Excerpts from the STATE OF THE TOWN ADDRESS BY THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR, ALDERMAN LULAMA MVIMBI ON APRIL 30, 2010 At the occasion of the State of the Town Address in 2009, we concluded by borrowing from Jancarl Campi’s poem “Never Let Go of Hope”. We said “One day you will see that it all has finally come to-gether. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself, "How did I get through all of that?" We are humbled that tonight we present our fourth progress report since the last local government elec-tions in 2006. This report covers the period from 2006 to 2010. When we took office, we accepted the re-sponsibility of ensuring that more roads are tarred, water and electricity become more accessible than ever before, more houses are built, waste removal is im-proved, free basic services is provided to many of our deserving people, sporting and recreation facilities are provided to many of our people. We promised improved and better way of doing government business, with specific emphasis on ensur-ing that our poor people have access to housing, water, electricity and sanitation, and that we create jobs. At the start of our term some people in our community were still using the bucket system. We spent R2.4m to totally eradicate the bucket system in all our formal households. Today, all our people living in formal houses use water-borne sewerage system. Given this background, it is not surprising that our housing backlog is huge in comparison with the size of our town. Our municipality worked hard to improve the situation. Since 2006 when we took office we have built not only homes but made a home environment possible for our people in Kurland, Kranshoek, Kwanokuthula, Green Valley, New Horizons, and Bossiesgif/Qolweni. In these areas we built 270 houses in 2006/2007; 520 houses were built in 2007/2008; we proceeded to build 664 houses in 2008/2009; and we are building 230 houses in 2009/2010. This gives a total of about 1684 houses at a cost of about R112m. To upgrade the hostel and Beacon Isle flats in New Horizons cost additional R4m. Despite this outstanding performance, we are still a long way to go as our housing waiting list is growing rapidly, and we now have over 7000 potential benefici-aries on the list. This means that we shall have to put more effort in our attempts to provide more people with quality housing. At our recent meeting, we approved a Housing Inte-grated Plan to address our backlog of 7000 possible beneficiaries. We still believe that we will achieve our goal of ensuring that “one day everyone will have a secure roof over their heads”. We are also mindful of not perpetuating apartheid-style housing patterns by pushing Black people to the periphery of the CBD and previously White areas. While we respect property rights and we have no inten-tions of devaluing the existing properties, it is now our policy that every large scale housing development must include a portion of middle income housing in their plans. This would ensure that as government we are freed of the burden of having to provide for teachers, nurses, police, senior municipal officials and other people who could access funding from the banks in order to provide for their own housing needs. This policy is line with government policy of engaging banks in housing delivery to deal with the needs of many of our people. We will soon be meeting the local banks in this regard. We improved on the quality and quantity of basic services we gave to our community. As a developmen-tal government, we are not only committed to building houses, but provide an environment of home to our community. For that, we made a promise of ensuring that gradually we improve the infrastructure like roads, and electricity in our community. We said would ensure that our roads are user friendly and contribute towards

a growing society. It was for that reason that we tarred and paved streets and sidewalks. In this regard work was done on the following streets - Kranshoek – Charlotte Ross, Kiwiet, Spreeu and Stockerstroom Streets ; Kwanokuthula – Madokwe, Ndlovini, Bacela, Mangqasana, Mbeki and Gqamlana, Skosana, Wizard, Hani, Besani, Sishuba, Luxolo, Nqolo, Sajini, Biko, and Nomzamo.; Kurland - Loredo, Kok and Kerk; Wittedrift – Loerie Street, Rottendam Street and various connec-tor streets. New Horizons – Miller, Jetha and Levendal. Nature’s Valley – Iris, Cineraria In addition the following streets will be tarred, upgraded and/or pave in the coming year – several sidewalks in New Horizon Melkhout, Stinkhout, Geelhout and Speed humps in Keurbooms Mantyi, Phelandaba, Mahlangu, Nkululeko, end of Sishuba (turn around), Bacela and Speed humps in Kwanokuthula Pine Street, High Street access roads, and sidewalks on Main Street in Green Valley Watsonia, Heather, Berg Lily in Nature’s Valley Steve Biko, Freedom, Botlani, De Waal and sidewalks in Kurland Protea, and Buitekant in Kranshoek. We will also re-surface some roads in the CBD. One of our major projects has been the upgrade and beautification of the Central Business District, with major rebuilding of the Main Street. We received posi-tive feedback from the community. People are proud of the work the municipality has done in the Main Street. To date, it has cost us R25.4m to be where we are with the project. We are still committed to complete. The project has been well received. Many people have told us that they are proud of the new look Main Street of our town. Other than it has made our town beautiful, the project has been creating jobs for the locals and stimulated local economy. In 2008, we promised to build a 24hour Community Health Centre for the people of Bitou. Many of you who happened to live or gone through Kwanokuthula, which is the site of the centre, would have realised that work is at full steam. The building of this Community Health Centre is line with one of the government’s key priori-ties, that of making health more accessible to our communities. We promised to provide free electricity, water, refuse removal and sanitation to deserving households. We kept our promise by providing free 50kwh of electricity to 1 750 Indigent households, 2 886 poor households and 1 738 households in the Eskom area of supply. We supply free 6kl of water to 1750 indigent households and 3 408 poor households. Free sanita-tion and refuse removal are given to 1750 indigent households. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that “the secret of education is respecting the pupil”. Part of respecting children should be to prepare them to educate them-selves throughout their lives. This is the philosophy behind Early Childhood Development throughout to

tertiary education. We have dedicated a lot of resources to Early Child-hood Development. This has seen us increasing our financial contribution to assist Early Childhood Devel-opment centres. We started with R122 000 in 2006 and gradually grew the fund to R450 000 in 2007/2008, to R200 000 in 2008/2009, and R1m in 2009/2010. We do not only give financial assistance but regularly meet with the leaders of these centres. And now have a formal structure with which we interact to ensure that the Early Childhood Development programmes are supported and have impact on the formative years of our children’s intellectual development. Though education is not our competency, our commit-ment towards education has taken us to tertiary level by way of annual bursaries given to local children studying at institutions of higher learning as well as at colleges of Further Education and Training. In 2006 we had a total of 12 students. This has grown to 43 students in 2010 at a total cost of R430 000. We also committed ourselves to assist the Bitou Ten Foun-dation for three years, starting in 2008/2009 financial year. Our region is currently going through a severe drought season. We had to take measures of putting some restrictions on water usage. This has been a great inconvenience to many of our people but we had to do it, lest we found ourselves without a drop of water. With the help of the department of Water Affairs, we intensified our removal of alien vegetation project, and we will monitor the situation to ensure that our water resources are protected. In order to secure drinkable water for our community during droughts like the one we have now, the govern-ment has allocated us R20m for the development of a desalination plant as an emergency measure. Last year we had 96.78 % of Blue Drop score. We have improved that to 97.7%. We are number 2 in the province and number 3 in the country of 283 municipali-ties. Only the country’s two biggest cities, Johannes-burg and Cape Town did better than us. However, the gap between us and Cape Town narrowed down to less than 1%. Our water is the safe for drinking. This is an achievement we must be proud of as the people of Bitou. We completed the drop-off and collection zone on the N2 opposite Bossiesgif. In order to ensure that the zone becomes a focussed point of meeting for the unemployed, we partnered with Red Door to ensure that unemployed people receive skills to prepare them not only as job-seekers but also as potential entrepre-neurs. The Kwanokuthula Taxi rank has also been completed at a cost of R3.5m. The new facility gives dignity to both commuters and taxi operators in the area and is a vast improvement on our local public transport infra-structure. The infrastructural development in Bossiesgif/Qolweni; the planned Justice Centre and Central Library in New Horizons; the landscaping, Bitou Boulevard, Retail Complex, SMME Retail Hub and Street Parking in Kwanokuthula; relocation of the municipal buildings and establishment of a government precinct in Lady-wood are all part of our “Coming Together” project. Mr Speaker There is no questioning that “what gets most measured gets done. If you can’t measure performance you can’t tell success from failure. If you can see success you can’t be worried.” In order to constantly measure the success of our endeavours to improve service delivery, our interaction with the community had not been re-stricted to imbizos and ward committee meetings only. Our Ward Committee system has been effective in deepening participatory democracy. For the second year in a row, we received an unqualified report from the Auditor General. This is an achievement for which both Councillors and officials of Bitou can be proud of. We intend to retain the status for the 2010/2011 financial year.

