Grapevine_Cornerstone Issue 1

Val de Vie

A Publication of the Val de Vie Homeowners Association

Magazine

COVER

ssue 1.

2 2013 2012 Issue Issue 1 Grapevine 1

PAARL

Realtor of Excellence is growing Realtor of Excellence is attracting a lot of attention and has a reputation as the future of real estate. With impeccable levels of service and cutting edge technology, we are ready to deliver our industry leading levels of service excellence to all in the Paarl area.

We attract only the very best realtors to our brand and are proud to introduce you to our growing team. Tania, Thys and Lynette are true Realtors of Excellence and are ready to help you in all your Paarl real estate needs!

PAARL TEAM

Leonard Dormehl Tania Kirsten Thys Dannhauser Lynette Dannhauser www.ri-paarl.co.za

C C C C

+27 +27 +27 +27

(0)83 265 2251 (0)82 553 9867 (0)82 646 0932 (0)71 109 2669

Contents Page 04 Chairman’s Report

27

16 Wildlife Feature 20 Veuve Clicquot Polo Masters 2013 22 Health Club 27 Stable Talk

47

32 Music, Art and Wine

09

40 Volunteer Wildfire Services

47 Kinder Ark

18

25

Publisher: Phoenix Creative Communication for the Val de Vie HOA www.phoenixcreative.co.za HOA Editor: Anel Steyn 021 863 6103 Advertising Sales: Jaime-Lee van Sittert 021 422 4445 / 072 1711 979 Accounts: Louise Martin louise@phoenixcreative.co.za The Grapevine magazine focuses on the Val De Vie Estate. It is mailed on behalf of the homeowners association and landowners.

It is published in collaboration with several freelance companies and does not necessarily portray the opinions of these companies.

Please send enquiries to grapevine@valdevie.co.za

Issue 1 Grapevine 3

Grapevine Communication

From the Chairman's desk The estate is starting to take on a more homely character. More than 200 families live here now and it is beautiful to see how friends and families are enjoying the jogging routes, play parks, picnic area, dams and sports facilities. Every time my 5 year old takes off alone on his bicycle to visit his friend, I marvel at the privilege of living so securely – where in South Africa can kids still safely do that? Our CCTV Thermal upgrade project was completed within time and budget and we can safely boast that the monitoring control room has eyes, day and night, on every meter of our perimeter. Our perimeter cannot be breached without us knowing about it immediately.

Aesthetically, I believe we have also improved the landscaping. It is a timeous process, but the verges, green areas and olive orchards have benefited from the extended irrigation programme. We will continue with the replanting of many formal plant beds and new trees in some green areas and the further extension of the irrigation network.

We still experience a huge amount of building activity. It does not come without its inconveniences as we still have to put up with lots of construction traffic and related matters. However, it is a temporary inconvenience and we are grateful for the 70 homes under construction.

At this tempo we will reach our half way mark before the close of 2013.

Reflecting on the recent veld fires, I must mention the wonderful support of many individuals who helped us wear off the threat. Brett Ashington and his team from Thorburn, Vonnie von Abo from Turfmanzi and Derick Germishuys and his staff from Servest did amazing work, way beyond their service level agreements. It’s fantastic to know they are not only service providers, but real partners. The estate escaped totally unharmed.

There have been two changes to the board of trustees.

Wynand Louw stepped down after a long serving term of six years. Ryk Neethling replaced him as the fourth trustee appointed by 4 Grapevine Issue 1

the development company. Ryk spent four years in the real estate industry having assisted in the development and management of various commercial properties in Arizona, USA. Apart from his successful swimming career and the founding of his swimming schools across South Africa, he also serves on the executive board of several other commercial companies. Ryk was appointed by the managing agent as Marketing Director of Val de Vie Estate in 2009 and since then has been a major asset to the Estate promoting the wines, restaurant and property as well as being actively involved in the Val de Vie Magazine.

He currently resides and owns property on the estate.

Ryk managed our submission for the International Property Award in which we won the “Best Development Multi-unit” award – a proud moment for us all. It was a tough competition and the result proves our status internationally as a premium residential destination.

Riaan Terblanche was co-opted as the fourth Home Owner trustee.

Riaan studied at Stellenbosch and the Eberhard Karl University in Germany. He holds 3 post graduate degrees, including his Honours in Journalism, a Masters in Social Sciences and an MBA. He started his career in Paarl as the assistant to the Managing Director of Boland Bank before leaving for Gauteng to join a Consulting firm. Together with partners they established the international resourcing company, HPFS. Riaan was Managing Director of HPFS when they sold the business to the listed technology company, EOH, where he is now on the executive team.

Before moving back to Paarl, Riaan was the Chairman of the Woodlands Life Style Estate in Pretoria. Riaan currently owns two properties on the estate, in one of which he currently lives with his wife Karin, born and raised in Paarl, and their two boys, Le Roux (4) and Jacques (2).

In the HOA offices, Anel Steyn resigned after 4 years of excellent service to Val de Vie. We did not let her go without a fight, but she is

taking a job close to her house and the kids’ schools in Bellville and we understand that it is for the better.

We are currently recruiting a suitable replacement.

As foreseen at the time of our 2012 Annual General Meeting, the normal levy increased by 6% for the 2014 budget year. With this budget we went one step further by circulating the budget to members for comment before final approval by the trustees.

Thank you for your comments and insights.

I believe by the time of printing all home owners are well aware of the purchase of the polo fields by the HOA. After all said and done, I believe we have secured a valuable 22ha piece of property, secured a promising tenant in the form of the Val de Vie polo club and addressed some important long term risks. Sure, owning more land comes at a monthly cost, but not to such an extent that it jeopardises our long term reserve strategy or necessitates a sudden rise in levy.

Our fundamental long term financial strategy is still on course.

As part of intensifying our communication and interaction with home owners the members of my team and I are meeting new residents at specially organised welcome meetings. It is our priority to demonstrate hospitality to new members of our community.

Expect to see the trustees, committees and management team prioritise aspects related to improved resource management and harmonious living. We need to increase the efficiency of water and electricity usage, keep on enhancing the quality of building work, utilise every resource to ensure the safety of residents, and clamp down on some speeding and pet misbehaviour. Our efforts must work towards achieving our long term goal - to position Val de Vie globally as a destination of unsurpassed natural beauty, where families can live securely with a sense of belonging. Thank you for your participation and support.

HOA Chairman Morne Bosch

Architectural Design Building & Construction

Engineering Services Interior design & Decorating

Project Management Landscaping

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Issue 1 Grapevine 7

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Grapevine Cornerstone 2013

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Grapevine Landscaping & Nature

Servest Landscaping News Tips for winter preparation • Remove all dead seeds and flower heads from plants. Do not cut back the roses too far. Give each bush two tablespoons of 3:1:5 spread over the root area to harden up the new growth for winter. Continue preventative spraying against black spot, rust and mildew combining this with a foliar feed.

• Water once a week during dry weather.

• Cut bulb flowers that have died back to soil level and mark position for next season. By doing this you will know where they are if you want to change the garden layout.

• A light prune of roses to stimulate new flower buds for April and May. This will increase the flowering period, rather than waiting for the final prune in July / August.

• To place a thick layer of mulch on all the flower and tree basins is advisable to keep weeds at bay.

• Mix a cocktail of preventative foliar spray and soil drench to control winter pests such as fungi, moulds, insects and other creeping insects (i.e.Kohinor).

• Use a general organic fertilizer for beds and trees to build up enough reserve nutrients to keep evergreen and deciduous plants healthy in winter.

• Apply good slow release fertiliser on lawns to enhance growth now in order to get good solid grass going into winter. This will hamper the germination of winter weeds in lawns.

• It’s also advisable to spray the lawn now with insecticide to deal with lawn caterpillars and other bugs while grass is still growing strong before winter.

Lawn caterpillars are normally a problem in the first three months of the year. Use a sticker like Sprayfilm 10 to increase the effectiveness. Margeret Roberts also have organic products for army worms.

• It’s also the time now to move Clavias, if you need to, as they have finished flowering. Be warned that they might skip flowering for a year if moved.

• Now is the time to start thinking about planting winter flowering bulbs. Even the smallest garden can have a drift of daffodils if the bulbs are planted in groups and not in straight rows. The indigenous bulbs sparaxis, ixia and babiana look particularly effective if planted in groups under deciduous trees. Start sowing Namaqualand daisies, Ursinias and Bokbaaivygies in sunny places in the garden. They grow easily and make a magnificent display.

• Prepare the beds for winter flowers by digging in well-matured compost and 2:3:2 at the rate of 60g per square metre.

Winter rainfall: Any of the annuals listed below can be sown from the beginning of March onwards: Chrysanthemum Carinatum (annual variety) Clarkia Consolida ambigua (larkspur) (sow in situ) Issue 1 Grapevine 9

Arctotis acaulis

Felicia bergerana (kingfisher daisy)

dimorphotheCa sinuata (namaqualand daisy) dorotheanthus bellidiformis (livingstone bokbaaivygie) (proteCt seedlings from birds ChiCken wire over the beds) godetia (satin flower) linaria maroCCana (toad flax - sow in situ) viola x wittroCkiana (pansy) • Winter Flowering Bulbs These bulbs can be planted now: gladiolus blandus gladiolus Cardinalis (waterfall gladiolus) gladiolus Carinatus (mauve afrikander) ipheion uniflorum (star of bethlehem) laChenalia (Cape Cowslip) veltheimia braCteata (v. viridifolia - forest

daisy

or

by putting

lily)

• As soon as the weather gets cooler, the following bulbs can be planted: allium neapolitanum anemone Coronaria aristea thyriflora (tall aristea) babiana bulbinella floribunda (Cat's tail) dipidax triquetra (star of the marsh) iris (dutCh iris) freesia hyaCinthus orientalis (hyaCinth) ixia (wand flower) leuCojum (snowflake) lyCoris radiata (spider lily) musCari botryoides (grape hyaCinth) narCissus ornithogalum thyrsoides (ChinCherinChee) ranunCulus asiatiCus (ranunCulus) sChizostylis CoCCinea (river lily) sparaxis (harlequin flower) Broad been, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, dwarf spinach, leek, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnip and peas can now be planted in the vegetable garden in the month of March.

Grapevine Cornerstone 2013

Bird Feature:

African harrier-hawk A fairly large but relatively lightweight bird of prey, the African harrier-hawk has a distinctive small, pointed head, with a patch of naked yellow skin on the face which flushes red when the bird is excited. On the top of the head is a crest of feathers, which may be raised or lowered. The plumage is mainly grey, with neat black and white barring on the abdomen and thighs, though this is absent in some individuals. The wings are long and rounded, with distinct, broad black ends to the flight feathers, and the tail is black and relatively long, with a clear white or grey central band. Male and female African harrier-hawks are similar in appearance, though the female may be slightly larger than the male, while juveniles have brown plumage, blackish facial skin, a brown tail with four darker brown bars, and variable amounts of whitish, reddish-brown or dark bars or streaks on the abdomen. Adult plumage is not attained until about the third year. Two sub-species of African harrier-hawk are recognised: Polyboroidestypustypus and Polyboroidestypuspectoralis, the latter being smaller and darker, with more barring on the under parts. The African harrier-hawk is a fairly silent bird, but in the breeding season gives a long, plaintive sueeeeee-oo call, as well as a high hweep-hweek-hweep near the nest.

Biology

The diet of the African harrier-hawk is quite varied and includes small mammals such as rodents and bats, as well as birds, eggs and nestlings, lizards, amphibians and insects. It may also occasionally take stranded fish or carrion, and in West Africa often feeds on oilpalm fruits. While some hunting takes place from low flight over vegetation or by watching for prey from a perch, the African harrier-hawk is notable for its habit of actively searching for prey in trees, nests, rock faces, and from underneath objects on the ground.

It can often be seen clambering about and hanging from tree limbs, running up tree trunks with wings flapping, or hanging from foliage or birds’ nests as it searches for food. A unique feature of harrier-hawks is the remarkable flexibility of their legs and feet, and the long yellow legs and small feet of the African harrierhawk are able to bend both forwards and backwards through large angles, enabling the bird to reach 10 Grapevine Issue 1

into nests, holes and crevices to extract, otherwise inaccessible, prey.

The breeding season of the African harrier-hawk varies with location. During courtship, the male performs a slow, circling display flight, and, upon being joined by the female, the pair may come together, with the female rolling over and the pair sometimes briefly touching claws in mid-air. The nest is usually relatively large and built with sticks, in a tree or on a cliff ledge, and lined with sprays of green leaves. One to three eggs are laid and hatch after an incubation period of about 35 days. Older chicks often kill younger siblings soon after hatching, with usually only one, or sometimes two, chicks raised, which fledge after 45 to 55 days.

Range

The African harrier-hawk is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal east to Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, and south to South Africa, as well as on the island of Pemba. P. t. pectoralis occurs from Senegal to western Sudan, and south to Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo, while P. t. typus has a more eastern and southerly distribution, from eastern Sudan and Eritrea, south through East Africa, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola, and as far south as South Africa. Although resident in most areas, the African harrier-hawk may make some seasonal movements in parts of West Africa and may be locally nomadic in parts of southern Africa.

Habitat

The harrier-hawk inhabits mainly forest, woodland, wooded savanna, tall riparian vegetation and wooded ravines, up to elevations of around 3,000 metres. In large areas of continuous forest, the African harrierhawk is generally found at the forest edges, in clearings or close to rivers, and also readily adapts to partly deforested areas and to plantations, particularly stands of eucalyptus trees. In hilly or mountainous terrain the species is often associated with cliff faces, though it also inhabits flat plains. www.arkive.org

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Issue 1 Grapevine 11 Grapevine Issue Issue 9.indd 9.indd 68 68 Grapevine

3/2/2012 11:36:07 11:36:07 PM PM 3/2/2012

Grapevine Landscaping & Nature

Grapevine Cornerstone 2013

Tree Feature: Styraciflua Liquidambar Styraciflua Commonly called the American sweetgum, sweetgum (sweet gum in the UK), alligator-wood, Americanstorax, bilsted, red-gum, satin-walnut, or star-leaved gum, is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America. A popular ornamental tree in temperate climates, it is recognisable by the combination of its five-pointed star-shaped leaves and its hard, spiked fruits. It is currently classified in the plant family Altingiaceae, but was formerly considered a member of the Hamamelidaceae.

