“WATER WATER EVERYWHERE AND NOT A DROP TO DRINK”

These famous words from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner could well be words of warning in regards the way that the modern world treats its water supply.

Ahoy there sailors!

With only 3% of the world’s water being fresh water and of that only 1% being readily available to us for consumption does not bode well. Whale Coast Conservation who tirelessly dedicates themselves to the preservation to our beautiful and unique environment is hosting a few events in Hermanus over the next few weeks in the hope of raising awareness to this situation.

“Walk for Water and Sanitation” is a fun event planned to take people on a short beautiful walk from the Old to New Harbour along the Cliff Path of Hermanus to raise an awareness of water, sanitation and how it effects our environment. The event is happening 21^st March from 10am to 12pm from the Old Harbour. Please make donations, as little as R10 or more will go a long way.

The Whale Coast Conservation has taken some inspiration from far afield as the Philippines who have launched a campaign known as “Water is Power” and have recognized that water and energy are inseparable and with this in mind have added their weight to the Earth Hour initiative and together with fisherman’s Village and Lemm’s Corner have organized a “Market by Moonlight” on the 29^th March 2014 hosting buskers, local singer, dancers and a display of the best entries from a school art competition. Read more at Whale Coast Conservation Blog.

A great thanks to the folks from Whale Coast Conservation for their commitment and dedication to restoring and retaining our pristine and unique environment that keeps tourists coming to our shores year after year. Thanks to their efforts they also make the Whale Coast such a beautiful place to live, please folks lend your support to these wonderful initiatives.

Wish you all plain sailing until we meet again next week, same place, same time!

Waddle week in the Whale Coast!

Penguin Waddles 2014 at The Windsor Hotel Hermanus

At the Windsor we love welcoming old friends (also known as guests) back again year after year and some of our best friends are those that help us keep our environment and our wildlife safe and the best exponents of these are our friends from Penguin Promises (http://www.penguinpromises.com/) and the Two Oceans Aquarium (http://www.aquarium.co.za/).

Hayley McLellan marches an enthusiastic group of Penguin Waddlers (also known as conservationists) on a grueling 125km trek from Gansbaai to Boulders in seven days.

Along the way they visit Stanford, Hermanus, Kleinmond, Betty’s Bay Strand and Muizenberg stopping off at schools and talking to as many kids as they can educating them about the plight of the critically endangered African Penguins.

In the famous words of Transvision Vamp “I don’t want your money honey, I want your love” and that’s all they ask. They just want you to make a promise to do something to help our environment and to raise an awareness about our penguins. So please if you see our waddlers be kind and give them a hoot and in so doing try think of a simple way you can make a difference to helping our penguins.

There are very few places in the world where you can see colonies of penguins on main land and on island in the same day. Yet again, another great reason to visit Hermanus and the Cape Whale Coast.

Penguin Waddle Route 2014

Penguin Waddlers arrival in Hermanus

Penguin Waddlers 2013 at The Windsor Hotel Hermanus

It’s GO ! time in the Overberg!

The Good Hope FM Adventure Race is back for the second year and it’s all systems go come the 15^th March 2014.

Teams from all over the Western Cape will descend on the Overstrand next weekend for this unique adventure race that spreads itself our across several towns of the area.

With activities like “THE BLOB” and ZIP lining as well as a host of other surprises that SA Forest Adventures has install for all the participants makes this the most exciting and largest multi adventure races in South Africa!

From the beaches to the mountains, from the rivers to the forest and everything in between comes into play in this action packed event fun for everyone and showcases so many of the area’s unexplored treasures.

This is a short video clip of 2013’s adventure race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S22tTYEtKW8.

The event is planned and organized by SA Forest Adventures who have yet again put into place all the safety precautions that are necessary for an event such as this and have the approval and support of the local emergency services and traffic control authorities.

Good Hope FM brings the vibe and the music as the headline sponsor they make sure they put the FUNK into the event.

It’s time to MOVE & GROOVE !!!!!!!!!

For more details join their Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/events/618066061581650/) and have a look at their website (http://saforestadventures.co.za/index.php/adventure-race/) .

 It’s a great day out for contestants and spectators alike. Be sure to be in the area to get a taste of this fun filled occasion!

The BLOB

Rafting

Sand Boarding

“Women and children first”

"Women and children first", this has become commonly known as the “Birkenhead Drill”. A phrase made famous in Rudyard Kipling and has come to describe courage in the face of a hopeless situation.

On the 26^th February 1852 at 02:00 in the morning the 1918 tonne ship struck rocks just off Danger Point and the wheels were set in motion for what would become the legend of the Birkenhead and the courage of the soldiers on board.

