguing; cruelty; jealousy

God’s Seed:

GENTLENESS

Stop! I won’t allow my flesh to rule me! I have God’s Wisdom, which is gentle. I refuse strife. Instead I will bless and have mercy!

THOUGHT SEED Domination Pride: Self-ego; disunity; unpreachable spirit

God’s Seed:

MEEKNESS

Self-destruction Stop! I won’t be my own god!

I have laid down my life. I receive the Word with meekness and I’m teachable.

THOUGHT SEED

Read Philippians 4: 8 “… fix your mind on these things” – the “customs” verse for your thoughts!

For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he! – Proverbs 23: 7 Issue 4 / 2009

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blessing

GOD’S

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about God? Do you think about His power? His creation? His judgment? How about His love and generosity? The Bible gives us a clear picture of God’s personality. He loves us so deeply that He longs to bless us continually. He yearns to pour out goodness upon us by the week, by the day, by the moment.

And that includes you. He wants to bless you right now, as you read these words. Can you imagine the fabulous implications of that? God’s blessings for you are priceless, profound, and infinite. If you simply receive all God’s blessings, your life would be changed forever. You would experience all the good things God has intended for you. In time, as you share your blessings with others, you will become even more blessed yourself.

One thing you’re bound to notice about God’s blessings: having received a blessing, you can’t help to become one to others. The more God sheds His goodness upon us, the more we find that we overflow into the lives of others. We ask Him for more room, more responsibility, and more vision in order to bless the world on His behalf. What are the borders that define your life? We all have our limits, don’t we? We’re limited by the people we know, the places we go, and the work we accomplish.

But isn’t it time we let ourselves be defined by opportunity rather than limitation? God is calling you to a new life that boldly ventures outside those places where you feel comfortable and unchallenged. He knows you’ll never feel genuinely alive unless

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you go where the action is. He wants to expand your circles of influence and impact.

God is concerned about your well-being, both physically and spiritually. He wants you to prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.. Above all, He wants you to be a spiritually healthy person. Spiritual blessings are the greatest blessings you can receive. The Bible tells us that every spiritual blessing is ours in Jesus Christ. ‘’Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’’. Ephesians 1:3 Jesus is not only the source of our spiritual blessings, but He is the spiritual blessing that we hunger for in our lives. In Jesus Christ, everything you receive will bring you spiritual health. You can freely receive and enjoy every good and perfect gift that is in His heart to give you. ‘’The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’’ Numbers 6:24-26.

The source of the blessing given in Numbers 6:24-26 is God alone. Everything in this blessing is God’s perfect will for you. It comes directly from His heart to touch your life. It is a blessing that is right for you, needful for you, and best for you. It is God giving you the highest, the richest, and the fullest measure of His goodness. It is a blessing that He wants to pour upon

IN SPIR ATIONA L

God has called us to live a life we cannot live, so that we must depend on him for supernatural ability. We are called to do the impossible, to live beyond our natural ability. – Erin W Lutzer The Christian life is stamped all through with impossibility. Human nature cannot come anywhere near what Jesus Christ demands, and any rational being facing His demands honestly, says: ‘It can’t be done, apart from a miracle’ exactly. – Oswald Chambers A man stood before God, his heart breaking from pain, sin, and injustice in the world. ‘Dear God,’ he cried out, ‘look at all the sufferings, anguish in Your world. Why don’t You send help?’ God responded, ‘I did send help. I send you.’ David J. Wolpe Text: Rina Smit Image: Mitchell Krog

you in abundance so that you will never lack His supply. It is a blessing that keeps you under His protective care and covering; that causes His favour to rest upon you; that fills your heart with love and shines out through your countenance; that gives you, moment-by-moment, all the grace you need to do His will and

that is packed with the full benefits of God’s favour. In Hebrew the word ‘shalom’ has many significant meanings throughout the Scriptures. The following blessing is a compilation of those meanings.

May you be whole in spirit, soul and body as a result of being

One thing you’re bound to notice about God’s blessings: having received a blessing, you can’t help to become one to others. The more God sheds His goodness upon us, the more we find that we overflow into the lives of others. fulfil His purpose for you. God’s blessings brings His smile over your life as He cares for you, provides for you, and encourages you with His presence. He touches the deepest part of your spirit with a peace that calms every storm, heals every wound, and comforts you in every trial. ‘’Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom. ’’Judges 6:24 ‘’Lord, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us’’.

Isaiah 26:12 When we greet someone we usually say ‘hello’ and when we leave we usually say ‘goodbye’. It is a nice social greeting, but it has no deep or profound meaning behind it. In Israel, however, when you greet someone or say goodbye, the word that is used is ‘’Shalom’’. Shalom is much more than a casual social greeting; it is a prayer, a blessing, a desire, and a benediction. It is a word

in harmony with God’s will and purpose for your life. May His peace be your covering, your heart knows His fullness, and by His mighty power may He bring to pass the deepest desires of your heart... May you know the healing power of His presence, and the restoration of every broken relationship. Through His sufficiency, may His limitless resources meet every need that you face. May His covenant promises be fulfilled in your life and in your family. May He bring you the greatest measure of contentment and the deepest satisfaction that your heart can possibly know.

The life that the Lord has prepared for His people is a life of victory. HE WILL BLESS YOU AND BRING YOU REST! GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU. If you want more out of life than what you have, you need to look closely at the things in your life that have limited you. • Issue 4 / 2009

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Trusting God

with your success

How often do you find yourself in a situation where all you have ever trusted has turned against you? All your connections in higher places seem to have forgotten all about you? That business which took you years to put together, the concept well presented has been reduced to nothing but a statistic - just another FAILED IDEA. Sounds familiar? Well, you are not alone, as I know exactly what you’re going through.

Text: Pastor Wandi L. Hasheni Image: Mitchell Krog

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IN SPIR ATIONA L

Thousands of people out there, including me, are victims of ‘corporate cruelty’. Where do we go wrong?

Could it be our fault? Is it government economic policies or perhaps our country’s banking system not favouring our unique financial circumstances? Could it be the colour of your skin that you are not entitled to government tenders and BEE deals?

All these are some of the questions that we ask ourselves as we experience all sorts of hurdles hindering our way to success in business and career growth.

In the beginning God placed everything that man could use and enjoy in the Garden of Eden. God saw to it that Adam lacked nothing. He lacked no good thing. He was created in the image of God himself, leaving nothing to be desired. God supplied Adam with companionship, ability, abundance and a kingdom.

All this was done by God in full confidence of His will in man.

It is obvious that God desired Adam to live in abundance, but

by Adam’s own choice, the lordship of Satan engulfed man in a curse that resulted in poverty and lack.

God’s heart yearns for His people to be free and prosperous and through His infinite wisdom, He has continually provided deliverance and redemption for and freedom from the curse of poverty.

The book of Genesis (1: 26-28) clearly displays the will of God for His people.

Trust in the Lord and lean not in your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). If you trust in Him He supplies your every need (Psalms 57:2). The book of Proverbs 3:6 goes further to

lives solely depends on the level of revelation that we have in our spirit. We simply need to receive a revelation of ‘Trusting God’ and all our ways will be prosperous.

The Bible in the book of Jeremiah 17:7 puts emphasis on the benefits of trusting the Lord when He proclaims that He will bless the person who puts his trust in Him. I know that you could probably be wondering if it makes sense to trust in God if He does not seem to be moving according to your expectations. You could be asking; how do I trust in the Lord if my situation never changes? Does it make sense to trust in God if everything that I touch falls apart? Does it make any sense to trust in God if I persistently fail to pay my debts? Well, I cannot deny the validity of all the above concerns and questions.

In fact, there is a stage in my own personal experiences where I raised the same questions. However, God proved to be very faithful throughout my season of confusion and provided me with the following answers: • Trusting God can never make sense – in fact, it must never make sense, as it is not designed to make sense.

• Trusting God has got nothing to do with believing, but more to do with faith.

• Trusting God is not about giving God a list of wants and needs, but implies an intimate relationship with God. It is more about how much you know Him, than what you want from Him. • Trusting God is revealed in the Word of God through the teachings of faith as a fundamental ingredient of intimacy with God (Hebrews 11:1-6).

Trusting God is not about giving God a list of wants and needs but an intimate relationship with God. It is more about how much do you know Him than what you want from Him. encourage us to remember God in everything that we do and He will show us the right way.

Beloved reader, it is in our choices that we mess up.

Choosing not to trust in God in our decision-making processes is our biggest miscalculation. God knows hearts and all that we desire. He is an all knowing God. He is omniscient. When we say God is omniscient, we mean He possesses perfect knowledge of all things.

The prefix “omni” means “all” and the word “science” comes from a Latin root meaning “knowledge.”

Remember, God has never had to learn anything as He possesses all the knowledge in the world. Who would not want to trust such a God? I certainly do!

As we chase all the glamour that the world produces; the cars, big houses, big contracts, and so on He looks at us with pain in His heart for He knows that we have lost our focus on Him. We have shifted from our position. He says in the book of Matthew (6:33) that we should seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and ALL these other things shall be added unto us. In this portion of the scripture, God is challenging us to put our trust in Him. He simply requires of us to yield unto Him so He can do all these things that we are planning to do.

Our success in business, climbing the corporate ladder, clinching that business deal and winning in all aspects of our

When Abraham took his son to slaughter him he had faith in God and so trusted Him that he did not ask questions. When God took him from the land of his birth, all he had in him was faith in God trusting that whatever the Lord said was for real and true. Hence his obedience and unprecedented grounded trust in the Lord.

As you read these passages take some time to think about the following: • It never made sense to Abraham when he took his son to slaughter him. Nor did it make any sense when he left his land of birth to an unknown destination. (Genesis 12:22) • It never made sense to Joshua when he had to lift his right hand towards the river Jordan but he did.

