Janus le Roux van Rooidraai-plaas buite Malmesbury het onlangs ‘n paar tamaai-pampoene aan die diensorganisasie, Meals on Wheels op Malmesbury, geskenk. Hierdie pampoen van 49.9kg het 300 bakkie pampoenbredie gemaak wat aan bejaardes in die gemeenskap geskenk is. Hier is Le Roux saam met Margaret Naylor van Meals on Wheels.

Tourism in the Swartland has taken the next step to streamline the official tourism structures in the region after numerous consultations, led by Henk Bruwer, the outgoing Chairperson of Cape West Coast Swartland Tourism Association (CWCSTA). The CWCSTA was responsible for the promotion of the Swartland as a tourism destination since its inception in 2007.
Unveiling the new structure, Lizelle Carstens, newly appointed Tourism Manager, explained that previously five individual committees served the needs of tourists to Malmesbury, Riebeek Valley, Yzerfontein, Darling and Moorreesburg & Koringberg.
A consulting agency, appointed by Swartland Municipality, proposed a new structure for tourism in the region after consultation with the local industry. This proposal, which was accepted by the Swartland Municipal Council on 20 May 2021, included the registration of a Non-Profit Company with a Board of Directors and the centralisation of finances and the management of the visitor information centres in the region.
“With the new structure, collaborative marketing will broaden the reach of the tourism sector and add authenticity to the Swartland brand. The main goal of the company is to get more bums in beds and feet to the region to aid in the growth of the local economy.
“It is important to have a bottoms-up approach and the input of local tourism businesses are extremely important in taking the company and the tourism industry in the Swartland forward. Besides getting the basic administrative procedures in place, the first step for the new company will be compiling a broad tourism strategy with the input and in consultation with local tourism members. The existing voluntary tourism committees in the various town will be the first port of call for this endeavour. Swartland Tourism NPCs business plan is based on a generous financial contribution from Swartland Municipality, with whom the company has signed a 3-year Service Level Agreement, and the support of local tourism businesses through a voluntary annual tourism membership.”
The five voluntary directors of the new Swartland Tourism NPC, that was appointed at the first public meeting of the NPC held on 26 April 2022 in Malmesbury, are Tewie Roos (chairperson), Jolene Janse van Rensburg (vice chairperson) Sean Cleary-Le Grange, Michael Daiber and Derek van der Riet. Dawie Scholtz was co-opted as treasurer for the company.
This dynamic team has been hard at work behind the scenes to ensure a smooth hand over between CWCSTA and the newly formed Swartland NPC.
Tewie Roos, the chairperson of the board said: “In the economic climate that we are currently in, a united front and a coordinated approach is more important than ever. Registering an NPC for tourism makes absolute sense as it will put the company in a better position to recruit sponsors and work closer with local authorities.
“I would like to encourage tourism businesses to be part of this new and exciting direction by signing up as a tourism member and giving their input in the new tourism strategy,” said Lizelle Carstens. She further emphasised that the Swartland Tourism strategy and activities will be aligned with that of the West Coast Regional Tourism Organisation and Wesgro, the designated tourism agency for the Western Cape. Businesses are invited to reach out to Lizelle by sending an e-mail to swartland@cornergate.com

Die Weskus Distriksmunisipaliteit, saam met die Weskus Rampbestuursentrum, het die jeug van Rosenhof op Moorreesburg vermaak met ‘n Swartland Vakansieprogram. Hier het die verskillende strate in die gemeenskap saam aan ‘n sportbyeenkoms deelgeneem. Hulle is ook meer geleer oor die nagevolge van die gebruik van verbode middele. Die plaaslike polisiekantoor asook gemeenskapsveiligheid het hul gewig agter die projek gegooi. Foto: Ghida Visser

Tip 1: Know when the Spring Wild Flowers are (read this if nothing else!)
This is probably the number ONE thing that visitors misunderstand. Our spring is NOT the same as cooler Cape Town. Our spring starts much earlier. I cannot tell you the number of times we get requests for late September when all the flowers have gone! We should actually call them “late winter flowers” but I appreciate it doesnt have the same ring to it.
Our spring starts in early to mid-August. The flower season peaks IN AUGUST and it is dependent on the winter rains. But it does depend on where you go…
The further north, the earlier the flowers…
As a general rule the spring flowers begin flowering first in the Northern Cape in Namaqualand in late July or early August. They then advance southwards through Nieuwoudtville and the Cederberg region and then appear on the West Coast at the end of August. Thus the West Coast offers the best chance of seeing spring flowers in early September.
So you can see that if you do a tour through the whole area, there will be some areas which are at their peak, some which are just beginning and some which are going over.
Plus there’s an element of luck as it all depends on the amount of rain. Some years are better than others! If there has been a steady flow of gentle cold fronts during the winter, then it is likely to be a good and long-lasting flower season. But one or two violent storms interspersed with lots of dry weather are not so good.
Spring/late winter temperatures are also important. If it heats up too quickly then the early visitors have glorious sunshine but the flowers do not last very long.
The Catch 22 is that lots of rain means good flower displays. But if it continues to rain during our Spring (August), then it’s not so much fun to view the flowers!
(The bottom line is to come with an attitude of acceptance. Try to be prepared to explore other attractions of the area if the flowers are not so amazing. For example the Cederberg has some stunning mountain passes, Bushman rock art, rooibos tea farms and fantastic hiking country to enjoy. There is plenty to do here, year round. View the Bushmen rock art, do a walking trail or visit a Rooibos tea farm. The spring flowers are almost an added bonus.