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Giving Orphaned and Vulnerable Children a Future Many people want to help children but are often uncertain about where dona-tions really end up. Masizame Children’s Projects do a lot of good on a limited budget. Masizame Projects are based on a belief that all children should be treated with dignity, be able to attend school, receive adequate medical care and grow up free from violence and sexual exploitation. Our Project is evaluated quarterly by Dept of Social Services, our grant makers and organisational development specialists from NACOSA. Masizame must meet tough standards regarding innovation, sustainability and likelihood of success. Masizame is a Xhosa word meaning ‘Let Us Try!’. It is exactly the attitude a group of local business women moti-vated to do something about the phe-nomenon of the street children in the greater Plettenberg Bay area in 1991. A year later the Masizame Street Children’s Project was registered with the Dept of Social Services. The project offers the vulnerable child an alternative to the destructive environ-ment of an unbearable home-life. Sadly, their home-life typically includes; alcoholic parents, poverty , physical and mental abuse and the child’s inability to cope with step-parents, or single parents . Masizame is also a Place of Safety and Healing for abused children. The project and aims to restore self-dignity through equipping the child with life skills, self reliance and coping mechanisms to build resilience in both the child and their family. Through con-stant communication, and meaningful intervention we seek to restore positive contact with their family in their own community. Our parenting forums, support networks and our ‘Uniting Through Sport’ initiatives enables us to establish long-term support structures within the local communities. Over the past nineteen years, Masizame has evolved according to the needs of the children and the reality of the challenges that they face on a daily basis. We continue to be recognised as one of Plettenberg Bays success stories in terms of NGO’s. A wonderful positive team spirit still exists at Masizame, and this would not be possible without the vision, devotion and ongoing commitment of our skilled staff. How you can help ? The most signifi-cant challenge that Masizame faces is future financial sustainability. We would deeply appreciate your support, and

encouragement for our ongoing work at Masizame. Donors can contribute to the Masizame Children’s Project through direct donations, sponsorships, facilitating grants, food provisions or promoting volunteerism. Our active committee members operate on a purely voluntary basis, so every cent you donate goes towards good causes benefiting the children. Each and every contribution, whether in your commit-ment of your time or financial re-sources, providing a fund raising oppor-tunity, or becoming Masizame’s voice in your own community will be a true blessing . You can make a real differ-ence to the lives of these children. Please accept an open invitation to visit us in Kwanokuthula. As a registered PBO, Masizame will issue tax donation receipts which are fully tax deductible both to the individual and corporate donors. We extend an open invitation to visit us in Kwanokuthula and have a first-hand look at what our projects are achieving and experience the joy of the children . Masizame Children’s Project Xipula Street (Next to the Police Station) Kwanokuthula Tel. 044 5336640 / 044 533 1945

What is it that the child has to teach? the child naively believes that everything should be fair, and everyone should be honest, that only good should prevail, that everybody should have what they want

and there should be no pain or sadness. the child believes the world should be perfect

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from True Naivety

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Getting into the Festive Spirit ? A small donation can Make a Big, Big Difference to Masizame Children’s Shelter for Abused and Vunerable Children in Kwanokuthula! Look out for our collection boxes in the local stores or donate electronically. Masizame Registration: NPO 005-341 PBO 930014082. FNB Plett, Account 62078381151 Masizame Children’s Shelter Call us on 044-5336640/5332365 to arrange a personal visit to our Shelter. Guareenteed to uplift your spirits. Every contribution helps in our service in bringing healing to a wounded child. We send you our blessings for a wonderful season in Plettenberg Bay.

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MELLVILLE’S CORNER Shopping Centre

Mellville’s Corner, Main Road, Plettenberg Bay Tel : (044) 533-0002

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044 – 533 0372

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Tel. 044 533 3371 Fax. 044 533 4197

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(044) 533 4933

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the heart and soul of plettenberg bay

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framing & fine art

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Sabrina Love Ocean Challenge Sponsored by

27th and 28th December 2009 Online entries for the 2009 Sabrina Love Ocean Challenge are open at www.magneticsouth.net Join the Sabrina Love Ocean Challenge Facebook Group here There are now 2 days of sporting disci-plines to choose from; Sunday 27th Dec: Central Beach. Choose to do either a 6km Ocean swim, a 15km Ocean paddle, a 10km Run or give your support by doing the Family Fun Beach Walk. The swim starts at Robberg Rocks and finishes at Central Beach. All swimmers will be transported to the start venue in the morning. Swimmers will be accompa-nied by the NSRI and safety paddlers with Shark Shield Equipment. The early Portuguese didn’t call this bay ‘Baia Formosa ‘ or the beautiful bay for nothing. Paddling 15 km parallel to the coastline will reward you with marvelous backdrops of the Outeniqua and Tsitsi-kamma mountains. Start- and finish at Central Beach. Run through Plettenberg Bay’s scenic town – starting and finishing at Central Beach. The Beach Fun Walk is for all those who want to join the spirit of the race but without the competitive element. Monday 28th Dec: CapeNature grounds, Keurbooms. Choose to do the 1 Mile River swim and a 25km MTB or kids can compete in the Kids Duathlon- a 1km run and 100m swim. Ferries will transport all swimmers up river from the Cape Nature grounds at Keurbooms. The start will take place from a ‘beach area’ on the edge of the river. All swimmers will end at the Keurbooms Bridge. Parking at the Cape Nature Grounds at Keurbooms is VERY limited and for this reason, plans have been made for all to park their cars at the Bitou Polo fields near PennyPinchers. There will be taxis shuttling participants and spectators to and from the Cape Nature grounds for the duration of the event. NO bikes will be transported on the taxis. ENTRIES WILL NO LONGER BE TAKEN ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT Registration for events on the 27th will be on Saturday 26th in the Lagoon Room, Beacon Isle Hotel from 2-6.30pm. Registration for events on the 28th will be on Sunday 27th in the Lagoon Room, Bea-con Isle Hotel from 2-6.30pm. 100% of ALL entry fees go directly to the Sabrina Love Foundation to help children with physical disabilities. Any questions? Please contact Amanda or Christine on info@magneticsouth.net

Discovery

What’s why’s and some interesting facts 2010 has been a very exciting year for us. We are currently in the process of replacing the weld mesh that encapsulates Birds of Eden. A new revolutionary mesh was devel-oped abroad. It’s called knit mesh, and it is made from woven stainless steel wire. The new mesh has a lifetime guarantee and is almost feather light. Although knit mesh is now being manufactured in South Africa, no local company had the capacity take on our massive order, so we had to import the 27,000 square meters of knit mesh needed for Birds of Eden from Wales. By removing the current weld mesh and replacing it with the new knit mesh product, we will reduce the overall weight on the dome infrastructure by 80 tonnes, as the new Knit mesh only weighs 8 tonnes compared to the 88 tonnes of weld mesh currently up there. Birds of Eden will therefore be shedding 80 tons of weight during 2010 and 2011. The exciting news is that the aperture of the new revolutionary Knit mesh is 3.5 millimeters compared to the 25 millimeter aperture of the mesh we are removing. The smaller aperture will enable us to keep smaller birds such as finches, wax bills, kingfishers, weavers, and sun birds. For those not in the know, Birds of Eden is 3.2 hectares in size. Birds of Eden is the World’s largest single dome free-flight bird sanctuary. In basic wording – it is the World’s largest bird cage. Our aviary is much larger than the ones in Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park and Kuala Lam-pur’s KL Bird Park. We constantly introduce new species of birds to our sanctuary. Our guide book there-fore needs constant updating. By doing so we learn so many interesting bird facts. Here are a few you might not know: A bird's normal body temperature is usually 7-8 degrees hotter than a human's. Up to three-quarters of the air a bird breathes is used just for cooling down since they are unable to sweat. A bird's heart beats 400 times per minute while resting and up to 1000 beats per minute while flying. The only known poisonous bird in the world is the hooded pitohui of Papua, New Guinea. The poison is found in its skin and feathers. Pigeons produce a special substance known as pigeon milk which they feed to their hatch-lings. The pigeon milk is made in a special part of their digestive systems called a crop. Ostriches stick their heads in the sand to look for water. Unlike humans, canaries can regenerate their brain cells. A hummingbird’s heart beats 1,260 times per minute. Penguins can jump as high as 6 feet in the air. Bird droppings are the chief export of Nauru, an island nation in the western Pacific. The waste produced by one chicken in its lifetime can supply enough electricity to run a 100 watt bulb for five hours. The percentage of bird species that are mo-nogamous = 90%, whereas the percentage of mammals (humans included) that are mo-