• It never made sense to Elijah when he poured water onto the bull and the altar so that all was wet – but he did because he trusted the Lord. (1 Kings 18) It is in light of the above therefore, that it could be conclusively argued that trusting God can never make sense as it is not made to make sense. If one is trusting God one operates in the dimension of the supernatural, transcending beyond the level of logic and reasoning.

Trusting God is a spiritual phenomenon, as it requires a believer to operate in the Divine apparatus. As a matter of fact, if it makes sense it is not ‘real trust in the Lord,’ one that guarantees a move of God. • Issue 4 / 2009

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THE SEAGULL

and albatros

– Majestic symbols of the open ocean Text & Images Rina Smit

Birding attracts people of all ages and is one of the fastest growing and most popular pursuits. People start watching birds for different reasons, but whatever the reason, once you start, you tend to become a dedicated birder because of the enjoyment you derive from this hobby. Birds, like humans, mostly use visual cues to communicate, many of which communicate largely through their sense of smell.

They are much rewarding to observe. There could hardly be a better place than Southern Africa to nurture an interest in birds.

Many Southern African birds such as storks, hornbills, rollers and turacos (loeries) are large and colourful, making their identification easy. Southern Africa supports more than 950 bird species – some 10 per cent of the world’s birds. Africa as a whole supports almost a quarter of all the bird species in the world. Perhaps, the most important part of becoming a birder is that you become much more aware of the environment in which 112

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you live. Birds are good indicators of the state of the natural world, and most birdwatchers make excellent environmentally aware citizens.

Birds are no more extraordinary than any other living organism. Yet it is their greater familiarity with people that can make them seem so special. They fly, they sing, they are rich in colour and pattern, they are animated, and they are almost everywhere, almost always. No other group of animals can say as much of themselves, however interesting they are. The familiarity of birds has leaded them to be a great source of inspiration to people throughout our shared history. They have a powerful place in our cultures as symbols of freedom and wisdom as well as spirituality. From the tiny bee hummingbird to the huge wandering albatross, birds bring the diversity and wonder of a garden or place to life. The best place for a starter

IN SPIR ATIONA L make an effort to meet their needs. Fruits, flowers and berrybearing plants, for example, have become more popular; so have indigenous plants that are likely to appeal to local birds.

Water features and bird feeders in all shapes and forms are now very much a part of garden design. Depending on the size of your garden and the cover it provides, you might be surprised at the birds that choose to breed there. You will attract a far greater diversity of birds to your garden if you grow indigenous plants. And remember that the wider the variety of the plants and habitats you can provide, the more birds will visit. Ensure that there are sufficient flowering plants.

TOP 10 PLANTS FOR BIRDS: 1.

Tree-fuchsia (Hallerie lucida) 2.

Wild-peach (Kiggelaria Africana) 3.

White karee (Rhus pendulina) 4.

River bushwillow (Combretum erythrophyllum) 5.

Dogwood (Rhamnus prinoides) 6.

Aloe species 7.

Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis 8.

Wild dagga (Leonotis leonurus) 9.

Coral-tree (Erythrina species 10.

Fig (Ficus species)

birder is the garden, if you have one. In even the smallest gardens there are a dozen or so birds that visit regularly; larger gardens may attract as many as 30 species in any month. The local park is often a good substitute for a garden, especially if there happens to be a water feature.

While it is obviously best to let the birds enjoy feeding naturally from the plants in your garden, it can be fun to encourage more visitors by providing additional food. There is a range of commercially available foods and feeders that you can buy. Birds use water for drinking and bathing. Water also attracts insects and frogs to an area, and can support fish, all of which are an added food lure for birds. (Taken from Bird, the Definitive Visual Guide, Published by Dorling Kinderskey Limited.)

Albatrosses are majestic symbols of the open ocean.

Most species live in areas with predicable winds and use their long, slender wings to soar effortlessly along wave crests, covering vast areas of ocean in search for food. Their very long wings may prevent them from diving more than a few meters below the surface of the water, but they are well adapted to opportunistic foraging. Many populations benefit from food discarded by fishing activities, and they aggregate in large numbers at commercial fishing grounds. The most worrying development is that recent studies are revealing new threats to albatrosses both at sea and at their breeding islands. ”Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world, and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; together let the hills sing for joy before the Lord” (Psalm 98:7-9) ”The sea is His, for He made it; and His Hands formed the dry land” (Psalm 95;5).

The seagull and albatross glide above the ocean, riding on a salty breeze. Peaceful dancers in the sky, there are work for them to do on earth, cleaning the beach under the midday sun.

But when they fly, they soar and then return to skim the water’s surface, feeling the spray in their wings. They are free. God

Perhaps, the most important part of becoming a birder is that you become much more aware of the environment in which you live. Birds are good indicators of the state of the natural world, and most birdwatchers make excellent environmentally aware citizens.

Most garden birds appreciate the basic things in life: shelter from danger, food and water, and a place to raise a family. If your garden can provide these elements, you will go a long way to having a good number of regular bird visitors or even residents.

As more people become interested in attracting birds, they

their creator, created them for a purpose and they are at peace with it. Their whole being is an offering to God, and the dance they compose is their earnest praise. Dear Lord, let us always remember to give You glory as we witness the beauty of Your creation and the wonders of Your love. • Issue 4 / 2009

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style

sUMMER

One can look fabulous, and feel good at the same time. The clothes we put on reflect who we are. Looking fabulous is not only about acquiring the latest’s trends, beauty oozes also from the inside. One can have little and do plenty with it.

On these fashion pages we showcase some fabulous summer looks. We urge you to experiment with glorious summer style and make these trends your own.

Text & Stylist: Ally Mesnard Images: HendrĂŠ Louw & Michael Maherry Hair & Make-up: Tamaryn Pretorius

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a tribute to Summer

Celebration‌

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FASHION & BE AU T Y Olivine Teardrop Pendant from Angel (R125)

He is wearing a T-Shirt from Angel (R195), Jeans from Fabiani (R1,999.99).

She is wearing a Satin Blouse from Angel (Price on Request), White Sheen Pants from Jo Borkett (R690), assorted beads from The Space (from R57), Leather Bag from Jo Borkett (R999), Shoes from Europa Art Shoes.

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FASH ION & BEAU T Y He is wearing Panama Hat from Fabiani (R699.99), Fabiani Shirt (R1,200), Linen Trousers from Fabiani (R1,800) and Beads from The Space (R57).

She is wearing a Summer Dress from Angel (Price on Request)

Colour Trends

for summer

Stars of the season: the greens. Guests of honour: nuances of red and soft, refined pinks, mauves and neutrals in full evolution. And essential are bright accents for optimum impact. Last but not least, white and indigo blue remain very much in focus.

Gladiator Heels in various colours from Angel (R299) LeatherLook Handbag from Angel (R195) Flats from Europa Art Shoes

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He is wearing Panama Hat (R699.99), Suit (R7,999.99), Shirt (R1,999.99) and Tie (R699.99) all from Fabiani She is wearing a Dress from Simon Rademan (Price on Request) and Designer Bracelet from Angel (R145).

Metallic Clutch from Angel (R149) Patent Heels from Angel (R299)

Designer Shield Set from Angel (R195)

RIVIERA

style

The background and shapes: the Capri spirit of the Fifties, haute couture precision, the desire of a perfect, radiant elegance... Motifs and prints are rich, lines emphasize the contour and strike the right balance, details and finishings are perfect. Nothing is left to chance, nothing is vague: everything is well conceived, neat, pretty, ravishing, harmonious, and graceful.

FASH ION & BEAU T Y

Above: Cuff Links (R125) and Tie (R135) all from Angel

He is wearing Panama Hat (R699.99), Suit (R7,999.99), Shirt (R1,999.99) and Tie (R699.99) all from Fabiani. Belt from Angel (R395, Police Watch from Angel (R1,995)

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He is wearing a Tie (R699.99) and Jeans (R4,500) from Fabiani. Cotton Shirt (R329) and Police Watch (R2,995) from Angel.

Police Watch from Angel (Price on Request)

Police Belt (R595) Police Watch (R1,995) Archangel Wings (R85) All from Angel

He is wearing a T-Shirt (R999.99), Jeans (R1,500), Belt (R2,500), Jacket (R4,999.99) all from Fabiani.

She is wearing a Festive Dress from MMP@The Space (R520), Cardigan from Jo Borkett (R799).

Sea Breeze Necklace and Earring Set (R195) High Fashion Cork Wedge Heel (R489) All from Angel

BIZARRE

bazaar

A taste for mixtures, an outgoing, festive atmosphere, summer optimism‌ at leisure. New technologies make it possible to create a world of unlimited colours and motifs. Prints from around the world in a recycled mix of environments, artisan crafts, and naive details.

A hand-made trend that originated in Brazil is ready to conquer the summer scene.

The culture shock is the heart of this crazy trend.

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She is wearing a Summer Floral Dress from Jo Borkett (R690), Heels from Europa Art Shoes (Price on Request) and Beads from The Space (R57) Silver & Rose Cateye Set (R195) Metallic Clutch (R149) Citizen Watch (R1,499) All from Angel

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He is wearing a Jacket (R12,000), T-Shirt (R599.99) and Jeans (R4,500) all from Fabiani. Sandals from Europa Art Shoes (Price on Request) Sunglasses (R229) Police Watch (R1,995) All from Angel

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EXTREME

equilibrium

The most demanding design direction with its contradictory, subtle mixtures of authenticity and the new modernity. The desire for durable luxury with genuine lingerie fabrics, but now in the revolutionary lightweight fibres. Collections combine perfect performance, generous volumes, details which project natural eccentricity, handmade and artisan effects, as if aged by time...

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She is wearing a Cocktail Dress from Jo Borkett (R1,290) and Shoes from Europa Art Shoes (Price on Request).