Names

This plant's genus name Liquidambar was first given

by Linnaeus in 1753 from (the Latin) liquidus, fluid, and the Arabicambar, amber, in allusion to the fragrant terebinthine juice or gum which exudes from the tree.

Its specific epithet styraciflua is an old generic name meaning flowing with styrax (a plant resin). The names "storax" and "styrax" have long been confusingly applied to the aromatic gum or resin of this species, that of L. orientalis of Turkey, and to the resin better known as benzoin resin from various tropical trees in the genus Styrax.

The common name "sweet gum" refers to the species' "sweetish gum", contrasting with the black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), only distantly related, with which the sweet gum overlaps broadly in range. The species is also known as the "red gum", for its reddish bark.

Leaves

Size

Liquidambar styraciflua is a medium-sized to large tree, growing anywhere from 33–50 feet in cultivation and up to 150 feet in the wild state, with a trunk up to 2-3 feet in diameter, on average. Trees may live to 400 years. The tree is a symmetrical shape and crowns into an egg shape when the branches get too heavy after its first two years of cultivation.

12 Grapevine Issue 1

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The leaves usually have five (but sometimes three or seven) sharply pointed palmate lobes. They are 3-5 inches wide on average and have three distinct bundle scars. They are long and broad, with a 6–10 cm petiole.

The rich dark green, smooth, shiny, star-shaped leaves generally turn brilliant orange, red and purple colours in the autumn. This autumnal colouring has been characterised as not simply a flame, but a conflagration.

Its reds and yellows compare to that of the maples (Acer), and in addition, it has the dark purples and smoky browns of the ash (Fraxinus) However, in the northern part of its range, and when planted in yet colder areas, the leaves are often killed by frost while still green. On the other hand, in the extreme southern or tropical parts of its range, some trees are evergreen or semi-evergreen, with negligible fall colour. The leaves are three to seven inches broad with glandular serrate teeth. The base is truncate or slightly heartshaped. They come out of the bud plicate, downy and pale green; when full grown are bright green, smooth, shining above and paler beneath. They contain tannin and when bruised give a resinous fragrance.

While the starry five-pointed leaves of Liquidambar resemble those of some maples (Acer), Liquidambar is easily distinguished from Acer by its glossy, leathery leaves that are positioned singly (alternate), not in pairs (opposite) on the stems.

Issue 1 Grapevine 13

Grapevine Landscaping & Nature Inflorescences

The male and female inflorescences are separate on the same tree. The distinctive compound fruit is hard and dry, and the globose are 1–1.5 inches in diameter, composed of numerous (40-60) capsules.

Each capsule, containing one to two small seeds, has a pair of terminal spikes (for a total of 80-120 spikes).

When the fruit opens and the seeds are released, each capsule is associated with a small hole (40-60 of these) in the compound fruit. Fallen, opened fruits are often abundant beneath the trees; these have been popularly nicknamed "burr balls” or "gum balls". The fruit is a multi-capsular spherical head and hangs on the branches during the winter. The woody capsules are mostly filled with abortive seeds resembling sawdust. The seeds are about one-quarter of an inch thick, winged and wind-dispersed. Goldfinches, purple finches, squirrels, and chipmunks eat the seeds of the tree. The seeds stratify within 30–90 days at 33°– 41 °F or when soaked in water for 15–20 days. The long-stemmed fruit balls of Liquidambar resemble those of the American sycamore or buttonwood (Platanusoccidentalis), but are spiny and remain intact after their seeds are dispersed; the softer fruits of Platanus disintegrate upon seed dispersal. The longpersisting fallen spiked fruits can be unpleasant to walk on; sweet gum is banned in some places for this reason. In abundance, they can leave a lawn lumpy.

The winter buds are yellow brown, one-fourth of an inch long and acute. The inner scales enlarge with the growing shoot, becoming half an inch long and green

tipped with red.

Bark and branches

Another distinctive feature of the tree is the peculiar appearance of its small branches and twigs. The bark attaches itself to these in plates edgewise instead of laterally, and a piece of the leafless branch, with the aid of a little imagination, readily takes on a reptilian form; indeed, the tree is sometimes called Alligatorwood. The bark is a light brown tinged with red and sometimes gray with dark streaks and weighs 37 lbs. per cubic foot. It is deeply fissured with scaly ridges.

The branches carry layers of cork. The branchlets are pithy, many-angled, winged, and at first covered with rusty hairs, finally becoming red brown, gray or dark brown. As an ornamental tree, the species has a drawback - the branches may have ridges or "wings" that cause more surface area, increasing weight of snow and ice accumulation on the tree. However, the wood is heavy and hard with an interlocking grain, but is difficult to season.

Flowers

The flowers typically appear in March to May and persist into Autumn, sometimes persisting into the Winter.

They are typically about 1–1.5 inches in diameter and are covered with rusty hairs. The flowers are unisexual and greenish in colour. Staminate flowers in terminal racemes are two to three inches long, whilst the pistillate is in a solitary head on a slender peduncle borne in the axil of an upper leaf. Staminate flowers destitute of calyx and corolla, but are surrounded by hairy bracts. Stamens indefinite; filaments short; anthers introrse. Pistillate flowers with a two-celled, two-beaked ovary have carpels which produce into a long, re-curved, persistent style. The ovaries all more or less cohere and harden in fruit and there are many ovules, but few mature.

Snake Feature It is never possible to avoid all snakes. Almost every part of South Africa is represented by some species of snakes, including at least one poisonous type. At any given time in any location a person can encounter a snake!

The very extreme cold climates tend to be less suitable for any enduring population. In the vast majority of locales, people and snakes simply will come together now and again. Usually it is the snake that regrets the encounter, yet it is relatively simple to minimise the likelihood of having a severe or negative adventure with snakes. There are plenty of wild stories out there to captivate the minds of those whose time is still yet to come with such an encounter. These stories get embellished over time and soon the range of terror and fear are boundless! Most stories are based in pure exaggeration and often are founded in the fear of the beholder themselves in that moment of lost control when confronted by a live snake.

With a little care and self-training, coupled with a dose of good common sense, there is small reason to ever fear the out-doors at all. Think about all the defences that may be pressed into service during any outing to assist at either allowing the snake to escape away early, 14 Grapevine Issue 1

or promoting the person's ability to stay in control of any menacing factors or dangerous variables. This is all quite easy to accomplish. Check the thirteen essentials below:

USEFUL TIPS TO REMEMBER:

1. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Don't just blindly wander through woods, weeds, trails, bushes and the like.

2. Avoid specific snake habitats like brush piles, debris mounds, logjams, root systems, abandoned buildings, watery areas and "cover" in general. Remember, they may be everywhere else also!

3. Wear leather shoes or boots at least ankle high or better when walking in suspected snake country.

4. Never sit or climb (feet and hands), or step over obstacles anywhere without first looking carefully prior to taking the move.

5. Observation is critical to avoidance - learn to check around with a sweeping glance for anything that seems out of place, for this may be your subconscious notice of a camouflaged critter lurking close by.

6. Near water of any kind, be aware that many species "hang out" there and will likely be quite hidden from view while they are sleeping or hunting - just be more alert.

7. Remember that snakes have needs for shelter, water and food basically in that order just to survive, so be aware of these "needs" and be alert when these are especially present in any combination. Learn to recognise food favourites of the species in your area so that when you know the animal's food habits, you will also know those of the snakes!

8. Try not to stalk along quietly as snakes have many sensing devices to warn them of your presence - let these work freely with noise and movements, etc. and thus not make the snake think it may be the target of a predator when it would need to become more aggressive!

9. Take a pet along on outings since these animals have a much more effective set of senses when it comes to snakes - a point guard is often a good confidence builder and may serve as a beneficial warning.

10. When a snake is spotted, leave it alone! So many bite victims have chosen to hit the snake or try to catch it. Remember, where there is one, there are likely others! Be alert!

11. Learn more about snakes in the area where you live or play so that you can better understand their capabilities and behaviours.

always expect the unexpected.

13. Be in tune with your environment - know that most critters, including snakes, try to avoid human contact.

Practice skills that make you more aware of what is happening and what critical conditions are present as you move through the fields and streams.

Die Vonds Snake Park

Die Vonds Snake Park is situated just outside of Paarl on your way to the Wellington/Malmesbury four way stop on the road known as the R45. You travel approximately 4 kilometers coming from the Wellington four way stop and just keep an eye out to your left for the big brown sign that will say ” Die Sentrum “. On this sign you will also see the picture of a big Cobra raising his head. The founder of the park, Mr Danie Malherbe, has a huge passion for these reptiles and loves them dearly. Over the last 15 years he has reached the pages of the local news paper like the Paarl Post many times in connection with emergency situations where he was called out by people in a state of panic who came across a snake in their house.

Any reptile is welcome at Die Vonds Snake Park and Mr Malherbe always goes out of his way to accommodate new arrivals. This establishment has also become very popular for groups of pupils who are learning about these fascinating creatures or have to do a certain assignment on them. The rooms and cages in which these animals are kept has been especially designed to suit their very sensitive nature and to keep them calm in all weather conditions. Nice big compartments, covered with glass, keep them out of reach from humans. This is especially important to protect the public from those species that attack their prey by first spitting into their face and then moving in for the kill.

At the back of the building on the outside is where the big pythons are housed. High walls which are built to keep them in protects you while you observe them.

This specific species can grow up to 8 meters and has been known to even swallow human beings. Feeding them can be a daunting task and for this purpose they breed their own rats and mice for the animals to feed on. They also have the famous Brazilian Anaconda on their premises and you can observe it in a specially designed enclosure with flowing water and some dry land, resembling the creature’s natural habitat. For a bone chilling experience which you get from just walking through the small passages at Die Vonds Snake park, you won’t be disappointed that you have stopped by. (www.paarlnews.co.za)

12. Learn basic snakebite first aid. Prepare yourself and Issue 1 Grapevine 15

Grapevine Landscaping & Nature

Catch of the day…

Two young Val de Vie ResidenTs shaRed TheiR “caTch of The day” and moRe speCifiCally the big ones that did not get away! needless to say we were asked not to reveal in whiCh val de vie dam the fish were Caught.

About the Baber / African Sharptooth Catfish

Ettienne with a Barber

“The African Sharptooth Catfish, more commonly known as the “Barbel”, can be found throughout South Africa. This fish grows up to 40 Kg with the average weight caught being around 8 Kg. The barbel is a large heavy boned fish with a flattish head and long barbs around the mouth. The diet of these barbel include baitfish such as tilapia (kurper), carp and paper mouth, as well as worms and young birds falling from their nests.

When it comes down to fishing for barbel a wide range of techniques as well as bait can be used to catch these fish. This includes bait fishing with live as well as dead baits, lure fishing and fly fishing. The bait used to catch the barbel is live bait such as tilapia, carp and paper mouth fish’s heads; other baits to use include frogs (platanna), bread, worms, mealies (corn pips), day old chickens and meaty baits like normal braai meat or raw chicken livers.

Your tackle needs to be strong because the African sharptooth catfish is an excellent fighting fish and will drag your line to the bottom, with strong runs in between. It will also wrap around any available obstruction in the water such as rocks and trees and other water plants. It will at times also twist itself around the line in order to break you off, so a line with a higher braking strain is in order. As mentioned earlier, your tackle needs to be strong enough in order for you to lift the barbel from the bottom, counteract the runs and to guide it to where you want the fish to go.

The barbel is often caught on boilies and other carp baits in between your carp angling sessions, so if they are feeding aggressively they will pick up almost any bait. This is a great fish to catch seeing that it is an excellent fighter and very strong in and out of the water as you will feel after landing the barbel.” www.ilovefishing.co.za

About the Largemouth Bass / GrootbekBaars “Introduced in the 1920s for sport fishing, Bass have become one of the most sought after freshwater predators in our inland waters. Their highly aggressive nature makes them an exciting species to target and even fish under 300 grams have been known to inspire an adrenaline rush. What makes the largemouth bass an even more exciting species to target is the amount of puzzling necessary to entice a bite on the end of your line.

Caught mostly with artificial lures, bass are known to be picky eaters at the best of times and a lure market of thousands of types, compositions, shapes, colours and sizes, is a testament to this fact. There are days when bass will bite ferociously on a particular lure of a particular colour but not look twice at the same lure of a slightly different shade of colour.

These days, Bass are found in many bodies of water in South Africa, and are considered incredibly invasive due to their often overwhelming ability to adapt to most conditions and out-compete other fish species.

Having said this, I believe bass thrive in water bodies existing in areas that experience extreme summer temperatures, or areas that are generally warmer throughout the year.” Ross Solomons http://www.favisa.co.za Hendro with a largemouth Bass

Issue 1 Grapevine 17

Grapevine Landscaping & Nature

Wildlife Feature:

Background on Rhinos Dr Jana A Pretorius BVSc,

MMedVet (Wildlife) A group of rhinos is called a “crash”.

Sometimes a herd but that is incorrect and more often a “family” which is a more acceptable term.

Background on Rhinos The rhino poaching crisis is escalating and there is no easy answer. A whole debate for and against the legal trade in rhino horn is possible and both sides have merit.