nogamous = a mere 3%. At Birds of Eden we call baby Spoonbills tea-spoons. Young ducklings hide in the vegetation sur-rounding the water. If the mother senses dan-ger, it performs, does a "broken wing" display to lure the predator away before flying off. Do you know that the duck's feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water? Well, the reason for this is because their feet have no nerves or blood vessels. The Peking ducks in the United States are descendents from three ducks and one drake imported to Long Island, NY in 1873. Ducks sleep with half their brains awake, and they are more than likely to sleep with one eye open when they are located on the edge of sleeping groups. Over 1000 birds a year die from smashing into windows. The fictional secret agent James Bond was named after a famous ornithologist, an expert in Caribbean birds. Ian Fleming said of the name:” I wanted the simplest, dullest, plainest-sounding name I could find; James Bond was much better than something interesting, like Peregrine Maltravers”. While you enjoy the convenience of your mo-bile phone, remember the following: Cellular phone towers cause the death of millions of birds each year. Many of the accidents hap-pen when birds confuse the tower lights with stars they use for navigation. All birds lay eggs to incubate their young, all have feathers – a trait no other animal can claim. Many species of bird copulate in the air. In general, a couple will fly to a very high alti-tude, and then drop. During their descent, the birds mate. If NASA sent birds into space they would soon die, they need gravity to swallow. The structure of a bird’s eyes is very special. Birds have 3 eyelids. The actual image a bird sees depends on the placement of the eyes. The eyeballs of a bird are flatter than those of humans. And the retina of a bird’s eye is twice as thick as that of man’s. Many countries have birds portrayed on their national flags. They include: Albania (double-headed eagle); Dominica (Sisserou parrot); Ecuador (Andean condor); Egypt (eagle of Saladin); Fiji (dove); Kiribati (frigate bird); Mexico (eagle); Moldova (eagle); Papua New Guinea (bird of paradise); St Helena (unnamed bird); Uganda (grey-crowned crane); Virgin Islands (USA) (bald eagle); and Zambia (eagle). Flocks of Cedar Waxwings will strip the ber-ries of a Bittersweet vine in a matter of min-utes. If the berries have fermented, the birds actually get drunk and flop around until they sober up which is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour following ingestion. Pigeons and Doves produce their weight in droppings every eight days. Unless forcibly separated, pigeons and Doves mate for life. A flock of crows is called a 'murder'. The col-lective name for penguins is a 'parcel of pen-guins'. A flock of parrots is called a 'pandemonium'. A flock of larks is called an 'exaltation'. A flock of rooks is called a 'parliament'. Birds risk their lives each time they migrate. Predators and bad weather are the main risks

birds face yet human development can also cause harm. When wetlands are drained and forests cut birds lose a place to refuel en route. During their courting display, Toucans will play a game which consists of tossing berries to each other and catching them with their beaks. Cute! The colourful beak of the Toucan is very light, but is also very strong! The interior of the beak is a rigid "foam" bio-composite made of bony fibers and drum-like membranes (really!) sandwiched between outer layers of keratin. Amazon parrots have really long life spans, and can live up to 80 years or more. However, they can develop health problems as early as 15 years, dying well before their prime, if they have an unhealthy diet. Most of our parrots were pets before donated to the park, which means some really like sitting on a shoulder or two. They also quite like buttons, zippers and all your expensive gold jewellery. Because large parrots, such as Macaws and Palm Cocatoo’s live so long, and may out live their owners, it is necessary for owners to put the birds in their testaments. Parrots cannot eat chocolate and avocado because it is poisonous to their bodies. The owl is the only bird to drop its upper eyelid to wink. All other birds raise their lower eye-lids. All parrot and parakeets have very sensitive respiratory systems and should not be ex-posed to cigarette smoke, aerosols, harsh cleaning products or other toxic fumes. Wild Macaws and Cockatoos can fly up to 500 miles in a day, while searching for food. The Dodo bird, which is now extinct, was only found on the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. Dodo birds were caught and eaten by sailors and settlers of the island. The last dodo bird died in 1681. Did you know that parrots played an important role in WW I? In Paris, they had parrots man a post on top of the Eiffel Tower where, due to their incredible sense of hearing, they could detect and warn of the approach of enemy aircraft long before any human ear could hear them. I hope you learnt a bit about the wonders of birds. At Birds of Eden we have birds from every continent of the World, but we actually specialise in African birds. Indigenous birds are better camouflaged than the exotic ones, so to spot them you have to look carefully. Try not to rush through Birds of Eden during your visit. Over 3000 birds reside in the sanctuary, so it is worthwhile to take a slow stroll instead of a brisk walk when visiting. As the naturalist / author Edwin Way Teale (1899 - 1980) naturalist said: “For observing nature, the best pace is a snail's pace." For more information about Birds of Eden, please contact Lara info@birdsofeden.co.za or the manager Lee lee@birdsofeden.co.za or visit our website www.birdsofeden.co.za We sell Annual Passes at Birds of Eden. These Annual Passes are worth every penny, and also make meaningful birthday and Christmas gifts. The once off annual cost of a single adult annual pass is R250 for either Monkeyland or Birds of Eden (double the ones-off entrance/safari fee, or R400 if you want an Annual Pass for both. The once off cost for children aged between 3yrs and 12years of age is half the adult cost, thus being R125 for a single annual membership and R200 for anCOMBO annual membership. The Annual Pass as it implies, gives the per-son to whom it is issued unlimited entry for 12 months from the date it is issued. Annual Pass cards which are also referred to as “Membership Cards” can be obtained at Birds of Eden reception seven days a week during normal office hours 8am to 5pm For further information, or to apply for an Annual Pass online please email info@birdsofeden.co.zaor contact Lara on her mobile phone 082 979 5683. This December season we are bending over backwards to assist our visitors. From the 16th of December, Monkeyland www.monkeyland.co.za(Birds of Eden’s sister sanctuary) will be open to visitors from 7am to 7pm (the last tour will depart at 6pm, and the visitors will exit Monkeyland at 7pm). Birds of Eden www.birdsofeden.co.za will be open from 8am, with the last visitors entering the park at 6pm and exiting the park at 7pm. Birds of Eden is a magical place. Once you have visited it you will return time and again.

The largest free flight bird sanctuary in the world

Next door to Monkeyland…. www.birdsofeden.co.za Tel. 044 534 8906

Even though our coastline has Hump-back, Brydes and Orca whales at vari-ous times throughout the year, our “Whale Season “ ( from June to September) is the time when the Southern Right Whales come close to our shores. Their presence heralds a very special time of the year for all who live in Plett as well as our visitors. Our weather at that time of year is generally super, the pace is less hectic, the area less crowded, so a holi-day in Plett in the Whale Season is great .

THE RIGHT WHALE was so named because it was consid-ered to be the 'right' whale to catch. Rich in oil and baleen (the large food filter plates which hang from the roof of its mouth) and a whale which floated in the water when killed, this slow-moving leviathan became one of the most ruthlessly hunted of all spe-cies of whales. Today, the northern right whale is virtually extinct. In the southern hemisphere populations show a slow increase since interna-tional protection in 1935. There are estimated to be about 3 000 - 4 000 southern right whales at present, with South Africa receiving the major per-centage visiting its coasts annually. Present populations of southern right whales are a fraction of estimated initial stocks. . The southern right whale has a cir-cumpolar distribution and inhabits sub antarctic water between about 30° and 55° south. The whales migrate south during the summer months when supplies of krill are more prolific, and north during winter and spring to mate, calve and rear their young. They appear around the South African

coastline from May to December. They can be seen interacting in the sheltered bays and coves close inshore and near river mouths. The southern right whale can be dis-tinguished from other whales by its V-shaped 'blow' and the callosities which appear on and around its head. Al-though many people mistake these callosities for barnacles and although barnacles and other sea life live on these patches on the whale's head, the callosities are actual outgrowths of tough skin which form different pat-terns on each individual and which are a useful form of identification. To hear a whale 'blow' is like hearing the breath

of life. The blow is a cloud of vapour produced largely by condensa-tion when warm

breath comes into contact with cooler air. It also contains oily mucus from the respiratory tract of the whale. Whales are large brained and sensitive crea-tures. Strong bonds exist between fe-males and their calves. In normal cir-cumstances they are non-aggressive and gentle towards man. As yet, knowl-edge about whales and the role they play in the marine ecosystems is frag-mentary. However initial benign re-search indicates that whales are of greater benefit alive than dead to man. For this reason, if for no other, they need our protection.

JAN MARITZ

TEL: (044) 533 4435 FAX: (044) 533 4777

CELL: 082 491 6773

PO BOX 740

PLETTENBERG BAY 6600

E-mail: janmaritz@mweb.co.za

Ian MacMillan Cell 082 578 3384

Yellowoods Centre Main Street Tel. 044 533 5590

PLETTENBERG BAY MINIATURE RAILWAY SOCIETY

Visit Plett’s Miniature Railway created

& operated by local model engineering enthusiasts. We will be operating on Wed & Sat afternoons during the July, Sept and

Christmas School Holidays., as well as the last Sunday of each month.

