The Village News 14 March 2017

Village

NEWS NEWS The

14 March 2017

Cape Whale Coast

PEDAL POWER

FREE COPY

CLEAN-UP

Local Epic hero

ECHOLOCATION

Locals join the fight

Sculpture on the Cliffs

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PAGE 11 AN EPIC ADVENTURE Cycle fever is mounting as Hermanus prepares to host the first two stages of the 2017 Absa Cape Epic. This gruelling eightday mountain biking adventure from 19 - 26 March will lead aspiring amateur and professional riders from around the world through 691 km of unspoilt scenery and 15 400 m of accumulated altitude – nearly twice the height of Mount Everest. The Absa Cape Epic will start on Sunday 19 March at Meerendal and move to Hermanus in the afternoon.

Stage 1 will take off from Hermanus on 20 March and cyclists return to Hermanus for the night before leaving town the next day as they set off on Stage 2 on 21 March.

Read more about this worldclass event on P 6 & 7.

PHOTO: Sam Clark

Concourt finds stall traders must move De Waal Steyn

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on Friday 10 March that the application for leave to appeal against the eviction should be dismissed at it bears no prospect of success.

t was trading as usual for most of the stall holders at the Market Square above the Old Harbour during the weekend, despite the fact that they have now exhausted all legal options to fight their eviction.

Traders said at the weekend that they were aware of the findings of the court but have not received any formal notice of when they must vacate their stalls.

The Constitutional Court found

The Municipality said that as

the matter has now been finalised, the order of the Cape High Court of 2 September stipulating that the traders must vacate their stalls, will now be carried out.

No indication was given of when this will take place.

Trader Marianné Beyleveldt of ‘Die Biltong Ou’ said some of the traders did start packing up their stalls on Friday but some of them returned to still

take advantage of the weekend trade.

“It came as a huge shock to everyone on Friday when we learned of the court’s decision.

A lot of the people here have been hoping against hope that they will be allowed to continue trading, as their wares are well liked by the tourists. But I think to some extent there is now a realisation that they will have

to move,” said Marianné.

Many of the current traders did not want to comment, with some saying they will trade until they are evicted.

According to them they have no alternative venue where they can continue with their trading.

Marianné said attempts have been made at mediation but it failed even before the process

could start, as no common ground could be found between the traders, new management and the Municipality.

“It is very sad to see so many people losing their only source of income. Many of them have families to support and they do not know how they will now be able to generate an income.”

Read more on P 5

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Whale Coast readies itself for an adventure The Cape Whale Coast is poised and ready to host the Absa Cape Epic. Already there is excitement in town in anticipation of this event.

Editorial Comment

A showcase such as the Epic puts the towns they visit in both the national and international spotlights and is a drawcard for thousands of people. The economic value of this event for our region cannot be underestimated.

By De Waal Steyn

As a community we want to thank those who have worked tirelessly to bring the Epic

back to our shores. Your dedication and hard work is appreciated. Apart from the residents taking part in this year’s race, Hermanus also boasts Epic heroes who were instrumental in the establishment of the race (read more on P 6). This is the first of a few adventure

sporting events coming to our shores in the next few months.

The Village NEWS has since its inception 18 months ago been actively involved in campaigning for a litter and plastic-free environment by extensively writing on the problems we face and the successes achieved. It is good news that the Municipality has committed itself to help eradicate single-use plastic bags. We are proud to be associated with those who are actively trying to make a difference. It is heartening to

Letters and opinions Of litter and dogs Our civilisation’s long-term future is far from assured: there is barbarism; the threat of nuclear war, including from rogue states; obsolescence with the development of Artificial Intelligence; and our hideous treatment of the Earth’s unique environment.

Of the last of these, the environment, our concern is limited. Too much worldwide effort and funds have been focused endlessly on one issue – global warming. To the point that it has become politically correct to regard this feature – although change has occurred naturally throughout all measures of time – simply as anthropomorphic.

So it is a welcome relief to have litter, waste and waste disposal back in focus (the Whale Coast Conservation campaign, as reported in The Village NEWS of 28 February), as this is an issue that we can tackle locally, at all levels.

And then we have dogs and cats again (By-law on dogs before Council soon, The Village NEWS, 14 February). A proposal is to be discussed by Council that would prohibit

dogs from designated beaches, allow them elsewhere on leashes, only running free before 8am and after 6pm, at that time away from the swimming areas and under the control of their owners. The suggestion for swimming beaches seems appropriate. The remainder of the proposal is unfair.

I walk regularly on Grotto, away from the swimming area, as do many others. The dogs on this beach are responsible: they do not harass people or fight among themselves, and their owners clean up after them. It is inevitable that when a dog meets up with another dog, especially if they are of a similar size, there will be some bottom sniffing and the like, but the dogs remain under control.

May I make a last point: to suggest that dogs cannot run free other than early in the morning or late in the evening is arbitrary. Walking on a (hopefully dry) crisp winter day is unlikely (and unwise) before or after the stipulated run-free hours.

John Truswell, Voëlklip

see residents taking the time to help clean up our coast (read more on P 10).

With winter knocking on the door, Hermanus is also readying itself for the FynArts Festival. This year the Sculpture on the Cliffs Exhibition promises to be even better than in previous years. Organisers and artists have been working around the clock to bring about an exhibition that includes both sculptures and sound (read more about this on P 11).

This is the good NEWS. – Ed

Send your letter to news@thehermanusnews.co.za Follow us on

More letters on P 4

Responsible dog owners should not be punished I would like to comment on the article By-Law on dogs before Council soon in the 14 February edition of The Village NEWS. I am resident in Voëlklip, I am a ratepayer and I pick up my dog’s poops. I also spend many hours with my dog on the cliff paths and my dog has always joined me for my early morning swim, not only as protection but also as she loves her swim. She will continue to enjoy her beach time with me.

To ban those of us who abide by the rules would be a travesty of justice.

Many people and especially the elderly come out with their dogs in the afternoons to enjoy the scenery and bring along their faithful hounds to stretch their legs.

The unruly dogs and their owners are a problem for all of us ‘normal’ dog owners too, but we should not be punished and tarred with the same brush.

As far as dog’s poops go, the addition of bags along the cliff path are a great success and I see far less poops on the path.

However, you mention bins for dog waste placed at regular intervals and of which there is not one as suggested.

Dog owners with large dogs have a problem if there is nowhere to dispose of the waste regularly.

Jeanne Rawden Voëlklip

Sculptor Bill Davis, a treasure in our midst I would like to commend you for your informative, inspiring and heartening article Bill Davis – the life and work of a sculptor (The Village News, 28 February 2017).

I was in Bill’s class when he was art master at SACS High School in the 1960s. I recall that Bill told our class that

sculpture should not be ‘read in one glance’, as for example did the symmetrical plaster of Paris abstract form I had come up with.

Bill’s sculptures, fascinate and practically compel observers to move around them to unveil their essence and experience their beauty.

Bill’s words rang in my ears thank you, Bill! - when later viewing (for example) Henry Moore’s abstract sculptures and Auguste Rodin’s Burghers of Calais. These works, as do

Thank you for an article that celebrates the life and work of Bill Davis, the “treasure in our midst”.

Basil Brink

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Baboon-free Voëlklip may soon be a reality Sarah Taylor

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“virtual fence” intended to keep the baboons out of suburban Voëlklip in Hermanus is one step closer to becoming operational. The last of the three action relay stations has been installed on the mountain behind the town on a 5m-high pole, councillor for Ward 3 Kari Brice told The Village NEWS last week.

The software for the system will be tested and calibrated this week.

The final step before the system becomes operational, involves the identification and capture of two of the main baboons in the Fernkloof troop and fitting them with GPS collars. According to Kari, CapeNature has been approached to acquire a permit to do this.

The relay stations are located along the mountain from above the eastern edge of Voëlklip/De Mond to Hermanus Heights.

“These action stations will communicate with a gateway or master relay station when one of the two collared baboons comes within range of one of the relay stations, by sending a GPS signal of the baboons’ position to a cellphone app,” she said.

Volunteers would receive an alert on their cellphones and then drive as close as they can on the suburban perimeter to be in the path of the baboons and deploy bear bangers and speakers that emit threatening sounds, such as animals in distress (buffalo being killed) or on attack (lion roaring). In this way the virtual fence will operate as a virtual territorial boundary to the baboons.

“Hopefully this will discourage the baboons from venturing into urban areas and scare them back into the mountains. This is the intention and we hope it works,” Kari said.

In March last year, Ward 3 residents voted in favour of the fence, which was proposed by the Cape Town-based company Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS) as a humane approach to keeping baboons out of urban areas. HWS installed a virtual

FORBIDDEN FRUIT This young baboon eating fruit in a suburban garden might soon become a sight of the past in Hermanus when the new virtual baboon fence becomes operational. fence in Gordon’s Bay in January last year as part of the City of Cape Town’s baboon-management strategy.

HWS Project Manager Dr Phil Richardson said in Gordon’s Bay, the virtual fence was a success and had reduced the workload with the baboons of the Bio Diversity Department, which manages the reserves, by 90% since it was installed.

“The virtual fence in Gordon’s Bay has been 100% effective in keeping the troop out of town,” he said, adding that for the “landscape of fear” system to work so well, the response team would need to be constantly alert to respond quickly. He said the average interval between challenges by the baboons on the system was about three weeks in the first year.

According to Kari, four people so far from Hermanus have volunteered their services to deploy the speakers and bear bangers on demand, but she called on more people to become involved, particularly if they have their own transport and lead flexible lifestyles so they could leap into action at a moment’s notice.

“This has to be a community effort, unless there is someone who can come up with the money for permanent baboon monitors,” she said.

Kari said she hoped the system would be up-and-running by 31 March, but that this would depend first on the baboons being collared. After this has been done, HWS will conduct training sessions with the volunteers.

Kari clarified that monitoring the baboons and keeping them out of residential areas was not a municipal mandate.

“If it was, the Overstrand Municipality would be responsible for providing babooncontrol services from Rooi Els to Pearly Beach, and this is not feasible. I am facilitating this particular system because it is something I need to help my constituents out with. It is definitely the biggest problem in my ward at the moment,” she said.

Ward three stretches from the Gateway Centre to past the Hermanus Yacht Club on the Klein River lagoon.

The virtual fence system costs an estimated R100 000 and various

sponsors, including the Hermanus Ratepayers’ Association (HRA) and Hermanus Public Protection (HPP) have come on board to pay HWS directly for the necessary equipment.

Kari said dogs in the area of the deployed speakers may initially be stressed at the strange noises and she anticipates some complaints in this regard, although Richardson said: “The speakers are not that loud and the system will be deployed at least 150 m from town. The same bear bangers are used in Cape Town and at 150 m no reaction by pets seems evident.

With time the aim is to stop the baboons from even getting within about 500 m of town, so then pets are not likely to be at all aware of the system.”

HWS has had been approached to deploy the system to other parts of Cape Town, Pringle Bay, and fruit and wine farms.

“Helping to solve the baboon problem will always be my passion because it affects the people I live amongst,” said Kari. “Many elderly people in the area are terrified in their own houses because of the baboons. I’m a ‘greenie’ at heart and that’s why this humane approach appeals to me.”

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14 March 2017

The world according to the Duck ‘n Fiddler’s

he task at hand was to find out why cats purr and dogs don’t. This has apparently been a bone of contention for centuries, and in some cases led to fatal confrontations between animal owners and scientists.

Even more so today, people are seen bickering and trading blows in queues, parking lots and restaurants over this highly emotive issue. It has to stop.

Fortunately I was contacted directly by the CEO of GWAR (Global Watchdog for Animal Rights) from their international headquarters in Benoni.

“I’m at the end of my tether,” howled Mr GWAR, emotionally off the leash. “Riots have broken out in Helsinki and Rwanda!

Vets’ children are being blackmailed by pharmaceutical companies! People are dying!

Can you help?”

Wit’s End

the only existing copy still intact, and is signed by his brother Bob, of the Round Table.

Anyway, there was no information about why dogs refuse to purr, which means they must have in the past, and over time, just found it unnecessary.

It would be churlish not to. So when confronted with a dilemma as complex as this, I turn as always to my tried and tested The Duck ’n Fiddler’s Explanation of Everything.

But while digging through this encyclopedia of ancient knowledge, I stumbled upon some interesting facts – information you won’t find in any modern library. Political or religious influences have plastered over the unsavoury cracks in the landscape of history, and left us with a smooth, botoxed version of events.

This vast compendium of unknown facts dates back to around King Arthur and his Twelfth Night. Apparently it is

For example, the fish fingers we eat in restaurants are not actually fingers. Fish with fingers are only cultivated

Murray Stewart

near Surabaya in Java and very few leave the Far East.

This species of fish has fingers that grow back, like our hair or nails, so it stays alive for years and the fingers are harvested two or three at a time on the left, while others grow back on the right.

Some fish yield up to forty fingers before they’re too old and are ground into chicken pellets or sandwich spread. So next time you order, ask the waiter if the fish fingers come from Surabaya. If not they’re definitely fake.

And under the heading ‘fake’ something interesting popped up, but with all the ‘fake news’ in circulation, one can only speculate. The Good Book talks of a false prophet, a fake Messiah. He will be immensely wealthy, ruthless and powerful and he will

I had long suspected that this might be the case, so it was heartening to read Robin's article substantiating my view. I have since been corresponding with Robin who has been helpful in confirming other points regarding my direct ancestor, and the sources he used.

For nearly 20 years, I have been

In 2015, I was invited to St Petersburg to march with the few remaining Arctic convoy veterans for the 70th anniversary of VE Day. I represented my father and grandfather who both took part in the Arctic convoys, and gave a talk on my family's naval history.

As a long term project, I will be writing parallel biographies of Baldwin Walker, and another great-great grandfather Admiral on my maternal side

Water conservation - for all?

While all levels of government in South Africa are beginning to realise that water is one of our most valuable resources, there are many people who still believe that the water belongs to them and that they may utilise it as they wish.

Currently the dams in the Western Cape are 77% EMPTY. I have it from a good source that borehole water may not be utilised at all within 48 hours of rain having fallen. Where we stay however certain residents are seen watering their lawn in the rain? And, on occasions, wearing a raincoat!

The question is, is the Overstrand Municipality aware of this restriction and such activities?

Does the OM have any monitoring system in place to measure the amount of borehole users and the amount of water that they extract? And, if they (OM) have, what action is taken against persons abusing this national resource?

Lastly, when last were assessments done in the Overstrand to accurately measure the underground water at the various levels?

Concerned Conservationist, Vermont

And talking of building walls, another interesting fact shrouded in the mists of history is the real story behind the Alps.