Peridot Swirl Necklace and Earrings Set (R245) Croc Clutch Bag (R125) Police Watch (R1,295) All from Angel Issue 4 / 2009

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COLOUR

therapy

Inspired by elements of pop art from the Sixties and Seventies, bright bold colouring and an exuberant display shakes up an arty atmosphere. Ultra graphic mixtures and sport influences, but also rich pleats, drapes and origami effects, structured details playing with construction. A vision of exciting and surprising flamboyance These looks can’t wait to be adapted to wardrobe. Go ahead and have a fun-filled, sun-drenched and inspired summer‌

She is wearing a Off-the-Shoulder Dress (R790) and Belt (R999) by Jo Borkett.

White Hoop Earrings by Angel (R75), Beads by The Space (R57) and Shoes by Europa Art Shoes (Price on Request) Valentino Leather Handbag (R1,395) Metallic Wedges (R399) All by Angel

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FASHION & BE AU T Y

He is wearing a Linen Jacket (R6,999.99) and G-Star Pants (R2,500) from Fabiani. Cotton Shirt from Angel (R395).

Shoes from Europa Art Shoes.

She is wearing an Classic Gown from JJ Schoeman (Price on Request) and a Madison Blue Set from Angel (R295).

Elle Watch (R795) Sorbet Yellow Flower Pendant (R115) All from Angel

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Aqua Dive Watches in Assorted Colours from Angel (R,1999) He is wearing a Cotton T-Shirt by Angel (R125). Cotton Scarf (R399.99), 7Fam Jeans (R4,500) all from Fabiani.

Loafers from Europa Art Shoes.

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She is wearing a Lace Sleeveless Blouse from Leigh Schubert@ The Space (R350) and Beads from The Space (R57). Capri Short from Angel (R295) and Heels from Europa Art Shoes (Price on Request).

Fashion Belt (R145) Babydoll Skimmer (R299) LYDC LeatherLook Bag (R445) All from Angel

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SUMMER

&

hair make-up Tamaryn Pretorius – Hair and Makeup Artist

Text Tamaryn Pretorius Images Jo Spies; Mark Thomas; Luba Nel; Michael Maherry

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FASHION & BE AU T Y

Tamaryn’s background: “I got my diploma in Hairstyling and Make-up Artistry at Beyond Artistry in Cape Town. I immediately started building my portfolio. Within a few months I was lucky enough to be accepted at Shine Creative Agency in Johannesburg. I freelanced for a year and then opened my own business, Saskykitty Artistry.

I have done over 500 bridal and special event make-up and have worked for the hottest magazines in South Africa including Fairlady, Femina, Oprah Magazine, Destiny Magazine and off course Ray Magazine! I believe that duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully. That sums up my passion for makeup artistry very well. Nothing feels as good as to see a woman realize how beautiful she is after you have extenuated her best features. It’s a rewarding job and I love every minute of it.

Products I believe in Not so much products as 5 definite steps for beautiful skin.

1. Face wash - use a warm face cloth to open pores press to face before applying face wash; spend at least 45 seconds washing your face 2. Tone – alcohol free toner 3. Moisturize… moisturize 4. Once a week apply a scrub after your face wash 5. Once a week apply a mask after your scrub! Drink water, relax and take omega’s for beautiful flawless skin!

Products I use at fashion shoots include photographic foundation.

I love MAC face and body foundation; it’s dewy with a medium coverage. Photographic foundation is a must to prevent the ghost face on photos when the flash goes off. My tweezers, because, nothing rounds off a face better than a well groomed set of eyebrows. My MAYBELINE mascara “Small end on Wand” to get as close to the lid to make the eyelashes appear thicker and longer, and of course my MAC matt bronzer to highlight or create cheekbones!

Summer holiday make-up is always fresh and light to prevent melting during the day.

Mix your foundation in with your sunscreen for a more light coverage and dust with a translucent powder. Use a waterproof mascara, or even better, getting semi-permanent lashes. Use a tinted lip treatment available from Dischem for a hint of colour and SPF on the lips. Bronzer in peach for fair skin, brown for tan skin and copper for dark skin is always a hit. Apply to correct areas – these are on top of cheekbone and brow bone collar, top of shoulders and remember less is more.

Bronze, copper and gold eye shadows with dewy lips are very hot this summer! Beach hair is very hot and easy to create.

Wash hair and spritz with beach spray available from Clicks and let it dry naturally!

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FASHION & BE AU T Y

Hair tips for looking fresh It’s not good to wash hair everyday so try dry shampoo from Clicks or brush a bit of hairspray on a toothbrush on roots to absorb any oil. Remember the sun damages your hair so either wear a hat and remember to apply a hair-mask once a week when on holiday!

Skin tips KRYOLAN makes a beautiful anti-shine powder or try blotting papers from Woolworths; also you get mattifiers to prevent shine, which you can apply before your make-up application! • CONTACT Saskykitty – Professional Makeup & Hairstylist -Tamaryn Pretorius Cell: +27 76 1246 879 Email: saskykitty@gmail.com Issue 4 / 2009

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L’AQUILA - A taste of the heavenly and peaceful awaits you…

Text L’Aquila Images Michael Maherry

L’Aquila is voted one of the Top 10 wedding venues

in South Africa (SABRIA).

L’Aquila hosts one of the largest Spas in Gauteng and offers a wide variety of relaxation facilities around an indoor pool.

L’Aquila guest house has 6 luxury rooms of which 2 are equipped with Jacuzzis and surrounded by a picturesque garden.

L’Aquila, in collaboration with Sa Conference Venues (PEMBI), offers excellent facilities for small and large conferences.

The name “L’Aquila” is derived from the Italian word for “The Eagle” and was selected to reflect the owners’ values: “The choice to stay as you are or to rise above your circumstances and daily stress “.

At L’Aquila you will be welcomed by a taste of the heavenly and peaceful atmosphere that awaits you. Situated in the east of Pretoria, on the N4 highway and on the route to Mpumalanga, L’Aquila’ philosophy reflects the true foundation of its values, illustrated by quality service, professional treatment and superior quality products.

At L’Aquila Wedding Venue and Hydro Spa, the personnel strive to provide a spiritual experience that reinforces thought processes required to reach the full potential that allows one to soar like an eagle. Allow the experienced team at L’Aquila to take pleasure in the planning, presentation and co-ordination of your wedding event. After seven years in the wedding industry, L’Aquila takes pride in offering their clients an unforgettable wedding experience.

“We, at L’Aquila, believe in Romans 12:2 and Isaiah 40:2931 which state:

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• Don’t be fashioned according to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. • He gives power to the faint; and to him who has no power he increases strength. Even the youths and the weary shall faint, and the young men shall utterly fall: but those who wait for Him shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint“.

AWARDS • South African Bridal Industry Academy • National Award Winner in the category 1st Night Honeymoon by the Brides and Grooms of the 2009 VOW Awards.

• Gold Award Winner in the category 1st Night Honeymoon Gauteng by the Brides and Grooms of the 2009 VOW Awards.

• Voted under the Top 10 Wedding Venues in South Africa.

L’Aquila Hydro and Day Spa is one of the largest spas and is dedicated to deliver legendary service, exceptional value and consistent operations to ensure a memorable experience of indulgence, beauty and well-being. We will provide professional guidance in prescribing quality personal care products and services for our guests.

We focus on developing a lifelong relationship with our clients by understanding and delivering their needs. L’Aquila is founded on presenting guests with innovative treatments that will motivate you to transform your live.

At L’Aquila we also offer conference facilities in collaboration with Pembi Conference Venues. Visit their website

FASHION & BE AU T Y

at: www.pembi.co.za/pembi-pretoria.htm Our decorated meeting rooms, with its quality finishes and furniture, together with state-of-the-art technology, inevitably put you in the lap of comfort and luxury.

“We pride ourselves in offering you an intriguing combination of understated hospitality and comfort in our 4 ensuite bedrooms and 2 luxury suites with en-suite bathroom and Jacuzzi. Enjoy a delicious breakfast with us. Our aim is for you to feel completely relaxed and at home.”

One of these luxury rooms can be used as bridal suite where the bride and bride’s maids spend the day to get dressed and prepare themselves in a relaxed atmosphere for the long awaited moment.

The newly-wed couple can end their perfect day with total relaxation in the Jacuzzi in our truly unique and tranquil honeymoon suite.

Relaxation, rejuvenation and a sense of healing awaits you.

We want to help you renew your body, mind and soul… When you leave L’Aquila, you will feel empowered to rise above your circumstances and to realize how unique you are. • CONTACT L’Aquila Wedding & Conferencing Tel: +27 12 802 0522 Email: info@laquila.co.za Website: www.laquila.co.za L’Aquila Hydro & Day Spa Tel: +27 12 802 0996/7 Email: spainfo@laquila.co.za

Website: www.laquila.co.za Co-ordinates: S- 25 46 02 E - 28 25 51.9 FACILITIES • Hair Salon • Manicure & Pedicure-Lounge • Barber Room • Sensation Shower • Steam Room • Sauna • Infra-red • Sense room (Razul) • Slipper Bath • Micro-dermabrasion • Ozone Machine • Double and Single Treatment Rooms • In-door heated pool • In-door pool • Cold plunge pool • Private relaxation cubicles • Dining lounge • Relaxation lounges • Roof-top Jacuzzi and cocktail area • Complimentary refreshments • Restrooms (locker facilities, showers, private dressing cubicles) • Double and single treatment rooms (Each equipped with en-suite shower and outdoor relaxation area) Issue 4 / 2009

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be intelligent, get

active!

active lotion Active Lotion is formulated with a high concentration of Alpha Hydroxy Acids as an intensive treatment for increased cell turnover to restore skin suppleness, clarity and texture. This active treatment optimises skin rejuvenation and skin health.

gauze An essential part of the application of Nimue Skin Conditioner to enhance results.

skin conditioner Specially formulated to help restore the healthy epidermal appearance of the skin, whilst assisting in refining the texture of the skin. The skin will feel refreshed and revitalised.