However the trade will not be legalised soon as the government has not sent in a CITES application to CITES for the meeting of the parties this year in March 2013. The earliest would only be in 2016 where a lot of resistance will still be possible from other countries. For this year alone the number of animals poached has reached 96 (February 15th, 2013) and ended at 668 last year. This number does not include the number of orphaned calves that have died as result of their mothers being killed or carcasses not found. Poaching has caused these devastating numbers: • The white rhino is the least endangered of the living rhino species. There are currently approximately 20,150 white rhinos surviving.

• During the last century, the black rhino has suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species. There are currently approximately 4,240 black rhinos surviving (African Rhino Specialist Group, 2011).

• The Javan Rhino is the rarest of the rhino species with 27 - 44 animals surviving only in Indonesia.

• The Sumatran rhino is the most endangered of all rhinoceros species because of its rapid rate of decline. There are an estimated 200 Sumatran rhinos surviving.

• Greater One-Horned Rhino’s numbers have recovered from fewer than 200 earlier in the 20th century to as many as 2,850 today.

There currently are approximately 2,800 2,850 greater one-horned rhinos surviving (Asian Rhino Specialist Group).

Visit us at Shop 7, Frater Square, Main Road, Paarl Tel: +27 21 863 4115 Email: info@suregiltedge.com Website www.suregiltedge.com 18 Grapevine Issue 1

Jana & Ronnie I decided to become a veterinarian by the age of 5 and qualified as a vet in 1998 from Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria and went on to locum in several mixed practices over the next 2.5 years. I spent 2 of those years in the UK dealing with domestic species and exotic pets. My long term goal was to work with wildlife and managed to fulfil that dream from March 2001. I enrolled for my Master’s degree in Wildlife Veterinary Medicine in 2003 at Onderstepoort and qualified in 2007.

I registered as a specialist in this field and was the first registered and practicing female veterinary wildlife specialist in South Africa.

My passion for rhinos was a “love at first sight” affair and grew after hand rearing an orphaned white rhino, Ronnie.

Currently I am halfway through my Master’s Degree in Forensic Science. My interest in this field started many years ago and is a field that I believe needs improvement and expanding in this country. This is vital for law enforcement and successful prosecutions.

Over the past number of years I’ve became more and more involved with several nonprofit organisations focusing on endangered species. As my passion for rhinos became known through the industry, it was a natural progression for me to become deeply involved with the rhino issues and problems. The Endangered Wildlife Trust involved me in their workshops on rhinos and this led to an invitation to the Rhino Issues Dialogues initiated by the Minister of Environmental Affairs. I attended the National Rhino Summit as a representative of the South African Veterinary Council in my capacity as councillor. December 2012 I was invited to meetings held by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) with the United Nation’s Global Environmental Facility (UN-GEF) consultant. The project discussed will aim at improving forensic services, intelligence sharing, security and

law enforcement regarding wildlife trafficking (target species: Rhino). I have been appointed interim national coordinator for the project working group consisting of the Hawks, SAPS forensic services, SANParks, DEA, WWF and the Private Rhino Owner’s Association.

I am fiercely passionate about environmental affairs, especially rhino conservation and education and feel that grassroots training is the only way to curb the destruction of these wonderful creatures and other species for that matter. I will continue in any way I can to make a difference and create awareness.”

19 Grapevine Issue 1

Grapevine Events & Media

Our Fairy-tale Wedding at Val deVie I first laid my eyes on this exquisite venue when Gary and I attended a friend’s wedding in 2011. When I walked onto the terrace, what lay before me took my breath away. I immediately messaged my mom and sent her a picture (which I still have) saying that when I get married one day, this will have to be the venue. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be a possibility! Three months later, Gary proposed, and we both knew that Val de Vie was our dream venue. We booked it straight away without even visiting a second time.

They say that the number one stressful experience in life is getting married. This may have been the case for me, as I was somewhat of a perfectionist Bride…and living in Johannesburg, trying to plan a Wedding in Cape Town. However, the day I met Nadia, all my worries drifted away. I knew then that our Wedding would be in good hands, needless to say, never did I expect the time, effort, organisation, kindness and patience that would be provided by Nadia and the Events team. We now refer to the Events team at Val de Vie as the Ladies in Black…the superheroes of our Wedding!

We also had Nico Laubscher who did all the décor at our Wedding. He helped transform my scattered ideas into a Spring Fairy-tale Wedding with a modern vs classic twist, a Wedding even better than what I imagined it to be. We also have to mention our amazingly talented photographers, Dylan and Tamlyn from Tyme Photography. They captured the exact feel of our Wedding and have provided us with beautiful memories which will last a lifetime.

In over 4000 photos taken, Gary and I are laughing and smiling…this portrays exactly how we felt on our Wedding Day at Val de Vie. So thank you Val de Vie, thank you Nadia and thank you to all the other people who made our Wedding what it was. The only tip I have for future brides is to Keep Calm and make Val de Vie your number one venue choice for your special day!

Love, Laura

20 Grapevine Issue 1

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TO FINISH

Grapevine Events & Media

Take a glance at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Masters 2013 “Thoroughbreds, elegance and champagne were experienced in abundance, while smiles, good conversation and quality friends rounded up a wonderful day out at Val de Vie.�

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Masters 2013 was held last month and what a magnificent event it was! The day was filled with all things fabulous: high fashion, polo action, decadent food, VIPs, a Bentley car parade, an Elizabeth Arden pampering lounge and fine Champagne and wines.

The prestigious event was co-owned and coordinated by Val de Vie Events and Vivid Luxury, with a host of sponsors that included Veuve Clicquot, Polo world, Blackberry, Carol Boyes, Hilton Weiner, Whimsical Nomad, Haagen Daz, Elizabeth Arden, Jenny Button, Bentley and Hospitality Partner, Equus. Guests were treated to a gorgeous fashion show by Jenni Button and Hilton Weiner, after which Team Val de Vie beat Veuve Clicquot in an exciting polo match that had everyone enthralled. The event was showcased on Top Billing, Expresso and Bravo.

Photos by www.martindekockphotography.blogspot.com

22 Grapevine Issue 1

Photos by Denzil Jacobs www.denziljacobs.com

“Summer, friends, champagne, polo and fashion. A good round-up of a beautiful day out at the 2013 Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo at the picturesque Val De Vie Estate. The sounds of a Magic Carpet Ride flowed throughout the day as everyone eased into the day and what lied ahead. The VIP area was of course buzzing and it was great to see so many new and familiar faces. We had a prime spot in the VIP lounge with a view of the Polo, all of the amazing people and fashion, while enjoying some interesting conversations, establishing new friendships and soaking up what the day had to offer. Thoroughbreds, elegance and champagne were experienced in abundance, while smiles, good conversation and quality friends rounded up a wonderful day out at Val de Vie. It was a beautiful day and a stunning weekend. Veuve Clicquot Masters, until next year. Val de Vie, see you very soon.” www.twistedlifestyle.com “Cape Town - The third annual Veuve Clicquot Masters 2013 polo tournament took place at Val de Vie Estate on Saturday, February 23, 2013 and proved, once again, to be one of the most sophisticated and elegant events on the South African social calendar. “ www.sport24.com

Val de Vie Residents at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Masters

Issue 1 Grapevine 23

Grapevine Sports & Leisure

Mountain Biking - Catherine Colyn Following in her parents footsteps or should we say, following in their tyre tracks.

Catherine Colyn is an exciting new contender in the Mounting Biking field. A few weeks ago she took part in a mountain bike race, the National half marathon series, Barberton where she finished 1st in the junior woman and 1st in the woman overall. The Colyn family is known for being seen riding their mountain bikes on the estate and in the Valley, and Val de Vie is extremely proud to have this young new talent on our Estate.

Who We Spot At The Gym

24 Grapevine Issue 1

IronMan

So you run?

So do I; but only after a swim and bike…

IRONMAN: 1,9km swim*90km bike*21km run The past 6 months has been a month of getting up early, eating right, getting enough sleep en training, training, training…did I mention training..?

Residents Barry Oberholzer, Deon Joubert, Grant Elliot and Swim members Minette Weirich and De Wet le Roux did the 70.3 Ironman 2013! This was their first Ironman experience and we a proud to announce that all of them finished in well-deserved times.

“Dit was vir my 'n ongelooflike ervaring en ek het dit baie geniet. 21km se hardloop het nog nooit sover gevoel nie. Dit is 'n baie lekker om te weet ek het dit voltooi en ek sal dit defnitief weer doen!” Deon Joubert “It was my first one, so took it really slowly and just enjoyed the experience!” Grant Elliot “I looked around. Nervous straight faces, nervous laughter’s, guys cracking jokes, some closing their eyes, either visualizing or praying and others just staring blankly ahead.” Barry Oberholzer Race day as blogged by Barry “Early morning wake up at 04h45. Transition closed at 06h15 and my wave start was at 07h15 so I needed to have breakfast, get race dressed, check everything for the last time and then head to the race start while also looking for parking between 4000 other athletes and 30 000 spectators!

We had access to our transition bags till 06h15 to add our nutrition and check our bike pressures and lock in our bottles. At 06h12 I left transition and went off to the beach to watch the start of the pro's.

Swim As we all stood there, I looked around. Nervous straight faces, nervous laughter’s, guys cracking jokes, some closing their eyes, either visualizing or praying and others just staring blankly ahead.

As we cornered the first buoy, I was introduced to the Ironman washing machine. Fists to my face, kicks to my stomach and swallowing litres of salt water, all part of the swim experience.

Bike The bike course, as stated before, was very challenging.

It consisted of a 45km out and 45km back lap. The ride out was a continuous climb so for 2 hours my legs were working very hard. At the turnaround point I know I could makeup sometime with the downhill’s coming up. However, as I turned, I was greeted with a strong headwind.

Run We had to finish 2 laps then headed towards the finish line.

My legs were hurting, burning and felt like jelly but after the 8km mark I got into my stride. When heading up the hill on the second lap I had to run/walk it just to keep moving forward. The crowd support on the run route was immense and that carried me through right to the end.

Well done all you YSTERS!”

Issue 1 Grapevine 25

Grapevine Sports & Leisure

Triathlon

Val de Vie is extremely excited in hosting its first Ladies Triathlon event in collaboration with the WP Triathlon.

The Grapevine is published the same week of the event so be sure not to miss the results and photos in our next issue.

Congratulations

Some of our residents and swim members - Barry Oberholzer, Deon Joubert, Minette Weirich, Mieke and De Wet le Roux - competed in various triathlons, sponsored by COVEG. All of them looked very flashy in their black and green trisuits!

BSG Triathlon: Mieke 4th lady overall Santos Triathlon: Barry 2nd in age group JailBreak Triathlon: Barry, Minette, Deon, Mieke and De Wet all under the top 20 in age groups.

From the athletes side: Thank you Cialee for the COVEG sponsorship!

We definitely stood out in the crowd! Also Joienevive Van Tonder for all the hours you put in teaching us how to swim and not drown in the triathlon washing machine.

History of the Triathlon

Triathlon’s roots can be traced back to 1974, Mission Bay, Southern California where a group of friends began training together. Amongst them were runners, swimmers and cyclists and before long, training sessions turned into informal races. Directed and conceived by Jack Johnstone and Don Shanahan

26 Grapevine Issue 1

the first Mission Bay Triathlon was held on September 25th 1974 and welcomed 46 athletes. Triathlon’s foundations had been set!

In Hawaii, 1978, an argument arose regarding which of the three disciplines required the greatest endurance. At that time Hawaii hosted The Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), The Oahu Bike Race (112 miles) and The Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). Originally events in themselves, they were rolled into one to become the ‘Hawaii Ironman Triathlon.’

The event attracted 15 athletes and out of them, only 12 crossed the finish line. By 1982 the Hawaii Ironman gained extensive coverage on ABC World Wide Sport and participation levels had increased to 580 competitors. Last year over 3000 athletes completed the gruelling challenge. The fastest women finished the course in just under nine hours and the fastest men finishing in little over eight hours!

And today the sport of triathlon is growing at a rapid pace. There are triathlon clubs in almost every major city and thousands of races are held every year across the globe! Challenge yourself...sign up for one! www.beginnertriathlete.com

More about Coveg

“Coveg is gebore 15 jaargelede ,gekry van die idee maar SA voerbaievrugteuit , oekomnieietsookbesonderswateie is onsaankultuur , maar nie die geweldigegrootskaal van vrugte

nie.

Met n liefde vir die buitelewe, n voedselwetenskap agtergrond het ek myself in die lewe van n boerbegewe en geleerboer met rankgewasse en soetpatats.

Vir my was ditbelangrikom 'hands on’ te wees met alleaspekte van my besigheid. Die navoring van varieteite, boer, pakhuis, uitvoer en bemarking.

Dus n grootuitdaging , maar met n sport agtergrond van hard oefen , motivering en aanhouer wen , het ekstadig maar seker al die aspekte begin geleer . Die plaaslewe het ek begin meng met fietsry, baie stap en n pakhuis is n heerlikegimvirsterkbly!

Ek doen self al die bemarking en is direk betrokke by kliente.

Dit het my die geleentheidgegeeomoorseetereis, baie te leer en vriende te maak.

My klient in Holland is nou n grootaanhanger van 2 kamp en Andrew in Engeland doen vanjaar sy eerste 2 kamp.

Coveg, is nou die trotseuitvoerdernaalle supermarkte in Engeland, n depo vir klaar voor bereidemaaltye, butternut sop . In Europa voorsien ek groot handelaars wat ook na Italie en Frankryk versprei. Coveg was ook gelukkig om n span van Val de Vie na Iron man test uur wat fantasties gedoen het.

Intussen hou die plaas my nogsteeds fiks, my personeel ryfiets en ons volgende poging is n Val de Vie twee kamp !”

Cailee Oosthuizen

Swimming Safety

Five Truths about Children Who Drown…

You think that it could never happen to your family, but each year more than 800 children drown. These incidents are not only preventable but predictable.

Here are the five truths about children who drown and what you can do to help keep your children safe around water.