It was actually the Romans who built the Alps. Secretly, and under the cover of darkness they toiled for decades to prevent elephants from the north invading their Empire and demolishing their aqueducts. A terrifying

Anyway, they found an unfinished Alp, and led by a bloke called Honiball, (who later played fly-half for the Springboks) they thundered through and demolished the Empire, but oddly enough kept the aqueducts. Over time the elephant population declined till today when there are more aqueducts in Italy than elephants.

Well, I’ve run out of space, so I can’t even begin to reveal why cavemen made all those caves, or how Tarzan maintained a clean-shaven jib in the jungle. In the mean time, don’t get too involved in the dog-purring melodrama, but feel free to let the editor (pellet gun) know your feelings.

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The Village NEWS travels far online studying and writing up my family history, with an emphasis on the strong Royal Navy connections.

The masses will believe him and vote him into power.

Nostradamus also mentions him. ‘He will be slight of hand and sport a golden crown’, whatever that means, but apparently he is already amongst us…

prospect, but one can be forgiven for forgetting how many elephants there were in Europe at the time.

Send your letter to news@thehermanusnews.co.za

Letters and opinions I was delighted to come across on the internet, both in The Village News and the Hermanus Historical Society website, Robin Lee's interesting research on my great-great grandfather, Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker and his conclusion that Walker Bay was named after him.

convince people that he has the answer to all the world’s problems by building walls, blowing boats out of the water and learning Russian.

who was nearly an exact contemporary of Baldwin.

Coincidentally, they both fought (on different ships) as young officers in a minor naval battle in the eastern Mediterranean in the late 1820s, and later in their careers both were awarded the imperial Russian naval medal, the Order of Santa Anna.

Through blood and marriage, I am descended from at least a dozen Royal Navy Admirals.

My own naval career was less illustrious, attaining the lowly rank of leading seaman in the school cadet force, and working as a deck hand to and

from Australia in the merchant navy, refuelling in Cape Town and Durban, the Suez Canal being closed at the time.

I have happy memories of staying the night in Hermanus in 1979 on my way to Cape Agulhas.

At the time I was working in South Africa for the former behemoth De Beers. I survived 18 years with them, before seeing the light and setting up my own independent diamond business in 1994.

Richard A Wake-Walker Wimbledon, England

Thank you for kind gesture I have come to a time in my life where I depend so much on my 3 X 3 (that is my Wheely Walker). It is something I could not be without.

It was necessary for me to go into the village yesterday and without help, I rang for the Tuk-Tuk Taxi and was dropped near Pick and Pay. I then needed to go elsewhere, so shuffled along around the corner and when it came to curbs etc., very often someone would ask if they could help me. "No thank you, I will be alright." They all meant well and were very kind. I was not so alright, but overly proud.

got the same reply. "Where are you going?" she asked. I told her and she said: "Ag nee, dit is te ver.

Dis oorkant die straat en twee blokke verder. Ek sal vir u help.”

With that she took my arm and steered me across the busy main road, to the other side and the two blocks plus to my destination. When I asked her where she was going, she replied: "Hawston."

Goodness me, that was in the other direction, yet she had seen me safely to my destination with such kindness.

Just another one of the wonderful people in Hermanus.

I wish I had taken her name, but again, I do thank her very much.

Eventually a woman came and asked the same question and

Pat Woodland Gibbon

Easter butterflies to return soon This month Hermanus will once again host the very distinctive Cape Autumn Widow (Dira clytus) affectionately referred to as the 'Easter butterflies'.

Amazingly they always appear around Easter and almost to the day of Equinox. Equinox this year is on Monday 20 March at 10:28 and you can put your money on it, they will appear in a window of one or two days thereafter.

This usually signals the time for the Easter butterflies to hatch, especially if it is a nice still warm/hot day.

Good spotting is all along the cliff paths from New Harbour to Mossel River. The small road that leads down to

Because butterflies tend to rely on particular host plant species for food, they are particularly vulnerable to the transformation of natural lands.

Hence, the destruction of natural vegetation for agriculture, urbanisation and infrastructure is the main cause of butterfly declines and extinctions. Butterflies are also known to be particularly sensitive to climatic changes as a result of global warming.

A very familiar sight: come Easter these butterflies adorn our village surrounds as regular as clockwork.

Kwaaiwater beach parking off Poole Street is usually a really good bet, or along Protea Road (c/o Linaria Road) abutting the commonage towards The Marine Hotel.

This butterfly is of the

Nymphalidae family and its wingspan is 45 to 55 mm.

Adults are on wing from midMarch to the end of April and there is only one generation per year. Females scatter eggs in flight and the larvae feed on various grasses.

Let us all pull together to preserve our precious Hermanus habitat in order to remain a friendly host town for these beautiful winged visitors.

Enjoy!

David & Lynda Leppan

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14 March 2017

Special Rating Areas can enhance municipal services

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s communities begin to accept responsibility for their own neighbourhoods, members of taxpayers’ and residents’ associations are increasingly driving the establishment of Special Rating Areas (SRAs) and Overstrand residents can now do the same.

In 2016, Overstrand Municipality gazetted a by-law that would permit the introduction of a special rates area. The purpose of a special rating is not to provide an additional service, but to provide a supplement or top-up service. (This implies that it can only supplement an existing service as incorporated into the Integrated Development Plan and Budget).

Special rating areas are not only confined to residential areas, but also refer to public areas situated within residential and business zones.

The Pringle Bay Ratepayers’ Association (PBRA) is one local association considering an SRA. According to the PBRA’s Facebook page Pringle Bay Buzz, progress has been made in formulating proposals for an SRA in order to fund sustainable solutions for managing ongoing problems in Pringle Bay. The main issues can be categorised as baboons, break-ins, alien vegetation and storm water.

“We want to assure all ratepayers and residents that there will be many opportunities to participate and engage in the process. There are stringent approval and management controls built into the new legislation, which protect ratepayers from any

indiscriminate action by the community management committee that will need to be established in order to implement and control an SRA,” says the PBRA. According to a municipal press release, property owners in a number of residential and business suburbs through the Western Cape have gained from the “top-up” services made possible as a result of special rating areas.

“Special rating areas is the municipal facility of levying an additional rate, payable by property owners of a defined area, for the improvement or upgrading of such an area.

These municipal services typically include the provision of additional public area cleaning services, maintenance and/or upgrading of the urban public environment and/or infrastructure and social services that address social issues in the area,” it reads.

“The “top up” services provided by SRAs do not replace the services of the Municipality but enhance and supplement the services already provided by the Municipality.”

Individual SRAs are unique in nature due to geographical settings, population density, zonings and property values.

More information on the Special Rating Areas by-law and the procedure for establishing and managing an SRA is available on the Municipality’s website www.overstrand.gov.za/en/do cuments/bylaws.

Important steps: • The applicant must form a steering committee that is representative of property owners within the proposed special rating area.

• Before Overstrand Municipality will consider allowing ratepayers in a special rating area to carry out administrative and other functions in relation to the area, the Steering Committee must establish a non-profit company (NPC) in terms of the Companies Act. • After the Steering Committee confirms in writing that it will engage in the pursuit of establishing a special rating area it must supply the Overstrand Municipality with a map depicting the boundaries of the special rating area.

• After the Overstrand Municipality has prepared a total arrears profile of the area and is satisfied with the outcome thereof the Steering Committee may proceed with the establishment process.

• The Steering Committee will be required to conduct an urban management survey. In addition a random sample of people within the area is also required.

• The Steering Committee must compile a business plan.

• A public meeting must be conducted.

• Support may only be obtained after the public meeting and on the consent form provided by the Overstrand Municipality.

• Any property owner that wants to object to the establishment of a special rating area or to the provisions of the business plan can do so by indicating it on the consent form.

• An application must be submitted. Prior to submitting an application the Steering Committee will be required to set up a website.

The purposes of a Special Rating Area: 1) Enhance and supplement the municipal services provided by the Overstrand Municipality; 2) Facilitate investment in the special rating area; 3) Facilitate a co-operative approach between the Municipality and the private sector in the provision of municipal services; 4) Halt the degeneration and facilitate the upliftment of distressed business and mixed-use areas; and 5) Promote economic growth and sustainable development and in this way assist the Council in the fulfilment of its objects and developmental duties as set out in its Integrated Development Plan ("IDP").

New traders ready to start From P 1 “The deep rift between the different parties have led to a situation where there are no clear winner, only losers,” said Marianné.

Arrie de Klerk, who won the tender to take over the management of the stalls on 1 August 2015, said he is eagerly awaiting the go-ahead to start his operations. “I have been ready to take over management for the past 18 months, but with all the legal wrangling it has been a stopstart-stop situation. Hopefully

I will now be able to let my tenants know that they can start moving in as soon as possible. None of the current traders have applied with me to continue trading.”

According to Arrie there are more than 20 new tenants ready to move into the stalls.

“My vision is to create a proper town’s market aimed at drawing locals and visitors to the CBD. The area is set to become a business hub that will be a part of the heartbeat of the CBD. The days of cheap, mass-produced, imported flea-market products being on

offer has come to an end. The Market Square must only offer South African-made products with an emphasis on locally produced wares.”

The legal battle started after the Municipality terminated its lease agreements with stall holders and announced in May 2015 that the tender for the management of the stalls was awarded to Arrie. According to the stall holders, the decision not to renew their leases as well as the tender process was flawed and biased.

Judge Robert Henney ruled in

the Cape High Court on 2 September 2016 that all 23 illegal traders need to vacate the stalls and that the continued occupation of the stalls is unlawful. All moveable structures, goods and furniture must also be removed.

Failure to comply will result in the Sheriff of the Court evicting the illegal stallholders and removing all structures, goods and furniture and destroying it or selling it to defray the cost of the eviction.

The stallholders were also ordered to pay the cost of the legal proceedings.

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Local heroes of the Absa Cape Epic Frieda Lloyd

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t’s almost time for the Absa Cape Epic and excitement is rising as the race will once again take place in and around Hermanus. Not one but two of the stages will see cyclists pedalling out of our town on Monday and Tuesday.

Many locals are involved in the race either as cyclists, hosts, crew or making sure the tracks are all in good order. One resident artist can lay claim to being involved in every stage of every Cape Epic since the inaugural event in 2004. Terry Kobus of Originals Art Gallery in Harbour Road has been involved with this epic organisation since his days as a mountain biker with a digital presence as Spinman.

Before moving to Hermanus in 2009 and becoming a full-time artist, Terry and his partner Roelof were the owners of the Millpark Gym in Johannesburg when they brought the first spinning classes to South Africa.

Terry also represented South Africa at the World Fitness Convention in the US for three years in a row. The spinning classes led to an interest in mountain biking and Terry started entering races in 1999.

continued as part of the crew.

This year he will be the media host of the world’s biggest adventure mountain bike race which he describes as “a welloiled machine that travels across the landscape to pop up in town totally selfsufficient”.

Terry has put his Cape Epic memorabilia to good use by decorating his Originals Gallery with the Cape Epic jerseys and buffs that he wore as a competitor. During the recent Epic First Fridays Artwalk he even had his bike at the gallery to conjure some excitement about the upcoming event.

Another local who has seen his fair share of Cape Epic action is Wine Village owner Paul du Toit. Paul, a Springbok lifesaver himself, organised one of South Africa's first trail runs many years ago. This gave Paul a taste of sport events and he was hooked.

When word got out that Kevin Vermaak was planning an adventure cycle race, Paul took note and attended the launch meeting in Stellenbosch.

Paul worked with the Cape Epic's race management team up until 2015. Although not part of the formal team this year, Paul is doing his bit by working with Deon Ferreira, Schalk van der Merwe and three other local men to make sure the routes are all established and ready for the cyclists to test their endurance.

Terry’s website, Spinman, supplied a wide range of information related to mountain biking events. When Kevin Vermaak, the founder of the Cape Epic, got the idea to organise a multi-stage race in South Africa, he approached Terry to use his website as a platform to promote the start of what was then an unknown adventure race to local and international cyclists. In exchange for introducing the new event concept to Spinman’s mountain biking community, Terry was offered an entry to the race.

In 2014 he attempted a ride with his son Johannes but was disappointed not to complete the event. When asked about the value of being a stage location, Paul responded: “The international marketing value of the Cape Epic is priceless and no town would be able to afford this."

“I was already in my late forties and it was incredibly tough!” says Terry of his first Cape Epic in 2004. He went on to do three consecutive races and then

In addition the local residents are exposed to the world class organisation and can feel part of an international event by watching cyclists at spectator

“

Mountain biking veteran Terry Kobus has been involved with the Cape Epic since the inaugural race in 2004. He participated in the first three events and has continued since then as part of the crew. Above Terry is seen in action during the 2005 Cape Epic and above right he is in front of his art gallery Originals, with his race jerseys and buffs displayed in the window.

Everyone is invited to take part in the Town Vibe competition with prize money of R5 000 attached

”

points. Paul emphasised that every Epic is a new challenge with a different wow factor. It's a new game every year and the novelty continues for seven consecutive days. To say that you've completed the Epic must be one of the greatest accomplishments. A real ‘windgat’ feeling.

Our whole town is looking forward to an #untamed event and everyone is invited to take part in the Town Vibe competition with prize money of R5 000 attached. Businesses are invited to have mountain bike related displays, restaurants are encouraged to list an EPIC meal of the day and all visitors and residents should just fly the Cape Epic flag. Not only for the prize money but mostly for what this event means to our region in terms of international exposure.

We chose this as the place where we want to live and I feel proud to be associated with an area that was selected to host two stage locations for the world's top adventure mountain bike race.

Schalk van der Merwe, Brian Maholwana, Eric May, Edward Sinethenba and Paul du Toit of the Wine Village, whose hard work has ensured that the local routes are ready for the 2017 Absa Cape Epic riders.

The Absa Cape Epic will start on Sunday 19 March at Meerendal and move to Hermanus in the afternoon.

Stage 1 will take off from Hermanus on 20 March and cyclists return to Hermanus for the night before leaving town the next day as they set off on Stage 2 on 21 March.

The race then moves to Greyton and Elgin before finishing at Val de Vie on 26 March. Visit www.cape-epic.com or see all the info on P 7.

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14 March 2017

Catch all the action: Cape Epic spectator points

M

ore than a thousand cyclists, along with family, friends, support crew and eager spectators will roll in to town this Sunday afternoon for the first two stages of the 14th Absa Cape Epic.

The event will be as challenging as ever as local and international mountain bikers tackle the demanding eight-day adventure through the Western Cape countryside from 19 – 26 March.

This year, the 2017 Absa Cape Epic returns to Hermanus for the first time since 2008 and spectators will have several opportunities to watch the action at various spectator points.