For further enquiries contact 0861 22 66 88 email:infosa@nimueskin.co.za

What is the difference between a normal facial and an active treatment?

With a normal facial, the emphasis will be on pampering the client. Some focus will be on the clients’ symptoms such as: dehydration, sensitivity or an oily condition. However, with an “active” treatment clients can expect the focus to be on the cause of the symptoms. Treatments are therefore result orientated.

What type of active treatments will be offered in a Nimue appointed salon?

Rejuvenation treatments are offered to target anti – ageing and to improve the general health of the skin. Advanced treatments will focus on pigmentation and problematic skin conditions and specialised treatments will directly target fibroblasts to produce collagen formation to treat ageing skin.

Is it possible to treat the skin at home to maintain the results after a salon treatment?

It is a necessity to follow- up with active products at home to prepare the skin for an active treatment in a salon and to maintain the results achieved.

What are the actives used in these advanced active products?

Mainly a combination of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (glycolic, lactic and citric) are used in a specific concentration and an altered pH that will not sensitise the skin. For more oily skin conditions, Beta Hydroxy Acids are combined with Alpha Hydroxy Acids.

Which products in the Nimue home care range have a high concentration of these active ingredients and how often should one use this?

The Nimue Active Lotion is suitable for normal to dry skin and Nimue Active Gel for an oily skin.

It should be applied every second night under the appropriate night cream. This can be seen as the “medicine “ for the skin. However, these are the products with the highest concentrations of active ingredients and is part of Nimue phase 2 protocol. In phase 1 the home care products will have lower concentrations of actives. Naturally the client will commence with Nimue phase 1, then add phase 2 into her homecare routine, and phase 3 will follow in which the client will receive active treatments.

What other actives will compliment the Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids?

Fruit enzymes in the Nimue exfoliating enzyme will be the product to further enhance the effectiveness of the Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids.

What is the difference between fruit acids and fruit enzymes?

The Alpha Hydroxy Acids (glycolic, lactic, citric) will reduce the bonds (cement) between dead stratum corneum cells, while the fruit enzymes will dissolve the “lifted” dead cells. These two actives work in synergy to ensure a deep exfoliation without any form of irritation.

www.nimueskin.com

PHOTO G R A PHY

Image: Rina Smit

glimpses

CAPTURED Memories fade in time, but the images captured in a photograph provide a lifetime of treasures to be shared over and over again with loved ones. Whether you’re on vacation, taking a hike near home, or relaxing in your own back yard, you can capture nature’s beauty by taking a photograph.

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PHOTO GR A PH Y

mitchell

krog – Living Canvas Photography Text: Adéle Minnaar Images: Mitchell Krog

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Living Canvas Photography

is the brainchild of South African photographer, Mitchell Krog. Mitchell has had a love of nature, photography and the world around him from a very young age and his passion consistently shines through in his photography. Mitchell has achieved both local and international acclaim with his captivating and breath taking images. Ray asked this multi-talented individual to share some of his secrets with our readers‌ You are a successful photographer. Did you attend any photographic courses to study

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photography?

I am self trained in photography but have attended some workshops in the past like studio lighting techniques and specialised image processing techniques. With certain aspects I’ve found I can save myself a lot of trial and error by attending a hands-on workshop with someone proficient in a certain subject. For the most part I like to learn by myself and not be bound by any rules or constraints.

Did your early photographic goals include earning a living from photography, or did it start

PHOTO GR A PH Y

initially as a way to express yourself creatively?

Initially it started as a creative outlet and over time it transcended into a profession. Even though I have moved into photography professionally and regularly undertake corporate and private commissions, I still make sure that whatever work I do remains fun and creative. I never want to get to the point that photography is not fun anymore and is just a job as I’ve seen happening to other photographers.

When did you know you finally “made it� as a professional?

I would say the day I sold my first image to a major international advertising campaign. What made it even more special is that my image was chosen to promote South African tourism abroad and as I am patriotic about this beautiful country of ours it was a real privilege.

Do you remember your first photography sale?

Very well, I was contacted by a major advertising agency after a colleague referred them to me. They had a list of images they were looking for and I submitted some images to them including some that were not specifically on their list. Their Issue 4 / 2009

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client fell in love with my one image of the Durban Skyline at night which was an image they were not actively seeking. That image is now licensed exclusively to the client until 2012 for a major international advertising campaign promoting tourism in South Africa.

You have been applauded by many photographic magazines for your versatility in many genres.

Tell us more about these photographic genres you excel in…

Landscapes, lightning and wildlife are the genres I spend the most time on as they are the most challenging and rewarding.

I also do quite a bit of macro photography, astro photography, aviation photography, sport photography, environmental photography and night photography and recently entered the world of glamour photography. I do not like to limit myself to just one type of genre and am always willing to explore new waters – it keeps photography interesting.

You have received numerous awards, commendations and honoUrable mentions over the years. Could you tell us more of your achievements in 2009 alone?

My image of a Black collared Barbet won first prize in the Nikon Birds of the Magaliesburg Photographic Challenge.

This was a great honour and I was also very happy to see a photograph of a common garden bird take first place in a competition. I’ve been watching competitions for a few years and it always seems the Birds of Prey are the ones to claim a first prize in any competition, so it was refreshing to see the judges acknowledge garden birds as strong competitors to a birding competition. I also took Second Place in the Stanford

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Birding Photographic Competition which was a great credit. I’m still waiting for the official announcement of this. I’ve had some images short listed in some international competitions but final results on these competitions will only be out towards the end of the year. Even so, just being short listed amongst 120,000+ entries is already quite an honour, even if those images do not make it through to the final rounds. I never ever place any expectations when I enter a competition. So if and when news comes in of a placement, even a commendation, I am ecstatic.

One of the questions we sometimes hear is this: Is it really possible to learn Photoshop in an online course? Can you share your thoughts?

Yes, you could learn Photoshop in an online course, but it depends purely on who is offering the course, what their level of experience is and the outcomes offered. Like with anything in life there are good and bad teachers and not much is different in the photography and image processing world. There are some really great online learning resources and for a lot of people the ability to take things at their own pace is much more appealing than having a one day hands-on course crammed into their head.

What quick advice do you have for someone who simply wants to improve their photography skills?

Patience for me is the key to learning or mastering anything in life and with photography even more so. The ability to also put your work out onto photographic forums and receive sometimes very hard hitting critique from professionals is an important step for any photographer willing to advance their hobby into a career.

Spend time learning from other professionals, what settings

PHOTO GR A PH Y

they used for a particular image, and more importantly, why they used those settings. Until you are able to use your camera exclusively in manual mode and have a thorough understanding of aperture, shutter speed, film speed, exposure and light you’re not quite there yet.

What genre do you enjoy the most and why?

I enjoy landscape and lightning photography the most, simply because they are the most challenging and unpredictable. With these forms of photography you are at nature’s peril, you have to work exclusively with natural light and you have to think quickly on your feet and know your camera inside out. I am always up for a challenge and these forms of photography never cease to challenge me.

Landscape photography requires the ultimate in patience and endurance. There are simply no assurances with nature and it’s that uncertainty that keeps me coming back for more. I often spend weeks chasing a perfect sunset only to have it fizzle out on me day after day until one day the perseverance pays off and I come home with one image worthy of being published.

The many hours of solitude out in nature that goes hand in hand with landscape photography is precious to me.

Please tell us more about your plans or goals for 2010?

I intend holding a public exhibition in 2010 and will have more details of that on my web site in the New Year. I also intend publishing a coffee table book, calendars and have a few other ideas which I’ll keep under wraps for now. I also intend to do a lot more travelling in 2010. I did some extensive travelling this year which was very productive photographically, so I want to keep that ball rolling in 2010.

WHAT DO Your photographic equipment consist of? Any brands that you irrevocablY belieVE in?

I shoot with a variety of Nikon cameras and lenses – their equipment has never let me down and their service and support levels is top notch.

Your personal favourite photograph?

That’s difficult, I have so many favourites but my one image, “Stormy Sunset,” does have a special place for me and has been published several times already.

Who in this industry’s work do you admire the most?

Ansel Adams, Joe Cornish, David Ward, Charlie Waite, Tom Mackie, Koos van de Lende; there are so many, actually. But I do not just spend time looking at work of the big names. I also spend a lot of time looking at the work of the relatively unknown

artists who choose not to go mainstream.

Do you have any dreams that you still like to pursue? Any destinations or objects that you still like to photograph?

I would love to spend more time up in deepest darkest Africa and also tour around the world more. There are just so many places I would love to visit and photograph that I could write a book on that alone.

Where can the public purchase your work?

On my web site www.livingcanvas.co.za; just click on Galleries. •

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Wide Bottlenose Dolphins in Southern Mozambique, while free-diving to 10m, with snorkellers hovering just below the surface.

andrew Woodburn PHOTO GR A PH Y

- Wild Woodburn Photography - Underwater, Extreme & Wildlife

Text: Adéle Minnaar Images: Andrew Woodburn

Andrew has been image making since his school days. His first SLR camera was partly funded by himself, while the rest was provided as a birthday present from his parents. “I became an accomplished darkroom technician at school exploring both black and white prints as well as colour transparency. Unfortunately photography took a back seat while I studied for my BSc Chemical Engineering,” he says as we hooked up with this amazing photographer at his offices in Sandton.