1. Supervision is Essential

Children drown quickly and silently— in a matter of seconds. Adults who were present when a child drowns were often distracted in some way, by talking on the phone, chatting with other adults around the pool, or reading.

What you can do about it: • Actively supervise your children around water, and have a phone nearby to call for help in an emergency.

Put Netcare 911 (082 911) on speed dial.

• Teach everyone in your house hold how to use the speed dial in an emergency.

• Under normal circumstances when somebody is in shock he/she cannot remember telephone numbers (use fridge reminders.)

• When there are several adults present and children are swimming, designate an adult as the Water Watcher to prevent gaps in supervision.

• Stay alert. Don't assume someone else is watching your child.

2. Barriers Protect

Curious children, especially those younger than 4 years old, can easily find and fall into bodies of water like pools, tubs and buckets. Often they are discovered too late to save.

What you can do about it: • Never leave a child alone when in, or near, a body of water—even if it’s less than a few inches.

• For pool owners, make sure your pool has foursided fencing and a self-closing, self-latching gate.

• Be aware of chairs or other movable items near a pool that a child can use as leverage to climb over a fence.

• Pools and hot tubs should be covered and locked when not in use.

• Smaller inflatable or portable pools should be emptied and put away after every use.

4. Swimming Skills are Smart

Children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at -risk of drowning.

What you can do about it: • Enrol your child in a swim class. If you do not know how to swim either, enrol in a parent-child learn-toswim class.

• Swimming is a Life Skill that everyone should know.

• Make your baby Water Responsible. Enrol for baby water safety classes from 6 months of age www.learntoswim.co.za

5. Life Jackets Make a Difference

Nearly 5,000 boating accidents occur each year in open waters (lakes, rivers and oceans) and more than 700 people drown. Of those who drown, almost nine out of 10 are not wearing a life jacket What you can do about it: • Have your child wear a life jacket every time you go boating or are on a dock.

• Ensure that strict boating safety rules are adhered to.

• If you and your family boat frequently, consider taking a boating safety class through the National Sea Rescue Institute whose WaterWise education has reached 176 000 children to date.

• http://www.nsri.org.za/category/education/ Adapted from Safe Kids USA water safety guides for parents.

New Manager

PP Roets has been appointed as the new manager of the swim school and head coach of the Players Swim Club. PP brings a lot of passion to this position and a wealth of experience in competitive swimming.

A former SA Junior medal winner and multiple Olympic Trials Qualifier, PP will work closely with the learn to swim coaches and clients to ensure correct assessments, tracking progress, ensuring the highest quality of teaching, educating parents on the process and assisting with accounts. PP also got married on the 16th of March and we wish him and his wife all the best in settling in the beautiful Boland from Mpumalanga.

3. CPR Saves

Drowning victims who are rescued from the water need CPR immediately — before the paramedics arrive.

It can prevent brain damage and be the difference between life and death.

What you can do about it: • Get certified. There are plenty of CPR classes available to meet busy schedules.

• Contact your local health department or hospital to find a CPR class near you.

• Google CPR Training and find many organisations that present CPR classes.

• Make certain that the training you sign up for includes Infant CPR. Issue 1 Grapevine 27

Grapevine Stable Talk

Captains Report The Polo Season is well under way now and we have just completed our third highly successful Tournament in which 7 teams competed in 2 divisions! The Fourdon Hills team won the A Section, the team comprising of Charl du Plessis, Luke Rauch, Jason Drew and Guy Harrison and the “Britesmile” team won the B Section – Charl du Plessis, Marcel Hartman, Karen Lewis and Liam Paterson. Charl was awarded most valued player for his outstanding play in both matches; Alessandro Hartman’s polo pony “Lima” won the “Best Pony” award and was given a beautiful horse blanket sponsored

by Liam Paterson of “Polo World”.

Liam has an extensive range of high quality polo shirts and tops imported from England for sale – worth taking a peek in the Club House when you’re there next!

The third Veuve Cliquot Masters Exhibition Match was held on the 23rd February – the weather was superb and the crowd colourful and celebrity filled! The Veuve team was captained by Adamu Atta from Nigeria, who owns several houses on the Val de Vie estate, Johan du Ploy, Charl du Plessis and Rupert Hackwill. The Val de Vie team comprised of Martin Hartman, Aki van Andel from the Netherlands (who captained the team), Johan du Preez from the Free State and Low Schabbort. It was an extremely exciting and competitive match which held the crowds captive for all 4 chukkas! The ultimate winners were Val de Vie winning on a narrow 1 goal difference after a penalty awarded to the Veuve team missed the goal, which would have meant the teams would have equalized! Aki van Andel won “Most Valued Player” and Johan du Ploy’s “Negritha” won best Polo Pony. The whole event was coordinated by our wonderful Events team with kind sponsorship from the Veuve champagne house, Carol Boyes, Bentley, Jenni Button and Blackberry to name but a few!

Issue 1 Grapevine 28

We are holding one more Tournament on the 14, 16 and 18th of March and then of course there will be the prestigious “4 Nations” International Tournament from the 16th to 20th April – hope to see some of you there! Remember also that we play every Sunday from 9am and breakfast is offered in the restaurant so you can have a leisurely start to the day with a polo “back drop”!

As many of you will know, our Equestrian Manager, Tehri Fergusson is no longer with us.

Tehri has followed her heart and is now working in “the Bush” up country – something she has wanted to pursue for quite a while. We will miss her professional attitude and her passion for the horses at Val de Vie but we are blessed with a new face to take Tehri’s place, Kelly Mathias. Kelly is a resident at Val de Vie and, as a friend of Tehri’s, had already gained a very good background of the workings at Val de Vie which was such an advantage when she applied for the job! Kelly started riding at the age of 10 and has competed in all the various disciplines such as dressage, eventing, showing and show jumping - the latter being her real passion!

She has an abundance of love for horses and it was this passion for horses

and people that drew her towards managing the equestrian side of things at Val de Vie. Kelly has even started to learn how to play polo and is thoroughly enjoying it! She owns 3 horses, all mares, of which she is currently show jumping on 2 of them and backing and training her youngster for the future, from next month.

Now that the Polo Fields at Val de Vie are owned by the HOA, the Polo Club and the Home Owners have a close working relationship and, on this note, please will all of you feel free to join us for a drink and a chat in the Polo Club House when we are playing, you are all most welcome. The Polo Club is also now its own entity with Jason Drew as Chairman, Joseph Bron heading the financial aspect and Martin Hartman and Kevin Rixon making up the rest of the Exco.

As Home Owners, please feel free to contact Kelly Mathias on 021 8636100 or Kevin Rixon on 082 780 3950 with any polo related questions! Here’s to a successful rest of the Season!

The Polo Team

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Grapevine Stable Talk

Local boy Alex Watson excels in Polo!

He started playing at the age of nine years and is currently part of the Val de Vie team. Alex has a handicap of -2 and aims to be on a handicap of a 3 goal at age seventeen. He is coached by the extremely experienced Kevin Rixon who has the following to say about Alex: “Basically Alex’s progress over the past two years has been phenomenal. He is now certainly accomplished enough to play with the senior players in both club chukkas as well as at a tournament level.

The way he conducts himself on and off the field is exemplary. He has a very bright future ahead of him in the game of polo.”

In Alex’s own words regarding the game of polo and what it has taught him, “I have learnt that we all need to work together to play as a team. It also takes hard work and lots of time and practise to achieve what you want. Most importantly is that we need to respect and care for our ponies at all times.”

He dreams one day to “become a Springbok Polo player.”

Val de Vie is extremely proud to see this young man evolve into a polo star on our own fields and wishes him and his sporting career all the best.

Pictures courtesy of ShowMePlett. www.showme.co.za

This young Val de Vie Resident is an upcoming new Polo star and is already proving he can hold his game against much older and experienced players. He currently plays chukkas three times a week with the adults. Alex loves horses and shares his passion for the game and these amazing animals with his father Gavin.

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30 Grapevine Issue 1

Contact details: Cobus Olivier 0827709768 0866708285 faks olao@mweb.co.za

POLO VAL DE VIE

ESTATE

What is a Polo Mallet?

Mallet Length

Polo mallets range in size from 49 to 54 inches in length. The specific mallet length is usually on the head of the polo mallet.

Mallet Head

Polo mallet heads are available in a variety of weights and shapes. Polo mallet heads are generally made of ash wood or maple. The striking head is 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 inches long.

Different polo mallet head shapes enable a player to hit the ball in different ways. A polo mallet that is too heavy can eventually lead to muscle fatigue, wrist strain or even an injury.

Whippiness

The "whippiness" of a mallet refers to the flexibility of its shaft. Varying degrees of shaft flexibility provide increased control. Polo players have individual preferences for the amount of whippiness they need to properly time the hitting of a polo ball. A more flexible shaft allows better hitting distance but less control when in close.Shaft The stalks used for polo mallet shafts come from a cane called Manau, a member of the palm family. Searching for sunlight, this cane reaches a height of 600 feet in about 15 years.

Shaft

The stalks used for polo mallet shafts come from a cane called Manau, a member of the palm family. Searching for sunlight, this

cane reaches a height of 600 feet in about 15 years.

Cane

The cane itself is cut close to the root where it is the strongest. Nine foot lengths of the cane are boiled in coconut and diesel oil for about 10 to 15 minutes or until they turn yellow. Next, the boiled cane is cleaned in a washing mixture of sand and water. Then the canes are bundled and stacked to dry. The canes are heated over an open fire to straighten them and cured in an oven. The length of curing time is determined by the weight of the

cane, and affects its long term strength and durability.

Polo players have individual preferences regarding the flexibility and weight of their mallets. Some prefer to select their own canes before they are attached to the mallet head. It's important that the finished cane and the head are compatible in terms of weight.

Finally, the cane is attached to the mallet head, a cigar shaped piece of wood cut from a Tipa tree which is found only in northern Argentina and parts of Brazil and Paraguay.

We supply: Building Material, sand, stone, formwork, readymix, granite, kitchenware, gardening, pool, braai's & fireplaces, plumbing & sanitary, tiles, drywall, bricks, timber , glass, gas, powertools, curtain accessories, paint, iron mongery, cladding, roofing, lighting, isoboard, rib and block, and many more in store.

PO Box 1024 Nederburg 7627 Ambagsvallei Street Off Jan van Riebeek Drive Paarl

Tel: 021 862 6185 / 6 / 7 / 8 Fax: 021 862 8604 Email: info@broadwayhardware.co.za www.broadwayhardware.co.za

32 Grapevine Issue 1

Grapevine Wine & Dine

Music, Art and Wine

" To be driven by emotion, is a very powerful thing. When this is the case, something is created in that unique moment and is almost impossible to replicate. " The reason for this statement is that often you feel the same emotions in different situations, but a combination of variables determines the range and extent of emotions A strange approach to an article, I have to admit, but when your inspiration for creative juices, is actually grape juice at this time of the year, you would know that the focus isn’t exactly on writing an article. And seeing that in the past I have written about the things that a winemaker goes through, I decided to take a wacky angle; when one is put in a box, it could actually force you to break out of the box.

If every growing season was the same, and every block of vineyard was on the same soils with the same viticultural practices and conditions, we would only need one winemaker in SA. If all the barrels, tanks and equipment were the same, we would only need one winemaker in SA. If there was only one accepted style of wine, we would only need one winemaker in SA. Basically, you could make the writer of 7de Laan the national director of wine production.

Fortunately for us, this is not the case. Every winemaker has the responsibility to create each wine according to his own knowledge, experience and style, breaking the barrier of conventiality. That is why, given that conditions are the same, different winemakers would create a different product. The same applies to when a canvas and palette is given to an artist, and an instrument is given to a musician. The emotion that is felt at that specific moment, determines what is produced.

34 Grapevine Issue 1

Thank goodness we have diversity! Imagine if we all looked alike!? We would have to rely on personality to put you apart from the rest. For some, there would be certain abstinence. Not by choice, but by lack of mere intellect and communication skills. The same applies for vineyards. Compare Syrah grown in the Swartland to Syrah grown in Montague: In Montague it will be trellised, watered, machine harvested, inoculated, pressed, left on staves and boxed within 12 months.

Swartland on the other hand is bush vine (the most natural growth), dry land (only the water that nature provides), picked and sorted by hand (each bunch is picked up, looked at, and treated), wild ferment (nurtured like an infant), left on skins (extract flavour and mouth-feel), put in barrels to mature for about 18 months, and finally bottled - each as a final masterpiece.

Even though both are Syrah, they are worlds apart, and that is what makes winemaking an art.

Just like a painting and a song is a true reflection of a personality and emotion, in the same way, a wine is the imprint of a winemaker in society. Some winemakers are the “Nicki Minaj” and others are the “Pink Floyd” s, some are the “paint-by-numbers” and others are the “Van Gogh”s. But whichever one you choose, for good or bad reasons, makes you happy; you have found an identity you associate with.

Please just don’t be that person that choose to be blind to art or deaf to music. By this I mean, pass on the water, and give your life some colour and song.

- WINE PAIRING-

Soy sauce & honey chicken stir-fry with egg noodles Here's a delicious and healthy recipe that's sure to be hit with your family and friends! A mix of Asian flavours such as chilli, coriander and peanut oil make this stir-fry a very tasty meal.

[Serves 4] 3 garlic cloves, minced 5cm piece ginger, finely grated 2 tbsp honey ¼ cup soy sauce 1 tbsp vegetable oil ½ red chilli, chopped (optional) Juice of ½ a lemon 600g chicken fillet strips 2 tbsp peanut oil 1 red & 1 yellow sweet bell pepper, cut into strips ½ cup chicken stock 200g egg noodles, cooked according to packet instructions 4 spring onions, chopped 2 red chillies, chopped, to garnish 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds to garnish Fresh coriander to garnish 1. Place the garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, oil, chilli and lemon juice in a bowl; stir to combine. Toss in the chicken. Allow to stand for 20 min.