STAGE 1 Monday 20 March – 07:00 The 101 km opening stage will start and finish at the race village at Hermanus High School. The route will take riders up Rotary Way, through the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to Tesselaarsdal and over the Klein River mountains towards Stanford before heading back to Hermanus on the R43.

Spectator points Riders will reach the spectator point at Newton Johnson Vineyards early in the race, so this is definitely one for the early birds. A fast, flowing trail brings riders past the spectator point and hot drinks will be available from the restaurant.

There is limited space for parking, so get there early. First riders expected at 07:45.

Finish at Elandsloof, Greyton: Riders expected between 10:20 and 15:30.

Finish at Oak Valley, Elgin: Riders expected between 10:30 and 15:45.

STAGE 4 Thursday 23 March – 07:00 The 112 km route will take riders past the KlipheuwelDassiefontein Wind Energy Facility near Caledon and along the twisting trails at Wildekrans before heading across to the old Houw Hoek Pass and on to Oak Valley Wine Estate in the Elgin Valley.

STAGE 6 Saturday 25 March – 07:00 The 103 km route of Stage 6 through Groenlandberg is considered the toughest of the entire race and also cuts through private farmland before ending again at Oak Valley.

Houw Hoek Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in South Africa and is situated in the heart of the Kogelberg Biosphere Nature Reserve, just off the N2. The restaurant will be open and big crowds are expected. First riders expected at 10:25.

There will be 14 spectator points along the route, each with an experienced announcer welcoming riders and explaining the race to the viewers. Locals inevitably flock to these points too, making for a great atmosphere as they cheer on their favourites.

Depending on where the spectator points are on the route, it could take up to four hours for all riders to pass and the stragglers will also need your support.

expected shortly after 10:00.

Spectator points Expect true Overberg hospitality at Gabriëlskloof, a family-owned and operated wine estate just off the N2 outside Botrivier. The tasting room and restaurant will be open for business with fine wines and food (including picnic baskets) on offer. First riders expected at 09:15.

The Absa Cape Epic inevitably dishes up incredible drama: from the thrilling racing at the front to the struggles of the back markers as they bid to get home inside the daily cut off.

Most of the spectator points coincide with water points, where riders stop to refuel.

These also include tech zones, where riders can repair broken bikes and which are themselves often scenes of great drama.

expected shortly after 09:00.

Finish at Oak Valley, Elgin: Riders expected between 11:30 and 17:00.

PHOTO: Sam Clark There will be lots of parking available for a quick stop on Sir Robert Stanford Wine Estate before heading back to the finish. The restaurant on the estate, The Royal Oke, will be open for those wanting to linger. The top riders will come past with some speed as they will be gunning for the first stage win. First riders expected at 10:15.

Finish at Hermanus High School: Riders expected between 11:20 and 16:30.

STAGE 2 Tuesday 21 March – 7:00 Riders will set off on a 102 km route over Rotary Way and through the valley to the new race village at Greyton via Shaw’s Pass and Caledon.

Spectator points The tasting room of Creation Wine Estate in Hemel-enAarde Ridge will be open for breakfast but there is limited space for parking – get there early. Spectators will be able to watch riders crossing the dam wall: their legs will still be fresh so they should be strong

and fast. First riders expected by 08:20.

Spectators will be able to watch riders refuelling at the water point in the Caledon Botanical Gardens – and note how efficiently the pro riders manage their water bottle changes and grab some food. They might also see some drama in the tech zone if any of the riders have a troublesome mechanical issue. The spectator point is accessed easily from the main road and there will be lots of parking. There will be no vendors here so spectators who wish to watch for a while might want to bring picnic packs. Or they can make a brief stop and head for the finish line and watch the drama going down there. First riders expected by 09:45.

Finish at Elandskloof, Greyton: Riders expected between 11:20 and 16:30.

STAGE 3 Wednesday 22 March – 07:00 This stage comprises a

country meander of 78 km in the Greyton area which starts and finishes in the village.

Spectator points This spectator point outside the Greyton town church has been a favourite in the past.

Riders will be stopping to refuel, but won’t want to linger as it is a short stage.

Locals always turn out here and create a great vibe and vendors will be on site.

Spectators should note that riders will be crossing the road, so please obey the traffic police! First riders expected shortly after 08:00.

Oom Barrie se Huisie (Uncle Barrie's Cabin) is situated among rolling green hills off the R406 Caledon-Greyton road where visitors can relax in true Overberg country style.

The spectator point is set in a corn field and no vendors will be on site: bring a picnic or make it a brief stop before heading to the finish. The racing should be close as this is a short stage and spectators will be able to view the riders cresting over a hill. First riders

STAGE 5 Friday 24 March – 07:00 This stage is another 84 km country meander through the Elgin / Grabouw area that begins and ends at the Oak Valley race village.

Spectator points The Grabouw Country Club is situated on the edge of the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve in the Elgin Valley, next to the Eikenhof Dam, with views across to the majestic Groenlandberg. The club restaurant will be open and spectators will be able to take advantage of hospitality tours after watching the racing. They will be able to view riders coming from some distance, making for an exciting experience. First riders expected at 08:45.

The famous Amphitheatre on the Paul Cluver Estate just might be the most exciting spectator point on the route and big crowds are expected. Spectators will get great views of the riders as they ride through the single track and over the bridges. It provides a great opportunity for supporters to encourage the riders. First riders

Spectator points At Lebanon Village spectators will get to see the riders come through and refuel on the sports field. There will be lots of parking and it is easily accessible from the main road.

Local support will also be present and help make it a merry occasion. First riders expected shortly after 09:00.

The South Hill Vineyards nestle on the eastern end of the picturesque Elgin Valley, surrounded by the Kogelberg Mountains, orchards, pine forests and the farm's own vineyards. It is an old favourite of the Absa Cape Epic and spectators can do some wine tasting as they watch riders racing through vineyards before heading off to catch up with them at the finish. First riders expected shortly after 10:00.

The country restaurant on the Thandi Wine Estate will be open, offering craft beer and wine tasting. It’s worth a visit before heading to the finish… or a longer stay to sample some of the fine wares on offer. First riders expected shortly before 11:00.

Finish at Oak Valley, Elgin: Riders expected between 11:25 and 17:00.

STAGE 7 Sunday 26 March – 07:00 This stage will see riders tackling the last 85 km from Oak Valley, past the Theewaterskloof Dam and via the Franschhoek Pass to the finish line at Val de Vie. Spectator point Besides wine tasting in beautiful scenery, La Couronne will offer tuk-tuk rides from the parking area to the spectator point. This will be the last spectator point of the race and there is bound to be a great vibe. But do be careful when entering the estate at the access bridge. First riders expected at 10:00.

Finish at Val de Vie, Paarl: Riders expected between 11:00 and 14:30.

NEWS NEWS

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14 March 2017 Thursday 16 March

Sunday 19 March

■ Hermanus Business Chamber: The HBC will host a talk on Business and Tourism Opportunities in the Overstrand, presented by Frieda Lloyd, Tourism Manager of the Cape Whale Coast.

R100 pp. Booking is essential; for banking details contact Alta Pretorius at 028 315 1619 or ceo@hermanuschamber.co.za. At the Whale Coast Hotel, Checkers Centre, from 17:30 – 19:00.

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

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

Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 March

Every Saturday ■ Hermanus parkrun: Meet at Hermanus Forest in Camphill Road, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at 08:00. Free timed 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome.

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

■ Hermanus Country Market: A favourite

■ Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk: Just over 100 brave ladies will start this annual fourday charity walk on Thursday morning from Cape Agulhas and are expected back on Sunday afternoon around 16:00 at Grotto Beach. Join the crowd who will be welcoming the ladies back and enjoy a celebratory snack and drink at Dutchies.

Friday 17 March ■ Hermanus Hacking Group: Meet at the bottom of Rotary Way at 06:15 for 06:30 every Friday. All volunteers welcome. Contact Charlyn Vosloo on 082 558 8731 for more details.

■ Benevolent Golf Day: Eat, Drink and be Irish this St Patrick’s Day at the annual Benevolent Golf Day at the Hermanus Golf Club in aid of SOFCA, Hermanus Senior Centre, Huis Lettie Theron and the Hermanus Hospital. Tee-off time for the morning field at R330 pp is from 07:00 – 09:00 and includes a prize-giving lunch; while the corporate afternoon field at R2 600 for a 4Ball (incl. supper, halfway house and evening entertainment) will tee off from 12:00 – 14:00.

Contact 028 312 1954 or 082 414 8427.

among locals of all ages. Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00-13:00.

Fresh local produce, wholesome goodies, and home-made crafts.

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

■ Stanford Saturday Morning Market: The Stanford Hotel, 09:30-12:00. Farmers, crafters and hobbyists bring to you homemade and home-baked goodies.

books will be available for purchase and members will get a taste of his cooking. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

■ Bhuki Café: Enjoy tea, coffee and eats for only R20 (2 eats) or R30 (3 eats) to support the Friends of Hermanus Library. New volunteers are welcome and will be much appreciated.

At Hermanus Library, every Friday from 09:00 - 11.30.

■ ‘Kolwyntjie-Teetuin’: Senior citizens in the area are invited to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at the Service Centre (‘Dienssentrum’) of the Dutch Reformed Church, Onrus for only R30, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

■ OAK Concert: Overstrand Arts / Kunste presents the Viola, Cello & Piano Trio comprised of Nick Fidler on viola (SA), Caleb Vaughn-Jones on cello (USA) and Joanna Wicherek on piano (Poland). They will perform works of Brahms, Knorr, Kurbatov and Pärt, at the Municipal Auditorium, at 19:00. Tickets are R130 pp (R60 for scholars). Book with Bellini Gallery on 028 312 4988. For enquiries, contact René du Plooy on 082 940 4238.

■ Reforest Fest Friends Weekend: To date, nearly 35 000 trees have been planted during the annual Reforest Fest hosted by Greenpop in the beautiful Platbos Forest Reserve between Stanford and Gansbaai. The Friends Weekend is for people who would like to get their hands dirty and make a positive impact on the environment. Fest goers will also enjoy eco-talks, yoga, live music and much more. For more information, visit www.greenpop.org or call 071 573 0140.

■ Photowalkers Arniston & Overberg Tour: Explore the southernmost coast of Africa and the Overberg, from Cape Agulhas to Swellendam.

Fixed workshops will be held during the tour and each photographer will also enjoy one-on-one time with the professional instructors.

Photographers of all skill levels are welcome.

Call Leanne on 083 293 7208 or email leanne@thephotowalkers.com for details.

■ Be Inspired Journey Hike: Join Be Inspired for their first Journey – a 5-day, 5-night, guided slack-packing cave-to-cave hike from De Kelders to Phillipskop Mountain Reserve. The cost is R7 000 pp and includes all meals, non-alcoholic drinks and accommodation, guiding, entry fees, portage and transfers. Opening special: R500 pp discount. Find more details on www.beinspiredjourney.co.za. Contact 082 774 2735 or paula@beinspiredjourey.co.za

Sunday 19 – Sunday 26 March

Saturday 18 March ■ Hypno-Art: Attend this monthly event and learn how to utilise your subconscious resources in order to unleash your creativity and arrive at a new sense of inspiration and understanding. At the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, from 10:00 – 13:00. The cost is R250 pp. Contact Bianca on 072 02 08 513 or Pieter on 083 457 8235.

■ Refentse Morake: A rare opportunity to experience this sensational new talent’s soulful songs in Afrikaans from his debut CD My hart bly in ‘n Taal. At the Blêr Teater, Hermanus High School, at 20:00. Tickets are R200 pp. Contact Amanda on 082 870 6744.

■ Absa Cape Epic: This epic race returns to Hermanus for Stage 1 on 20 March, when the route takes riders up Rotary Way, through the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and via Tesselaarsdal down to Stanford before heading back to Hermanus. The race village then moves to Greyton, Elgin and Franschhoek for the rest of the seven stages. Find all the details on P6 & 7.

Monday 20 March ■ Overberg Quilters’ Guild: The vendor at the Overberg Quilters’ next meeting is Bon Bon Materials Gansbaai. At the De Wet Hall, Roos Street, Onrus, at 09:00. Contact Olga on 082 444 9172.

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

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

Friday 17 – Sunday 19 March

■ Cooking the Books: The second guest chef to feature in U3A’s new series on Cooking and Cookery Books is Shane Sauvage of La Pentola, who will talk about his three cookbooks, Edge of Fusion, In Fusion and Cape Fusion. Chef Shane’s

Sunday 19 – Wednesday 22 March

Sunday 19 – Friday 24 March

■ Edian Live at Wonderland: Popular local musician Edian Barnard will perform at Wonderland Café from 10:00 – 15:00. Relax with family and friends and enjoy a cup of coffee, a drink or lunch while the children enjoy the Play Park.

■ Cell C African X Trail Run: Now based at the historic Houw Hoek Hotel after four years in Kleinmond, the African X Trail Run takes runners on a challenging three-day adventure.

Stage 1 is 35 km with 1 200 m ascent; Stage 2 is 33 km with 1 000 m ascent and Stage 3 is 23 km with 850 m ascent. The cost is between R3 200 – R4 300. For all the details, visit www.stillwatersports.com or contact 086 138 3591 or entries@stillwatersports.com.

■ Lemm’s Corner Market: Fabulous fine arts and crafts, gourmet eats, craft beers and wine bar. On the corner of Main and Harbour Roads, every Sunday from 10:00 – 15:00.

■ Lomond Harvest Festival: Join Lomond Wines for their annual harvest festival next to the dam. There are plenty of trails for mountain bikers to explore and a sprawling lawn for those who just want to relax. There will be a farmer’s kitchen with local produce and wines, as well as fishing in the dam by appointment between 10:00 and 17:00. Contact 082 908 0099.

■ Wine Ed Course: Wijnskool in the Hemel-enAarde Valley is offering a fun and educational Wine Ed Course from 14:15 – 16:45. Enjoy a wine tasting while learning all about winemaking processes & varietals, food & wine pairing, and the storage and serving of wine. Bookings essential at R500 pp. Contact sune@hermanus.co.za or 072 323 5060.

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NEWS NEWS Thursday 23 March

■ OnVerWag AGM: The second AGM of the Onrus-Vermont Neighbourhood Watch (OnVerWag) will be held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Berg Street, Onrus, at 18:00.

■ The Historical Overberg: Angela Heslop will be in conversation with author Chris Schoeman at the launch of his latest book, The Historical Overberg. At The Book Cottage in Long Street, Hermanus, at 17:30 for 18:00.

RSVP: 028 313 0834 or bookcott@hermanus.co.za

Friday 24 March

Tuesday 21 March ■ Grootbos Family Run: Enjoy a fun 5 km run with the whole family, presented by the Grootbos Foundation. At the Gansbaai Municipal Sports Field, starting at 08:00. Registration from 06:30 – 07:30 at the club house. R30 entry fee.