“Taking advice from my father, I started to get back into photography in my late twenties and used the opportunity to blend my passion for scuba diving with raw forays into underwater photography primarily led by reading basic guidebooks. In fact, the log book that records my early diving career is illustrated with many hand drawn images in pencil and ink, inspired by Andy Cobb (www.adventurescuba.co.za), in addition to being unable to afford an underwater camera”, he says rather modestly. “After 11 years of scuba diving and achieving Dive Master status there was a decision to be taken.

Having dived most commercial dive sites in South Africa many times, there were three futures which needed to be selected from. Technical diving, underwater photography or a gradual decline to infrequent pleasure diving. I chose underwater photography and expanded into taking photos of what I saw underwater to others. The whole spectrum of creatures and water’s unique effects with light, allow magical photographs to be captured in the last frontier on the planet, the oceans. I enjoy pushing the limits with models, activities and special effects…”

We asked him about the tools of the trade.

You are a successful photographer. Did you attend any photographic courses to learn photography?

No, I learned from books at high school and members of the photo club.

Did your early photographic goals include earning a living from photography, or did it start initially as a way to express yourself creatively?

I never thought I could make any returns from my photography and so mostly created to my own criteria.

When did you know you finally “made it” as a professional?

I had won some competitions and I was invited to shoot for a diving magazine on a dive tour and the issue was filled with my images, above and below water photos.

Do you remember your first photography sale?

The magazine happening mentioned above.

You have been applauded by many photographic magazines for your versatility in many genres.

Blacktip shark photographed while diving in Umkomaas

Tell us more about these photographic genres; which one holds your interest the most?

Underwater is still my true passion since it allows me to travel to unique parts of the planet and dive spectacular sites with awesome big-animal interaction. I also am inspired to shoot underwater images including people to show how small we are in comparison with the animals who live underwater.

Based on my diving photography I started shooting lodges and after some hands-on guidance from David Rodgers of Africa Geographic, have developed an engaging lodge style. My wife runs a yoga studio and learning about yoga and understanding the poses more than most photographers has allowed me to build a sizable library of outdoor extreme yoga poses and now, studio yoga imagery.

You have received numerous awards, commendations and honoUrable mentions over the years. Could you tell us more of your achievements?

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Ponene Lodge in Mozambique, part of Barra Resorts

was achieving the WORLD CHAMPION award 2004 from www.underwaterphotography.com where I competed online against the best of the world at that time.

What do you like MOST about your professional life?

Currently I only shoot what I arrange. So the freedom of my photography has allowed me to run other businesses while still being an active photographer.

What do you like the LEAST about running your professional life?

I live so far from the sea and really great underwater sites with visibility and animals. Therefore the travel to get to great sites is costly and time consuming.

What quick advice do you have for someone who simply wants to improve their photography skills?

UNDERSTAND THE BASICS. In this modern world where auto programs allow you to take a pretty good photo if you’re lucky, means amateur photographers don’t really understand how the machine and light work so they can’t become an artist manipulating the photographic variables and light to make amazing imagery.

At Ray Magazine, we often get questions from people who want to become “Professional Photographers”. What advice do you have for someone who says they want to pursue a career in photography? Is there a key to making a name for yourself?

The traditional route through study and apprenticeship definitely gives you a higher chance of success, but at the end of the day you will need to find a niche or style that sets your imagery apart as well as have a business understanding of how to run a photo business successfully.

Please tell us more about your plans, trips or goals for 2010?

In 2010 I will be leading a dolphin retreat to southern Mozambique to swim with and photograph the dolphins and maybe on top of that a sardine run or shark diving trip later in the year.

Your photographic equipment consists of? Any brands that you irrevocablY belieVE in?

NIKON at all times, plus some specialist wide angle lenses and SEA&SEA housing and strobe equipment. For underwater I dive with SCUBAPRO dive gear.

Are there any other professional photographers in your immediate family?

My father has become a rather accomplished African wildlife photographer in his own right specialising in leopards and has been published on calendars and in the travel industry.

Who in this industry’s work do you admire

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the most?

David Doubilet, Doug Perrine , Marc Montocchio, Thomas Peshack.

Where can the public purchase your work?

Contact me online, through www.wildwoodburn.com Do you have any dreams that you still like to pursue? Any destinations or animals you still like to photograph?

Antarctica and parts of the Pacific Ocean, such as Rangi roar or Cocos, aldabra athols.

What would you do if you could take a year’s break from society?

If money and time was no object I’d like to have a yacht and sail the seas seeking out awesome underwater encounters and educating the planet on what we have under the sea.

You are involved with workshops and tours?

What do you hope to accomplish with these ventures?

I run hands on workshops where the goal is to get photographers to improve on elements of their own developing photo style. Often one small tip can change the quality of a photographer’s imagery.

Underwater conservation is a passion for you.

Tell us more about it?

Unfortunately because most people have never scuba dived or even seen the sea, so they can’t have as their primary concern a realistic perception about our oceans and what’s happening in them. By making inspiring images I hope to galvanize people to pay attention to what fish they buy and eat, the pollution we send into the oceans and maybe even to take up diving for themselves. The more people who love the sea the bigger the pool of activists we have to save it from exploitation and human ignorance.

What can the public do to become more involved or aware of underwater conservation?

Use the internet to find the passion you might have such as saving sharks or knowing what fish to eat. www.saveourseas.com Who played key roles in assisting you to reach your dreams?

My father who told me to continue with my photography because once you stop it’s a long way back to getting proficient.

(He knows from experience.) My dive buddies, including my wife, and my friends who kept on telling me how great my shots were. And lastly the dive operators who show me their secrets and make my diving safe and try conserve the oceans the best they can. •

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Image: Dawie du Plessis

sport

The first reliable pictures of sporting activity date from the Sumerians around 3500 BC, who were also the first people to create written records.

The birth of printing was a crucial event in sports history, enabling large numbers of people to know about any game, results and players. Persons, who could not be around a sport field or place of sport, could now read about it.

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To enable you to become an extreme sports photographer, you first need to become an extreme sports enthusiast. In all my photography I have always believed in immersing myself into the photographic environment to enable me to produce the best possible results.

Text & Images: Dawie du Plessis

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Now a days’ I take my camera everywhere! It’s been

in a Makoro in Botswana, on a Kayak on Lake Malawi, on a Ski slope in Tiffendell, France and Finland, on BASE jumping expeditions in Switzerland, and quad biking in Mozambique.

I’ve taken it on Bungee jumps and canyon exploration and mounted it on a helmet when skydiving. The lens has even seen Presidents sign their Autobiographies, hikers in rain forests and me with a massive movie camera on my head! I recently started SCUBA diving and can’t wait to be able to take the mighty Canon for a swim.

Here is how it all started: On an idle Saturday in October 1995 a friend and I enrolled into a first jump skydiving course. We finished our ‘ground school’ and completed our first jump the next day. It took one jump, one leap of faith for me to realize that this was something I wanted to include in my ability to make a living.

The “Heroes” on the drop zone were divided into 3 categories: The instructors who taught novices to skydive by themselves, the Tandem Instructors who could attach people to them and

video and stills every weekend were specialist skydivers who did not really have much knowledge of the photography gear they were using or the methods of photography needed to change an image from OK to spectacular. These guys still refer to Canon’s “Sports mode” as: “I just stick the thing on the running man and the camera works it out…” without any understanding of exactly how the camera works it out or the parameters the camera uses when working it out.

When I had enough experience in skydiving (500 jumps and 100 jumps with a camera), I started filming tandems using a Sony Mini DV Handy Cam. The very first one Sony brought out was a PC7, which I had and later upgraded to a PC120. As the cameraman you get paid a fee to film people and I used this fee to gain more experience, and to upgrade my equipment.

In 1999 in the UK a magazine approached me and asked for a specific photograph I took of a friend who was Skysurfing. This was my very first photo sale, and I was hooked! I took that photo with a Canon Eos 3000 35mm Film camera, Fuji 400ISO Velvia film and a Tokina 19 – 35mm lens.

Historically I wrote things down every once in a while when I got inspired. These days I find that I can really compliment my photography by writing about my experiences seem to get inspired all the time now! take them on a skydive, and the camera men who filmed the students and the tandems.

As I started playing around with cameras when I reach the age to physically hold one, there are no real guesses as to which one of these three intrigued me most.

Over the next few years I worked hard at this new sport and learnt as much as I could about the specialized equipment needed for photography. I soon realized that these guys who do

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I used the money from this sale to upgrade from an entry level Canon to a mid range one with a nicer lens. Every time I sold an image, I used the money for new gear, and more gear and better gear. The money I made from Skydiving itself I used for normal living expenditure.

The Digital SLR Revolution hit just as my time in the UK was coming to an end. I invested in a 3.2 Mega Pixel Canon 30D, came back to South Africa and started working for a company as

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a photographer. My first big success with the 30D and the same Tokina 19 – 35mm lens was a Billboard at the Blantyre Airport in Malawi. It is an advert for the Protea Ryalls Hotel and is still there… All 3.2 Megapixels of it.

I never stopped taking photos of extreme sports and I never stopped practicing extreme sports. In 2000, while working in the UK I decided to have a little holiday to Norway, home of the biggest BASE-jumps in the world!

Every article I have read on BASE-jumping starts off with explaining the acronym. BASE represents the four objects a fixed object jumper would look at jumping: Building, Antenna, Span (Bridge) and Earth (Cliff).

In the beginning the concept of BASE-jumping was something whispered in the dark corners of Dropzone bars and seen only by a selected few who dared to defy the odds and prove their immortality. In recent years it has been brought into the public eye by documentaries and adverts. It’s been used in films to create a “WOW” effect. Today specialized gear is easily obtainable and the average person has a vaster knowledge regarding the objects. People who participate in this daring game openly discuss it on dropzones and show videos of their expeditions. They make it look romantically easy and catch the attention of most intermediate skydivers who would “love to have a go” I hear the questions: How many skydives should I have before I can start? What is the best gear to get?