Tip 2: Book Early
I cannot stress this enough. The ‘season’ is short and so people book months in advance. We run 5 day flower tours (booked up for 2021) and these are booked a few months in advance. We can assist with ad hoc private tours but only if you book in advance. But we don’t take last minute bookings because all our preferred accommodation has been booked up. We’ll refer you to the local information offices (see numbers below) who may be able to assist with last minute accommodation enquiries.
Ideally you want to be looking at early to mid August for Namaqualand, early to late August for the Cederberg and late August to early September for the West Coast. The West Coast flowers can continue until mid September in a good year or only to say the 10th Sept in an average year.
2022 Update: Book early especially if you wish to go to Nieuwoudtville, Garies or Springbok as there is relatively little accommodation.
So depending on your dates, you should choose your area…
(For example, if you are planning a trip for early September, you will be too late for Namaqualand. But fine for the West Coast around Paternoster and Langebaan. Similarly if you are coming in early to mid August then the best displays will be further north, with not much happening yet closer to Cape Town…)

Tip 3: Actual Tips for Flower Viewing
As the flowers face the sun, a good general principle is to travel north relatively quickly and then do most of your flower-viewing in a southerly direction so that the flowers are always facing you.
Similarly, as the displays are noticeably better if you travel with the sun behind you, you should plan your daily circular route accordingly. So try to travel in a westerly direction in the morning, southerly during the day. And then turn east in the afternoon.
The flowers are at their best between 10:30-11am and 4.00pm in the afternoon. So there is no need to rush out straight after breakfast, (unless you have some travelling to do before you get to the flower region).
The flowers will not come out in heavily overcast or rainy weather. So you should plan to visit other sights on such days.
Get out of your car and walk amongst the flowers – you will appreciate them so much more!
Pick up a printed flower guide to add to your enjoyment. These are available for not much money from various tourism offices in the region. They will give you photos and names of the most common flowers you are likely to see.
Use the local tourism offices in each area to find out which local routes have the best flower displays at any one time. Or ask your guesthouse as they usually are ”in the know”*
Don’t pick the flowers!
Source: https://www.cedarberg-travel.com/

Michael Basson en Benjamin Herbert van die Malmesbury Toutrekklub is verkies tot die nasionale spanne om Suid-Afrika te verteenwoordig in Holten Nederland vanaf 12 tot 19 September 2022. Benjamin is verkies tot die nasionale groen Protea-span en Michael tot die nasionale blou gazelle-span. Die kostes aan hierdie toer beloop ongeveer R30 000 en is dringend op soek na borge. Enige belangstellendes kan die klub kontak by 060 508 5144.