See station notice board for running times or ph: 044-5333189 for information.

Track at Community Hall Grounds, next to Wild Waters, off Piesang Valley Rd

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Crags. Pottery, jewellery, beadwork, baskets

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10 min drive from Plett on N2 to P.E. Shop tel 044-5348612, fax/home 044-5348827. Open 8am - 5pm Now also at “The Mill”

Gods and Whales

There are, they say, Forces.

Heaving beneath the waters.

Huge, heavy presences. Sometimes they rise,

Slowly parting the waves. Silently spraying white light.

They do, they say, Heal.

They are, they say, Gentle and strong

and they can, they say, Sing in ways we

cannot always hear. They have hidden gifts,

they say.

I have not seen Gods and I have not seen Whales. But I believe them both

To be wonderful.

By Poison Ivy

The van Plettenberg Historical Society turned 30 this year. Peter Duminy spoke on its formation and defining moments

THIRTY YEARS AGO: DEFINING MOMENTS Speaker: Peter Duminy This Talk has been substantially motivated by recollections, especially remembrance of straws in the wind that preceded – and help to account for – the formation of our Society 30 years ago. I have called them ‘Defining Mo-ments’. Why? Because, the more one thinks about it, the clearer it becomes that founding of the Plett Historical Society in November 1980 was attributable to several happenings, and to a number of rather special people combining to make it bound to happen – if not necessarily in 1980, then certainly later, or perhaps even sooner. I expect we can, most of us, remember more or less when we, individually, first became interested in Plett’s absorbing history, not least the lives and local achievements of some of its famous personalities. For me (and possibly for many others) Wini-fred Tapson’s TIMBER AND TIDES the story of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, first published in 1961, illuminated much not previously known

about Plett and Knysna. I also learned from it that my great-great-great-grandfather had been in command of the ship De Meermin, on to which Plett’s first hewn timber was loaded and carried away in August 1788, Certainly Tapson’s book was NOT the first time that Plett, its historical and other attrac-tions had been described in print. But for me, certainly, Tapson’s printed words – and more particularly the interest in past events that these words began to stir – were undoubtedly among this Society’s ‘Defining Moments’. And this claim is tabled for your consideration, even though it would then to be another 20 years –or very nearly– before the Van Pletten-berg Historical Society would be founded. Meanwhile, perhaps entirely unrelated to Tapson, there were other events and people combining to make our Society a virtual inevi-tability. For one thing, the 1960s also brought seri-ous Archaeological enquiry (and indeed activ-ity) to Robberg, for the first time. This is, of course, a reference to what we now prize as the Nelson Bay Cave, the remarkable site that provides compelling evidence of communal living going back many thousands of years. In sum it was by the late 1960s becoming perfectly clear that Plett, apart from its other attractions, in one way or another also of-fered much that was of compelling historical interest.

Unrelated and in its own way no less a Defin-ing Moment (or Straw in the Wind), was the Storrar phenomenon – more correctly the ‘Storrar phenomena’, because there were two of them, Pat and Clare, widow and widower, both remarkable people, who had been wed in Johannesburg in 1959 and had come to Plett as permanent residents in 1971. There were now nine years to go before the Historical Society would be founded; and al-most as long as that, if memory serves, before it would come to be widely discussed. Let’s tick off, in chronological order, some of the things that proceeded to happen in those nine years: Both Storrars were amazingly industrious and productive until very late in their long lives. Halfway through the Seventies Pat Storrar had already researched the life and antecedents of George Rex. Indeed, she had already published the results (in 1974). I’m sure we all of us re-member George Rex of Knysna as the book, more than any other, that gave Pat Storrar an international reputation. After that tour de force Pat Storrar was soon hard at work again – on unrelated, but none-theless always local subjects. And at this point let’s dip briefly into the Duminy family archive. The script is undated, but we have a letter, dated 29 November 1976, which JP (Dad) received from a cousin – one thanking him for supplying a copy of ‘the talk which he [Dad] had recently “…. given at Plet-tenberg Bay.” That informal talk had in fact been about the life and especially the 18th Century Plettenberg Bay connections of Francois Renier Duminy. It had been given at the invitation of Pat Storrar. In the present context, the full significance of this date – 1976 – anticipating the coming of the Historical Society by fully four years, could conceivably have lain in a number of factors. The talk was certainly a means of garnering information for a particular purpose – another book in the making. Perhaps, and with the benefit of hindsight, it could also have been a sure sign that thoughts of establishing the His-torical Society were taking shape in certain Plettenberg Bay minds. Yes indeed, Portrait of Plettenberg Bay was on the way. As we know, this, the next Storrar book, was a remarkable, well researched and, in sum, an amazingly detailed account of our local history. Another Storrar masterpiece, it was to see the light of day in 1978. Quite soon after that, and out of the blue, came the uncovering of the Sao Gonzales relics in the shape of fragments of Ming and other porcelain. These remarkable finds on Johan Jerling’s building site in the hoek of Robberg came in November 1979 (though they would not be made public until June 1980). The wide-spread excitement about that announcement, locally and much further a-field, has been well chronicled. Whichever way we look at these develop-ments, there can be no mistaking the quality of ‘defining moments’. In retrospect and taken together, they surely suggest to us that there were elements of growing inevitability about what was to follow in November 1980: forma-tion of the Plett Historical Society. Johan and Ingrid Jerling would be among our foundation members, and that is one reason why it is good to see them here today. Another reason is that, as I’m sure many of us know, Johan’s great-great-great-grandfather (the Jer-ling stamvader) was directly involved in the building of the Timbershed some 225 years ago. His was in fact the successful tender. We make take it that he and my great-great-great-grandfather were rather more than mere nodding acquaintances. To give you a little serious history: In January 1786 the Politieke Raad (the powers-that-be) in Cape Town instructed Landdros Woeke of

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Graaff-Reinet to follow up previous favourable impressions about the availability (and trans-portability) of Plett area timber - those gained by Governor van Plettenberg (in 1778) and Francois Le Vaillant in 1782. Now there was to be speedy action: Woeke went to Plett without delay. So too, my great-great-great grandfather, in his case with a mandate to report on shipping requirements, including vessels and seasons best suited for timber shipments. The perceived need was great, so much so that the Politieke Raad is-sued further instructions on 4 August 1786, among these that a magasyn (storage shed) was to be built without delay, the tender for this to be awarded to the most competitive bidder. That would be Jacob Jerling. If I may now jump forward by some 225 years, Johan Jerling has for some time been making every effort to restore the Timbershed – something that is now much needed, having last been done (with his support and that of a good many of our then members) in the 1980s hence during the first five years of our Soci-ety’s existence. Johan Jerling has in recent days passed on some promising news: an ad-hoc committee chaired by architect Paul Scheepers (who was intimately involved in the last restoration) has recently had constructive meetings with the Municipality’s heritage committee - so useful, in fact, that promising recommendations will go before our Town Council next week. Then, if all goes well, the plans will be forwarded to the National Heritage Council for approval, to be followed by action. So do please ‘watch this space’, as they say. But that is jumping ahead. Let’s have some reminders of precisely what the founders had in mind for us in 1980. This is all laid out in seven succinct clauses of our Constitution. All are worth mentioning, providing, as they do, permanent guidelines (or call them ‘yardsticks’) against which to assess three decades of past performance – excellent, good in spots, or what you will. Among the Society’s stated objectives (I won’t repeat them all) were and are: To collect and collate information about Plett and the district; To collect and preserve documents [of all kinds] ; Preservation and eventual exhibition of objects in any way related to Plett and dis-trict………… Preservation of buildings of historical interest……….. Dissemination of results through the medium of a Bulletin or by other means To place descriptive plaques on places of interest To encourage the establishment of a local museum. Measured against these and perhaps other objectives, we surely have not done badly; and owe a great deal firstly to our founders for their vision and for the dedication that suc-cessfully carried us through the early years. Likewise to their successors in continuity, combined with equally conscientious service on the part of those following in the founders’footsteps. It is sometimes invidious to name names. But some do tend to leap out at us today. Consider this: at the end of the first year (when our membership list had already topped 200), we find surnames that have been continuously associated with the management and direction of our activities, up to this very day.

