NEWS NEWS
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FCJ Independent Newspaper of the Year
Cape Whale Coast
3 October 2018
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The last artwork that forms part of the FynArts Sculpture on the Cliffs 2018 exhibition could only be installed over the Heritage Day long weekend, due to mechanical problems with the plinth that has to support the heavy sculpture on the subject’s two hands. Entitled ‘The Diver’, this beautiful bronze by Marieke Prinsloo Rowe is a welcome addition to the outdoor exhibition at Gearing’s Point. PHOTO: Martin Etsebeth
Whales shine at their festival festive and relaxed atmosphere.
De Waal Steyn
T
he whales were the star attraction at this year’s Whale Festival, with the throngs of visitors jostling for the best possible positions along the waterfront to get the best views of their displays of breaching and lobtailing. With tens of thousands packed into the Hermanus Old Town, visitors and locals alike commented on the
“I am totally amazed at the new-look Whale Festival. Calm, festive and clean. The fact that there was no litter anywhere is astounding and heartwarming. Even at the Old Harbour it was a pleasure to stroll about. People were arriving on foot in steady but orderly streams and even our roads were not congested as they were in the past. I actually enjoyed the whole experience. It is a pity not more locals came to experience this,” said local artist Jenny Jackson.
Jeanette du Toit, Chair of the Whale Festival Committee, said she was pleased with the outcome of the festival. “The highlight for me was just before the test between the Springboks and Wallabies, when there were close on 400 people in the beer tent singing our national anthem. It was such a beautiful moment of people of all races unifying behind our boys in green. “That was also the aim of this year’s festival, to rebuild trust between communities and to bring people
together. There was a lot of transparency in the organising of the festival and more local entrepreneurs and artists than ever before took part in the event.”
figures than last year. Rick Oosthuizen, owner of Tapas Restaurant, said although there were large crowds in town, their turnover was 18% down on last year’s figures.
Although no official numbers are available, all indications are that fewer people than last year attended the festival. Interestingly, it seems as if more visitors attended the festival on Sunday than Saturday, with the sunny weather probably being the main reason for this. Businesses in the Old Town also reported lower trading
“It was clear that visitors had less money to spend than in previous years. It is, however, important to note that the atmosphere was much more relaxed than previous years and, this year, great work was done by the clean-up crews.” Continues on P 3
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