Hank McGregor rewrote the record books by bagging a twelfth Berg River Canoe Marathon title on Saturday, while Jenna Nisbet won her first Berg title in the women’s race.
McGregor started the final stage with more than ninety seconds in the bank over the gallant Under 23 Uli Hart, added the final bridge prize at the Bokkom Bungalows hotspot and then led the fast-paced front bunch into the finish at the Carinus Bridge at the Velddrif lagoon.
“When I was a kid I never imagined winning a Berg, you always dream big,” said the Team Euro Steel racer from Durban. “To win my first one was something special. I am over the moon to win twelve now.”
“The conditions were really tough today,” he added. “We were into a headwind right from the start and it was freezing cold, and the tide was coming in!
“We had one of the youngest fields assembled, which leaves the race in a very good space going forward. Someone will have to win thirteen titles to take over the King of the Berg title” he said.
The women’s title was wrapped up by Jenna Nisbet, who has been the dominant force in the women’s race through the four days, keeping defending champion Nikki Birkett at bay on a final stage in which she battled to find top form.
“It wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be,” said Nisbet, who is using the race as part of her preparations for the world marathon championships in Portugal at the end of September.
“When I started the body didn’t respond as I had hoped, and it took me a while to get going. I just had to stay with Nikki (Birkett) today and she was so strong and pulled most of the way.
“What was going through my mind was that if I did get dropped she could make up time very easily, so the main goal was just not to get dropped. I certainly couldn’t have done it without Hank (McGregor),” she added. “He has been absolutely incredible with training and tripping, advice during the race and even lending me his boat!
Nisbet’s sixteen place finish is also a new mark for the best overall result for a female paddler.
After three days of sublime mid-winter weather the early arrival of the cold front made conditions tough for the paddlers over the final 560 kilometre stage from Zoutkloof to Velddrif, with cold weather and a strong headwind combining to create taxing paddling into the incoming tide.
The tough conditions for the final day took it’s toll on the field. Six times winner Robbie Herreveld withdrew early on in the final stage with hypothermia.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS
BERG MARATHON STAGE FOUR
1.Hank McGregor 4:42:45 18:41:05
2.Uli Hart 4:42:56 18:42:59
3.Simon van Gysen 4:44:45 18:49:42
4.Wayne Jacobs 4:47:55 18:56:49
5.Graeme Solomon 4:53:49 19:11:11
6.Jeremy Maher 4:53:50 19:21:02
7.Heinrich Schloms 4:53:56 19:42:21
8.Anders Hart 4:53:49 19:45:12
9.Dan Jacobs 4:53:47 19:49:52
10.Tom Lovemore 4:53:45 19″58:16
WOMEN
1.Jenna Nisbet 5:13:48 20:44:04
2.Nix Birkett 5:14:01 21:06:04
3.Melanie Van Niekerk 5:29:34 21:48:32
4.Tracey Oellermann 5:48:20 22:46:12

5.Christy Shrimpton 5:54:12 23:02:20

OMEGA Racing Pigeon Club
Victoria Wes YRL -9 Julie
1 Stan the Man 13.49.34; 2 Team Neo Vision 14.00.33; 3 Shane Arendse 14.01.22; 4 Stan the Man 14.01.11; 5 Team Neo Vision 14.02.07; 6 Shane Arendse 14.03.08; 7 Shane Arendse 14.03.49; 8 Kasu Family 14.05.24; 9 Shane Arendse 14.06.28; 10 Team Neo Vision 14.10.06

RIEBEEK VALLEY
Victoria Wes YRL – 9 Julie
1 Pigeons Nest 42 13.48.00; 2 James Hokke 14.01.54; 3 MJ Hokke 14.07.42; 4 Mentoor Hokke 14.27.34; 5 MJ Hokke 14.30.26; 6 Mentoor Hokke 14.31.13; 7 James Hokke 14.40.19; 8 Botney Hokke 14.42.38; 9 Mentoor Hokke 14.46.40; 10 Mentoor Hokke 14.56.14

Malmesbury Posduif Vereniging
Victoria Wes Jo 1 – 9 Julie
1 Bordeaux A 1344.9872; 2 Bordeaux A 1331.0825; 3 Marais Hokke 1328.8436; 4 Kotze Familie Hokke 1308.6277; 5 Lewisham Lofts 1305.8805; 6 Limbardi 1300.1726; 7 Limbardi 1277.8875; 8 Kotze Familie Hokke 1266.5153; 9 Kotze Familie Hokke 1264.6603; 10 J Steenkamp 1264.2115

Victoria Wes Ope 1
1 Kotze Familie Hokke 1368.4593; 2 Limbardi 1351.4976; 3 Limbardi 1347.2825; 4 Lewisham Lofts 1318.2373; 5 Lewisham Lofts 1317.9997; 6 Marais Hokke 1309.7284; 7 G Williams 1308.3903; 8 Bordeaux A 1303.2967; 9 Team Neo Vision 1302.1894; 10 Lewisham Lofts 1299.3267

MOORREESBURG Posduif Vereniging
Victoria Wes – JO 1: 9 Julie
1 Singleton Hokke 15:07:14; 2 Singleton Hokke 15:17:05; 3 Singleton Hokke 15:27:45; 4 KB en Seun 15:28:20; 5 KB en Seun 15:28:24; 6 Frikkie Bester 15:30:01; 7 Frikkie Bester 15:32:27; 8 Singleton Hokke 15:34:02; 9 Frikkie Bester 15:34:41; 10 Singleton Hokke 15:45:24

Victoria Wes – Ope 1
1 Die Saunderse 14:55:22; 2 John & Marietjie 14:56:19; 3 John & Marietjie 14:56:20; 4 Henna & Melt Smit 14:57:04; 5 John & Marietjie 15:00:43; 6 John & Marietjie 15:07:12; 7 Frikkie Bester 15:14:05; 8 John & Marietjie 15:15:06; 9 MBA Lofts 15:37:49; 10 Henna & Melt Smit 15:20:57