Three surnames in particular pop out – McNally, McCarthy, Vickerman: those of one President and two past Chairmen. We cele-brate the fact that John and Molly McNally are still with us. And that the two past-Chairmen were succeeded in other active and ongoing capacities by their surviving spouses – Sheila and Lovell. All six of these stalwarts were Foundation Members. About 25 of our First Year supporters are still on the membership list. Foundation members who are with us today– and we don’t claim to have captured all the names – include Clive and Colleen Noble, Margaret Parkes, some Duminys…… And we all know that, but for the vagaries of time, this list would be much longer. The Storrar name will always feature on our informal Honours List. I don’t have to mention that Pat wrote more books: covering the San Gonzales disaster and all that followed 350 years ago; about Thomas Bain the road builder extraordinaire; and the story of Belvidere (to name but three). Clare Storrar was a single-minded researcher, too; and a competent writer: to him we owe the published Sewell diaries and an important book about the ‘Tzitsikamma genius’ Henry Georges Fourcade... What our founders certainly could NOT have imagined way back in 1980 was that the Inter-net would someday make it so much easier to meet some of our objectives. We may none-theless be forgiven for thinking they were truly inspired; and that the Society’s Constitution has all along cried out for both the Internet and a Website!

And now – with this ihuge social and techno-logical benefit within our grasp – that pletthistory.org will constantly challenge our capacity to achieve substantial inclusion of the historical nuggets that we have, in the course of 30 years, accumulated in print and will continue to amass. Making that wealth of information more readily available – not only to Members but also far and wide, across Planet Earth – is exactly what we are now addressing with the setting up of our Website. We would, of course still be a long way from maximising the opportunities (by all means call them our responsibilities) in this respect. Having access to the titles of 175 Talks and those who have given them,, as will initially be available, is far from equating with access to the Talks themselves. That is a longer-term objective, to be achieved in response to de-mand. But I am confident that we are going to make steady progress in the matter of making all our valuable information, including photo-graphic material, widely accessible on the website we have named pletthistory.org and which we, the van Plettenbrg Historical Society, will soon be commissioning .

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PROPERTY SALES LONG & SHORT TERM

LEASING ADMINISTRATION

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TEL. 044 - 533 2087 FAX 044 533 - 2088

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Born in Africa 2010 Years from now, Born in Africa will look back at 2010 as a year filled with a spirit of a na-tion as one, loads of exiting soccer mania and on our home front, many successful achievements. Being actively involved in the community for the last 7 years saw our organization un-dergo various positive changes due to our growth. 2010 was a year for reflection and acting upon that re-flection for the bene-fit of the youth at risk we work with. Proudly we can say: Together we have done it! We kick off each year with our Uniform project and this year was no different. We handed out a full school uniform with school satchel and stationary to total of 410 learners from various communities in the Bitou area. Under the guidance of Chas Frazer a total of 60 pupils from Kranshoek Primary com-pleted the “Learn to Swim” program. This is a vital program which has been running for 5 years now and we feel that living on the coast we need to equip our youngsters with swimming survival skills. A total number of 400 children have attended our Educational camps, eight to be exact, where they are offered the opportunity to have fun with their peers in a safe environment while learning valuable life skills Our Teachers Assistant program which has been running for 5 years now is still one of our major success stories and we support Kranshoek, Wittedrift and Crags Primary schools with this endeavor. This year saw the commencement of our first Gr R class at Crags Primary School. Our newly built classroom, for this purpose,

hosts a total of 30 youngsters who attend their reception year before entering Gr 1. This is vital as so many skills are learned during this year. Our Art & Craft Program has taken a total of

110 Pupils from Crags, Wittedrift and Kran-shoek Primary through the manufacturing of various crafty items-items which they could bring in that much needed extra monthly income! This program was carried through to the June/July school brake where we organized various Holiday pro-grams in Wittedrift and Crags. We com-bined our crafty classes with street soccer

which added to the FIFA Word cup vibe. Speaking of which, 3 of our lucky students got to attend a soccer match held at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth-Chile versus Switzerland. Compared to many other spectators our kids “gees” topped the charts, so to speak! We are very proud to announce that our 7 students at Wittedrift High are doing ex-tremely well both academically as well as on the sports field and we are currently interviewing possible candidates for next year. This initiative commenced last year as we believe in offering our students the best education possible. We have enrolled a further 3 pupils for 2011. 2010 also saw our first 4 students enrolling at tertiary institutions, one at Nelson Man-dela Metropolitan University in PE, one at Bitou campus and two at Eden Business School in Karatara. Currently we are busy with applications for 5 students who will all be studying at vari-ous universities around the country for 2011. As if this all is not enough, we have also established our Homework Centre at the Crags Primary school which will provides a safe and healthy environment for learners to complete their homework as well as take part in many fun activities. So there you have it in a nutshell wrapped with love! Being a Non Profit organization we rely on the community for assistance and from our side we would like to thank the Bitou com-munity and its folk for all the support during 2010. Enjoy your holiday! www.borninafrica.org

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044 533 9113

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Underwater World We have super diving sites in Plett including

DEEP BLINDERS - The nursery of the Bay. Soft c o r a l s c o v e r t h i s underwater kindergarten. Many juveniles of all fish types are found under the overhangs

and you never know what awaits you around the corner. SHALLOW BLINDERS - An ideal beginners reef. Shallow with large rocks and boulders covered in colourful soft corals with a couple of old anchors from the whaling days. This reef has a variety of small fish

that are extremely inquisitive and will approach divers. DOLPHINS REEF - Virtually an atoll in the Bay, frequently visited by dolphins. Also known as the strawberry fields because of vast numbers of strawberry anemones which are found on the pinnacles. GROOT BANK / BIG BANK - Chambers, caverns and overhangs. This is indeed a great dive full of excitement and adventure. Ragged tooth sharks are often seen. This dive is for the advanced diver and a torch is needed to navigate the dive. PLAYGROUND - A large reef dominated by hills and valleys. Large pelagic fish frequent this site due to abundance of food. Soft and hard corals are found here forming a kaleidoscope of colour. WHALE ROCK - Possibly one of the most adventurous dive sites in South Africa. The site is for the experienced diver due to the strong currents, depth and numerous sharks. Whale Rock lies close to the Robberg Nature Reserve so most of the reefs are abundant

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and large with the strong long shore current. Pelagic and game fish are often sighted. JACOBS REEF - Rifts, valleys, walls and overhangs. Covered in sea fans and soft corals. Very colourful. Wide diversity of fish and aquatic life. Must be rated as one of our prettiest dives. THE ISLAND - An awesome stone sculpture, gouged out over thousands of years by strong wave and current motion. Situated in Robberg Marine Reserve. A must for the eco-friendly diver. Due to the protection of the reserve your larger reef fish are more prolific here.

Leopards in Our Forests The Landmark Foundation Leopard and Predator Project was established in 2004. Their objectives are to conserve leopards particularly where conflict exists and attempt to reduce ongoing hunting pressures. On the 11th of August a 38 kg male leopard was GPS collared in the Prince Albert Pass.... km’s from Plett – this is major breakthrough for understanding their behaviour as he occupies a corridor area between known populations in the Garden Route and the Baviaanskloof.

With 19 cats now GPS collared between Worcester to Addo and over 100 survey cam-eras in the field their estimated population density has been identified. The statistics are

alarming as in the remaining forests there is enough habitat for only 25 leopards in the forests and in the entire Baviaanskloof mega reserve only 35 can be sustained. Their need for conservation is critical. On many farms gin traps are still used and leopards are hunted with dogs. The Landmark Foundation has received reports that 28 leopards have been killed in the greater Baviaanskloof area in the last two years. They are a protected species but their deaths often go unknown.

Fair Game is a green label for Wildlife Friendly Products being devel-oped by Landmark Foundation.

All predators play a critical role in the ecosystem and progressive farmers are find-ing that by al-lowing predators to form natural hierarchies and relationships in the veld in-stead of eradicating them, while at the same time pro-tecting their livestock with guardian animals, shepherds and barrier methods, their losses to predation are dra-matically less. In the Baviaanskloof farmers re-duced their losses by 53 – 97 % when changing to these methods in trials with the Landmark Foundation.

Landmark remains committed to under-standing the leopards and working with willing landowners to further the species conservation.

Thank you to all those who have offered support and continue to do so. Your input assists us in achieving our goals of protecting the remaining leopards and all those sub-species for which the leopard stands as an ambassador. If you would like to assist the Leopard and Predator Project, Fair Game –Wildlife Friendly Products or start Racing for Leopards visit www.landmarkfoundation.org.za for more information and contact kate@landmarkfoundation.org.za.

THE ROMANY RYE, FINE ART, ANTIQUES & SKYSCAPES AVIATION ART

EST 1978

27 St Gonzales Street, (Up by Signal Hill) Hours 10am - 5pm Open Daily except Sundays

Call 072 775 6032 Romany Rye has many interesting items to see and Skyscapes has the War II Fighter Planes, with the original signatures of famous Aviators and International Artists. We are easy to find,

No 27 St Gonzales Street (up by Signal Hill). Phone 072 775 6032

Your one stop Beach Shop Seafolly - Love Water Love - Kulu Atol,

Quicksilver, Rip Curl, Lizzard, Speedo Ozone Clothing, Suntan Lotion Plus everything you need for the Beach

Milkwood Centre Central Beach

Rescued leopard in the Garden Route, the GPS collar offers this cat protection as if it is blamed for any livestock losses the data

provides evidence of its location at the time of the kill.