How do I get into BASE-jumping? What does it feel like? All valid questions, but all subject to opinion.

I would however like to share my opinion with you. The average skydive lasts 4 minutes in which you will find: An exit, an opening, and a landing. The same amount of things that you are used to doing in 4 minutes, you will now have to do in 10 seconds. This will represent your average BASE jump. Only, you

will have no airspeed to work with, to exit, or to get stable for opening, you will have a solid object behind you which means that you have to have a good opening and your landing area is usually half the size of a tennis court and mostly at a 45 degree angle with obstacles in it. Scared yet?

How do you explain the feeling of skydiving to someone that has not skydived before? I have no idea! As for BASE-jumping…

Again I would ask you to take the intensity of a 4 minute skydive and compress it into 10 seconds. Imagine feeling every emotion you possess all at once in its most concentrated form and multiply it by 100. This might give you some idea of what the “point of no return” feels like.

In order to be invincible, you first have to realize why you might not be…

Now let’s get back to photography: In photographing skydiving you are still free falling at between 200km/h and 300km/h. While all this is happening you need to think about lighting, composition, facial expressions, framing and actually taking the shot, all while flying your body to achieve the right angle and proximity for the right shot.

I achieve this by mounting my trusty Canon 5D with 17 – 40mm Canon L lens to a helmet using a Manfrotto 394 mount.

I use a Newton site, which is lined up with the camera and is designed to eliminate parallax faults. As long as I put the centre of the site over my subjects centre, I know my framing is good!

The remote trigger I use has a micro switch I click with my tongue. Things happen pretty fast up there and I want to know that the camera takes a photograph every time I release the shutter, so I use a pre-set manual focus distance (Another thing to think about while falling) and I set my light manually on the ground. I have found that when using a speed light, I can go down to a 250th of a second, but need at least a 500th without Issue 4 / 2009

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it. Fortunately I can use depth of field and RAW image files to give me a margin of error for those two settings.

To date I have always managed to remember to open my parachute as well. I’d say that on average I keep about 10% of the photographs I take in freefall.

BASE-jumping is a different story. In South Africa we do not have many enormous BASE-jumping sites so we don’t really get to do a lot of air-to-air photography. The nice thing is that the conditions for BASE jumping perfectly coincides with perfect photographic conditions, so by simply strapping a bag to my belly to put my camera in, I can stand at the exit point, or in the landing area and take photographs of my friends in a more conventional manner. Getting to the exit point or landing area is where the need for a skilled climber or BASE jumper arises.

Camera Shake will probably be quite an issue if you are not used to the energy and adrenalin around the jump site. My weapon of choice is usually the Canon 5D and 24 – 105 Canon L lens,

but sometimes I also take the 17 – 40mm. Things also happen very quickly and I always use manual light settings and often manual, pre-set focus points to get that ONE shot.

On a snow-boarding trip in Finland a few years ago I encountered one of the most challenging photographic situations in my career. It was beginning of January and the difference between sunrise and sunset was only two hours.

We were so close to the Arctic Circle that we were engulfed in cloud and rain most of the time. I desperately wanted to document the holiday and ended using an 800ISO and 300mm F4 L Canon lens at a 1/80 second shutter speed to produce a few interesting results under flood lights. This was before the existence of the 5D Mark II, so ISO 800 was as high as I could go. The real amazing results from balancing my camera on a freshly made Snow Man and using a 4-minute exposure on a snow covered tree. It was minus 27 degrees Celsius at the time, so I didn’t hang around for hours!

Historically I wrote things down every once in a while when I got inspired. These days I find that I can really compliment my photography by writing about my experiences seem to get inspired all the time now!

My short-term goals include a Trans Africa drive in a 4x4 in 2010. We will take around 12 to 18 months to cross the eastern side of this great continent experiencing its views, people and cultures. On this trip we hope to be able to climb Kilimanjaro, go trekking with Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda, SCUBA diving in Malawi, Zanzibar, Kenya and the Red Sea and brave the extremes of the deserts in Sudan and Libya. We will obviously also visit the famous wildlife reserved in Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. I see all these things as little extreme adventures and hope to publish a book on our travels, not only exhibiting the imagery, but also explaining the logistics of it.

My current gear consists of: Canon 1 DS Mark II body Canon 5 D Mark II with Battery Grip All Canon L Lenses 17 – 40mm L 24 – 105 IS L 70 – 200 F2.8 IS L 100 – 400 IS L 100mm F2.8 Macro Canon 580 EX speed Light Canon 550 EX Speed Light.

I have only taken my wife’s Canon Ixus point and shoot camera SCUBA diving as we found an inexpensive housing for it. I am blown away by the images I managed to get with that, so I am hoping to able to afford an underwater setup for the 5D Mark II very soon!

Contact Dawie du Plessis Specialized Photography Aerial Photography Event Photography Stock Images IPIX Photography Cinematography Tel: +27 74 131 4351 Fax: 0086 556 5366 Email: photographersa@gmail.com Websites: www.tandemadventures.co.za; www.pictureafrica.org; www.photographersa.co.za •

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In photographing skydiving you are still free falling at between 200km/h and 300km/h.

While all this is happening you need to think about lighting, composition, facial expressions, framing and actually taking the shot.

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Image: Rina Smit

beach BLISS

A country with endless stretches of beautiful coastline is a truly blessed country, and it is easy to understand why so many of us holiday by the sea. Whether your vision of the perfect beach house is a shack in a quiet coastal town, a contemporary design creation on a secluded stretch of sand, or even a tranquil balcony overlooking an inlet bay, there is the promise of a relaxed, sunny lifestyle where the stress of a busy lifestyle melt easily away as you step inside the front door.

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sandpiper

Guest Cottages – The Sandpiper Experience

Text: Adele Minnaar Images: Ray Magazine

This is your unique

experience at Sandpiper Cottages Boggoms Bay, on the Garden Route near Mossel Bay. It is as close as you will ever get to your dream of a holiday in paradise. It is rustic, but at the same time luxurious. The cottages are situated in an eco-friendly nature conservancy. They are also the hosts for the famous Oystercatcher Trail.

Ray met with owner, Fred Orban, at the Cottages. Fred moved away from Gauteng some twenty years ago, where he used to be involved in the development, marketing and promotion of massive up market residential properties. When planning the Sandpiper Guest Cottages, Fred studied the full spectrum of traditional architecture, including the unique way of building by Tswanas, Xhosas, Zulus and Sothos. Historically the design and construction of the majority of these structures were determined by the local social and climate requirements as well as building materials available in the area. In the end he

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came to the relevant conclusion that only original fishermen’s cottages would really fit into the design concepts he had in mind for this area in Boggoms Bay. By adding a touch of old British colonial style to the basic architectural approach, he managed to still give each of the different units a specific character.

The area was originally zoned for business purposes. Being a conservationist at heart and seeing what happened up north, Fred followed his instinct and declined the development of commercial sites. This led to him being severely criticized by some locals. The result is a crime free area, because of lack of ready cash and goods. Today everyone is in agreement that Fred was right and re-zoning the area was the best option.

“I also adhere to strict environmental rules with no fencing allowed around the units, so that the growth and movement of indigenous fauna and flora would not be disturbed,” said Fred.

The cottages are embraced by paved roads and cul-de-sacs, with unpaved walkways for visitors to enjoy the natural surroundings

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A safe, golden beach, with whales and dolphins, romantic thatch roof cottages, fireplaces and candle light dinners, starry night skies and a full moon awaits you.

Text – One & Only Images - Barbara Kraft; One & Only and Michael Maherry

filled with plants, herbs and birds.

Fred was assisted by Hanneke van Deemter, an architect from Cape Town. She shares his passion for old Cape and Colonial design. Their combined efforts are clearly evident in the cottages. They mixed design details from dwellings a few hundred years old and cleverly added aspects from modern architectural styles. They took all the available elements and incorporated them into the requirements regarding building materials, utilization of floor space and functional features. Fred and his wife Hanlie have made sure that the charming interior décor matches the exterior simplistic design and construction.

The insides of the mainly two-bedroom cottages give a true feeling of ample living space, despite the fact that there are no corridors.

Natural materials such as the exposed clay brick walls, clay tiled floors, reed ceilings, leather, cane and Oregon furniture contribute to the cottages’ charm. Wide open fireplaces like the

hearths once found in ancient cottages, creates a charming oldworld atmosphere.

An impressive sports and wellness centre consisting of tennis court, heated indoor pool, full gymnasium and sauna and squash court are for the exclusive use of the guests.

Many visitors to these delightful historic cottages expressed their amazement at how quickly they have shed the pressures of city lifestyles. Experience tranquility and peace in this pretty coastal setting. • Contact: SANDPIPER GUEST COTTAGES Postal Address: PO Box 1889, Mossel Bay, 6500, South Africa Tel/Fax.: +27 (44) 699 1204 Cell: +27 82 550 4788 Email: stay@sandpipersafaris.co.za Website: www.sandpiper.co.za

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L I F E ST Y L E , A RT S & CULTURE

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8 October 2009 – ‘Love & Mortar’ is a new, groundbreaking 30 part half hour television reality documentary series, never before seen on South African television, featuring South Africa’s eco-couple, Riaan and Michelle Garforth-Venter in their quest to build their ultimate bio-climatic home. On air from 12 January 2010 to August 2010 on the DSTV Home Channel 182, with each week’s new episode airing on Tuesday’s at 19h30.

In yet another of the many television firsts, the GarforthVenter’s have conceptualised over the years in their successful television career, such as Wild Ltd, Bush Radar and DIY Met Riaan, their latest series. Aptly titled Love & Mortar invites viewers into their daily lives, revealing how they juggle their busy careers and schedules while building and furnishing their first bio-climatic family home, in a reality TV show format.