Contact Shereen on 081 749 9747.

■ Otter Tales: Whale Coast Conservation (WCC) hosts a presentation on Cape Clawless Otters by Nicola Okes, who will talk about her research for her PhD dissertation. R20 donation.

At The Green House in Vermont, at 17:30.

Contact 083 242 3295 or anina.wcc@gmail.com.

■ Beaumont Port Stomp: A special evening of dancing on the grapes in the candle-lit cellar.

R445 pp includes a delectable three-course dinner and your own bottle of port to take home. Starting at 18:30 at Beaumont Wines, Bot River. For the menu and further details, visit www.beaumont.co.za. To book, contact info@beaumont.co.za or 028 284 9194.

bar. On the corner of Main and Harbour Roads, every Sunday from 10:00 – 15:00.

Saturday 25 March ■ Earth Hour: Join the Onrus / Vermont Neighbourhood Watch (OnVerWag) at Davies Pool in Onrus to celebrate Earth Hour Unplugged. There will be a craft market with food stalls, Open Mic and lucky draws. Take your picnic blanket and cooler box and enjoy this special evening under the stars with family and friends.

■ Afrikaans Comedy: OAK presents Ilne Fourie’s one-woman comedy show Sharrap en eet jou kos! at the Municipal Auditorium, at 15:30.

Tickets are R130 pp (R60 for scholars). Book with Bellini Gallery on 028 312 4988. For enquiries, contact René du Plooy on 082 940 4238.

Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 March

■ Cooking the Books: The third guest speaker in U3A’s new series on Cooking and Cookery Books is Olive Hamilton Russell, author of A Year on a Cape Wine Estate – Entertaining at Hamilton Russell Vineyards. Olive will be featuring her own ingredients and methods in a hollandaise sauce and a surprise dessert. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00.

■ Boekbekendstelling: Bargain Books Hermanus and Tafelberg Uitgewers will be launching the Afrikaans novel Isabella by Mariël le Roux at Burgundy Restaurant, at 10:00. RSVP: 021 406 3477 or RSVP@nb.co.za

Wednesday 22 March ■ WCC Eco-Adventure: Join Nicola Okes at 06:30 to search for otters. This WWC adventure is for a maximum of ten adults only, so be sure to book early at R100 pp. The venue will be confirmed on booking, but no guarantees – otters don’t come when you whistle! Contact 083 242 3295 or anina.wcc@gmail.com.

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14 March 2017

■ Baardskeerdersbos Art Route: A wonderful opportunity to visit this tiny, unpretentious hamlet near Gansbaai where a group of artists have pioneered a creative lifestyle and twice a year open up their houses and studios to the public. Meet the artists and participate in the many special events, from demonstrations and workshops to informal talks, musical events and celebratory meals.

From 10:00 to 17:00 on both days. Visit www.baardskeerdersbosartroute.co.za for all the details.

Sunday 26 March ■ Lemm’s Corner Market: Fabulous fine arts and crafts, gourmet eats, craft beers and wine

■ Drie van die Bestes: Join the popular Afrikaans trio Drie Van Die Bestes – Mathys Roets, Kevin Leo and Danie Niehaus – for an intimate performance at the Dutch Reformed Church, Hermanus, at 18:00. The doors open at 17:15.

Tickets at R160 pp are available from various venues, including the DRC offices in Hermanus, Onrus and Gansbaai, and the United Church in Hermanus. Call 082 854 6627 or 072 136 4659.

Monday 27 March ■ U3A Pop-Up Lecture: Dr Robin Lee will present a talk on the 140th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s proclamation as Empress of India in 1877. Part of a BBC video entitled Empire will also be screened. At the Catholic Church hall, at 10:00

It’s ready, steady, go for Lighthouse Ladies

t the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk’s meeting last week at the United Church Hall in Hermanus, the official sponsored carry bags and T-shirts were presented by the generous sponsors of this annual fund-raising event.

Food Lover’s Market Hermanus and The Beanery Coffee shop contributed towards 70 new carry bags for first time walkers, while Toyota Hermanus generously sponsored the 2017 embroidered T-shirts for all 108 walkers.

Elaine and Mike Bayer of The Beanery Coffee shop and Judith Petim of Food Lover’s Market Hermanus at the handover of the official L2L carry bags.

As many of the 2017 registered walkers are from across South Africa, only about 45 local ladies could attend the meeting.

The patron of L2L, Ald Nicolette Botha-Guthrie welcomed each lady and reminded the gathering of the huge difference each woman will make in traversing her 100 km this year in aid of JustCare Aftercare.

Jacquie Rathfelder, a trustee of JustCare Aftercare addressed the group of walkers and thanked them for their contribution towards assisting the Mount Pleasant Primary school learners through this much-needed after-care facility at the school. She was proud to announce that every one of the 120 primary school learners in their afternoon care group passed their Grade at the end of 2016.

L2L Ladies Walk committee in their new 2017 T-shirts.

Ronelle van Zyl, an experienced walker and L2L Ladies Walk committee member, talked the ladies through the basic preparations and ways to look after your feet before and during the walk. Handy tips were exchanged regarding the prevention of blisters and the type of footwear to use.

The official walk is only two weeks away and every walker has raised her minimum fundraising amount. However, further donations and sponsorship are most welcome and will continue until the announcement of the total amount raised at the L2L Awards Evening on Wednesday 19 April.

The intrepid L2L ladies will depart on the 2017 walk on Thursday morning 16 March from Cape Agulhas and are expected back on Sunday afternoon 19 March around 16:00 at Grotto Beach. Join the crowd who will be welcoming the ladies back and enjoy a celebratory snack and drink at Dutchies.

Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk 2017 would like to take this opportunity to thank Food Lover’s Market, The Beanery Coffee Shop and Toyota Hermanus for their continuous and generous support of this cause.

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14 March 2017

Residents join in cleaning up our coast Sarah Taylor

H

e dubs himself a conservation sheriff and he is a man with a mission. Since September 2016, Hermanus local and avid hiker Antonio Da Silva-Swart has taken upon himself to organise public coastal clean-ups along the Cape Whale Coast – and he plans to take it even further.

His biggest bug bear is the significant amount of plastic marine waste dumped at sea from ships and boats, which ends up as unsightly pollution on our shores and which can endanger wildlife. “This is not just a once-off,” he says. “It is a continuous, on-going problem.”

Antonio’s passion for cleaning up the coast began a few years ago with his desire to hike from Cape Point to Mozambique in stages.

“When I moved to Hermanus in 2014, I began walking, first from Onrus to De Kelders – a distance of 40 km. Whenever I had time, I would do another stretch. It was just hiking then, but as I hiked I couldn’t help noticing all the plastic waste

along the way. I knew I had to do something,” he says, adding that to date he has covered the coast on foot from Cape Point to Jongensfontein, a distance of about 455 km.

It’s not only marine waste from trawlers and private charters that he and his volunteer collectors pick up, however. The three-hour walk this month resulted in 25 large bags being filled with waste.

Antonio has been using social media to spread the word and encourage people to join his public clean-ups. The 2½ to 3½ hour walks, which he advertises on his Facebook page Coastal Cleanup Conservation and which now take place on the first Saturday of every month, cover distances ranging from 2,5 km to 5 km.

A large portion of this trash was plastic litter left by vagrants who appear to be living in the area, as well as rope and discarded fishing line, cigarette butts, plastic bags, broken glass bottles, food wrappings, plastic bottles and bottle tops.

“In that time, we can fill between eight and 30 big refuse bags with mostly plastic waste,” he says, adding that the most bags filled on one of his public clean-ups was 78 from the Danger Point area near Gansbaai.

In the last few months he has conducted several public coastal clean-ups in the Sandbaai, Onrus, Vermont and Gansbaai areas. He has a group of about 40 regular hikers with new ones joining each month. This month’s clean-up, on the rocks below

Antonio Da Silva-Swart is on a mission to keep our shores litter-free by doing monthly coastal clean-ups. the Cliff Path between Sieverspunt and Bientang’s Cave in Hermanus, attracted 19 people, including 13 eager Hermanus High School pupils willing to donate their time to improve the environment.

The waste collected on these clean-ups is taken to Whale Coast Conservation (WCC) where it is sorted and itemised. The subsequent report is sent to Plastics South Africa, one of his sponsors.

One of the volunteers, 13year-old Stefan from Hermanus High, said about his participation: “I really enjoy it because it’s fun to be doing something with friends that is also helping to clean up the environment. If more people get involved we can make the public more aware of the problem and really improve our area.” Fifteen-year-old Madison, also from Hermanus High, added: “We need to get people to stop littering and to recycle.”

In the last few months, Antonio has formed strong relationships with WCC and CapeNature and has been

given permission by CapeNature to enter any of their reserves along the coast for the purposes of cleaning up the environment. Later this year, he plans to conduct a clean-up along the coast at Cape Infanta, which is complicated by the lack of road access and will involve using a boat to remove the waste.

Plastics South Africa sponsored his hiking gear, including his boots, T-shirt, cap and backpack. Vizibrand, a local signage company, has agreed to cover the costs for branding his 4x4 with ‘Coastal Cleanup Conservation’ and the WCC and CapeNature logos.

Antonio is looking for additional sponsorship to assist him with this mammoth task of keeping our shores clean. “At the moment I am doing all of this at my own cost as a volunteer, using my own vehicle and fuel, while WCC provides the bags.”

The next public clean-up will be in the Quoin Point area on Saturday 1 April.

Follow Antonio on facebook/ Coastal Cleanup Conservation or contact him on 072 462 4271.

Another mounting problem along our Cliff Path is the unsightly presence of supermarket trolleys used by the homeless, many of whom sleep under the bushes. Many of the trolleys have had their wheels removed, rendering them useless. Local resident Leon Müller recently sent The Village NEWS a dozen photographs taken on a single early morning walk on Hermanus’s socalled ‘Golden Mile’. He says there were also discarded trolleys standing around Market Square and the amphitheatre above The Old Harbour. A local company has been tasked with collecting stray trolleys throughout the CBD and returning them to the shops, which constitutes an unnecessary expense for shop owners. Damaged trolleys can also amount to big losses and customers are urged not to remove trolleys from the shopping centres.

Village

EXPLORER The

FOOD • WINE • ARTS

Sense-sational sights and sounds on exhibit

T

he Sculpture on the Cliffs has become one of the hallmarks of the annual FynArts Festival and this year will be no different.

Ledelle Moe’s Lament II rests somewhere between a cocoon and Lemuel Gulliver. Inviting participation from the public, the large concrete and steel figure is an open invitation for direct engagement, allowing its ‘lilliputian’ visitors to sit on it.

“While people know Hermanus for whale watching, and that the Cliff Path is renowned as the best place to do this, the path has now also become synonomous with the Sculpture on the Cliffs exhibition. It draws visitors from all over the world, not only during the FynArts Festival, but also during the rest of the year,” says Festival Director, Mary Faure.

This year’s exhibition, entitled EchoLocation, is curated by wellknown photographer, artist and author Lien Botha and will feature works by Hannelie Coetzee, Hasan and Husain Essop, Richard John Forbes, Ledelle Moe, Right Mukore, Karen Press, Jaco Sieberhagen, Raymond Smith, Brahm van Zyl and Emma Willemse.

The exhibition will be open from 5 June and for the first time it will not only incorporate visual art, but also audio art by Bronwen Clacherty. This young percussionist, singer and indigenous South African instrumentalist’s project is entitled Visbaai Reprise and will form part of the thread that runs through the exhibition.

“Echolocation is the location of objects by reflected sound, in particular that used by animals such as dolphins and bats,” explains Lien. “The creative spark for this year’s exhibition came from a poetry anthology

by Karen Press, Echo Location. In the prologue she wrote: ‘... mesmerized by a bead on a string and the string is a net and the net falls over us and we lie there

Jaco Sieberhagen’s The Whale Caller is a comment on the senseless whaling industry and the hunting of species after species to the verge of extinction, whilst simultaneously reminiscent of the figurehead of a ship. Poetically juxtaposed to this is the magic pitcher perched atop your throne, your pyramide vitae from The Whale’s Song by Karen Press.

The Whale Caller by Jaco Sieberhagen will form part of the Sculpture on the Cliffs exhibition during Hermanus FynArts 2017. On the right is Brahm van Zyl’s Elysium and above right is Hannelie Coetzee’s Klipkoppe. like silver fish…’ And so the artists and their evocative proposals were being charted on a map of Gearing’s Point; a lookout from history – where once families would wait to spot their loved ones coming home from the sea.”

Lien says, as is often the case when one is in the process of assembling an exhibition with its different participants and dynamics, a thread is the thing to trust – not unlike Paul Klee’s walking line. “Echolocation, also called bio sonar, is the biological sonar used by several kinds of animals.

Echolocating animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects near them.

They use these echoes to locate and identify the objects. Echolocation is used for navigation and for foraging (or hunting) in various environments,” she says.

Each work installed in this year’s event signals a point of resonance with one or another; sometimes it is evident in the materiality of the work such as the twelve wood carvings in Remembering Fish by Right Mukore and Emma Willemse’s Counting Stones. Mukore’s twelve fish hovering above the cliffs are testament to the fishing community’s history below, while Willemse’s boat lies woefully embedded in stones in the Old Harbour – a heritage site which has been

allocated by the Old Harbour Trust for Sculpture on the Cliffs 2017.

Hannelie Coetzee’s memorial for love and love lost is Klipkoppe, two female busts made out of mining core material. Coetzee’s partner, Reney Warrington is a descendant of the Warrington brothers who were founding members of the Hermanus community. The Warrington brothers, initially from America, were aboard a ship heading to or from Cape Town – the direction is unclear. They fell ill and were let off the boat, which proceeded to sink a few days later. The Warrington Place shopping complex in Hermanus, close to where the sculptures will be

placed, marks this family history.

Lien attempts to balance the cargo with the connecting dots of I is another – Raymond Smith’s mirror, after Arthur Rimbaud linking the photographic installation Cape Town, South Africa of Hasan and Husain Essop.

Brahm van Zyl’s Elysium I & II depicts homo sapiens as a free-form, fragmented character consisting of hundreds of short lines of steel – in sharp contrast to the real world. The abstract feel of these sculptures aims to illustrate the tension between two worlds: the real and the virtual. Where van Zyl’s figures are reminiscent of a steel web,

“If you stood in the Old Harbour about 100 years ago, what would you have heard - the wind, the sea and the calls of the boatmen, the fisherfolk singing? Yet where are these people now? In homage to these voices, musician Bronwen Clacherty will record presentday sounds from the space, and songs and stories from elderly fisherfolk who once worked at the Old Harbour and weave them into an hour-long composition.