2. Heat a wok, add peanut oil, toss in half the chicken, stir-fry 2–3 min, remove, repeat with remaining chicken, remove. Add peppers, stir-fry for 2 min. Return chicken to wok along with chicken stock, simmer for 3 min, or until liquid reduces and the chicken is cooked through. Add noodles and any remaining sauce, cook for another minute. Stir through spring onions.

3. To serve: divide among 4 bowls, top with sesame seeds; garnish with chillies and coriander Source: Justine Kiggen, Fair Lady Magazine

Polo Club Sauvignon Blanc "Green fig, cut grass and peppers compliment the tropical flavours of gooseberry, melon and passion fruit. "

Cultivars: 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Origin: Western Cape Analyses: Grapes are sourced partly from Elgin (55%) and partly from Stanford (45%) Winemaking: Harvested in the early morning at cool temperatures. Chilled down further in cooling room.

After the grapes were crushed, the juice was left on the skin to macerate for about 9 hours before pressing. After pressing, juice was settled in tank, to allow for wild fermentation. After fermentation wine is racked, with a little bit of lease still present. Lease is stirred up once a week, for 8 months.

Tasting notes: Green fig, cut gras and peppers compliment the tropical flavours of gooseberry, melon and passion fruit. Crisp, yet balanced acid carries and finishes this full bodied wine.

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GD Landscapes is a dedicated division of Golf Data situated at Val de Vie Estate, with numerous successful projects and maintenance contracts on the estate, and headed up by a qualified landscape designer with vast experience in horticulture and landscape installations.

With over 25 years’ experience in the green industry, and an industry leader in sports turf management, Golf Data has a breadth of expertise few competitors can equal. We are able to advise on irrigation design and installation, soil amendments, hard and soft landscaping design and installation. In addition we have an in-house wholesale nursery that benefits our clients with its below market pricing exclusively for our projects.

SERVICES OFFERED: • Scheduled maintenance programs • Additional maintenance services such as pruning, topdressing and fertilisation • Irrigation installations • Design and construction of new gardens • Plants & trees supplied at wholesale prices

We are members of both SALI (South African Landscape Institute) and LIA (Landscape Irrigation Association) and therefore abide by the high standards and ethics of both institutions. We strive to Design Construct and Maintain your investment to the best of our ability.

Enquiries: please contact Schalk Kruger 072 444 2065 schalk@gdmaint.co.za

VAL DE VIE IS A PROUD LIFESTYLE PARTNER. Earn rewards at the Val de Vie Polo restaurant and on Val de Vie wine purchases, as well as at over 200 other Legacy Lifestyle Partners.

www.legacylifestyle.co.za Issue 1 Grapevine 39

Light Meals

Pizzas

VOLUNTEER WILD FIRE SERVICES With the recent amount of fires in the valley everyone is more aware of the hard work and extreme dedication our fire fighters have in keeping us safe and our mountains and forest protected. Another group of people that do this for the love and passion of preserving the fauna and flora is the Volunteer Wild Fire services.

ABOUT VWS The Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) have been combating dangerous and often deadly runaway fires since being baptised through the devastating fires in 1999 and 2000.

With approximately 180 members at three stations (Newlands, Jonkershoek and the newly developing South Peninsula Station), the VWS is now a highly organised Section 21 Company that is gaining in reputation every year passing. The VWS has assisted the Table Mountain National Park and CapeNature as a first responder with some of the wildest fires Cape Town has ever experienced.

Working closely with other emergency service organisations in wild-land fire management such as Table Mountain National Park, CapeNature, Cape Town Fire and Emergency Services, Disaster Management, Titan Aviation, Winelands Fire Brigade, the South African Navy and Working on Fire has meant that the Volunteer Wildfire Services has, to date, achieved 33,987 active fire fighting hours between its members and stations.

WHAT WE DO The VWS has three primary functions: 1. Wildfire suppression services 2. Education and awareness programmes 3. Wildfire suppression and management training These primary functions form part of our Integrated Wildfire Management services which include: • Prescribed burning • Tree and vegetation felling • Education programmes and projects at schools • Community projects HOW WE OPERATE We’re on standby to respond to fires and emergencies 24 hours a day for 365 days of the year – that’s how we work.

Our volunteers are just that – volunteers.

They are extraordinary people who give of their time and energy to protect lives,

42 Grapevine Issue 1

property and our natural heritage. Most have day jobs, some are students, others run their own companies – but all are dedicated, motivated and highly-trained to ensure that our ultimate goal of wildfire suppression is taken care of.

DEPARTMENTS There are various departments within the Volunteer Wildfire Services that operate dependently to ensure the smooth running of our unit. These departments include: • Fire Fighters • Drivers • Control Room • Planning and Mobile Command • Logistics and Catering • Technical & Mechanical Services • Administration and Member Services FUNDING As a completely Non Profit Organisation the VWS remains operational by receiving funding from corporate and organisational partners as well as individual donors. We also initiate our own fundraising projects, like the popular Trail Challenge, the Awareness Day at our Jonkershoek Base and Open Day at our Newlands Base. This vital funding allows us to continue to manage ourselves independently.

We are always on the lookout for additional funding that will allow us to further serve the community.

PLEDGE R50 or more a month to Jonkershoek via one of the two payment methods below.

INTERNET BANKING Set up a recurring payment to: Volunteer Wildfire Services Nedbank. Account 1083321226. Foreshore Branch 108309.

Email jonkershoek@capefires.com to let us know you have set up a monthly pledge so we can thank you and record your contact details.

By pledging only R50 a month you stand a chance to win up to R10000.00 and you will be actively helping the VWS by contributing towards our training and operations. Each R50 pledged gets you one place in the monthly draw. 10% of the pledged amount will be used towards the prize. Maximum monthly prize is R10000.00, dependant on total pledges.

Social & Community Grapevine HOW TO JOIN Here are some of the most common questions asked by visitors to the VWS website: 1. How do I apply to become a fire fighter or Critical Support Services member for the VWS? To apply for membership with the VWS, visit www.http://www.capefires.com.

2. Will I be able to fight fires immediately after my application is approved?

No. Fire fighting and its associated activities are dangerous. All VWS members undergo a strict and rigid training programme in the winter months.

3. When does training take place?

Training for new recruits takes place between May to October each year.

4. Do fire fighters or CSS members get paid for their work?

No. The VWS is a volunteer organisation and no members are remunerated for their work.

They do it out of the true goodness of their hearts.

5. What are the minimum entry requirements to be a VWS fire fighter?

To be a VWS fire fighter, you must: - be at least 18 years of age - have a cellphone and regular access to e-mail - pass a medical examination including a fitness test - be interviewed by VWS management - live near one of our stations and have reliable transport - be available to assist with fire fighting operations and standby duties

- undergo stringent fire fighting training every year and pass all modules 6. What are the minimum entry requirements to be a Critical Support Services member?

To be a VWS CSS member, you must: - be at least 16 years of age - have a cellphone and regular access to e-mail - be interviewed by VWS management - live near one of our stations and have reliable transport - be available to assist with operations relevant to your duties within CSS - undergo stringent training relevant to your duties within CSS www.capefires.com

TC Newman – The gift of children The Val de Vie Events team and staff were proud to be involved in the Annual Christmas party at the TC Newman Children’s hospital.

Together with the sponsors Touareg Tents, Shoprite Checkers Paarl, Peninsula beverages and Spur, we held an exciting day of fun, laughter and special treats for the children. It was again a sunny and colourful day, with jumping castles, balloons, face painting, a children fashion show and a special ball room dancing performance by some of the children at TC Newman. These Christmas parties tend to humble us more and more every year, just to see how the children look forward to this one special morning in their lives. The TC Newman home is situated in Paarl and is a hospital home for critically ill children. Management is extremely dedicated in taking care of the little ones to ensure they are healthy and happy. As a Val de Vie resident you can get involved by supporting the TC Newman Children’s hospital by contacting events@valdevie.co.za.

Issue 1 Grapevine 43

Grapevine Social & Community

Filly's It’s a bright and happy new year and the Filly’s are rested, rejuvenated and ready to raise even more funds for our selected Charity’s in 2013.

So please jump on board, support our events and help us to make a difference.

We are thrilled to announce that with your help and the generous sponsorship given to us by Regent Insurance, we were able to raise the much needed funds to build a sustainable crèche in the Khyamandi Township. The school will be complete by the end of May 2013 and 20 pre-school children will be given much needed foundation skills development assistance each year.

We were also able to provide some funding to The Safe House in Stellenbosch (STOP) and The Horse and Cart Association respectively.

In addition, thanks again to so many of you and a special thank you to Gregmel International for the many boxes of baby vests they kindly donated, we received mountains of toys, clothing and food supplies. These items were divided between the Hospice, Bridges of Hope, Kathy’s Edu-Care Centre and The Rock Pregnancy Crises Centre in Paarl and were indeed well received.

To end the year off, we even managed to assist The Rock with a further batch of baby bags and supply’s for new Mom’s at the Centre.

So, from the bottom of all our hearts, thank you for helping to bring love, light and laughter to so many people in our Valley and beyond.

Our next charity fund raiser is our Annual Casino Evening which will be held on Friday, 3rd May at the Val de Vie Estate. The Theme this year is Harlem Nights, the one era with more swag than the rest combined and enough class to be appreciated by your grandfathers.

Don’t miss out! Book your tickets and join us for a night at the Vegas Casino styled 1920’s Cotton Club with great entertainment, good food and your chance to win unforgettable prizes kindly sponsored by various boutique and hotel groups, thrilling experiences, wine hampers and much, much more. Go to http://www.valdevie. co.za/Harlem-nights-casino-fund-raising-event. html to book your tickets, or for EFT payments, please refer to the invitation herein for banking details or visit our website: www.fillys.co.za We are also on Facebook so please “like” our page to receive updated information regarding our charity’s, sponsors and events.

44 Grapevine Issue 1

The

Filly’s

Annual Casino Charity Event Theme:

Harlem Nights

Venue: Val de Vie Estate Time: Friday, 3rd May @ 18h30

Ticket cost details : P ac k ag e o ne : R 250. 00 P/ P i nc l u d es a wel c o m e dR i nk , R 2 0 0 “f u nny m o ney ”, b o wl f o o d tab l es , enteR tai nm ent and a ti cket t o o ne o f th e l u c k y dR aws .

T O P U R C H A SE T I C K E T S W I T H Y OU R C R E DI T C A R D , P L E A SE VISIT h t t p: / / w w w. va l d evi e. co . z a / H a r l em -n i g h t s -ca s i n o -fu n d -r a i s i n g -even t. html P ac k ag e t wo : R 500. 00 P /P i nc l u d es al l as PeR Pac k ag e o n e, R 250. 00 d R i nk s v o u c h eR s and a fR ee b o ttl e o f wi ne.

T O P U R C H A SE T I C K E T S W I T H Y OU R C R E DI T C A R D , P L E A SE VISIT h t t p : / / w w w. va l d evi e. co . z a / H a r l em -n i g h t s -ca s i n o -fu n d -r a i s i n g -event- p ack a g e-t wo . h t m l E F T : T h e F i l l y s C l u b , So ci et y Sch em e (s a vi n g s ), St d B a n k , Pa a r l Mall, A cco u n t # 3 7 4 7 2 2 8 7 0 .

P lea se ma i l even t s@f i ll y s.c o.z a w it h you r PoP a n d u se you r n a me a s you r ref er e n ce .

For more information on sponsors of this event, charities that will be benefiting from the proceeds and prizes to be won, visit www.fillys.co.za

The Filly’s

... comprise of a group of like-minded women whose main objective is to make a difference in communities that need it the most in our beautiful country.We provide humanitarian services and create awareness in support of our various charities.

We are a non-profit association and arrange and manage various annual charity events to raise money to assist with our many community projects.

We are also on Facebook so please “like” our page to receive updated information regarding our charity’s, sponsors and events.

The Theme this year is Harlem Nights, the one era with more swag than the rest combined and enough class to be appreciated by your Grandfathers! Don’t miss out! Book your tickets and join us for a night at the Vegas Casino styled 1920’s Cotton Club with great entertainment, good food and your chance to win unforgettable prizes kindly sponsored by various boutique and hotel groups, thrilling experiences, wine hampers and much, much more.

Package One: R250.00 P/P includes a welcome drink, R200 “funny money”, bowl food tables, entertainment and a ticket to one of the lucky draws.

Go to http://www.valdevie.co.za/Harlem-nights-casino-fund-raising-event.html to book your tickets.

Package Two: R500.00 P/P includes all as per Package One, R250.00 Drinks voucher and a free bottle of wine.

Go to http://www.valdevie.co.za/Harlem-nights-casino-fund-raising-event-package-two.html EFT The Fillys Club, Society Scheme (Savings), Standard Bank, Paarl Mall, Account #374 722 870. Please mail events@fillys.co.za ith your PoP and use your name as your reference.

Issue 1 Grapevine 45

Grapevine Social & Community

Photo Competition Thank you to all the residents who shared their photos with us! Seeing that it was impossible to choose between the two final images, both were named as winners. Congratulations to Karen Dormehl for sending the photo of her father-in-law Chris. A wild, but extremely curious, Purple Heron jumped onto Chris’ arm and family members have now branded Chris the Bird Whisperer. Purple Herons although not scared birds are very shy so this is a rare thing to see. The second stunning photo is by Carol Fourie, of a jumping Springbok silhouette taken from her house. We are once again reminded by the beauty and grace of these beautiful animals. Both entries will receive Polo Club wine. To stand a chance to win your share of Val de Vie wine, mail your photos and captions to anel.steyn@valdevie.co.za

46 Grapevine Issue 1

School Feature Seeing that Val de Vie is blessed with so many amazing children on the Estate as well as surrounded by excellent schools in the area we thought it would be appropriate to introduce a school of the Valley in every issue. And with the recent Bridge House Mile Event in mind where many of our children took part in, the obvious choice to start of this year would be Bridge House.