Leopard photographed in the Middle Keurbooms Conservancy – a Leopard Friendly Area, De Vlugt.

One of the most interesting little sea creatures is the Common Sand Hermit Crab Diogenes brevirostris Very often when you see a shell move it is these little guys which live in empty shells. When that shell gets too small,

they move to a larger one. They are quite shy little creatures and they use their left nipper as a door.

PLETT INDUSTRIA UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

AUTO TYRES

• PASSENGER, SUV, 4X4 & TRUCK TYRES • RETREADS • PUNCTURE REPAIRS • WHEEL BALANCING & ALIGNMENT - STOCKISTS OF ALL TUBES

044 533 6457

Wani

082 966 5192

24 HR CALL OUT SERVICE

American Kate Rutherford came to Plett a number of years ago and made a huge difference. She started an NGO called Dollars for Change and with the Crags Community and Crags Primary students continues to make a big impact on the lives of the people and the environment in Kurland. We asked her to give us an update. on their projects ...

Dollars for Change 2010 After School Program The second year of Dollars for Change’s (DFC) after school program introduced the

“Pay it Forward” project. Children in the group made beaded bracelets to sell at the Plett Main Street Market in order to raise money for a different group of children in South Africa - a creche in Mdumbi, in the Transkei. The group also hosted an AIDS awareness week in Kurland, and continued with their social awareness and education projects.

Solar Water Heating Project In Kurland Village, four solar water heat-ers have been operating over the past two years that were built by DFC and WWISA volunteers, as well as members of the community. With the success of these first few, DFC has launched the full

Solar Water Heater Project. Once families sign up for the service, Dollars for Change schedules a time where two organisation members will come to instruct and assist the family in building and installing it. Since the launch of this project at the beginning of August, thirteen additional houses have been equipped with solar water heaters. Families have reported savings in elec-tricity and are happy with their new source of hot water. For more info on additional projects and how to get involved, please email katie@dollarsforchange.org

Grey Water Filters; Irrigation; Landscaping; Rain Water Tanks

Werner 082 940 2895 wernerse@hotmail.com

H20 Pure Garden Route

VERANDAH Outdoor Living

NOW OPEN IN HILL HOUSE, MAIN ST @ THE DOLPHIN CIRCLE

www.verandahoutdoor.com verandah@mweb.co.za 084 521 1876

Holistic Therapy practice in tranquil, indigenous forest surroundings; assists in restoring resilience, promoting serenity

and enlivening wellbeing. All ages! .

Options include: The Reconnection, Reconnective Healing sessions, La Stone Therapy (massage with warm, soothing

stones), Polarity Therapy, Integrative Healing and Massage. .

Facilities are also available for the expression of Creative Arts – with support or in freedom; all artistic mediums welcome and celebrated.

Variety of musical instruments available at venue. Equine opportunities also present. Dream play gardens for children.

. Studios and sacred spaces to support both the unfolding artist or

experienced individuals - practice in peace. .

Call Rain Martin 083 2321043; email: mmmstars@iafrica.com

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” - start today!

$$$$$$4

Change

$$$$$$4

Change

$$$$$$4

Change

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Change

• Palisade Fencing • Burglar proofing • Gates • Shark Teeth • Razorwire • Automation • Garage doors • Gate Motors

• Electric Fencing • Access Control • Home improvement & Alterations

R & E STEEL & HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Christo: 076 478 9960 / 044 533 4444

Fynbos Frogs The Cape has more than half of South Africa's frog species. Furthermore, of the 62 different frogs occuring here, 29 are endemic being found nowhere else on earth. Below are just some of the frogs occuring in fynbos. Frogs are found in a wide variety of habitats - from low-lying coastal areas, mountain tops, forests, desserts, to suburban gardens - and each type is perfectly adapted to its environ-ment. Aquatic frogs (eg. platannas) have webbed feet for rapid swimming. Frogs that climb up reeds and shrubs (eg. reed frogs) or rock-faces (eg. ghost frogs) have suckers at the tips of their fingers and toes for adhesion, while burrowing frogs (eg. rain frogs) have spade-like protuberances on their feet. Colour and body markings vary considerably and conceal them from predators. Each frog type has a distinctive call to recog-nise individuals of the same species. Males rely on this to attract females of the same kind to the breeding site. The metamorphosis from tadpoles to frogs usually takes several weeks but can continue for two years or longer depending on the type of frog as well as food and water availability. In many en-demic fynbos frogs, there is no tadpole stage, the eggs developing directly into juvenile frogs which resemble the adults. Frogs consume vast quantities of insects and contribute considerably to pest control.

Threats to Frogs in South Africa

An examination of the information available indicates that the main threats to frogs in South Africa are as follows:

Habitat Loss There are many threats to frog habitats, but the main ones are urban and agricultural development. The degree of threat depends on the species concerned and its specific habitat requirements. Some spe-cies have highly specialised requirements and cannot tolerate changes in their habitats, e.g. micro frog, montane marsh frog, Cape moun-

tain toad and Cape ghost frog. All of these spe-cies are endemic (i.e. occur nowhere else in the world) to the fynbos biome of the south western Cape, and they flourish only where the vleis, marshes and streams of this area are undisturbed and pristine. In fact, most frogs are dependent on wetlands because they require water in which to breed. For these frogs the drainage or filling in of wetlands results in a sharp drop in their numbers. For species that breed in rivers, the damming and canalisation of river courses poses a serious threat.

Pollution Most frogs breed in water, and spend varying amounts of time in water. They are suited to life in water in that their skins are permeable to the gases dissolved in water, i.e. they can “breathe” in water. However, this permeability makes them vulner-able to any pollutants in the water. Thus the use of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides in a river catchment can result in abnormalities, such as extra limbs, or death. In this way frogs can be indicators of the health of an ecosystem and provide an early warning of threats to other species, including people. ALIEN VEGETATION AND FORESTRY PLANTATIONS The spread of alien vegetation and forestry plantations displaces indigenous vegetation and dries up wetlands, thus harming frog habitats. This threatens a variety of frogs but appears to be tolerated by a few adaptable species. Alien predators Some alien predatory fish, e.g. trout and bass, eat frogs' eggs and tadpoles. What you can do ... Become involved in the South African Frog Atlas Project Do not move frogs from one part of the country to another - they usually die as they cannot adapt new environments. Encourage frogs to make their home on your farm or smallholding, in your garden, or in your school grounds by: avoiding the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers; preventing frogs from drowning in a swim-ming pool or dam by leaving a wooden plank floating in it so that frogs can climb onto it and be rescued ; creating a simple pond to provide es-sential breeding habitat as well as a place for foraging and shelter;

Frog Atlas Project There is little information on the decline of frog numbers in southern Africa. To address this prob-lem this has been initiated, to enlist the help of the South African public to gather information about the distribution of frog species, to record change in numbers of frogs over time. This will enable scientists to identify which frogs are in trouble, to explore the reasons for this, and work towards remedies.

Summerhill Building

Main Street, Plettenberg Bay 044 533 6741 / 2 / 082 554 9577

pam.porter@leapfrog.co.za “Not your average Estate Agency”

Property sales, Rentals

& Business broking

Mark Porter Tel: 044 533 5277 Fax: 044 533 5159

Cnr Robberg & Piesang Valley Rd

Veronica’s Intuitive Massage and Foot Reflex Therapy

is based on a holistic approach.

Veronica Olding Cell: 082 378 8060 Tel: (044) 533 0541

98 Longships Drive, Plett. Email: volding@mweb.co.za

We have a wide range of jewellery, “Plett” gifts, snacks, toys, etc.

Open Sun - Fri 08H30 - 19H00 Sat 08H30 - 12H00 & 15H00 - 19H00

Please pop in to say “Hello”

Tel: 044 533 1120 GECKO Inc

Beacon Island Resort

shaun@sjmsurveys.co.z

GLAZE IT & ALFIES ALUMINIUM

for all your glass & aluminium needs

Proudly Plett since ‘94

Tel/Fax: 044 533 2372 Email: glazeit@lantic.net

Steve 082 455 7786 Shaun 082 447 8104 Leanthea 082 770 8397

.

info@emilymoon.co.za valentined@mweb.co.za

Tel: 044 533 2982 Fax: 044 533 0687

♪♫☼ ♫ We’re ♪ all going on a ♫♪ Summer holiday♪♫

♪♫☼ ♫ We’re ♪ all going on a ♫♪ Summer holiday♪♫

♪

♫

☼

♫ ♪

♫ ♪

☼

♪

♫

☼

♫ ♪

♫ ♪

☼

SUMMER SEASON *DINE UNDER THE STARS *LAZY LUNCHES AROUND THE POOL *COCKTAILS AT SUNSET *TAPAS ON THE TERRACE *THE BEST SUSHI IN TOWN *EXCITING CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN OUR JAMES ROOM SHOP

EXTRAORDINARY TREASURES FROM FAR OFF PLACES SUCH AS INDIA, ETHIOPIA, MALI, CAMEROON, ZANZIBAR, BALI, SUMATRA

SUMMER IS NOT SUMMER WITHOUT A VISIT TO EMILY’S

Fabulous Food ......