The prerecorded music will be played through hidden speakers triggered as people walk along the promenade, to connect them through echoes to those who were there before.

And the Sonar Sound of Richard Forbes will call home to safety the fishermen and herald the whales in whose presence we are mesmerized,” says Lien.

Ticket sales for Hermanus FynArts 2017 opened on Monday 13 March. Find the full programme on www.hermanusfynarts.co.za

Village Explorer

12

The Write Angle

14 March 2017

What’s new in review

Bringing the past of the Overberg to life events and personalities that have made this region the diverse and unique place that it is today. He also highlights the many explorers, innovators, artists and writers that have over the years been attracted to the area – figures as varied as Bartholomew Diaz, Olof Bergh, Hendrik Verwoerd, Gregoire Boonzaier, Audrey Blignault and Breyten Breytenbach.

Reviewed by Hedda Mittner

T

he Dutch named it Over’t Berg (Over the Mountain) for its location in relation to Cape Town. Situated between the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the west, the Sonderend Mountains in the north, the Breede River in the east and Cape Agulhas in the south, the Overberg is an important agricultural region and a popular holiday destination for tourists and nature lovers.

Even long-time residents continue to delight in the beauty of its mountainous landscape, wheat and canola fields, vineyards, fruit orchards, rugged coastline, abundant fynbos species, long sandy beaches and marine treasures.

Author Chris Schoeman delves into this colourful past to provide a detailed account of the many places, buildings,

Some of South Africa’s oldest towns, houses and missionary stations can be found in the Overberg, and agriculture still

Enlivened by historical and current photographs and informative side panels, this book is a treasure trove of historical information. It’s a collector’s item that will make a beautiful gift.

Jonathan Ball

Penguin Random House

Jonathan Ball

Allison & Busby

Jonathan Ball

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about the Overberg, you are bound to discover in this book golden nuggets of information and inspiring tales that will encourage you to explore the region and make new discoveries.

DATE 23 March TIME 17:30 for 18:00 VENUE The Book Cottage ADDRESS 17 Long Street, Hermanus RSVP 028 313 0834 bookcott@hermanus.co.za

Penguin Random House

Apart from its breathtaking scenery, this area also has a rich cultural history going back thousands of years, when the indigenous Khoi people originally thrived here.

As early as 1660, Van Riebeeck

sent a VOC expedition into the hinterland to what is now Baardskeerdersbos, to commence trading with the Khoi. During subsequent expeditions, explorers mapped out the region and gave Dutch names, still used today, to many of its rivers and mountains.

The contents is divided into three parts – ‘Along the N2', covering the area from Sir Lowry’s Pass to Swellendam; ‘The Interior’, focusing on towns that include Greyton, Elim, Napier and Bredasdorp; and ‘The Coastal Region’, tracing the history of seaside towns such as Pringle Bay, Kleinmond, Hermanus, Gansbaai, Arniston and Witsand.

Penguin Random House

plays a significant role, ever since the first Europeans settled along the Zonder End Rivier and found well-watered grazing lands for livestock, fertile soil for crop cultivation and dense forests of timber for building materials. Villages with their own unique architecture and character were established and became more accessible following the commencement of proper road-building in 1843.

Cyril is not a real Avery and he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamorous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.

At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime struggling to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more. In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man.

There was plenty of reason to ask the question of this title when the author penned his original volume in 1997, which came to the then unpopular conclusion that the Apartheid regime would only last until the mid-1990s.

Now, after more than 20 years of post-apartheid South Africa, Johnson asks the question again in this second edition of his No.1 Bestseller published in 2015.

Based on meticulously researched facts and personal experience, he concludes that an imminent IMF bail-out together with some kind of regime change is likely – and it’s not a pretty picture. “South Africa can either choose to have an ANC government or it can have a modern industrial economy – it cannot have both,” he writes. This is a very important book for all South Africans.

Tom Carew was a war hero and an unconventional father who lived on his wits and dazzling charm. When he began to lose his memory, his daughter set out to write this fascinating memoir which recently won the Costa Biography Award and was hailed as “hilarious and heartbreaking” by the judges.

Keggie takes us on a spellbinding journey, in peace and war, into surprising and shady corners of history, her rackety English childhood, the poignant breakdown of her family, the corridors of dementia and beyond. As Keggie plays detective and pieces Tom – and herself – back together again, she celebrates the technicolour life of an impossible, selfish, charismatic, irresistible, and unstoppable man.

The odyssey of the Reitz family passes like a thread through the tapestry of South African history in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally DutchAfrikaner gentry from the Cape, the family moved to the frontier settlement of Bloemfontein and played a key role in the building of the Orange Free State. At the heart of this tale is the extraordinary career of Deneys Reitz, whose account of his adventures in the field during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), published as Commando, became a classic of irregular warfare.

Featuring rare photographs from the family archives, this book interweaves Reitz's experiences, taken from his unpublished notebooks, with the wider story of Britain's brutal suppression of Boer resistance.

A seashell and a sealed letter form a tenuous connection to a forbidden wartime romance…

It’s 1937. Simon’s Town is a vibrant and diverse community in a picturesque part of the Union of South Africa. At the heart of the town is the Royal Navy port, and Louise Ahrendts, daughter of a shipbuilder, who dreams of stepping beyond a destiny of domestic service and becoming a nurse. When World War II breaks out, Louise’s path crosses with that of Lieutenant David Horrocks. Despite the gulf in their backgrounds and the expectations of their families, Louise and David are determined to be together. But as the end of the war approaches and a new troubled moment of history dawns, will they find their way back to each other?

This novel is a retelling, from a modern perspective, of the classic tale of Troilus and Criseyde, the tragic lovers introduced to the literary world by Chaucer and Shakespeare. It opens in a gay bar in present-day London when an editor at a publishing house, recently abandoned by his lover, is accosted by a charismatic stranger. This charming character turns out to be the modern avatar of Pandarus, intent on rectifying the unflattering portrait of him that Shakespeare has given to the world. Acting as the lovers’ go-between, the main body of the novel is narrated by Pandarus as he retells the story of Troilus and Criseyde from his own very particular point of view. To paraphrase the Bard himself: “Good riddance?”

Village Explorer

14 March 2017

New books at Hermanus Library Thanks to the fund-raising efforts of the Friends of Hermanus Library, the following new books are now available.

ENGLISH FICTION CONNOLLY, JOHN - A time of torment FERANTE, ELENA - My brilliant friend FERANTE, ELENA - The story of a new name FERANTE, ELENA - Those who leave and those who stay FERANTE, ELENA - The story of the lost child GABALDON, DIANA - Virgins GRIFFITH, ELLY - The house at Sea’s end GRIFFITHS, ELLY - The blood card HOFFMAN, ALICE - Faithful HURWITCH, GREGG - The nowhere man LENNOX, JUDITH - The jeweller’s wife LEWIS, SUSAN - You said forever MOYES, JOJO - Paris for one RILEY, LUCINDA - The shadow sisters RILEY, LUCINDA - The seven sisters RILEY, LUCINDA - The storm sister RIORDAN, RICK - Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor

S

IEND R V

F

N RIE D

E

ROBB, J.D - Echoes in death ROBERTS, NORA - Island of glass ROSENBERG, JOEL. C - The Aushwitz escape SANDFORD, JOHN - Escape clause AFRIKAANSE FIKSIE JANSEN, VALDA - Hy kom met die skoenlappers NON- FICTION VROUKEUR - Sterkos FOURIE, DANNY - Hoe verklaar jy dit?

GILBERT, ELIZABETH - Big magic O’DONNEL, AVRIL - Eenvoudige elegante blomme O’DONNEL, AVRIL - Everything you wanted to know about wine but were afraid to ask NIEHAUS, CARMEN - Carmen se beste resepte REYNIERSE, INE - Low carb is lekker 50 Maalvleis geregte SNYMAN, FRANSIE - A table for every occasion VISSER, CARLA - Gee: Handgemaakte geskenke uit die hart DAY-WILDE, MONIQUE - Dekoratiewe kuns VISSER, CARLA - Gee BRUMMER, MELANIE - 50 syserpe CLIFF, GARETH - Cliffhanger CLIFF, GARETH - Die VOC aan die Kaap 1652-1795 AFRIKAANS JUNIOR FIKSIE GREEN, JOHN - Die fout by ons sterre NESER, CHRISTIEN - Pienk bikini

13

Entries open for Tollman Art Award Bouchard Finlayson is inviting entries for the 2017 Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award as part of the 2017 Hermanus FynArts Festival. The Tollman family, owners of Bouchard Finlayson wine estate, have long been great supporters of the arts in South Africa and are sponsoring this competition for the fourth consecutive year.

Artists are invited to submit their entries, in tondo format (circular – at a maximum of 60 cm in diameter) under this year’s theme ‘Reflections’.

The works of about 40 finalists will form the Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Barrel Head Exhibition that will be exhibited in the estate’s

wine cellar, where they will also be available for sale for the duration of the Hermanus FynArts festival from 9 – 18 June.

The competition closes on 19 May. Judges will include Stefan Hundt, curator of the Sanlam Art Collection; Michael Godby, Professor Emeritus of History of Art, UCT; and Lien Botha, artist, writer and curator. The winner will receive a cash prize of R20 000, followed by a second prize of R10 000, and two merit prizes of R5 000 each.

Further details and competition entry forms are available on www.hermanusfynarts.co.za

16

Village Explorer

14 March 2017

A meal fit for royalty

Convinced that Biryani must have its roots firmly grounded in India, I was rather surprised to find out it was more probable that it originated from one of my favourite countries - Iran.

According to wikipedia: “Biryani is derived from the Farsi word 'Birian'. Based on the name, and cooking style, one can conclude that the dish originated in Persia and/or Arabia.”

Eunice Rademeyer, owner of Goozi Kitchenshop in Mitchell Street (left), roped in her accountant, Lee-Anne Kruger, to lend a hand during the Arabesque Pop-up Kitchen on Friday morning 10 March. During this intimate and interactive event she demonstrated how to make a delicious Chicken Biryani and the Lebanese dish Fatteh – both of which the aspiring cooks in attendance got to taste before taking home the recipes supplied by Eunice. Keep an eye on the Facebook page Goozi.cucina for details on the next Arabesque Pop-up Kitchen.

A classic Biryani is a multi-layered rice and meat or chicken dish. As delicious as it is, it may appear laborious to make. This recipe may look complicated, but I assure you that once the chicken and vegetables are half cooked it really is very easy and the resulting dish is resplendent in both taste and appearance. I promise, it will impress.

Much of my kitchen wisdom is gained from personal experience and not from recipes, which is why I give approximate rather than

exact amounts. What I produce mostly comes from watching my mother-in-law labouring in her kitchen.

Because she does not speak too much English and my Arabic is scant, I learnt by watching her and then tasting the meal. I therefore have a slight disregard for precise recipes and rely on my ‘taste library’ for how my meal ought to taste.

My Chicken Biryani recipe was shared by another member of my family, my sister-in-law Malak. Her name means queen / royalty, which is why I’ve called this dish The Queen’s Chicken Biryani.

So, here is Malak’s recipe. See how easy it is to produce beautiful, aromatic and colourful food with the simplest of ingredients. I hope you will make your own memories with your family while preparing this meal.

Supplied by Eunice Rademeyer

Arabesque Goozi Pop-up Kitchen

E

unice Rademeyer’s love affair with Middle Eastern cooking started when she moved to Kuwait, where she met her future husband Talal Showaish after being recruited by his advertising agency. “That’s where I learned all about branding and marketing – and I loved it,” she says.

“Talal took me to Lebanon, Syria, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain… every weekend was an adventure. We are both foodies and the sole purpose of our trips was food! We would live amongst the locals and frequent the many souks and sample everything on offer, from hummus to sheep’s brains. What I love most about Middle Eastern food is how uncomplicated and unpretentious it is. The simple ingredients are fresh from the earth and the recipes are ancient and handed

down from generation to generation.”

Eunice and Talal got married in 1996 and with Eunice’s parents living in Hermanus, the couple often visited. They bought a house in Voëlklip in 1998 and a few years later they settled here permanently. Finding quality kitchenware for their own kitchen proved problematic and, realising that there was a gap in the local market, they decided to open their own shop.

Goozi opened its doors in 2006 as the exclusive stockists in the Overberg for Le Creuset and Miele. Since then they have extended their range to include other leading international branded kitchen tools and accessories from Brabantia, Cuisipro, Zoku and Joseph & Joseph, to name but a few.

The Queen’s Biryani INGREDIENTS: (approximate amounts) • Basmati Rice,1 kg • Chicken, around 950g, jointed and cut into medium-sized pieces • Olive Oil , 3-4 tbsp & a little butter • Onions,3 large, sliced • Tomatoes, 3 ripe red, cut into thick slices • Potatoes or sweet potatoes, 2 • Carrots, 4 • Green Peppers, 2 • Coriander leaves,1 bunch • Coriander powder, 2 tsp • Whole Chillies, 2 - 3 • Turmeric powder,1tsp • Bay leaf,1 • Cardamom, 3 pods • Cinnamon, 2 long sticks • Cloves, 7 • Ginger and garlic paste, 3 - 4 tbsp • lime juice • Yoghurt, one cup • Saffron, soaked in water • Assortment of roasted nuts • Salt to taste

METHOD: • In a large heavy bottomed pot, add 3 tbsp of oil and a little butter.

• Brown the chicken pieces and set aside.

• Add a little more oil and then the bay leaf, whole cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon sticks.

• Add sliced onions, fry them until golden brown.

• Add marinated chicken and fry until oil separates.

• Next add coriander leaves, cut finely & add the tomato.

• Combine the chicken, veggies and spices.

• Add the rice on top and drizzle with soaked saffron.

• Cover with water and bring to the boil.

• When rice is almost cooked, cover with a lid and steam the lot over a low flame.

MARINATION: • Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl.

• Make a marinade combining the yoghurt,

TO SERVE: • Turn the pot over onto a serving dish • Sprinkle with an assortment of nuts

• •

lime, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and ginger-garlic paste.

Pour over the chicken.

Let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Village Explorer

14 March 2017

17

La Pentola – just because it’s lekker Hedda Mittner

F

amily, friends and fusion cuisine are the things that float Shane Sauvage’s boat. Add to that his love of the ocean and you have the main ingredients of this celebrity chef’s latest award-winning cookbook, Cape Fusion. It is the third book in a trilogy that started with The Edge of Fusion and was followed by In Fusion – and there is already a fourth book in the pipeline.

Next month Shane will be celebrating the fifth birthday of La Pentola Hermanus, his popular restaurant on Marine Drive overlooking Walker Bay. The name literally means “saucepan” in Italian and comes from Shane’s critically acclaimed La Pentola restaurant in Pretoria, which he’d founded and run for more than 20 years before making the lifechanging decision to move to the Cape.