States Riaan and Michelle Garforth-Venter, “There are so many incredible products available now yet so little guidance available for the consumer to choose which is right for them and many products, once investigated, aren’t actually healthy for you or the environment. We hope to lift the curtain on the myths of eco-building and general products and show what can be done to live in a healthier, greener home.”

The series takes TV audiences on their first selfbuild home project, following the couple every step of the way while questioning traditional construction methods and searching for available eco-friendly alternatives.

Love & Mortar will educate the audience about green building choices and lifestyle options, including environmental solutions such as grey water systems, alternatives for waste management, electricity choices and insulation options, while maximising entertainment and green learning. •

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Visit: www.setsebi.tv to learn more about this exciting new project.

In future editions – Riaan will write exclusive DIY articles for Ray Magazine. Dust off your tools...

mortar Building with Riaan and Michelle

–The Garforth-Venter’s pioneer eco-building reality TV show Text: Love & Mortar Images: Michael Maherry

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SHORELINE

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This beautiful beach house situated in Plettenberg Bay was a renovation of an existing house.

Collaboration between Rudi Martin and Paul Oosthuizen Architects resulted in a 6-bedroom family beach house that is light and airy with wonderful entertainment areas that can be enjoyed by all members of the family. Kira Bladergroen of Mobili Fusion was appointed after occupation by the client to use the existing furniture and décor and enhance the modern architecture by adding modern pieces and colour to create a fun holiday atmosphere.

“This was quite a challenging project. My client had purchased quite a bit of furniture in haste, and the style was not working with the house. After my briefing with her, I decided to accessorise the lounge, bedrooms and entertainment areas

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with bright modern colours and introduced local artwork and fabrics that were a combination of seaside and retrocontemporary. The existing house colours provided a neutral canvas that worked brilliantly with the hot pinks, warm oranges, taupes, lime greens, teal and white. I used warmer colours in the bedrooms that receive less sunlight and kept the Blues and teals for the eastern rooms. I introduced texture with a variety of wool and leather carpets that have that modern look. The artwork is an assortment of local artists. The Sun Lounge, which faces the spectacular view, was done just recently, and I commissioned David Kantley, to paint a three piece seascape for the fireside wall. This combined with the huge white corner unit, rich navy cushions, and the warmth of the oak coffee table, creates a room that I think really reflects the beauty of Plettenberg Bay without detracting from the breathtaking views the house has.

The overall finished product has worked out very well, and while the use of bright colours can be quite daunting for some, I love the fun, relaxed atmosphere it creates.

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A riverside retreat that offers an abundance of birdlife, fishing and outdoor lifestyle. A turnkey project by Keystone Projects in Plettenberg Bay. I was appointed

to this project as both an interior designer and decorator. We started with the bathrooms and kitchen designs, which are each individual, but there is a common theme running throughout the house, from the finishes to the dĂŠcor. The clients live in the UK and wanted to completely break away from the traditional.

The kitchen is very hi-tech, with touch hinges and state-ofthe-art appliances. The centre island is the focal point of the kitchen, with its bright orange Caesar Stone top and Wenge split level counter. Clean lines and uncluttered spaces give the house a tranquil feel, with the odd dash of colour or texture introducing individuality to each room. Because of the open plan design of the kitchen, I carried the orange through to the dining room on

the dining room chairs. The lounge has an enormous Polysilk carpet in a rust colour, that earths the vast room and continues the orange tones, just a few shades darker. The incredible light that streams through the front double volume windows, makes the room very warm and one has a sense of being part of the environment. I love to enhance the surrounding environment on projects like this, where I make use of natural stone, warm wood, pebbles, textured fabrics and finishes, and organic shapes in the interior of the home. This really helps to accentuate the flow from inside to outside this home. One does not feel separated from the elements once you are inside, and this makes you feel content and restful. Synergy is vital to me, and I think with this project I managed to get it just right.

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MOBILIFUSION Mobili Fusion was started by Kira Bladergroen in 2005 when she recognized a gap in the market to retail exciting contemporary modern interior options in the Garden Route area.

During the first year of operation, Mobili Fusion quickly became an Interior Design destination. Interior Design consulting became an automatic extension of Mobili Fusions’ services.

Their signature products appeal to those with discerning taste and an eye for fine design and colour. Mobili Fusion offers their clientele an exciting retail and Interior décor experience. A large warehouse showroom, situated in Plettenberg Bays’ industrial area, showcases a selection of modern interior products, art and accessories, coupled with fabric samples, catalogues of available products and professional Interior advice. Mobili Fusion strives to provide high quality merchandise and service.

MOBILI FUSION CONSULTATION This service is offered to clients who need assistance finding the most suitable contractors and suppliers of fixed finishes like tiles, sanitary ware, light fittings, paint colours, kitchens and built-in cupboards. We work with the client and architect to creatively solve problems pertaining to the functionality and quality of the interior environment, creating a marriage between client requirements and practical application. We also assist with space planning, and on-site inspections, to ensure that the client’s interior and lifestyle requirements are met by the building contractor. When required, we produce technical drawings for bespoke items such as feature walls, water features or special fittings, for the client and contractors.

BESPOKE ITEMS Bespoke Items are one of our specialities. We offer conceptualisation, design and manufacturing of any piece

of furniture. This enables the client to have items of furniture that meet their specific requirements. A design fee is applicable for design only.

Built in and free standing cupboards, bedside tables, Bed bases, dining room tables, TV units, Coffee tables and Sofas are some of the items we have designed this past year.

Contact Kira Bladergroen on Tel: +27 82 771 3640, +27 44 533 5887 or email her at kira@mobilifusion.com.

Visit www.mobilifusion.com. • Issue 4 / 2009

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DÉc or

beach house MUST HAVES Products available from Mobili Fusion, The Bedroom Shop and TW Ceramics

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Image: Rina Smit

wheel

CART

Before we had cars, people relied on horses to take them on long journeys, to transport goods, and to plough fields. Before motorcars, the word car could mean any vehicle on wheels.

‘Car’ comes from a Latin word that means ‘two-wheeled wagon’, ‘chariot’ or ‘cart’.

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Outeniqua

transport museum

- Experience a journey down memory lane‌ Text & Images: Ray Magazine

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The visit to Outeniqua Transport Museum in George takes you on a journey down memory lane. Inside the museum a variety of 13 steam locomotives including a narrow gauge, the Emil Kessler – Johannesburg’s first steam locomotive, the impressive GL Garrett No 2351 that hauled the Royal Train during the King of England’s visit to South Africa in 1947, Paul Kruger’s coach and private saloons, just to name a few, are on display.

A photo gallery depicting some of the most breathtaking photos of South African steam trains can be seen, poetry relating to train travel, crockery and cutlery previously used on main line

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trains and in station restaurants as well as various models of steam locomotives. A brilliant collection of steam locomotive number plates, markers plates, a model train room, a replica of a typical railway station building and an exhibition on Inspection trolleys with photographs of the Unsung Heroes(the builders of the infrastructure )…

To name just a few different types of steam locomotives previously used throughout the Republic of South Africa: ROOS A 46 ton steam engine which was built by Emil Kessler in 1893 and was used to transport troops and food during the Anglo Boer War in 1902.

OTHER COACHES Other coaches of importance is coach number 18 that was used by Pres Paul Kruger travelling from Pretoria to Maputo, coach number 5267 placed in service in 1904 and was part of the Central South African Railways rolling stock. Coach number 168, Palala, is a dining car that was built in Pretoria and placed in service between 1911 and 1914 and remained in service

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until she was withdrawn in 1982.

Also on display are a few old timers that previously played a major roll in fire fighting within the South African Railways and in several smaller towns being the only fire fighting equipment that was available at the time.

The Southern Cape Vintage Car club also display a private selection of vintage cars including Borgwardt, Chevrolet, Ford and other models.

The museum can be booked for weddings, corporate functions, product launches and other events. Other facilities on the same premises include, 3 souvenir shops selling railway memorabilia and African art, a coffee shop, a Restaurant and information centre. The restaurant is a train coach converted into a diner and what a delightful experience to enjoy meals in the same way passengers did hundred years ago…

The world famous Outeniqua Choo Tjoe departs from the museum and passengers travelling on the train have free entrance to the museum. Allow at least 45 minutes to visit the museum prior to your departure on the train.

The Outeniqua Train Museum is open daily, excluding Sundays from 08h00 to 17h00 in the summer season from 1st September to 30th April.

The Museum is a division within Heritage Preservation with its Head Office, Transnet Foundation, being based in Johannesburg. • CONTACT Outeniqua Transport Museum, 2 Mission Street, George Tel: +27 44 8018 289 Fax: +27 44 8018 286 Email: Kobus.Volschenk@Transnet.net Website: www.onlinesources.co.za

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Outeniqua

Choo TjoeTRAIN

makes a welcome return to Garden Route Text Muzi Mohale Image: The Photo Workshop (www.photoworkshop.co.za)

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The only remaining

passenger steam train in Africa that operates according to a schedule, the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe, runs between George and Mossel Bay on the Garden Route; an exciting journey, and one of the greatest experiences on this part of the coast. A trip on the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe begins at the Outeniqua Transport Museum in George.

Opened as far back as 1928 and declared a preserved line in July 1993, this train winds its way through the most picturesque scenery. Along fern covered hills, through forests, crossing rivers on low-level bridges, through cuttings and tunnels - the landscape unfolds slowly and unhurriedly. Pictures, which cannot be seen from the car or the road, come into view and delight old and young.

The pace is leisurely, the opportunity for photographs endless. An excursion that will stay in your memory for a long time to come and well worth booking.