Learning for Life Bridge House is a world-class South African learning community, realising each individual’s potential to lead, innovate and serve in a changing world.

The School, situated in the magnificent Cape Winelands close to Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl is a well-established, independent day / boarding school for over seven hundred girls and boys from Playschool to Grade 12. Committed to nurturing a 'can do' attitude, Bridge House excels in recognising the spirit of individualism within a framework of integrity, humility, wisdom and inspiration.

Last year, in its 16th birthday year, Bridge House launched its Fittest School Campaign. 640 000km... 16 times around the circumference of the world and also the number of kilometres set as a goal for the staff, pupils, parents and others in the Valley who wished to support the initiative.

After a supreme effort, 647 434kms was reached on Founders' Day, 10 March 2012 and so a remarkable feat was achieved. The Fittest School Campaign is ongoing and other schools in the valley have been invited to join in.

Junior Primary Bridge House Junior Primary children and teachers love going to school and approach their days with a “can do attitude”!

The keystone of our caring and nurturing classroom environment is our belief that each child is a special individual with his/her own individual strengths, weaknesses and learning style. We believe that children learn best when they are happy, stimulated and learning by doing. This will help them develop a strong foundation of 3R skills on which they will base their future learning, as well as reach their own true potential. Children are encouraged to become independent, accountable individuals by taking responsibility for their behaviour, own

work and belongings.

We teachers believe that it is important to encourage each child to build positive self-esteem to enable him/ her to approach life and learning with self-assurance and confidence.

Our discipline system is based on a traffic light system where positive acknowledgement of ‘good’ behaviour is emphasised and ‘inappropriate’ behaviour receives a warning or ‘red card’.

Our Bridge House Junior Primary curriculum is, by nature, outcomes based, and is aligned to the National Curriculum Statement. Under the umbrella of the key learning areas of Languages, Mathematics and Life Skills the following subjects are introduced and explored: • English Literacy, • Conversational Afrikaans, • Conversational isiXhosa, • Mathematics, • Social and Natural Sciences themes within an Integrated Studies approach, • Handwriting, • Physical Education, • Arts and Culture which incorporates Class Music, Drama and Art, • Information Technology In all lessons children are encouraged to apply thinking and reasoning skills to the task at hand whether they are working individually, in mixed ability groups or differentiated ability groups.

This assists in the development of their interpersonal skills, as well as equipping them with very necessary problem solving skills. We believe that outings and camps and the exploration of a wider environment help to enrich all learning and make it relevant to the child’s life.

Aftercare and supervised homework is available until 16h00 (but only until 14h00 on Fridays).

We emphasise that parents are important role players in the education of their children and believe that happy, developing children make happy, contented families.

We encourage open communication and warm relationships between teachers and parents based on mutual respect and trust. As well as organising parent meetings as the need arises, we schedule parent interviews in Terms 1 & 3 accompanied by summary reports.

Detailed comprehensive reports are written in Terms 2 & 4.

We believe that we truly embrace and live by our Bridge House motto: Learning for Life.

For more information visit http://www.bridgehouse.org.za Telephone: 021 874 8100

As we believe in the benefits of early intervention, the development of each child is closely monitored. We work closely with the specialists in the Educational Support Unit, adopting a team approach when addressing the special needs or specific learning difficulties which may be identified.

Junior Primary class sizes are kept to a maximum of 24 per class and are co-ed as well as mixed ability. The academic day starts at 08h00 and ends at 14h00, with Grades 1 and 2 enjoying compulsory sport within this time.

The Grade 3s join the Senior Primary Extramural programme between 14h00 and 16h00.

Issue 1 Grapevine 47

Special offer to Val de Vie residents: Our L'avignon lantern range.

Contact: Debbie Beath 021 853 2555 082 858 2218 www.ambienteluce.com

Our range of amazingly life-like silk flowers are so realistic they fool the bees. You’ll find you cannot resist touching them, just to make sure. Show off your home or office to its best advantage with our wonderful and artistic arrangements.

Best of all, you don’t have to buy them you can rent them and we will change the arrangement for you monthly.

A touch of nature, at your fingertips and you don’t have to do a thing except call 071 491 7042 or email kayleigh@purepresence.co.za

Grapevine Kinder Ark

" M " is for Monkeybars GETTING READY FOR WRITING A child's hands are a powerful tool for learning. With their hands they can control the world around them, build and create all that they can imagine and express themselves, first in gestures, then with scribbles, and eventually with the written word.

Parents know the importance of fine motor control -- especially when it comes to handwriting -- which is probably why I'm frequently asked for advice on this subject. Here's what Gill Connell, well known educator and child developer, has to say: Put your pencils down and go play on the monkeybars!

NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS Children's muscle control and coordination is developed in a natural, orderly way - from the top down and from the inside out - starting at the head and working towards the toes while building out from the torso to the limbs. This order of priority, established by the brain, ensures that the large muscles necessary for coordination and locomotion (getting from here to there) are well organised and in control, before taking on the complex mastery of more than 60 combined muscles in the hands (let alone the dozens of bones, hundreds of ligaments and tendons, etc.)

So you see, on the developmental totem pole, the hands come last.

WHAT IS FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT? Now, that doesn't mean that your child's hands aren't active as he's growing. Young hands begin with simple, reflexive, whole-hand grasping. Over time, early reflexes integrate and the pincer grip kicks in, allowing him to use his forefinger and thumb together in unison. Each day, you'll see more and more deliberate hand and finger movements, but that's not fine motor skills -- not yet.

Fine Motor Skills are the highly precise motor control necessary to bring all five fingers together to do detailed work requiring minute, almost imperceptible movements, such as using a pencil to write your name. But writing your name isn't all in the wrist, so to speak. In fact, it involves much of the whole body.

IN ORDER TO WRITE MY NAME...

1. The upper body must be strong enough to hold the body in an upright standing or sitting position.

2. The shoulders muscles must be strong enough to control the weight of the arm and flexible enough to rotate freely to position the arm for writing.

3. The upper arm holds the weight of the lower arm and hand, delivering the hand to the page.

4. The lower arm provides a sturdy fulcrum on which the wrist rotates.

5. The wrist holds the hand steady and rotates to the appropriate position.

6. The fingers fold around the pencil which is held in place by the thumb.

7. Together, all five fingers do a precision dance on the page: a. Placing the pencil at the exact angle to meet the page b. Pressing down and maintaining the right amount of pressure to leave the imprint, c. Coordinating the tiny up, down, left and right movements across the page If any of those muscles in that chain of events don't do their job, writing his name will be a very hard thing to do.

Which brings us full circle back to the monkeybars.

Monkeybars

Wheelbarrowing Issue 1 Grapevine 49

Grapevine Social & Community

PLAYING "WRITE" Climbing, hanging, swinging and any other high-energy activities that build strength in their upper body and core muscles are vital precursors to fine motor skills.

Twisting, turning, dangling and swinging helps develop the flexibility and agility necessary for rotating the shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers.

Pushing, pulling, tugging and lifting themselves up builds strength while developing an intuitive understanding of simple physics such as weight, pressure and resistance.

And when they comes off the monkeybars, messy play is ideal for building up strength and dexterity in the hand muscles. Play-Dough, sand and water play, mud (yes, mud!) and any other tactile play is great sensory experience for the brain and hands which one day may mean neater handwriting!

So remember, when it comes to getting ready for writing, "M" is for Monkeybars!

Sometimes, it's just not possible to make it over to the playground for a turn on the monkeybars, so here are a couple of my favourites you can do at home to build upper body and core strength while the hands "wait their turn" in the developmental chain of events.

WHEEL BARROWING Wheel barrowing around the playroom or out in the backyard is great for building up arm strength (in between the giggling, of course.) Importantly, I recommend holding your child at the hips rather than by the feet. This prevents an unnatural bow in the back, while lightening the load on those little arms.

CRAB WALKING Kids love this and you'll be amazed how far they can go with a little practice. Sit on the floor and rise up your seat using your hands and feet. Then crab-crab-crab along as far as you can go. Have kids go forwards and backwards too!

CATERPILLAR WALKING See how slow you can go, inching along like a caterpillar! Walk your hands out in front of you and then walk your feet up to your hands.

(Information compiled by Gill Connell, Educator and Child Development Expert) Have fun practising your writing!!!

Crab Walking

50 Grapevine Issue 1

Caterpillar Walking

Grapevine Recycling

"STEIN" THE WASTE DRAGON

In May 2007, Drakenstein Municipality launched it’s first Waste week. This initiative was implemented to address one of the action plans referred to in the Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP), which was adopted by Council in December 2006.

A mascot in the form of a dragon was found to be most suitable when one translates dragon to “drakie” in Afrikaans. The design was done by Jacques and Anel Blignaut (ABEC) and representatives of the Waste Services section of the Municipality.

This would be symbolic of a waste dragon focussing on waste minimisation and anti-litter campaigns in Drakenstein Municipality. It is meant to be associated with raising awareness wrt sustainable waste management.

The name “Stein”, was suggested by Rodney Leak (former CEO of The Fairest Cape Association) and approved by Sonia Frans and Dawid Malan (Waste Services – Drakenstein Municipality). This was inspired by the last syllable of Drakenstein Municipality.

The compilation of the name is thus: Drakenstein : drak = dragon (drakie) stein = “Stein” the waste dragon During the waste week in 2007 and 2008, “Stein” would find it’s way to participating schools to spread the message of the 3 R’s.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE Stein has now become synonymous with the waste management of Drakenstein Municipality and can be seen on refuse removal trucks, posters, flyers etc. It was also an integrated part of the environ-mental exhibition at the Festival of lights in December 2010 where Stein was officially launched by the honourable Mayor of Drakenstein: Executive Councillor Charmaine Manuel.

Issue 1 Grapevine 51

Grapevine Cornerstone 2013

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Issue 1 Grapevine 53

Grapevine 2013 Brick Art Cornerstone Construction are

building contractors who specialise in the residential property market. From new builds and regeneration, to refurbishment and mixed-use projects, we work hand in hand with our clients to understand what their final vision is for their home.

BAC

brickar t

construction

CONTACT DETAILS: The Polo House, 268 Les Lions Street, Val de Vie Estate, Paarl +27 83 641 8887 +27 21 863 1139Building info@brickartconstruction.co.za ssue1.2 2013 2012 Estate Newsletter. Issue www.brickartconstruction.co.za BIBC 92443 NHBRC 1-109798121 MBA BOLAND 1771 JBCC

Issue 1 Cornerstone 1

Contents Page

60 14

4

04 Aesthetics Newsletter 07 Planning & SHOC 08 Water Wise Gardening

8

14 Aesthetics Gallery 16 Site Map and Statistics

14 Thank you and Good Luck Anel!

Phoenix Creative Communication would like to thank Anel Steyn for all her hard work as the HOA editor of the Grapevine and Cornerstone publications. Your passion is evident in every edition and we will miss you, not only as an editor but as a friend. All the very best for your new endeavours, we are certain you will excel in every effort.

About the Cornerstone

The Cornerstone was born out of the need to communicate and encapsulate the unique Val de Vie Aesthetics Guide, to explain building procedures and the requisite supporting documentation, as well as to discuss the building statistics on the Estate.

The cornerstone of a building is an integral part of its supporting structure, and the aim of this publication is therefore to support home-owners with building and design-related enquiries. Many Val de Vie land-owners live elsewhere in South Africa and around the world, and we will cover issues such as building progress and aesthetic elements - especially for those who do not have the benefit of visiting the estate that often - so as to give a clearer understanding of the Val de Vie Estate guidelines.

All advertisements in the publication relate to building, maintenance, interior design, landscaping etc., and thus provide an easy reference guide to assist you in the building process.

Issue 1 Cornerstone 3

Cornerstone Property & Building

Aesthetics Newsletter Val de Vie Paint Colours With the Val de Vie village neighbourhood now being substantially completed, it has been possible to consider the exterior colour choices which owners have made, and more importantly to evaluate these in context with one another.

The aesthetic committee has taken the opportunity to consider the success of variations on the approved palette as well as requests for waivers to use alternate colours. Based on this, the committee has workshopped the existing palette and the way in which it is presented to see if there is a clearer way of presenting it and , if inside of the rules, a way could be implemented to allow homeowners some more discretion in the subtle variations of shade which they may prefer.

The primary problem identified with the current palette was the way in which it was described, paint colours like Cement wash creating an impression of a material type rather than the colour itself, and others, lake Incan treasure, giving no real indication of what the colour was at all. To improve on this the suggestion has been to split the palette into its

C

M

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

just add water

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4 Cornerstone Issue 1

broad descriptive ranges, being brown, sand, gray and white and then to specify colours or ranges within each of these categories. This will assist in making the guideline intentions more clear and simplify homeowners research into the possible colour choices.

Currently the brushouts are being prepared by PLASCON to allow the final revisions to be tabled for approval. There will be no fundamental changes to the colour range but, based on the trends identified on the estate, some paler shades will be made available in each colour and the opportunity to introduce an off white, subject to certain caveats, will be considered. The possibility of managing control by defining the darkest and lightest shading permitted for a particular colour is also being evaluated as this would allow homeowners more scope in choosing the final shade and possibly lead to more subtle colour variations on the state.

Kind Regards, Stephen Whitehead Controlling Architect and Chairman, Aesthetics Committee

Brick Art Construction are building contractors who specialise in the residential property market. From new builds and regeneration, to refurbishment and mixed-use projects, we work hand in hand with our clients to understand what their final vision is for their home.