For chef Shane, having a restaurant at the sea is the culmination of a dream and a privilege he enjoys and appreciates with typical passion and exuberance. “I wish I’d done it years earlier,” he says. “While still living in Pretoria we often came to Hermanus on holiday and we just loved the beach, the whales and sharks, and the relaxed lifestyle.” In the end, it was a close encounter with a Great White Shark that provided the impetus.

In Cape Fusion, which is so much more than a cookbook and incorporates personal experiences and photographs of his life’s journey, Shane describes how he’d always been fascinated by (and petrified of!) sharks. “It was the most incredible experience of a lifetime” is how he relates his first shark cage diving trip with marine biologist Alison Towner of Marine Dynamics in Gansbaai: “I saw nine different Great Whites within arm’s reach.

This changed my life forever. I realised that the only thing to fear in life is in fact fear itself.

CHEF AND CONSERVATIONIST Chef Shane Sauvage relaxing at the beach near his home in Voëlklip.

PHOTO: Willow Sauvage Only too often it is our own fear that deprives us of some of life’s greatest experiences.”

restaurant, drink red wine and watch the whales breaching and bobtailing in the bay.”

Making good on his promise to his wife Janet and children Falcon and Willow that one day they would go and live by the sea, Shane says he finally shook off his fear and started making plans to realise his dream, diving “head first into my unknown future”. In Cape Fusion he writes: “Yes, coming face to face with a Great White Shark had finally given me the courage to step up and grab life by the balls and live it.”

Shane’s enthusiasm for coastal living and his passion for international fusion cuisine come together beautifully in Cape Fusion. Never satisfied with the ordinary, Shane realised even as a young boy that dining out was meant to be an extraordinary and memorable occasion. He chose his vocation early and followed his dream relentlessly, starting out as a bus boy and waiter during his school holidays. He also gained valuable experience during his military service in the army’s school of catering and developed a love for Italian cuisine while working at notable restaurants in Pretoria such as Rugatini and Giovanni’s.

Today, Shane is as well known for his generous support of marine conservation as he is for his unique style of fusion cooking. He regularly participates in fund-raising events and often hosts charity dinners at La Pentola. More recently he donated R10 000 to the Dyer Island Conservation Trust’s African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) near Gansbaai. He also relishes the sight of the Southern Right Whales in the bay and describes the whale season as one of winter’s highlights. “It is the joy of old friends coming to visit. This is when I like to sit by the fireplace at the

La Pentola Pretoria was launched in 1995 and right off the bat diners were seduced

by Shane’s singular style of fusion cooking, with its culinary roots drawn from French, Italian and rich Mediterranean flavours, fused with South African elements and the best local produce available. The same

philosophy rules in the La Pentola Hermanus kitchen, where Shane’s magical touch of innovation and creativity is evident in every dish. While at first glance the combination of ingredients may seem unusual and even a bit startling, all Shane’s creations always respect the underlying principles of classic French cooking and the different tastes, colours and textures that come together on a plate make beautiful sense.

Shane’s new adventure as an author started with The Edge of Fusion, published by Jacana in 2007. It is as much a celebration of South African culture as it is a recipe book, with the creative use of photographs that combine Shane’s dishes with iconic images of the “Rainbow Nation”. As the definitive guide to Afro-fusion cooking, easyto-follow recipes with detailed photographs of each step in the creative process fill the pages with vibrancy and excitement.

“Fusion cooking is all about combining different ingredients and flavour components to create a new harmonious whole,” says Shane. “It’s

COOKING THE BOOKS Shane will present a talk in the Catholic Church hall on Friday 17 March at 10:00, hosted by U3A Overberg as part of their course on Cooking and Cookery Books. All three his cookbooks will be available for purchase after the talk. exactly what was happening in the country at the time and my cooking reflected that blurring of borders and bringing together different regional and international influences on a plate. The theme of the book was the sharing and embracing of different cultural elements.”

For his second book, In Fusion, Shane focused on food and wine pairing, while also introducing a more personal touch in the form of photos and anecdotes about his family and staff members. This cookbook won the best South African chefs book published at the Gourmand Awards 2009 – an accolade he repeated with Cape Fusion, published in 2015. With combinations to tempt the palate and fill your table with a feast of innovative and delicious cuisine made easy for the home cook, Cape

Fusion is a sensory journey amplified by photographs of the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The contents page will give you an idea of what you are in for: Magical Mystery Tour, Kitchen Karate, Just because it’s lekker, Life’s a beach, Misty Morning, From the Earth, Market Culture, Neptune’s Gold.

Once again, anecdotes about Shane’s wife Janet and teenagers Falcon and Willow are woven into the thread of the narrative, and there is a special section dedicated to their laatlammetjie, four-year-old Marina. It is a heart-warming book that is as much a celebration of food as it is of the many blessings in Shane’s life, which he sums up in Cape Fusion: “In life sometimes a change is the only miracle you need to see beyond and once again visualise the future.”

Village Explorer

18

T

14 March 2017

Loved ones remembered along Cliff Path

here is something rather poignant about relaxing on a bench at one of the look-out points and taking in the views while knowing that that particular spot had a special significance for an individual who has now departed from this world.

Apart from enjoying the unique scenery, locals and visitors have for many years been fascinated by the memorial plaques to be found along the coastal Cliff Path of Hermanus. Who were these people and why did Hermanus occupy such a special place in their hearts? DR ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society did some digging and came upon two interesting stories.

This practice of endowing a bench in memory of a loved one goes back over 100 years.

An annual fee is supposed to be paid to the Municipality, but some families leave Hermanus and many of the donors are in arrears. A further complication is that in recent times the brass plaques on several benches have been stolen or damaged.

the occupants to dislodge, and they were successfully and speedily dealt with by the remainder of the section”. He received his award early in 1918 and, not long after, returned to South Africa with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

Hewitt farmed in Natal with his wife until 1925 and then managed a large coffee estate in Kenya until 1950. He retired to Hermanus and lived in Voëlklip for 11 years. In letters to his family he expressed his love for walking the Cliff Path.

There was a particular point he liked most and we have been able to work out that it lies between Sieverspunt and Klein Eiland and would have been bench No. 86.

Late last year the Cliff Path Management Group mobilised a team of volunteers to document every bench along the path and report on its state of repair or disrepair. The results indicate that there are now at least 160 benches along the 12 km long Cliff Path stretching from the New Harbour to Grotto Beach. While the stories of many of those commemorated remain a mystery, I have been able to find information that brings some interesting facts to light.

Unfortunately, the family in England had not kept up payments to the Municipality and in due course the bench was allocated to another family. This was the Rousseau family whose story follows.

Retired farmer with a VC My first investigation regards a commemorative bench that is ‘virtual’ in the sense that physically it no longer exists, but we do know that the person remembered once existed.

Hewitt returned to England at the very end of his life, but in his will asked to be cremated and his ashes consigned to the ocean at the point where his bench once stood. This was done in 1966.

The bench was dedicated to the memory of William Henry Hewitt VC (1894-1966) who was born in Sussex, England and immediately after school immigrated to South Africa. He became a naturalised South African citizen in 1910. In 1915 he enlisted in the South African army and was sent to France.

Within a year, he was wounded and hospitalised in England, where he met his wife-to-be, who was nursing there. Hewitt returned to the Front and in the next engagement he captured an enemy machine-gun emplacement, single-handedly.

Hewitt’s Victoria Cross citation states that his actions “caused

Highly influential scientist and businessman The new bench at location number 86 is dedicated to several members of one family – the Rousseaus. The oldest member commemorated is Dr P (Pierre) Etienne Rousseau (1910-1990), who was in the forefront of South African industrial development for 50 years in the middle of the 20th century.

Above: William Henry Hewitt VC (1894 1966). Right: Dr Pierre Etienne Rousseau (1910 - 1990).

Etienne Rosseau came from a distinguished Huguenot family and was born in Worcester. In 1914 the family

moved to Laingsburg, where he showed the first signs of his lifelong interest in the chemistry of coal and petroleum.

In 1926 Etienne enrolled as a chemistry student at the University of Stellenbosch and proceeded rapidly to his BSc and MSc. In 1933, he decided against proceeding to a PhD degree and rather opted to qualify as a Fellow of the British Institution of Chemical Engineers. Not only was he successful in this, but he won the William McNab Medal for the most outstanding entrant of his year.

Returning to South Africa he worked for a few different firms, including Anglovaal.

Under his guidance Sasol was developed during the 1950s and started operations in 1960, with Rousseau as Managing Director. He also took great pleasure in developing the firm Marine Products which had its headquarters in Gansbaai.

The family had a house in Voëlklip for many years and after retirement he bought a tract of land in Fernkloof as a family gathering place. In 1990, his grandson Etienne wrote: “Whenever I think of Grandpa the first thing I remember is how we always walked along the beach or in the mountains in Hermanus. As we walked Grandpa told us so many interesting stories.” The entire family undertook a ritual walk each year from De Kelders to the Klein River Estuary along the beach.

Conclusion I cannot claim that every bench has as rich a story behind it. Probably, behind many other benches there is only a small story or none at all. But it is comforting to know, as we walk the paths and beaches of Hermanus, that famous people once walked them before us.

The Hermanus History Society would welcome any information about the benches along the Cliff Path.

Contact Robin Lee at robinlee@hermanus .co.za

GOOD

NEWS NEWS

19

14 March 2017

Sprokkelster finds new home

M

any an Overstrand resident was disappointed when the little Sprokkelster theatre in Onrus was forced to close its doors in 2015, and none more so than its owner, Louise van Zyl. “I had poured my heart and soul into that business, not to mention my life savings, and I was simply heartbroken when the owner of the building refused to renew my lease,” she says.

But those who know Louise, also know that she is not a woman who can be kept down for long. With her trademark bubbly personality and contagious laugh, this multi-talented single mom was determined to continue in bringing top class acts to Hermanus, but she struggled to find a suitable venue.

In November last year, however, Louise approached

Barry Cilliers, principal of Hermanus Primary School, and with his enthusiastic support, she is now utilising the amphitheatre behind the school.

“It’s perfect!” she says with a big smile. “The amphitheatre can seat up to 180 people and audiences are accommodated in a semi-circle around the stage.It is a covered venue, so shows will not be weather dependent. There is a spacious back-stage area, separate bathroom facilities, lots of parking and, best of all, no neighbours who could possibly complain of noise.”

Louise hosted her first show featuring Jennifer Zamudio on Friday evening 10 March and by all accounts it was a huge success. She is already lining up several well-known artists to come and perform at this new venue in Hermanus.

Audiences are invited to bring their own cushions to sit on and may even take a picnic basket and alcoholic drinks along – which is why no children under 18 are allowed.

The owner of Sprokkelster Louise van Zyl (right) with Jennifer Zamudio on the eve of her performance at the Hermanus Primary School amphitheatre.

For more information on upcoming shows, follow Sprokkelster on Facebook, contact Louise on 082 896 5106 or email info@sprokkelster.co.za

Juan Carlos Osma is one of the dancers of Joburg Ballet who will perform in Onrus from 3 to 6 May in aid of SANTA Hermanus.

Joburg Ballet comes to town Joburg Ballet will support the fight against tuberculosis (TB) by performing at the Dutch Reformed Church in Onrus from 3 to 6 May. This exciting event on the Overstrand cultural calendar is part of the fundraising endeavours of SANTA Hermanus, an organisation that cares for patients with TB, a disease that is rife in the Overstrand.

This world-class ballet company will give a gala performance on Friday 5 May at 18:30, followed by two

performances on Saturday 6 May at 11:00 and 15:00. On Wednesday 3 May there will be a master class, and on Thursday 4 May a dress rehearsal as part of an outreach programme for people from underprivileged communities.

The programme will include such popular ballet highlights as The Dying Swan, La fille mal gardée, La Traviata, and Esmeralda, as well as contemporary works by South African choreographers bringing diverse styles to

an exciting performance.

Joburg Ballet artistic director Iain MacDonald said: "It is rewarding for our dancers to perform for new audiences, and our experience has shown that the welcome we receive in smaller cities and towns is always warm and enthusiastic.”

Tickets will be available through www.webtickets.co.za from middle March.

For more information, contact Colleen Naudé on 083 301 6061 or colleen.naude@gmail.com

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HERE’S TO HERMANUS AT ITS BEST This time of the year offers exceptional weather in Hermanus – balmy days with moderate temperatures and blue skies, little if any wind with just the renown crisp champagne air of Hermanus, often spiced with a fresh salty sea smell.

This is also the time of the year when locals make the most of what is on offer. Guest house owners Brian and Sandy McFarlane recently did just that when they treated their regular guests to sundowners at Mossel River. Brian and Sandy say that their guests, from the UK and Johannesburg, visit Hermanus for about one month every year and some of them have been here for the past 13 years. “As a treat we took them to the beach at Mossel River for a sundowner on one such a perfect late afternoon last week. Their verdict –the best experience ever in Hermanus.”

With Brian and Sandy from the left are Estelle Garner, Maureen Corbin, Ian and Vivian Hudson and Alan Corbin – all from the UK – and Angela Cullen from Johannesburg.

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PET & Pool opens its door at Gateway Centre

f you have a pool, chances are you have a pet. That is why Hermanus’s newest specialty store, PET & Pool Warehouse, offers clients a wide range of products aimed both at keeping your pool clean and bright, and your pets in tip-top shape.

“We are proud of our new shop in Hermanus that opened its doors on 1 March. The shop was custom built for us by the Gateway Centre and offers clients an open and brightly lit environment in which to do their shopping,” says Managing Director Andrew Greeff.

PET & Pool has been trading successfully in Boksburg, Witbank, Middelburg, Paarl, Knysna and George for the past nine years. “We prefer doing business in big small towns and that is why Hermanus fits the bill perfectly. Residents are huge animal lovers and we are ideally positioned to offer not only a wide range of products, but also competitive prices and expert advice.”

Andrew, an industrial engineer

by trade, originally hails from Pretoria, but moved to Somerset West a decade ago.

“Because we are a small company and take pride in not only our stores but also in our relationships with the community, I travel to the stores regularly. Once a week I travel to both the stores in Paarl as well as Hermanus.

“The stores we opened in the Western Cape have been hugely successful because we become a part of the communities we serve through our Loyalty Club. The club not only offers clients loyalty points, but also affords you the opportunity to nominate a school or other beneficiary to receive loyalty points.”

The company originally started off by producing swimming pool chemicals and later transformed into the retail business it is today. “This gives us the benefit of being able to stock our own range of pool chemicals at a more competitive price over and

above the traditional brand names that can also be found in our stores.