The Choo Tjoe offers its passengers a unique, picturesque and scenic 52-kilometre journey experiencing the Garden Route with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. The George / Mossel Bay line was officially opened by Sir Pieter Fraure on 25 September 1907, and was operated by the Cape Government Railways (CGR) by the New Cape Central railway (NCCR) until the railway line was completed as far as Oudtshoorn in 1913.

An exciting dip through a tunnel is followed by sweeping views over Mossel Bay. Further river crossings ensue as one traverses the Great and Little Brak River lagoons, and then pass through a fynbos reserve, past Hartenbos, before the final leg into Mossel Bay via the Voorbaai Yards, the biggest steam locomotive maintenance workshop in South Africa.

The railway initially traverses mainly agricultural land used for grazing. Two major rivers are crossed. These are the Gwaiing and Malgate rivers. After crossing the Gwaiing River the railway

at Santos Beach in Mossel Bay where, you can either remain at the station and await the return trip, or venture off for some sightseeing. Passengers have the opportunity to visit the famous Post Office tree, Aquarium, Granary, Maritime, Cultural and Shell Museums. (Entrance fee not included). Restaurants, souvenirs shops and other facilities are within walking distance.

Diesel Locomotives: The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe may be forced to operate with diesel locomotives from time to time. This is because the line runs through an ecologically sensitive area in which there is a considerable risk of veld fires.

For this reason Transnet Heritage Preservation has entered into an agreement with Local Authorities that steam traction will be replaced with vintage diesel locomotives on days when the Fire Danger Index exceeds 52. (FDI depends on factors like wind and rainfall recorded over the preceding days.) Forecasts of rain are not taken into account- and thus it might happen that the train will run with diesel in pouring rain- especially after a long dry spell. Also note that steam locomotives can haul a maximum of 5 coaches on this line and on rare occasions- when demand requires additional coaches- diesel locomotives may have to be used.

GREAT NEWS Transnet Limited is pleased to announce that the maintenance on the first two coaches of the Outeniqua ChooTjoe train has been completed and that the service between George and Mossel Bay will be resumed with effect from 16 October 2009. The next batch of coaches has since been sent to Salt River for maintenance and will hopefully be returned to service before the end of October 2009. “In the process, Mossel Bay Tourism paid for the construction of platforms at the Dias Museum, and, with the train ride starting and ending at

Opened as far back as 1928 and declared a preserved line in July 1993, this train winds its way through the most picturesque scenery. climbs towards the siding of Skimmelkrans. After Skimmelkrans the railway winds its way for 4 kms into the Malgate Valley. The railway crosses the Malgate River high above the river where large roundish holes can be seen in the rock of the riverbed.

These holes are the result of floodwater rolling stones over and over in the depressions causing gradual, but noticeable erosion.

From Outeniqua the line begins its descendant to the sea. As the train twists around a large horseshoe bend, the hillsides fall dramatically towards the sea. The first seaside resort to come into view is Glentana. The view of the Indian Ocean with its foaming waves crashing on to the seemingly endless beach is breathtaking.

The train plunges into a deep cutting and then snakes through the only tunnel on the line. Emerging again into the sunlight, passengers have an awesome vista, which stretches away to the St Blaze lighthouse to the south of Mossel Bay. At Great Brak River, the original corrugated-iron station building, erected by the Cape Government Railways, still stands.

Crossing the Great Brak River just after the station, one can see the remains of the supports for the original railway bridge.

During construction of the line in 1906, a temporary wooden bridge was built over the river. There was great drama on one occasion when the bridge collapsed and a locomotive fell into the river.

The journey comes to an end at the Dias Museum Station

the Transport Museum in George, began marketing the unique Museum-to-Museum Tour.”

Initially, the service will operate with only two coaches, but as soon as the maintenance cycle for the remaining coaches has been completed, it will also be returned to service and the train will run with its full contingent of five coaches.

As from 21 October 2009 to 12 December 2009 the service will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, thereafter a daily service (excluding Sundays and 25 December) will be operated until 9 January 2009. Thereafter the normal three-day weekly service will be resumed.

The continued support and patronage of the service by all is regarded as very important to ensure the survival and growth of the Choo-Tjoe as a tourism icon for the region as well as South Africa. • CONTACT For reservation contact the George office: Tel: +27 44 8018 288 / 289 Fax: +27 44 8018 286 Email: Kobus.Volschenk@transnet.net Website: www.visitmosselbay.co.za For more information, please visit: www.onlinesources.co.za; www.sa-venues.com/attractionsgr/ outenique-choo-tjoe Issue 4 / 2009

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Where you can find all the fabulous goodies on our pages Angel Lifestyle Tel: +27 11 234 4664 + 27 12 361 2444 www.angellifestyle.co.za Carné Interiors Tel: +27 12 809 4024 +27 82 333 6898 www.carneinteriors.co.za

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TW Ceramics Tel: +27 21 783 4743 www.twceramics.co.za

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Marlboro Originals Tel: +27 21 593 8826 www.MarlboroOriginals.co.za

Colonial House Design Tel: +27 21 421 1467 www.colonialhouse.co.za

Mobili Fusion Décor & Design Solution Tel: +27 44 533 5887 www.mobilifusion.com

Europa Art Shoes Tel: +27 11 447 4109 +27 11 447 4133 Fabiani Tel: +27 21 425 2500 www.fabiani.co.za Hertex Fabrics Tel: +27 41 373 2887 www.hertex.co.za H & H Linen Tel: +27 12 809 4007 Email: hhlinen@telkomsa.net

Simon Rademan Tel: +27 12 460 5106 www.simonrademan.com The Bedroom Shop Tel: +27 44 533 3519 plett@thebedroomshop.co.za

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Models: Ice Model Management Tel: +27 11 447 6141 www.icemodels.co.za Photographer Hendré Louw hendre@iconimage.co.za Michael Maherry Tel: +27 79 408 6708 Email: michael@ mmmultimediastudios.co.za

The Space Tel: +27 11 327 3640 / +27 21 674 6643 / +27 31 566 3166

Alette is wearing a dres from Leigh Schubert@The Space.

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Email: info@ray-magazine.com Website: www.ray-magazine.com Magazine designed by VDS Design Studio Tel: +27 82 336 7537 Email: liesel@vdsdesign.co.za Ray Magazine is published bimonthly. Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions.

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The day of

GRACE

A Children’s Story written by Engela Herbst Image: Ray Magazine

Grace could feel her tummy getting all funny from excitement or something. Lots of things were happening at once and she didn’t understand most of it.

The whole family was going on their sea holiday .They were supposed to leave in a week’s time but something was different this time. Mommy was not thinking about the holiday, she could see that. She was on the phone most of the time and she had teary eyes too. Even dad was wiping a tear here and there.

People from school were dropping off bags full of stuff, and then mommy cried some more. What was going on?

There was only one way to know for sure!! “Mommy, what is going on? You haven’t started getting our clothes ready and you cry all the time. Is something wrong? Are you sick?”

Mommy looked at Grace with amazement in her eyes. Could a seven year old really be that perceptive? She didn’t even know that Grace noticed her packing for holiday at all, what about the time schedule. “No Gracie darling. I am not sick and I am sorry that I didn’t tell you what was going on. I honestly didn’t know you noticed something different.” Then Mommy started explaining about the “Big surprise.” Grace’s family had a flat in Hartenbos, a nice little holiday town by the coast. Here they holidayed every December since Grace was a baby, but this year they were doing something more. There was a church in Hartenbos that had a youth hostel which they rented out for school or Sunday school groups in the holidays. After their last visit at the house of safety, Mommy and daddy got talking and praying, and then she called the church in Hartenbos.

For some miraculous reason there were ten days they haven’t reserved yet. This lead to more talking and more praying, mostly on the telephone. Mom and Dad were calling all their friends, and their friend’s friends. In about two days they organised for all the kids at the house of safety to go on a sea holiday. For many of them it would be a first. The bags that were delivered were towels and swim stuff as well as holiday clothes and beach toys. People pulled together and got sponsors for plane tickets for the two foster parents as well as all six children. WHAT A BIG SURPRISE! Grace could burst from excitement. She was sure Nina had never seen the sea. How great it would be. One week 184

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was so long to wait. Luckily, with all that had to be packed and organised, the week passed quickly. Before they knew it Grace’s whole family was all strapped in and packed for the long road to Hartenbos.

The surprise plane flight was booked for that very afternoon.

Grace was glad for Nina and a little jealous at the same time.

After all, Nina would now be there before Grace would. The fourteen hour drive felt even longer this time. Mrs Lawson phoned Mommy at about five o’clock. They had landed safely and Mr Lawson was impressed with the nice multipurpose vehicle waiting at the car hire company. The accommodation was very basic – much like a school dormitory, but clean and neat. Their holiday had started.

It was much later that night when Grace’s family arrived in Hartenbos. Dad and Mom were bone-tired and so was Gracie and her brother, but they could smell the sea. They knew it was going to be a special December – this really was a season for giving.

Grace wanted to get up at sunrise but her tired little body had other plans. It was nearly nine o’clock when she woke up. She looked around, confused for a couple of minutes.

Then she jumped out of bed and called down the hall at the same time.”We are at the sea; can we call Nina and go to the beach, please Mom?” Mommy and Daddy started laughing. How wonderful and exiting to be seven years old and blessed.

It was ten days of bliss – beautiful weather and a lovely beach, eight very happy children and four occasionally tearyeyed grownups. The kids played on the beach and swam, even the teenage brother and sister got out of their shell as they got to know Grace’s brother. The little ones fell asleep under the umbrella most of the afternoons, and they had sandwiches with some real sand added to the mix, but no one minded.

It was wonderful to see how the light broke down the tough walls around their hearts as they played and relaxed. Real Love would drive away all fear. It would take time for the fear to be driven away. That they all knew, but they also knew for God nothing was impossible! •

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section T I T LE

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