BAC

brickar t

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CONTACT DETAILS: The Polo House, 268 Les Lions Street, Val de Vie Estate, Paarl +27 83 641 8887 +27 21 863 1139 info@brickartconstruction.co.za www.brickartconstruction.co.za BIBC 92443 NHBRC 1-109798121 MBA BOLAND 1771 JBCC

Tel: (021) 987 7822 • 082 853 9767 Email: info@poolsforafrica.co.za www.poolsforafrica.co.za

10 Cornerstone Issue 1

Val de Vie Plan Cycle Val de Vie Plan Cycle

SHOC (Site Handover Deliverables SHOC (Site Handover Deliverables

Contact Information Contact Information

Issue 1 Cornerstone 7

Cornerstone Property & Building

Water Wise Gardening in Val De Vie The phase ‘Water Wise Gardening’ is a phrase that possibly every South African has heard. This phrase has largely become popular, due to the fact that South Africa as a whole is a fairly water scarce country, and mainly because water has become a very expensive commodity.

Some time back the municipalities structured paying for water on a sliding scale tariff system. To us the consumers, this meant that the more you use, the more you pay; this fee increasing in increments according to water usage.

This cost of water is felt by every one of us, especially those of us trying to create a lush beautiful landscape, and

certainly landscape companies much like mine, needing to find solutions to reduce the demand a landscape has for water, as this effects our core business.

Before I continue further, I must mention, that if you have recently (over last 7 months) installed a new landscape, it will use plenty of water initially, regardless of how water wise it is. New gardens need lots of water, period! With this said however, we can use certain practices to reduce this demand over time.

In Val De Vie our landscape ‘Theme’ if you will, is one that follows the more French colonial style. While this theme encompasses a more formal and structured feel, it can be achieved and yet still remain water wise to a large extent. What one has to realise is that the term ‘Water Wise’ encompasses far more than just the selected plants used within a landscape. Water wise gardening is an entire gardening practice; a way of landscaping and gardening. The use of certain plants is merely one component of this concept.

8 Cornerstone Issue 1

To achieve a water wise approach to gardening the following practices should be followed: 1) Obviously the plants chosen are vital, I will go into this in a little more detail later.

2) Ensuring a landscape is well prepared: The addition of huge

quantities of compost or good topsoil initially greatly reduces the need to apply water in the long term, as these mediums hold and retain water well.

3) Mulching the landscape with compost as often as possible ensures continuous water holding properties of the soil. This practice should be done at least once a year. Applying around 100mm of compost over the landscape yearly will greatly reduce water demand and will create a healthy landscape.

4) Stop the practice of raking up every fallen leaf in the beds as this is natural mulch for free.

5) Manage your watering system.

Water during the early hours of the morning (in winter at sunrise to avoid frost damage) or during the evenings; not in peak heat of the afternoon. On windy days you must water, yet water once the wind has subsided. Use your automated system as a tool; it must be managed and monitored, not merely left to water every day regardless.

Irrigation systems, while effective and necessary, apply huge amounts of water to a garden every day. Have a rain sensor connected to your irrigation system, these are really inexpensive, especially if one considers the water they save.

6) With consideration to the above, I always come back to this: Install the best and most well designed system you can afford. Why? Simple - a badly installed system cannot water areas effectively and evenly. Poor systems that leak, burst and atomise under pressure waste more water than anything else. Poorly designed systems apply huge volumes of water in one area and not enough in the next.

7) As the garden develops, be sure

to slowly reduce the application of water to the landscape. If a landscape receives large amounts of water everyday continuously, it becomes reliant on this quantity of water to survive. The idea is to slowly reduce the gardens dependency on daily watering. Obviously it will always need water, but one can train the plants to be more ‘Hardy’, thus less dependent on daily watering. One can typically begin doing this gradually once the garden is older than 2-4 months.

8) Plant trees (those that require or take up little water); as these will provide shade eventually and change the micro climate of the landscape, ensuring less water evaporation.

9) Water your trees manually with a hose pipe; more copiously less often, so that the roots are encouraged to grow deeper, thus reaching the deeper ground water.

10) Lawn areas typically require loads of water to look good. By increasing the planted areas and reducing the lawn areas, to a large extent, this will have an impact on your water consumption.

The type of lawn used also affects the amount of water needed to a degree.

Kikuyu lawn is typically a water thirsty lawn, while Buffalo and Cynodon types tolerate less water. However having

said this, I still maintain, all lawns need lots of water to look good.

11) Know your soil type and monitor its water holding status. Those of you that own properties around the dams in Val De Vie typically have clay soil.

Applying too much water to your gardens will have a negative effect.

While clay is a tricky soil to establish a garden in, it has many positive water and nutrient holding properties. You should be applying far less water; say in comparison to those properties in the sandy Village areas.

12) Introduce surface elements into the garden that cover areas, but don’t need watering. For example, use river rock pebbles to fill areas and create interest.

Use stone aggregate or bark chip for pathways.

Water Wise Plant Choice: To start off with, let me mention the Val De Vie list of plants.

Firstly, the provided list is a guideline of plants species that can be used. There are many other plant species that can be used on the estate that are not on the list.

If you’re unsure, rather check this with your landscaper or with the HOA. There are some species that cannot be used, and these are generally of the palm tree and fern varieties and certainly no invasive or alien species.

The Val De Vie list comprises of around 90% indigenous plant species, of which I would say 90% are considered water wise plants. Water wise in that, once established they will tolerate and survive with far less water than many exotic species.

The main purpose of writing this article was to help demonstrate how we can create water wise gardens in Val De Vie, yet still achieve the desired French colonial formal/ informal theme/style of garden.

Myrsineafricana(Cape Box) – Neat bush – common name says the rest.

Lavendula species – Once established prefers little watering and all Lavender prefers well drained soil. These are easy to box clip. One must mention however, that Lavender must be cut down to its root stock once a year, to ensure a healthy plant for many years. If not done, Lavender tends to become untidy and perishes after around 3 years.

Rhuscrenata – Excellent for low hedges in the more sandy Village areas. These do not tolerate clay soils very well and tend to die in patches in these soil types, so not really suited to areas around the dams.

Helichrysumpetiolare – This is one of those plants that can be brilliant as a low border hedge, if you’re a keen gardener and keep it in check. If left to grow unattended, it will become huge and spread. If cut regularly, and kept as a low border hedge, it forms a very compact silver grey box.

Helichrysumitalicum (Curry Bush) – Lovely silvery fine leaf, creates interest as contrasting colour and clips well.

These are just a few water wise plants allowed by VDV that can be used to create a formal feel; there are many more.

With the scarcity and cost of water ever rising, we all have to become aware and practice water saving methods, but we can still create beautiful landscapes.

Good Luck!!

Kind Regards.

Mark Atkinson Prohort Landscaping

So how do we create that formal and structured feel encouraged in Val De Vie, and still keep it water wise? This is relatively easy if one chooses the right plants for the job.

Below are a few examples of water wise plants that work well to create a landscape complimenting the Val De Vie ‘Theme’ – as described above.

Plant Variety (Please note that these are not necessarily indigenous): Westringiafruticosa – a personal favourite because it thrives in VDV and makes perfect low clipped hedges, in both clay and sandy soils.

Rosemarinusofficinalis (Common Rosemary) – Very hardy once established, can be clipped or left more natural.

Santolinachamaecyparissus - Has a lovely silver grey colour, adding interest to the garden. Can be left as a natural border plant, or if clipped regularly, can be made into a formal low border hedge.

Buddleja species – Excellent and hardy for tall and low (800mm) hedging.

Plectranthusneochilus – A very tough water wise groundcover or border hedging plant – neat if clipped and fed regularly.

Buxusmacowanii (Cape Box) – Excellent for hedges and topiary. Tolerates drought, but likes and thrives with additional water.

Carissa macrocarpa (Natal Plumb) – This is a stunning hedge plant once established. It’s slow growing, needs a little attention initially, but once established is incredibly tough and drought resistant. Provides some colour even if clipped and encourages birds.

Coleonemaalba – Lovely if left to grow into its natural shape, however makes a great hedge if clipped regularly. Don’t leave it to grow big and then try and clip it; keep it at the desired height.

Issue 1 Cornerstone 9

Great design comes from fresh ideas

Suppliers of quality air conditioning units. www.deatech.co.za info@deatech.co.za Unit 12, North Park, Okavango. 021 801 4910 / 021 981 2942

Issue 1 Cornerstone 13

Cornerstone Property & Building

VAL DE VIE GARDENS The success of any garden is largely the result of creative sympathetic planning/design, and the implementation thereof by means of quality workmanship and material.

Based on these fundamentals, the VAL De Vie landscape design guidelines set perimeters along which to establish gardens responsive to the development. The objective is to allow owners the freedom to create and develop private gardens to their individual needs and expectations, within an integrated landscape visually contributing to the Val De Vie vision.

LANDSCAPING PLANNING PHASE: COMPREHENSIVE WELL PRESENTED SUBMISSION AND LANDSCAPE PLAN Val De Vie landscape design guidelines; the required landscape submission documentation; as well as relevant details and information, are all on the estate web page.

Landscape submissions include the following: • Landscape sketch plan with design and specification both to the owner’s brief, and compliant to estate guideline conditions. Submission to include x3 to scale copies of the design proposal (at least x1 copy in colour), and where possible, also an electronic format.

• Landscape check list, completed, including all contact details, and signed by the owner.

• Proof of scrutiny fee payment Needless to say, landscape designers are responsible to interpret and accommodate the owner’s brief with regards to visual and functional requirements and expectations, and to compile a landscape proposal compliant to Val De Vie

landscape guidelines and HOA approval conditions. With regards to submission approval, a comprehensive, well presented design proposal is to include: • Creative proposals for all aspects of design – creative in interpreting the design brief within guideline requirements; creative in proposals to accommodate design and on site limitations; creative in overall landscape lay-out and structure; creative in detail and proposals of landscape elements; creative in material and plant specification.

• Design proposals and solutions complimentary to the architecture and design of the house • Practical and understanding of onsite conditions and in integrating visual impact with functional requirements • Comprehensive detail and information with regards to design and material information. The garden lay-out should be to scale, and all plant and element specification indicated on plan.

• Detail and specification of all landscape elements and structures to be provided for approval. These to be guideline compliant and of a design and style typical to the estate aesthetics and architecture. To avoid more inappropriate landscape elements, all landscape structures and elements are subject to HOA approval, prior to ordering or construction.

• Landscape proposals for the sidewalk along the street facing boundary of the property. This is a guideline requirement and to be included in the submission approval and implementation of the proposed garden. The minimum requirement is lawn, but planting beds can spill over onto the sidewalk area, providing it is compliant to the seamless landscape guideline requirement, and not impeding on pedestrian circulation.

Issue 1 Cornerstone 11

Cornerstone Property & Building • Surveyed position of existing street trees along the adjoining sidewalk; when applicable all existing trees and landscaping on POS areas adjacent to the property; as well as any other trees within the property boundary. Such trees and landscaping are to be retained, and can only be transplanted/removed with HOA approval.

• Proposals to landscape onto adjoining POS, will be considered and is subject to approval from both the HOA and Val De Vie planning committee.

Such proposals are to include all relevant design details; extend of the proposed development; all existing and proposed vegetation; existing and proposed contours and finished levels; and all boundary walls and building lines. Proposed POS landscaping will be evaluated based on the development master plan with regards to estate intended use or future development of POS. Approval of landscaping onto POS areas is subject to and POS encroachment agreement between the estate and home owner.

LANDSCAPE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE: ACCEPTABLE INDUSTRY STANDARDS OF QUALITY LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION Implementation of approved landscape proposals should be awarded to capable landscape contractors. It is the responsibility of the selected landscape contractor to install gardens well within acceptable industry standards with regards to workmanship; use of material; and horticultural practices.

The scope of work and the level of expertise obviously depend on the proposed landscape design, but irrespective of this, the basic activities of landscape construction will always be required.

Without saying, owners can expect, and contractors should apply the following: GENERAL SITE WORKS AND SOIL PREPARATION: • Clear and remove off site, all building rubble as well as other unwanted material and vegetation.

• Depending on existing on site soil levels, do the earthworks to shape the proposed landscape levels and lay-out. Allowing for soil improvement material (topsoil), excavated and/or fill landscape areas as required, and cart excess material off site.

• Prior to spreading topsoil and compost, all landscape areas should be ripped to a depth of 300mm. Separate and remove any unwanted material and rubble.

• Deliver to site, and spread topsoil in all planting areas. Topsoil should be weed free and of a texture and composition favourable for landscape purposes and plant growth. The recommended minimum depth to spread topsoil is 100mm deep in planting beds and 50mm deep over lawn areas.

• To turn topsoil in, cultivate all planting areas once again to a depth of 300mm, and bring soil to a fine tilth. Grade soil levels even with no depressions that might result in ponding of water, and marry smoothly with surrounding levels and surfaces.

• Deliver to site, and spread soil additives in all planting areas. Compost should be from a reliable supplier; matured and well decomposed; weed free; and of a medium-fine texture. The recommended minimum, 50mm deep in all planting areas. As a growing medium, soil types

12 Cornerstone Issue 1

on the estate (mainly either clay or sand), can only benefit from the application of organic matter.

• The application of plant fertilizers – chemical or organic – should be to manufacturer specifications, and the use of a soil conditioner is highly recommended.

IRRIGATION: • Contractors to design and install a fully automated irrigation system with installation and material to conform to LIA standards.

• As-built drawings and operational manuals should be made available to owners.

PLANTS AND PLANTING: • Plant material should be nursery-grown by a reliable supplier; healthy and well established • Conditions to landscape on the estate, is generally harsh, and plants specified should be suitable to all conditions.

• Plant holes and planting should be in accordance with good horticulture practices. Planting holes to be no less than x2 the container size of the plant.

• With strong prevailing winds, it is essential for all trees and large shrubs to receive double vertical tanalith treated stakes and horizontal ties. Vertical poles to be 60mm in diameter and driven 400mm into solid ground, and horizontal ties to of a proven method and fixed to vertical stakes at the bottom and top 1/3 of the plant height respectively.