“Apart from pool chemicals, shoppers can also buy all the swimming pool equipment they need, ranging from nets and brooms to pumps. We work closely with reputable local pool maintenance, building and repair companies that we can refer our clients to.

“We also produce Pet Pride, our own range of chewable products for dogs as well as our own cat litter,” says Andrew.

The shop stocks a wide range of pet food, pet accessories, freshwater and tropical fish, and everything your pool will ever need.

“All our staff live by our motto of ‘range, price and advice’ and that motivates us to explore and negotiate the widest selection of products at the best prices. Residents can also look forward to our monthly specials,” says Andrew.

The PET and Pool Hermanus team: Ruduwan, Jonelise, Sam (Ops Manager), Berinice, Rudi (Branch Manager) and Adriaan.

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14 March 2017

Camphill opens doors to new home

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amphill Farm Community Hermanus recently celebrated the opening of Raphael House after the building had been given an extensive revamp.

IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER A striking new art work by acclaimed local artist Tay Dall which now adorns the reception area of Pappin & Pretorius Optometrists at the Hermanus Vision Centre in Main Street is likely to draw in not only those with visual problems but also art lovers. A most original and creative collage of colourful objects, drawings and photographs related to the realm of optometry are arranged around a central photograph of optometrist Johan Pretorius’s daughter Luhanie. The artwork is entitled Luhanie’s Eye in reference to ‘Nelson’s Eye’, an expression which has been around for several hundred years and means to deliberately ignore a problem and turn a blind eye to it. The phrase originated with the famous British Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was blinded in one eye early in his Royal Navy career. Even if you have no such problems with your eyesight, the art work is something to behold and worth viewing the next time you amble down Main Road.

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

Named after Raphael, the archangel of healing, this facility will accommodate those residents in need of increased support with dayto-day living. The home represents the essence of what Camphill stands for – shared living in a safe and secure environment.

Camphill Farm Community was founded in 1978 and is home to 52 adults with intellectual disabilities, who have found a safe haven in this beautiful part of the Hemelen-Aarde Valley where they enjoy quality of life and meaningful work.

The land is managed on organic and biodynamic principles and the residents each bring their special contribution to the daily tasks and challenges on the farm. Every person, no matter how complex their individual needs, is respected as a worthy, contributing citizen.

The bulk of the funding required for the Raphael House project was provided by the Association of Camphill Communities (AoCC) of the UK and Ireland, which forms part of the worldwide Camphill Movement.

The official opening of this new modern facility was a joyous occasion that took place on 2 March. Before the ribbon cutting, Ray Potton, chair of the Camphill Farm

Community Board, thanked the AoCC for their generous donation and support.

Ray also said that Camphill Hermanus remains dependent on the ongoing support of the wider Overstrand community in their constant striving to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.

“There is still a lot of work to be done,” he said. “The kitchen at Raphael House still needs to be renovated and we require help with interior decorating to ensure that the facility becomes a home.”

To find out how you can support the Camphill Farm Community, contact PR fundraiser Mari-Louise Kannemeyer on 082 402 5248 or mari-louise@camphillhermanus.org.za

From left are Ray Potton (Chair of the Camphill Farm Community Board), Danie van den Berg (Contractor), Geoffrey Weir (representative of AoCC - UK/Ireland), Cllr Andrew Komani, MariLouise Kannemeyer (Camphill PR fundraiser), Jean-Marié Botha (Principal of Camphill School), Suttezza Layman (Department of Social Development), Ald Nicolette Botha-Guthrie, Arnold Barnardo (Architect and Project Manager) and Sam Hodson (Executive Manager of Camphill Farm Community Hermanus).

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14 March 2017

Pamper your pets at Doggy’s Delight

here is hardly a woman who is not familiar with that sinking feeling after a disappointing visit to the hairdresser – the stylist responsible for your new look is beaming confidently while all you want to do is burst into tears.

Well, many a pet owner knows that the same thing can happen when you fetch your beloved pooch from a doggie parlour. I, for one, remember picking up my Schnauzer after a grooming session that left it looking like a cross between a newly shorn lamb and a French poodle.

But Hermanus pet owners need have no fear, as Mathias Witte has brought German precision to the art of pet grooming in Hermanus. Newly installed at the Hermanus Pet Shop in Long Street, where he opened his Doggy’s Delight parlour on 14 March, Mathias not only has a certificate from a private grooming school in Germany,

but also many years of experience.

guesthouse now up and running smoothly, he has decided to return to his previous occupation as pet groomer. “I have always loved dogs and cats,” Mathias says, although he’s also groomed more unusual pets such as guinea pigs.

After qualifying as a nurse and working in hospitals for 15 years, Mathias completed his training in pet grooming and opened his own parlour near Stuttgart, which he ran for six years. All the while he nursed a secret ambition – to visit South Africa.

“From everything I had heard, seen and read about South Africa, I just knew it was a country I wanted to visit,” he says. “But my partner had preconceived ideas about the dangers and it took me six years to convince him.”

Finally, in December 2014, the couple came on holiday and also visited Hermanus. Not only was his partner pleasantly surprised, but Mathias said the reality exceeded his wildest dreams.

“On the evening of our departure back to Germany I

Mathias’s black pug Agatha is his ‘grooming assistant’ and goes to work with Mathias every day at Doggy’s Delight, situated inside the Hermanus Pet Shop in Long Street. cried,” he says. “I simply didn’t want to leave!”

Six months later they were back for good and opened Amakhosi Guesthouse in Sandbaai. “I never want to live

anywhere else,” he says. “I love the beauty of the natural scenery, the relaxed lifestyle and the peaceful ambience. I also enjoy all the cultural events such as the First Fridays Artwalk and music concerts.”

Mathias had brought all his grooming equipment from Germany, but for the last three years he has only applied his expertise to his own dogs and those of friends and family members. With the

Doggy’s Delight offers an extensive service that includes bathing, blow-drying, brushing and cutting. Mathias’s state-ofthe-art German machines have different plates and extentions which are selected according to the type of fur. He also does hand-stripping, and included in his service is checking the ears and nails. Your pet has certainly ever been in better hands.

Find Doggy’s Delight inside The Hermanus Pet Shop in Long Street, Hermanus or contact Mathias on 028 312 2131. the parlour is open Tuesday to Friday from 08:00 – 17:00 and on Saturday from 08:00 – 14:00.

Closed on Sunday and Monday.

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14 March 2017

Healing the lives of broken children

or most of the children at the Izibusiso Foster Home in Zwelihle, this is their first experience of a warm, caring home. Some are brought to the home when only a few hours old, while others are severely malnourished, neglected or abused babies and toddlers who have never known a stable and loving environment.

Izibusiso is a joint venture between the United Church in Hermanus and Hermanus Child Welfare and seeks to address the plight of small children in Zwelihle, whose families are severely affected by unemployment, poverty, HIV-Aids, alcohol and drug addiction.

At the Izibusiso Foster Home six abandoned or vulnerable children up to the age of six years are accommodated and cared for until suitable long-term arrangements can be made for their futures.

The name Izibusiso means “many blessings” in Xhosa and the home is often referred to as Ikhaya Lezibusiso, “the house of many blessings”. In the belief that every child is a blessing from God that should be loved and cherished, their mission is to reach out to the vulnerable children in Zwelihle and try to heal their broken little lives.

Traditionally, orphaned, abandoned or vulnerable children were either sent to state or foster homes.

However, the new Children’s Act has identified an alternative placement – a small, intimate foster home headed up by a House Mother which provides a place of safety where children can be cared for and nurtured within their own community. In 2008, Hermanus Child Welfare advertised for help with the creation of one such home.

The United Church in Hermanus stepped up to the challenge. Land within the Zwelihle community was

blossom before our very eyes,” says Sheila Lyle, the administrator of the home who is also a board member of Hermanus Child Welfare. “The happy faces, robust little bodies and playful energy they expend say it all.”

Helping Hand Sponsored by Talisman Hire Hermanus

Together with Child Welfare, the Izibusiso administrative staff have monthly meetings to review each child, their progress and the plans for their futures. Each child must ultimately move on to a permanent home, one where they will be loved, and where they will feel wanted. hopefully be able to return in the future, they are brought up at Izibusiso according to their own culture. At this home the Xhosa culture is observed, as it is situated in the same community where the children were born and they are brought up as part of that community, speaking their mother tongue.

made available by the Overstrand Municipality, money was donated to build the house and, once the house was completed, congregants of the church furnished the home.

Izibusiso opened its doors in February 2009 and within the first eight months, the house was filled to capacity.

Between donations from Child Welfare and United Church members, as well as a grant from Hermanus Rotary, and the assistance of other generous supporters another bedroom and a playroom were added on. The house now consists of 4 bedrooms, a kitchen/lounge, playroom, bathroom and covered veranda.

The Izibusiso Foster Home is modelled on a normal family home and consists of a House Mother, two assistant House Mothers plus one Relief Mother, which creates a good mother to child ratio. While Child Welfare undertakes the statutory placements of children in the house, the United Church manages the home on a day to day basis.

They also have the input from a group of women from the United Church, known as the Izibusiso Angels, who go in on a daily basis to work with the children.

Because the children come from homes of a specific culture to which they will

From left are Sheila Lyle, the administrator of Izibusiso Foster Home, House Mother Sheila Hempe and Assistant House Mother Thandie Mondile, with some of their charges.

The United Church will host a Corporate Potjiekos Competition in aid of Izibusiso on Saturday 8 April, from 12:00 – 18:00 on the church grounds. Participants need to register by 20 March; the fee is R500 per stall and is payable on registration.

Up to four people are allowed per stand and may be actively involved in preparing the potjie. Bring your own ingredients and gas or wood to cook your own signature potjie – enough for at least 15 people. The judging – by three well-known Hermanus restauranteurs – will take place at 16:00 and there are great prizes to be won. Children’s entertainment and live music will ensure a festive vibe and refreshments will be for sale throughout the afternoon.

After the judging, the potjiekos can be purchased at R120 per portion, inclusive of tea or coffee and dessert. All funds raised will be donated to the Izibusiso Foster Home. Contact Jernald Kennedy on 060 672 3624 or 028 312 2717.

Because most of the children arrive undernourished and with compromised health, a stringent medical protocol is followed and several different sources of medical assistance are called upon when needed.

These resources include a paediatrician, a general practitioner who makes calls to the house, a panel of doctors who will see the children at their consulting rooms, the Zwelihle Clinic, the Provincial Hospital Clinic and the Aids Clinic.

The eating plan for the children has been drawn up by a registered dietitian and includes all the necessary food stuffs required for healthy development; the diet also includes cultural food. Senior boys from the local Hermanus High School installed a vegetable garden using old tyres which helps to provide the children with fresh greens.

“We are constantly amazed when we see what a difference love, good nutrition and medical care make to these children – we see them

“Our wish is that every child could be repatriated to loving parents, but this is not always possible, as often the parents are dead, absent or unable to function as good parents,” says Sheila. “The next placement of choice would be within a unit of their own family such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, failing which permanent foster homes or adoption are investigated.

When adoption is the preference, we work with an accredited Christian Adoption Agency, ABBA Adoptions.

“We love these little people from the moment they arrive, enjoy them while they are with us, and cry when they leave – but we understand that they need their own special ‘forever’ families in order to grow up as normally as possible.”

The generosity of the Overstrand community is essential to keep the home running and to pay the staff members, which requires a minimum of R30 000 per month. Izibusiso if also in dire need of sponsorship for two of their biggest expenses – milk formula and nappies. If you’d like to assist them, contact Sheila Lyle on 028 314 1390 / 073 778 2777 or lyle@hermanus.co.za.

Banking details: Izibusiso Foster Home, Standard Bank, Hermanus Branch code: 050312 Account: 185575579 Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ

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Holiday-home buyers now a vanishing breed

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he Overstrand has shaken off its sleepy holiday-bythe-sea reputation and is increasingly attracting younger buyers and upcountry semigrants as permanent residents.

So much so, in fact, that purchasing patterns in Hermanus now resemble those in the city, where young people buy to accommodate growing families and empty nesters buy to scale down.

My Home here now, and of the remaining 10%, the majority are buying with a view to living here in five or 10 years’ time, when they retire.

So says Dean Meijer, owner of Chas Everitt International Whale Coast, who notes: “The entire area has developed substantially and the market, particularly in Hermanus, is far more mature than it was three years ago.”

“Hermanus’s proximity to Cape Town and the international airport, coupled with the fact that it offers premium sea-view properties at considerably more affordable prices than the Atlantic Seaboard, makes it increasingly attractive to potential buyers and prices are rising as a result.

He says the bulk of buyers in Hermanus are no longer those seeking holiday homes: “90% of purchasers are buying to live

In the past three years we’ve seen an average 20% year-onyear increase in residential property prices across the

board, from vacant stands to coastal mansions.”

The biggest percentage of buyers come from up north, says Meijer. “Buyers from Johannesburg, KwaZuluNatal and the Free State are particularly keen on gated estates, where they have the benefit of 24-hour guarded security, and prices in these developments have risen to the point where you won’t find a home in the Fernkloof, Hemel-en-Aarde or Berghof estates for under R3 million.”

Capetonians, too, are relocating to the town in search of a better quality of life, he says. “There are good junior and primary schools in Hermanus, including a Curro private school, and those who must commute to Cape Town are not opposed to the 120 km commute.”

Foreign buyers currently make up only around 5% of the market, says Meijer, but interest in luxury homes in Hermanus is rising as they are given more exposure overseas.

Meanwhile the town’s infrastructure continues to grow and develop to cater for the influx of permanent residents. The new 23 000 m² Whale Coast Mall is scheduled to open in November and the Hermanus Medical Village – comprising a day hospital, a sub-acute inpatient facility and a much-needed oncology unit – has been operational from February.

Meijer says the middle of the market is by far the most robust sector: “A R1,5 million home won’t stay on the market for longer than a month. Five years ago it would have taken at least six to nine months to

sell a property at this price point.

“Of course, we have our ‘Millionaire’s Row’ where homes command prices of R30 m to R40 m, but this segment of the market is understandably slower.”

The growth in Hermanus’s permanent population has also triggered a wave of new development along its outskirts, in places like Onrus, Sandbaai and Vermont, he says.

“In Hermanus proper there is no vacant land left. We’ve sold more stands in the past two years than in the 10 preceding years put together.”

Some 30 km up the coast in Kleinmond, where the infrastructure is becoming increasingly formalised and now includes the larger convenience stores and major

banks, prices have risen by as much as 25 to 30% over the past three years, while Betty’s Bay and Pringle Bay are now also attracting more attention.

“While these seaside villages don’t have the commercial activity of Hermanus or even Kleinmond, they both fall inside the Kogelberg Biosphere Nature Reserve, whose UNESCO World Heritage status protects the whole region from overdevelopment,” Meijer explains.