ST

EP

S

DOWN

Est 1984

A FEW

TO

We’re open Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day, open New years Eve,

open 1st January, evening only.

Dave & Marianne still in Residence, we look forward to welcoming you.

Tel: 044 533 3102 Village Square Main St, Plett

UNIQUE XMAS GIFTS

A Complete Package Choose to grow either

Salad Veggie

or Herb Pack

Pack includes Seeds with Seedling Trays,

Potting Mix, Compost, Fertilizer + INSTRUCTIONS

Great Fun for Everyone prices from R145.00

Contact Rowan 082 990 9484

Open daily from midday till late

Darn Good Food Rock Star Service

,

Join us for sundowners on our cocktail terrace with stunning sea, beach & mountain views

Play your own music with iTunes Remote

Daily specials on our Facebook page: Search for Miguel’s Plett

Melville’s Corner Main Street, corner Marine Drive (Next to Spar) Bookings Essential: 044 533 5056 www.miguels.co.za

Ciccio al Fresco

Italian Restaurant Tel 044 533 6623

Noel Centre -Main Street

The little big Restaurant in the heart

of Plett

Elephant Park Restaurant Breakfasts lunch and more *Jungle Gym and Play Ground for

the Children Simon Ash 044 532 7738

We have a good variety of restaurants which each have an ambience of their own, to suit every budget. Menues and styles of cooking are many, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. It is always a good idea to book—also to check the menu beforehand ; most have the menu displayed outside their entrance. Also check if there is a “speciality of the house”. so that you have the choice

BOW TIE

Chinese restaurant Marine Building, Under Flashbacks, Main Street DELICIOUS SUSHI You can order by phone

Order or Booking 533 0971 Open 7 days a week

RISTORANTE

ENRiCO

Satisfying appetites with passion

tel: 044 535 9818

1st Beach Keurboomstrand

Traditional Italian feasts inspired by Enrico’s passion. Enjoy the view and fall

in love with my food

TRADITIONAL AUTHENTIC

INDIAN CURRY HOME COOKED MEALS

& PLATTERS

082 825 9811

Curry An’ All

The Clubhouse Restaurant

Goose Valley Book now for your

Christmas Lunch & Our New Years Eve Dinner Dance

044 533 0889

A unique dining experience in a magical setting

Lunch and Dinner daily

Emily Moon River Lodge

Phone 044 533 2982 for Reservations

Main Street, Plettenberg Bay

Tel: 044 533 1420

MOBY DICKS

O v e r l o o k i n g t h e I n d i a n Ocean and the Beacon Island Hotel, we have enhanced the true meaning of Seafood Also great Steaks & other dishes for our carnivores & vegetarians.

Ph. 044 5333682

KITCHEN café

Noel Centre, Main Street

Phone 0027 (0) 44 533 3693

Jade’s Café @ the Heath

044 532 7928 Country style cooking

Breakfast, lunch, home bakes & picnic baskets available

Open & licensed from 8:30 am till late arvi.

Gr8 4 kids Better 4 parents

AN ALL WEATHER EXPERIENCE IN “EATING OUT”

“SUNDOWNERS A MUST” Lookout Beach - Tel: 044 5331379

Great slow-roasted foods, and also your only

destination for exquisite seafoods!

ph: 044 5333102 Village square,

Main Street, Plettenberg Bay

“Outstanding food, wine & service: Explosive flavours!”

Traditional French Bakery serving Breakfast and Lunch too!

Lookout Centre Courtyard

phone 044 533 1390

African Buffet, A la Carte,

Sushi & Specials

1 Marine Drive Whalesong Hotel 044 533 3645

Open daily from midday till late Darn Good Food Rock Star Service

Join us for sundowners on our cocktail terrace

with stunning sea, beach & mountain views

Gilly’s Grill

Restaurant • Caffé • Bar Fabulous breakfasts & best pizzas in Plett

Checkers Centre, Main Street Plett Tel Plettenberg Bay: 044-533 6942 E-mail: europaplett@xnets.co.za www.europa.co.za

@ the Dunes Resort Keurbooms Strand

044 535 9292

Tarn Country House

“Intimate and beautiful enjoy the unique style of Erica’s cuisine, under the majestic mountains.”

“Une experience cullinaire”

Well stocked cellar, Fully Licenced

Reservations Essential

Tarn Country House, The Crags

044 534 8835.

The

Pub & Grub Open for

breakfast, lunches & light meals

*braai facilities

Welcome to the

Pub & Restaurant The restaurant that has become a

way of life, where quality service and value are of utmost importance.

Our dishes are prepared on order, so sit back, relax and enjoy your meal with us.

Open from 8h00 till late Tel: 044 - 5330165

Sao Goncalos

Portuguese Restaurant

bakery coffee shop

Open 8am - 6pm Tel: 044 533 6016

TAKE AWAY

The Skaf Tin Pizzas, Ribs & more Cnr High & Strand

• Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Internet

B.I Centre above Off the Hook Tel 044 533 6801

www.sufcafeplett.com

Open Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Mon—Sat 044 533 0796

NOW GRILLING 24 HOURS

Shell Ultra City

Cnr Marine & N2 Roads, Plett Tel: 044 533 0143

Serving global cuisine with the emphasis on fresh local produce and the very

best of South African wines, Sand at The Plettenberg

is an unforgettable dining experience.

Reservations essential Call 533 2030

The Plettenberg 40 Church Street www.plettenberg.com

The Market Square PLETTENBERG BAY

(044) 533 4695

A SEAFOOD shopping experi-ence awaits you. FRESH FISH

Shop. Sushi & Fish Platters & Take-

aways Buy Bulk & save. Ask Karin

Location: Industrial Area Plett Tel: 044 533 0597

or 044 501 2620 / 082 589 1318

Kappa Cheeno We are still serving the

best cup in town All day breakfasts

& Light meals Fully Licenced

Join us for

Tapas & Cooktails Tapa Neros

Tel: 044 5331471

2 D’LishUs2 D’LishUs @ Global Village

Good wholesome food

served in a tranquil setting. Picnic Baskets. 044 533 4718 082 577 4985

Wybo’s Pub, Grill & Boma

Pizza, Pasta, Steak & Fish Steaks, Game meat, Pasta’s & Home cooked food. Open for

Light Lunches & Dinner

Keurboomstrand Plett Tel: 044 535 9942

Most occasions are celebrated with food and drink… and with TV having become the king we often forget how special gathering around a table can be for sharing fun, fellowship and family togetherness. Make it a rule to have at least one meal a week around the table without the TV on and rekindle that unity … you’ll be making precious memories.

OPEN 24 HOURS @ ENGEN, BEACON WAY

Tel: 044 533 2152

Take time ... Take time to think

it is the source of power ; Take time to play

- it is the secret of perpetual youth ; Take time to read

- it is the fountain of wisdom ; Take time to pray

- it is the greatest power on earth; Take time to love and be loved

- it is a God-given privilege ; Take time to be friendly

- it is the road to happiness ; Take time to laugh

- it is the music of the soul ; Take time to give

- it is too short a day to be selfish ;

Take time to work - it is the price of success

Take time to enjoy good food

- it is the source of health.

CHILL “N” @ CHILL OUT CAFÉ

IN KRANSHOEK Breakfast, Light lunches, salads

and cakes 9am - 17h00

Visit our Market day every last Saturday of the Month.

Bookings advisable

MEMORIES Take-Away

Market Square Tel: 044 - 5334263

Enjoy a hearty take-away cooked meal - real value for

your money - Meats, veggies, salads & puddings

Fried or grilled fish, chips, calamari and so much more” Take-Away with a difference !!!

Crescent Street Tel 044 533 4840

Fresh Fish, Chips, Calamari , Take Aways

044 533 4945 82 Longships Drive, scottys@fresh-ideas.co.za

We look forward to welcoming you again and again.

Scott & Andy

SCOTTY’S

Apart from the Southern Right Whale there are a number of other whales in our waters throughout the year.