POST CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE: • To ensure successful establishment of a newly planted garden, the landscape contract should include at least a 3 month post construction maintenance period. During this period, the landscape contractor, not only do general garden maintenance; but also ensure successful establishment of young plants and the garden installation.

Cornerstone Property & Building

Dear: Val de Vie Winelands Lifestyle Resident

ER24 welcomes you to our Family. As the leading South African emergency medical response company operating in the pre‐hospital environment, we are proud to announce to you that the Val de Vie Winelands Lifestyle Estate Home Owner’s Association have secured a contract whereby you as homeowners will enjoy preferential medical assistance by way of and as outlined in this communiqué. ER24 strives to be the first call in any medical emergency and to respond in a way that reflects realhelprealfast.

ER24 supports both private and public hospitals throughout the country and this makes us one of the most widespread medical emergency networks in Southern Africa.

Should you find yourself involved in a medical emergency, one call to our emergency telephone number 084 124 will activate assistance through our national 24 hour emergency Contact Centre. Please ensure that you program this number into your cellular phone speed dial function for ease of use. When calling 084 124, kindly ensure that you identify yourself as a Val de Vie Winelands Lifestyle Estate Resident, so that your call is handled in the most efficient manner.

A summary of the services available to you are as follows:

ER24 ACCESS AGREEMENT BENEFIT

SPECIFICATION

1. Emergency Response

Guaranteed

2. Stabilisation

As required

3. Medical Transportation

Subject to alternate reimbursement model

4. Emergency Medical Information

Telephonic advice only

5. Medical Information and Assistance Hotline

Telephonic advice only

6. Medical Doctor 7. Trauma Lines

Available via Contact Centre 24 / 7 Telephonic advice only

8. First Aid Training

At ER24 client rates

9. Value Added Services

At ER24 client rates

Thank you for choosing ER24. We trust this benefit will provide you with “peace of mind” and should the unexpected occur, you can rest assured that ER24 will provide realhelprealfast!

Kind regards,

Andrew Boden CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Cornerstone Property & Building

Aesthetics Gallery Cladding

“4.2.3… Drypack stonework (natural stone matching that used in the gatehouse columns only). No stonework tiles or cast concrete cladding will be permitted. (rule)”

External Lights

“4.9.1 All external lights mounted on the street facing elevation or ahead of this line shall be of the carriage type units in colour black or dark grey. (rule)”

Balustrades & Wrought Iron Work

“4.5.1 All external balustrades are to be of a steel type with the elements (except support posts) having a maximum width of 10mm in any one direction and to be composed of primarily curvilinear elements typical of decorative wrought iron work. All balustrades to be black or a dark grey unless prior approval is obtained from the Home Owners Association for use of an alternate colour. (rule)” 4.5.3 Wrought iron balconies and trelliswork - The guidelines strongly encourage the extensive use of wrought iron balcony railings and trelliswork. Owners are allowed to substitute any length of trelliswork in excess of 6m (garage width), on the street facing façade, for either the shutters or the pergola requirement. (rule)

Pergolas

“4.8.1 A pergola element is mandatory in front of the garage or an equal length of pergola provided elsewhere on the street facing façade. (rule)” 4.5.1

14 Cornerstone Issue 1

4.7.1

4.5.1

4.8.1

4.9.1

4.2.3

Front Doors

“4.3.5 Front doors, where visible from the street, shall be solid doors. Glassed entrance doors will be permitted where a wrought iron screen or gate is fixed or installed between the door and the street. (rule)”

Shutters

“4.3.8 Shutters, which are strongly encouraged, must be operational and are preferably side hung. (rule)” “4.3.10 It is mandatory that operational shutters be fitted to all street facing windows on the ground floor.

Approved shutters are fully framed with horizontal angled louvre elements, any other type is to be separately submitted for approval.”

Mouldings

“4.7.1 The colour palette and the style of the estate encourage the use of plaster moulding to create relief on the facades. The use of corbelling and banding below eaves and along the line of window head and cill height is strongly encouraged. Window surrounds will also be permitted. (guideline)”

Air-cons and Pool Pumps

“5.15 Mechanical equipment and plant such as airconditioners (and grilles), ducts, pool pumps, etc. must be designed into the buildings and / or adequately enclosed or screened off from view. (rule)”

4.3.5

4.3.8

Issue 1 Cornerstone 15

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Grapevine Cornerstone 2013

Pierre Luiters 082 562 5986 elitedecks@mweb.co.za www.peerlizconstruction.co.za

Tel : ( 021 ) 876 2399 Fax : 086 618 8126 Cel : 082 449 5674 E-mail : morne @ almor .co.za Member of the Boland Master Builders Association

Cornerstone Property & Building

FAQs What are the HOA office hours and where are they situated?

Val de Vie Sport and Leisure Centre Office Hours: Monday to Thursday 07.30 – 16.30 Fridays 07.30 – 16h00 Closed on weekends and public holidays.

When are Levy payments due and how does the extra levy affect me?

1st of the month in advance. When you buy a plot from 1 September 2012 in the extra levy phase you have a 4 month grace period from date of transfer to do your planning and to start building before the extra levy is applicable.

When building starts you then have an additional 11 month period to complete the project in which the extra levy will again not be applicable.

How do I update my personal information with the HOA? Please send an email to hoa@valdevie.co.za.

How and when can I do my security gate enrolment?

NEW HOA MEMBERS: Gate enrolment can only be done after the deed of transfer, in office hours and at the HOA reception; proof of identification is required.

NEW TENANTS: Enrolment can only be done on completion of tenant enrolment form, available at HOA reception. Copies of identification documents and rental agreements must accompany completed forms.

WORKERS: All domestics, gardeners, au pairs, butlers, etc. need to be enrolled, with necessary identification documents.

Valid work permits are mandatory for foreign workers.

TAXI SERVICE Contact Mr Driver on 078 927 9674 for taxi services between Paarl and Val de Vie for your domestic workers.

How and when can I obtain a remote for the inner lane booms/river frontage gates?

Remotes are only available to residents at R110 per remote. Land owners that are in the planning phase may request the building control office to motivate an application for a remote. Remotes can be ordered and paid for at the HOA reception.

22 Cornerstone Issue 1

How and when do I obtain my Post Box Key? The post box key can only be obtained after the deed of transfer, during office hours at the HOA reception.

What is my Val de Vie postal address?

Name and Surname…….. (your SG number) Val de Vie Estate, Paarl, Kliprug Minor Road, 7646 How often is postage sorted?

Postage is retrieved from town and sorted daily. You will receive a notification slip in your box for parcels that are too big for the box. These letters/parcels need to be signed for and collected during office hours at the HOA reception.

Area is controlled and only possible to residents via pre-programmed remote controls (same remote as for inner lane booms). Access is only possible via 3 gates - Southern Gate, Gate at Picnic Area and Northern Gate. Access is limited to non-motorised transport during daylight hours only.

Who can I contact for electrical or plumbing assistance?

Plumber: MD Loodgieters, 021 8724617 / 0824538867 Electrician: Steven Jones, 021 872 8711 / 082 802 7219 Drains: The Drain Surgeon, 021 855 3035 / 073 228 4278

How do I apply for a dustbin?

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to apply for a dustbin once Drakenstein occupation is issued. Use SG number as reference and phone Drakenstein Municipality at 021 807 4751.

When is refuse removal?

Our refuse removal is done weekly by Drakenstein Municipality. We form part of their 'purple zone'. For collection days, please refer to their schedule at www.drakenstein.gov.za.

Does Val de Vie have a recycling unit?

Homeowners can make use of the paper and glass banks at the Maintenance Centre. From March a free municipal door-to-door recycling service begins on the estate. Each week on the same day as your refuse removal, your recyclable material will be collected. All you need to do is get your ‘dry’ recyclable waste into the free clear bag you are provided with. Then place it next to or on top of your refuse bin ready for collection.

How many pets are allowed?

Each unit is limited to two animals.

Only domestic animals posing no danger, noise or odours may be kept.

All domestic animals shall at all times bear a tag which shall reflect the name, telephone number and SG number of their homeowner.

What fish have been established in the dams and is fishing allowed?

Grass Carp, Kurper and Bass have been stocked in our dams and fishing is only allowed on a catch-and-release base.

Please respect these resources.

Picnic Area and access to River Frontage.

The HOA Picnic area is located on the banks of the Berg River on the Northern side of the Estate.

Access to the River Frontage and Picnic

Pierre Luiters 082 562 5986 elitedecks@mweb.co.za www.peerlizconstruction.co.za

Val de Vie Word Puzzle Across 7. Name of the jungle gym at tennis courts 15. A new trustee member 17. Surname of the new swim school manager 20. A polo field equals the size of how many rugby fields 21. Speed limit on the estate 22. New sport event planned on the Estate 24. The local municipality 25. Wooden structures on plinths over garages and glass doors 27. The type of enrolment procedure used on the estate 28. A neighbouring estate 29. Total of animals allowed per house 30. Name of the building at the historical wine cellar 33. The nature reserves has springbok, zebras and ….

34. The competition residents Barry and Deon completed 35. Total amount of properties almost completed on the estate 36. Name of the security group monitoring the estate 38. The body that scrutinize building plans for the HOA 41. Polo lessons can be taken by him 42. The road that leads to the estate main gate 43. The winemaker 44. Total of HOA sub committees 45. Builders have to abide by their standards 46. Contractors use this gate to enter and leave the estate 47. Resident’s restaurant specials night

Down 1. Where the HOA reception is 2. The road leading to the picnic area 3. Name of the pre‐school on Val de Vie 4. Classes given by Mieke le Roux at the gym 5. Big polo event held in February 6. Total meters of the indoor swimming pool 8. Amount of dams on the estate 9. The type of wrought iron work required by the aesthetic guidelines 10. Name of the neighbouring farm 11. Weekly social polo games 12. Area where the horses can walk free 13. The contract with which builders build on the estate 14. The person administrating the building process between builder and client 16. Abbreviation for the house rules chart 18. The institute landscapers have to be registered with 19. Contact person at Val de Vie Property 23. Young resident excelling in polo 26. Val de vie valley of …..

31. The circular sand area where horses are ridden and exercised 32. Chairman of the Trustees 33. Fish you can catch in the Val de Vie dams 37. The picnic spot is next to this river 39. A security upgrade recently completed 40. Polo club wine

lunging ring, peter Wagenaar, kinderark, Harold, alex Watson, ert, jbcc, Sali, aesthetics committee, Wednesday, veuveclicquot, cctv, two, valentia, pergola, morne bosch, fell, fourty, drakenstein, pearl valley, blesbok, palamino, craftsmen, riaan terblanche, sport and leisure centre, thorburn, kliprug minor, pilates, chukkas, bergriver, Kevin Rixon, life, ironman, baber, roets, two hundred, biometric, nhbrc, principal agent, curvilinear, southern, seven, twenty five, triathlon, paddock, manor house, five, ten

Issue 1 Cornerstone 21

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franschhoek skin care clinic Franschhoek Skin Care Clinic Tel: (021) 876 3543 1 Main road Franschhoek Email: info@clarinsinfranschhoek.co.za Web: www.clarinsinfranschhoek.co.za (see for treatments) Stockist of: Clarins, Guinot, Dermalogica, Environ Thalgo & Opi

Phone: 0861 888 784 Email: info@reliance.co.za Web: www.reliance.co.za Twitter: OrganicReliance

Constantly improving the current state of the environment, Reliance produces 100% certified organic compost. Reliance annually diverts over 1 500 000 cubic meters of green refuse from already over crowded landfills around Cape Town. Reliance is a carbon neutral Company.

CARPETS CLEANING VINYLS BLINDS VAL DE VIE CURTAINING HOA ENQUIRIES 021 - 863 6128 LAMINATED WOOD hoa@valdevie.co.za VINYL SEALING POLO 021 - 863 6169 polo@valdevie.co.za

: (021) 762 2770 SALES OFFICE X: (021) 797 021 -5976 863 1011 property@valdevie.co.za LL: 084 312 1949 o@magnumcarpets.co.za WINES 021 - 863 6100 . 11 wines@valdevie.co.za amingo Crescent POLO CLUB RESTAURANT nsdowne 7780 021 - 8636174 restaurant@valdevie.co.za

BUILDING DEPARTMENT 021 - 863 6103 building@valdevie.co.za RYK NEETHLING SWIM SCHOOL 082 3791111 valdevie@learntoswim.co.za

Redstable is an interior design studio specializing in commercial, office, hospitality design & public spaces. We offer a tailored service from design concept to installation and project management.

Contact Sue 0826705418.

Telephone Directory EVENTS & MARKETING 021 863 6191 events@valdevie.co.za OTHER SAPS – PAARL 021 - 807 4000 SAP FLYING SQUAD 10111 FIRE BRIGADE 021 - 872 2323 AMBULANCE PAARL 10177 021 - 872 1970

TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT 021 - 872 4755 ANIMAL HOSPITAL WELLINGTON 021 - 873 1196 VETENARIAN DR DEON VAN TONDER 083 631 4603 PAARL LIBRARY 021 – 807 4871/4742 PAARL TOURISM 021 – 872 4842

RESCUE EMERGENCY 10177

FRANSCHOEK TOURISM 021 – 876 3603

ER EMERGENCY RESPONSE 084 124

POISON/ SNAKE BITE INFORMATION 021 689 5227 021 931 6129

PAARL HOSPITAL 021 - 860 2500 MEDI CLINIC PAARL 021 - 807 8000

SECURITY 021 863 6110 072 900 3954

DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY / GENERAL 021 - 807 4500

HEALTHCLUB 021 863 6136 healthclub@valdevie.co.za

WATER / ELECTRICITY 021 - 807 2557

POST OFFICE 57 LADY GREY STR PAARL 021 – 872 5337