“There’s a strong market for vacant stands in these areas, as buyers are discovering that the cost of building here is pretty much on a par with buying an existing house.”

The most affordable area on the whole of the Whale Coast is currently Fisherhaven, which is just 15 km from Hermanus, he notes. “You can still find homes here in the R800 000 to R1,4 m price range,” he says.

How to get started on making your home ‘smart’ In the past few years, the idea of a smart home has become less of a sci-fi idea and more of an accessible reality. Speakers that control your light bulbs and front doors, cameras that notify your phone of any movement when you’re not home and dozens more smart gadgets that were not even thought of 10 years ago are now rapidly becoming mainstream.

And yet, starting to make your own home “smart” can feel like an overwhelming project that you’ll never finish. Sunset.com asked some experts in the world of smart home tech for

the best no-headache ways to kick-start the process at your house. Here’s what they said: PICK A ROOM Don’t try to deck out your entire home with smart tech at the same time. Pick the room that you spend most of your time in and go from there. Start with lights, or a smart switch operated via your phone, even if it’s just turning on a lamp in the corner or turning on your TV. Then you can see how you like it and start researching other products you’d like to try.

lighting and wake you up naturally with brighter lights.

LET THE ROOM INSPIRE YOU Spend a lot of time in the living room? An easy way to start could be a smart speaker, like Amazon Echo or Google Home, to listen to music or

hear the daily news. Or if you’d like to enhance your bedroom, why not try smart light bulbs like Philips Hue or LIFX which can easily be programmed to help you fall asleep with warm

SOLVE A PROBLEM The best way to start a smart home that really benefits you? Choose a problem to solve. Ask yourself which experiences and functions in your house could be improved if they had automation and start with something like smart door locks and a garage door opener, or maybe a security camera linked to your smart phone so you can see who’s in your yard even when you’re on holiday – or what your pets are up to when you’re at work.

Is your energy bill getting too high? Add a smart plug that you can switch off from the office, or a learning thermostat that will help you use your airconditioner efficiently.

PICK A PRODUCT If you see something that excites you, pick that product and build up your smart system from there. But don’t just buy a product because you’ve heard about it, and do try to pick something that will be compatible with other smart devices in your home as you build up your hi-tech “ecosystem.”

To advertise in The Village NEWS, contact Rina de Wet on

083 604 0808

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14 March 2017

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH A green wave will invade Hermanus Golf Club on Friday 17 March to turn one of the best courses in the Western Cape into a hype of Irish festivity during this year’s Benevolent Golf Day. The luck of the Irish will be with all the players as they take to the course for this fundraiser on what is also known as St Patrick’s Day. Huis Lettie Theron resident Willie Neusch who is well known for his woodcraft skills assisted by making wooden leprechauns that will be placed on the course. Golfers are challenged to see how many of these they can spot on the course. The golf day celebrates its 16th year of raising funds for Huis Lettie Theron, Hermanus Senior Centre, SOFCA, and The Hermanus Hospital. All these institutions focus on looking after and caring for the elderly in Hermanus and surrounding areas.

The owner of Hermanus Dry Cleaners Leon Weakley with his new manager Sandra Carstens .

Three decades of dry cleaning in Hermanus

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ermanus Dry Cleaners’ premises in Mitchell Street may seem modest and unassuming, but this small business has been providing a vital service for many decades. For over 30 years, it was the only dry cleaners in the Overberg – and it is still the only one in Hermanus.

Apart from offering laundry services, Hermanus Dry Cleaners’ IPSA dry-cleaning machine is ideal for those precious items that require more care and effort, such as evening wear, suits and wedding gowns, as well as household items such as curtains and upholstery.

THE HARDWORKING LEPRECHAUNS Annarie Nel, Lizel Kuchar, Ilse Lourens, Ilze PetersCloete, Barbara Palmer, Jennie Vorster, Simon Jansen van Vuuren and Ray Hartmann.

Owner Leon Weakley – attorney, businessman, wine lover – is a man of many talents who has a passionate

interest in the local small business sector. He is also the owner of The Laundry Corporation in Patterson Street.

from practicing with Vorster & Steyn Attorneys and running his two businesses, Leon is also involved in winemaking at the Welgesind Cellar near Stanford.

“Small business goes hand-inhand with tourism,” he says.

“As service providers we have to ensure that we offer a top quality service experience to both locals and visitors. In a tourist town such as Hermanus, it is the small local businesses that make the town special and attract tourists. But their survival depends on local cooperation and support mechanisms.”

He recently appointed Sandra Carstens as his new manager of Hermanus Dry Cleaners and together they make a formidable team. Sandra, who holds an MCom degree and specialises in small business management, says she is looking forward to this new challenge and taking this landmark business in Hermanus to new heights.

Leon relocated to Hermanus four years ago from Pietermaritzburg and although he’s enjoying the relaxed lifestyle of the Overstrand, he seems unlikely to retire any time soon. Apart

Sandra’s philosophy is that if you have self-respect, you will respect others and also their money and possessions. “At Hermanus Dry Cleaners it is important to us to give exceptional treatment and service to our clients.”

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Faith, love and hope the winners at Relay for Life

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t the heart of the CANSA Relay for Life events held across the country at various intervals throughout the year, is the opportunity to celebrate cancer survivors, to remember those who have passed and to create general awareness of the disease.

This was done in spectacular form at the recently held CANSA Relay for Life showcase held at Kleinmond Primary School last weekend.

Activities on the day included a moving opening prayer and message delivered by Kleinmond-based minister, Dr Chris Malan, followed by the cutting of the ribbon by Cape Whale Coast Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd, to officially mark the start of the relay with the Survivors’ Lap of Honour. A host of other items included stirring musical performances by local singer Cassidy Arendse, Xhosa soul artists The Blood Sisters and pop duo Jeannette and Madré.

Also featured were lively dance ensembles by Maylene and Crew, as well as Wilton and Jaydee. But it was the energetic Zumba session led by Cecilia de Jager of Active Zone that really got the crowd pumping up the jam and showing off some impressive moves along with the beats.

Another touching moment was borne by the commemorative lighting of lanterns in honour of those who lost their battle with cancer and have since passed.

More pointedly, some of these lanterns were arranged to form the word ‘hope’ as an offer of inspiration to the many who are either undergoing treatment or have survived the disease to become

Frieda Lloyd, Manager of Cape Whale Coast Tourism, gets ready to cut the ribbon to mark the start of the Survivors Lap at the Kleinmond CANSA Relay for Life.

Kleinmond locals Sannie Bosman and Alinda Silver proudly point out their names at the ‘Kleinmond se Muur van Hoop!’

(Wall of Hope). Sannie and Alinda are both survivors since 2002 and 2012 respectively, proving that cancer can be beaten.

Popular young local singer Cassidy Arendse delivered a touching rendition of Still I Rise - a song about hope and survival - while her friends offer support as backup dancers.

members of the survivors’ club.

With proceedings drawing to an end just before dawn on Sunday, 5 March, the crowd broke into rapturous applause in response to the amazing feat of Allen Badenhorst, who had completed 210 laps around

the relay course in tribute to his dad PJ, who died of cancer just the week before.

The closing remarks by Rev Johan Koekemoer perhaps summed the mood up best and were a fitting point of departure: “As long as we believe, there is always hope.

For only through Him are we.”

Team Overstrand encapsulated the relay theme of “Around the World” perfectly with their colourful display of flags and paraphernalia depicting the various countries showcased at their stand.

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ermanus sports teams are readying themselves for an exciting winter season ahead.

Rugby The Atlantics Rugby Club in Hermanus will be vying for honours in the Overberg division of the Boland Super League. The Super League is divided into four regions – Swartwes, Witzenberg, Breelangeberg and Overberg – with the top two teams in each section qualifying for the quarter finals, which is played on a knockout format. The ultimate prize is representation of the Boland Rugby Union and competing for the Gold Cup, the premier club event in South Africa.

There are nine teams in each of the four divisions and matches are played on a home/away basis, 16 games per team. The Overberg division includes the likes of Caledon, Grabouw, Botrivier and arch rivals Hawston, winners of the 2016 competition. Atlantics ended 5th in last year’s event and are aiming for a top two finish and a quarter final berth this season.

In addition to the first team, Atlantics have two other teams entered in the lower leagues.

The Atlantics Rugby Club, situated on the R43 alongside Mount Pleasant, was founded in 1945. The club has a proud history and they are optimistic

14 March 2017

are promising for a successful defense of their title.

Sport

Hockey The Hermanus Hockey Club endured many challenges in the 2016 season. These included the ruling that all matches be played on astro turf and during last season, this Hermanus facility was not yet completed.

This necessitated the team playing all home fixtures at Pinelands Club in Cape Town.

With the advent of the Hermanus High School astro turf field, the club hockey team will now play home games in Hermanus.

By Tony O’Hagan

that under the watchful eye of Ivanor Da Costa (coach) and Thomas Charles (assistant), they can achieve their set goals. New-comers in the tight five forwards and the backline should bolster the team's performance this season.

The Village NEWS and Whale Coast FM are media partners of the Atlantics Rugby Club and will provide updated information on the team's progress during the coming season. There is no official team sponsor, no match fees, with both travel and kit paid by the players themselves.

They play for the love of the game and pride in representing Atlantics – a far cry from modern professional rugby where lucrative contracts and, in many cases, the lure of foreign currency are the main

Atlantics rugby team in action focus. Further-more, the facilities for spectators are not ideal, particularly when drawing crowds of up to 5 000 in a derby game against Hawston. There is no seating and a pavilion or embankment seating would be a welcome addition for the club.

Let's hope this comes to fruition in the near future.

Netball The Hermanus netball team is set to defend their Overberg Super League title this season.

Last year's achievement was

all the more meritorious, as the team were newly promoted to this league in 2016. Furthermore, our netball girls went unbeaten, despite all games being played at Caledon with no real home ground advantage. A few newcomers have swelled the club's membership and this may enable the club to enter another team in the lower leagues.

To kickstart 2017, our girls entered a team in the Hockey Tens which was played in

The Hermanus Golf Club held its annual Club Championships last weekend. The championship is played over two days with a 36-hole stroke play format. Pictured are Tinus van Niekerk (left) winner of the C Division, Tyron Davidowitz, Club Champion and John Quincey, B Division winner. The overall winners were Tyron Davidowitz who successfully defended his Men’s Poole Bay Cup title and Lynne Behagg who won the May Redman Salver ladies title for the eighth time (right).

conjunction with the Rugby Tens at the Hamiltons Club in Cape Town. The Hermanus team ended 2nd in its league, losing out on 1st place by a single point. Famke Boonzaier and Arika Hansen were invited to the Sting netball trials. The Sting netball squad is a provincial squad comprising players from Western Province and Boland. Congratulations to Arika Hansen who was picked for the provincial team.

Our netball girls are working hard at training and the signs

The team will compete in the Western Province M4 league, having been relegated from M3 last season. The team is hard at work on the training field and the boon of the local astro turf and reduced travel time bodes well for a successful season and a return to the upper league.

There is also hope on the horizon for a ladies team to participate in the league next season. In an endeavour to encourage more lady members, the club is offering social membership fees to prospective lady members.

Practices take place on the Hermanus High School astro turf field on Mondays and Wednesdays at 17:30.

The club welcomes all newcomers and further enquiries can be made via Jamie Single on 083 226 8183.

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14 March 2017

Schools

Mignon van Zyl participated in the Karate SA National All Styles Championship in Durban on 4 March where she won a bronze medal in kumite (freestyle fighting) in the category for girls 10 – 11 years. Her dad, Johan will participate in the Senior All Styles Championship in Durbanville on 17 and 18 March.

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ABOVE: Curro Hermanus participated in the Rûens Kollege Swimming Gala on Saturday 4 March. Curro achieved 15 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals in the age group 9 – 11 years and the age group 12 – 18 years achieved 4 gold, 10 silver and 8 bronze.

RIGHT: Curro Hermanus U 17 cricket team played against Overberg on Saturday 4 March. The games were a closely fought affair but in the end Curro Hermanus was victorious. Gideon Harmse was man of the match with 50 runs not out in the second match and Keegan Ferreira took a hat-trick and 8 wickets on the day.

Cycling in aid of the Waldorf School

here’s been an outbreak of cycle fever at the Hermanus Waldorf School, especially since the arrival of three cyclists from the UK ready to tackle the 2017 Cape Cycle Tour and raise funds for the school.

Tamsin Thurlow, SJ Fulton and Rachel Mates joined their friend Jo Carruthers, who has been coming to Hermanus for 30 years and now spends six months of every year here. The four women all hail from Stratford-on-Avon in the Cotswolds.

Jo first became involved with the Waldorf School four years ago when she participated in the Lighthouse 2 Lighthouse Ladies Walk. Part of the funds generated were donated

towards the Waldorf school bus. Following the walk, Jo became a firm supporter of the school by sponsoring a learner and getting her friends back home involved with fundraising. Her three friends now also each sponsor a Waldorf learner.

This would have been Jo’s fourth Cape Cycle Tour and the second for her three friends (the race was unfortunately cancelled on Sunday due to bad weather conditions). The new administrative head of Waldorf School, Bertus van Zyl, a former SA duathlon champion, was also due to have taken part. He is a keen athlete and cyclist, with “quite a number of Cape Cycle Tours” under his belt.

The Hermanus Waldorf School currently has 168 learners, with the capacity for about 200. “We need at least 30 more learners in order to be sustainable,” says Bertus. 30% of their costs is funded by the WCED, 30% is covered by the school fees, and 40% needs to be generated through fundraising. Much of this is covered by international donations, by individual children being sponsored, and by hosting charity events.

FRIENDS OF WALDORF SCHOOL In the back are Tamsin Thurlow, Jo Carruthers, SJ Fulton and Rachel Mates from the UK with Waldorf’s administrative head Bertus van Zyl. In front are the children who are sponsored by their UK benefactors: Liphonathi, Ndinani, Qaqamba, Tinotendo, Rumbidzai, Danba, Natasha and Craig.

The school applies the Waldorf ideology of engaging heads, hands and hearts in the learning process. The school provides a safe and nurturing environment for children where, in addition to the academic curriculum, they

each learn to play a musical instrument and develop their creativity through arts and crafts. The school offers fun athletics, soccer and netball but the learners do not compete with other schools; instead they have friendly matches.

Encouraged by their UK visitors, a renewed interest in cycling has also been sparked at the school. They already have a cycle club, with 25 bikes, helmets and kit sponsored by international donors. The children go on outings every Thursday afternoon.

For more information about how you can support the school or sponsor a learner, contact Ninky Matthee on 028 316 2938 or waldorfhermanus@gmail.com