Captain Salmond gave the order for the ship to back off the rocks and in so doing ripped the bulkheads open and the ship began to sink.

The order to deploy the life boats was given and of the five only three could be deployed, one of which immediately sank. The instructions for “women and children first” was called for the first time in maritime history. These words hold fast to this day.

The soldiers of the 74^th regiment of foot and the Queens royal regiment who were on their way to fight in their 8^th cause of war were called to the decks and were ordered into rank and file. Colonel Seton of the 74^th foot dispatched men to deploy the life boats and chain the pumps, the others were to remain in rank and file. 

Within the next 10 minutes the ship had been torn in two and the aft section sank within seconds. The men were crowded now on the stern of the boat as she sank. Captain Salmond called for all the men to jump overboard and make for the boats; however Colonel Seton recognized that the men would swamp the boats causing them to sink with the women and children and ordered the men to stand fast. This they did. Seton ordered the horses to be set free in the hope that they would swim for shore and the soldiers remained calm as the ship sank beneath their feet.

Within 20 minutes of striking the rock the Birkenhead sunk. Some men made it to the shore approximately 3.2km’s while others drowned or died of exposure. As day broke the schooner lioness discovered one of the cutters and after saving the occupants of the second boat as well made their way to the scene of the disaster. Arriving the afternoon she rescued 40 more people that were still clinging to the rigging and the final tally was of the approximately 643 people on board. Only 193 survived including all the women and children. A number of surviving sailors were later court martialed as a result of the accident, but nobody was found guilty for the disaster as none of the senior officers survived.

Every year on the 26^th of February a small ceremony takes place at Danger Point Light House in which this tragic and heroic event is remembered. And a wreath is laid down in remembrance for those who lost their lives. So when next you visit Gansbaai for a shark cage dive pop past the light house and view the little memorial that still stands. 

February in the Overberg!

Beautiful, hot, sunshine filled days without a breath of wind. This is the perfect time to chill, put your feet up and relax on the beach. Occasionally taking a dip into the warmer waters that grace our shores around this time every year. Aaaaaah, the Overberg is calm and peaceful… NOT!!

February in the Overberg means it’s harvest time and that means it’s time for wine! Harvesting started in January for certain crops and will continue all the way through to early April, however it’s February and that means harvesting is at its peak. Pinotage, Chardanney, Sauv Blanc, Chiraz, Pinot Noir and other cultivars are being harvested as we speak.

On the wine farms of Elgin, Elem, Stanford, Botrivier and of course Hemel-en-Aarde there is endless activity and mad scrambling going on as grapes are being picked from the vineyards and moved to the cellars for their long journey to becoming liquid gold.

The farm manager barks out orders to the pickers explaining to them exactly when and how he wants his grapes to be picked and handled, the sorters are frantically casting their well trained eyes over all the grapes as they make their way up the conveyor belts to be crushed. Swooping like eagles they illuminate grapes that are not deemed worthy to be part of this year’s harvest. The wine maker hustles amongst all this that is going on nervous, frantic and stressed as he (or she) assesses the crop and devises the plan for the ultimate taste they wish to create.

Expressions like “good balance”, “Lingering finish,” fragrant bouquet”, “hints of”, and “French oak maturation” are flying through the wine estate marketers head at this time as well. Oh! What a time to be visiting the wine estates of the Overberg. The smell of new wine barrels, freshly crushed grapes and churned up earth inspires the possibility of what lies ahead when all of this comes together in yet another beautiful bottle of wine created in the Overberg.

So, if you are planning on spending time on the beach in the Overberg, this year, why not grab a bottle of last year’s vintage and think about all those that are running like mad on our wine estates right now. 

Relax and enjoy. Welcome to the Overberg!

Peter, Farm Manager of 7 Springs Vineyard

Sorting of grapes at 7 Springs Vineyard

Riana, Vaughan and Hetta from 7 Springs Vineyard discussing marketing ideas

Winter at the Windsor means its time for the Whales

The huge Southern Right Whales have started to arrive back in Walker bay. Reports of sightings of these gentle giants are starting to become more frequent, and more and more people are starting to see them from land. 

One of the pleasant surprises this year, if you go out on the whale watching boats, is the many reports of viewings of Humpback whales. What a treat to possibly see 3 separate whale species (as it is extremely likely that you will come across Bryde's whales) on the same trip. 

If the seas are to rough to venture out on the boats, well then stay in your room, or take a seat in the lounge of the Windsor Hotel and order a good bottle of wine and view the whales playing in the massive waves that smash up on the rocks of the cliffs in a dramatic fashion.

Winter in Hermanus and at the Windsor is a "best kept secret" time to visit