Pygmy Right Whale is so called for its bowed mouth. Very little is known about this whale, with fewer than 100 records in existence. One of

the first photos of a live specimen was taken in Plett. It is the smallest of the baleen whales, 6.5m long, weighing 3.2 tons at maturity It is only distantly related to the Southern Right Whale, and has a distinctively shaped convergent mouth and a promi-nent sickle shaped dorsal fin. There is no ridge on the back . The pectoral fins are small and rounded, and the flukes are broad. Colour is dark grey above, becom-ing darker with age, fading to light to grey below. The size of the calves vary from 1.5m to 6.1m at birth and adults weigh 4.5 tons at maturity.

Brydes Whales (pronounced Brew-ders), named after a Norwegian whaling captain, is a slender, medium sized rorqual, dark grey on the back with occasional circular stars. There is a secondary ridge on either side of the central ridge of the head. The prominent, strongly sickle shaped dorsal fin is close to the tail stock. The pectoral fins are slen-der and the flukes are large and pointed. There are about forty to fifty throat grooves and 255 to 365 baleen plates up to 46cm long in each side of the upper jaw. Calves are 4.3m long weighing 900kg, Adults reach 15m and weigh 14 tons. They are very shy when encountered at sea, unless feeding. They are often associated with diving seabirds – all feeding on the same small fish

Minke Whales is the smallest of the rorquals. Well-

shaped and graceful, it has a pointed head with the lower jaw protruding, and a single prominent ridge from the tip of the upper jaw to the blowholes. The back is black from the beak to just behind the long, slen-der, pointed pectoral fins, merging to dark grey and then to black again. These whales aften breach totally out of the wa-ter, spectacularly exposing the entire body. Calves are 3m at birth, and in maturity weigh 9 tons and are 10 meters long.

Humpback Whales The most distinctive feature is its ex-tremely long, while flippers. It has a rounded body narrowing to a slender tail stock. The head is massive with rounded raised knobs, the sites of hair follicles, called protruberances The pectoral fins are huge and may be as much as one third of total body length. The body is black except for patches on the chin, throat, belly flukes and pectoral fins. Calves are 4-5m long at birth reaching 12 – 14 meters and weighing up to 40 tons at maturity. These are th whales you are most likely to see between December and January.

The reason why Plettenberg Bay is blessed with so many varieties of whales is that the water is warmer and the Bay very safe - there is also a high quality and quantity of Plankton in the area. Pollution and coastal degradation are minimal and boat activity and harass-ment is kept to a minimum – long may it last!!!

BAYVIEW HOTEL

Sotheby’s

MAIN STREET

GIB

B S

TREE

T

FLORINA FLORINA PLACE

The north end of Main Street has developed into an area of diverse shopping ex-periences. Florina Place has been upgraded and includes a good selection of things to do. Figo leather designs and La Fashionista have great fashion and ac-cessories. Retha at Curtain Magic does beautiful soft furnishings . Florina Place is also the home of the original and fabulous San Francisco Coffee Roastery. Park Avenue Stationers is a great addition to the centre. Holiday Plett have moved to Bayview Centre and offer efficient friendly service in holiday rental and home management . They have recently added property sales to their portfolio.

The Med

Green Your Holiday! Welcome to Plettenberg Bay and the Garden Route – a stunning piece of paradise we all love to call home or visit. Please help preserve it, and what better way to do so than getting involved with planting trees, offsetting your holiday carbon and help preserve the special biodiversity of this unique area.

The Green Ticket.org is a local Non Profit Organisation promoting environ-mental awareness through reforestation and carbon sequestration initiatives.

You can get involved! Calculate your carbon footprint – whether your pri-vate, your business or your holiday one – and offset it through us. We only plant indigenous trees - not only does this help in the fight against global warming as trees “breathe in” the greenhouse gas CO² which contributes to global warming, it also helps preserving our natural heritage. Apart from planting trees, The Green Ticket.org is also focusing on environ-mental education for the youth and skills development. So buy a tree...plant a forest....sponsor a camp....become an eco warrior....offset your carbon foot-print.... whatever you do, every bit counts. Japanese Volunteers plant Trees in Tsitsikamma On the 10th of November 80 Japanese volunteers descended upon the Tsitsikamma to plant trees in collaboration with local reforestation and carbon offset NPO The Green Ticket.org The group was in South Africa as part of a tree planting and food gardening goodwill mission co-ordinated by Japanese organisa-tion the 'Wonderful World Tree Planting Festival', Johannesburg based Food & Trees for Africa and The Green Ticket.org. Earthwalker Paul Coleman, who has walked over 47 000 km through 39 nations spread-ing the environmental message was leading the group. Other stops included Cape Point, Khayelitsha, Klapmuts, Ocean View, Zwide and Motherwell. With cultural exchange and environmental focus taking center stage, the trip focused on introducing the visitors to the various aspects of South Africa including its natural beauty, biodiversity, its people and its cultures. A lot of fun was had by all – not in the least because the group arrived with a wide array of colourful costumes that added to the laughter all around. The children of the local school in Storms River were treated to Japanese group Funkist first singing the anthem and then performing one

PLEASE CUT NO MORE TREES !!!

To the delight of many Big Tree visitors the costumes came out again for another traditional dance and some kwaito dancing by the local kids. Carina Potgieter summed it up beautifully when asked how one carries on when faced with as many challenges as the protectors of our environment are today: “I have always loved trees, loved the forest. And as you will see today, just being inside the forest is inspiration enough” Visit www.thegreenticket.org for more news, pictures and information.

We welcome all irrigation contractors, garden services,

landscapers, plumbers, architects, developers and home owners.

11 Marine Way, Plettenberg Bay, 6600. Tel: 044 533 4928

Water Filtration

of their own songs – all in costumes, masks and hats, followed by traditional dancers wearing beautiful flowing Japanese costumes. The kids loved it! Funkist had asked their fans at home to bring t-shirts along to their concerts for children in South Africa – so all lucky children at the school received a t-shirt. Then – with 27 of the children in tow – it was time to get down to business. Carina Potgieter of Sanparks had started the day with a background presentation about the challenges of forest rehabilitation with a focus on aliens and climate change to give the visitors a better understanding of the challenges of our specific biome. Sanparks had kindly made a piece of land next to the Big Tree parking lot available for the tree planting. At the Big Tree many of the visitors were visibly moved when faced with this majestic tribute to the forest, praying for peace at the base of the tree. A minutes silence was held for contemplation and prayer after which the tree planting commenced. Teaming up with the grade 7s of the local school soon the chatter was running high – often with gestures and plenty of smiles making up for when language failed. Thanks to Sanparks kind help of clear-ing the area and digging holes before-hand 1000 indigenous trees sourced locally were planted in record time.

Welcome to the Elephant sanctuary – an elephant experience for life! The herd consists of five female elephants and one young male. This is a very well balanced family structure and forms part of the reason why we have such a happy and relaxed herd of elephants. The elephants are exercised and stimulated daily, which provides a firm foundation for trust and bonding between the elephants, their handlers and visiting guests. The Elephant Sanctuary is wheelchair friendly and also has wheelchairs available for any guests who may require a wheel chair. Elephants are herd animals and need to be in constant commu-nication through touch, smell, sight and sound for their emotional wellbeing and comfort. The training of elephants is based on trust and positive reinforcement – a reward system that not only works very successfully with elephants, but with all other animals as well. Elephants in captivity have always been and will always be a controversial issue. The Elephant Sanctuary, as responsible ele-phant owners, constantly strive to improve the relationship be-tween the elephants, their living environment, health and emo-tional conditions and also with the animal welfare organisations and other experts in the field of elephants in captivity. The Ele-phant Sanctuary has always had a very professional relationship with animal welfare organisations. The Elephant sanctuary also support and sell goods on behalf of some animal welfare and anti poaching units to provide funding for those units. The Elephant Sanctuary is proud that it has never removed wild elephants from the bush for the purposes of tourism or enter-tainment. The Elephant Sanctuary merely took responsibility for the elephants after they had been removed from their natural environment by other people for various reasons. The Elephant Sanctuary has the best and most modern sta-ble facilities available and the stables have been designed with the elephant’s health, safety and wellbeing first and foremost in mind. The Elephant Sanctuary hosts a unique and fully guided edu-cational program that sets itself apart from anything else that South Africa has previously had on offer in terms of elephant interaction and touching elephants. Guest numbers are limited to ensure personal attention and maximum elephant interaction for each guest which makes this a truly memorable and enriching experience. Please note our last program of the day departs at 15h30.

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Published, printed and distributed by THE PRINT SHOP - Lookout Centre, Church Street , Plettenberg Bay Tel 044 5332530 Fax 044 5334240 e-mail: printshop@mweb.co.za Summer 2010 /2011