It took the Milnerton Fire Department (along with a vehicle from Melkbos if I’m not mistaken) a great deal of time to get to the situation however, this is not their fault! Could somebody please explain to me why an area as large as Sunningdale, Parklands, Table View and Bloubergstrand has to rely on a fire department over 8km away with the TomTom web site claiming the quickest possible route as 13minutes away. Double this at a minimum for a fire truck excluding any preparations! Perhaps it’ll take some or other MP’s place to burn down in the area before an additional fire station is even thought of.

Recently Dolphin Beach hotel’s Blowfish Restaurant also had a fire.

More than 20 firefighters on Thursday responded to a fire at the popular Dolphin Beach Hotel in Blouberg.

Cape Town fire services received an emergency call shortly after 9am on Thursday about a fire in the Blou Fish Restaurant in the hotel.

Emergency personnel evacuated the premises and are attending to the blaze.

Cape Town Fire Service’s Winston Davids said the entire restaurant area has been affected by the smoke and flames.

original article

Wesgro has attracted investment worth R820 million to the area in the past 11 months and the total investment is projected to grow to R1.187 billion by the end of March.

Wesgro is the Western Cape investment and trade promotion agency.

Angelo Manzoni, Wesgro chief executive, speaking at a ceremony on Monday to announce the planned opening in August of the five-star Blaauwberg Beach Hotel, in which property company Realcor is investing R600 million.

He said Wesgro had been in talks with Realcor since last year and had helped to speed up the various approvals needed for the development as well as helping to access finance and government incentives.

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This photograph of a stunning sunset, taken from Big Bay Lifesaving Club, Blouberg, was captured by our Cape Town. Live it. Love it. group member Diane Stokell aka di-izzy, as she enjoyed sundowners at the club.

Diane says: “It had been a perfect afternoon for windsurfers. Their sails tend to look like butterfly wings silhouetted on the water at this time of day.

“The shot was taken at 20h00, just as the sun appears to be melting into the horizon.”

the above from Cape Town Blog

“From the aerial assessment conducted it has been noted that the oil slick is disintegrating and therefore poses no environmental threat,” Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, spokesman for the Disaster Risk Management Centre said.

“Yesterday [Friday] the oil slick reflected a spectrum of colours, and today it appears to be a sheen reflection.

“The disaster response teams remains on standby and on high-alert.”

The oil slick is positioned four nautical miles north-north-west from the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.

It is moving at five knots per hour in a south-westerly direction away from the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.

The dimension is 400 metres in length and 10 metres in width, he said.

“Koeberg Nuclear Power Station has been advised to keep the booms lowered in the event the tide changes which could have a counter current affect where the oil slick can enter the in-take basin of the plant.”

continue reading or discuss the article.

Concerns about Big Bay Beach first arose last year when a foul-smelling layer of green sludge coating the surface of the beach and a continual dampness of the beach sand were reported. These observations were made in the area directly opposite the Big Bay Surf Lifesaving Clubhouse and in front of the Big Bay development. The influx of such reports to City offices intensified following Big Bay’s award of Blue Flag status in October 2009. The City discussed the matter with the managing agency for Blue Flag in South Africa: the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA). Following a routine inspection by WESSA, the Blue Flag status was temporarily suspended, and WESSA committed to providing direction and assistance. This suspension was valid pending the City’s own investigations and the implementation of a plan of action.

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(photo: Green Beach: Environmentalist Louis Raubenheimer points to the green algae formed on Big Bay beach because of fresh water flows from stormwater pipes. photo credit)

The Big Bay weather report can be accessed directly here.

A report from Melkbos can also be accessed directly.

Milnerton can also be found here.

And lastly a report directly from Sunset Beach can be found here.
Enjoy

(credit for the above photo of Table Mountain to the photographer Warren Tyrer).

This means a commuter catching a bus on the Cape Flats would have to pay up to R19 to get to the the city centre, or nearly R18 from Somerset West or Blouberg.

Golden Arrow initially wanted a 10,4 percent increase, which the provincial transport department refused to approve.

‘They’re bullying us with these prices, it’s not fair’
Golden Arrow spokesman Vuyisile Mdoda said: “Considering fairness to taxpayers and commuters, we decided to settle on 9 percent.”

But commuters, many cash-strapped after the holidays, said the hike was way too high.

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Zille and the DA also share their aims…

Cape Town pushes for increased use of public transport

The Democratic Alliance hopes to increase the number of commuters using public transport into Cape Town to 40 percent over the next four years, Transport MEC Robin Carlisle said on Thursday.

The target is part of a strategic plan unveiled by the DA to make transport in the province cheaper and safer, and more accessible to poor and far-flung communities.

Carlisle said increased use of private cars had caused untenable congestion on roads and cost the provincial economy millions of rands in potential income.

“We will influence parties to achieve a 13 percent modal shift from private to public transport by 2014 [meaning a 60:40 private: public split into the city of Cape Town CBD],” Carlisle told a media briefing.

continue reading..

Table Mountain, as seen on postcards and advertising material is the typical view of the mountain from the Blouberg area.

Blouberg includes a couple of smaller seaside and inland towns of which Bloubergstrand, Milnerton and Melkbosstrand are the best known.

Bloubergstrand is a favorite holiday town with lots of accommodation options, restaurants, shops and long stretches of white beach for swimming and sun bathing during the summer months. Throughout the year the beach is a popular spot for walking and late in the afternoon, families, older couples and dog walkers frequent the beach area. Apart from walking, all kinds of other water sport are quite popular here due the strong winds in this area. The wind can sometimes make the beach truly uncomfortable but the surfers love it. Self-catering and beach house rentals are the favorite accommodation venues in Blouberg as families tend to prefer the area.

On the Rocks is one of the internationally acclaimed restaurants in the Blouberg area. It is basically on the rocks at Bloubergstrand and some of the favorite dishes are seafood platters and lamb shank. They cater for weddings and corporate functions and have special menus for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Ons Huisie (our small house) is the other favorite restaurant is the Blouberg area and the building dates back to 1800s. The restaurant owners did a good job of restoring the dwelling to create a true fisherman’s cottage atmosphere. The menu honors the West Coast style with a variety of fish dishes and spit and fish braais (barbeque). They also have a separate Christmas menu and are open seven days a week.

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“Spring Tide”, situated only 100m from the beach, will be fully complete by 1st February 2010.  It comprises eight units of which six are sold, leaving only two units with two bedrooms each to be signed for – both of which are priced at R1,098 million.

One of these, said Abrahamse, is on the ground floor with its own private garden.  The other is on the first floor.  All the apartments share a communal garden with a landscaped braai patio.

read the full article

” The Best of Blouberg. Exquisite Penthouse occupying 2 full levels with 360 deg. views. Underfloor heating and air-conditioning throughout “

view the full listing

Cricket legend Jonty Rhodes’s 15-year marriage with his wife Kate is on the rocks. He will be moving to Cape Town to be with his new girlfriend – report

Rhodes, who has been living in Durban, has two children with his wife – Daniella (9) and Ross (4).

Sport24 reports that he and the woman, whose identity he refused to reveal, have apparently moved into a house in Bloubergstrand together.

He said his new girlfriend is “part of the reason” for his move from Durban to Cape Town.

The other reason was that “my brother and I have business interests together,” he said. They supply road construction equipment and also do property development.

read the full article

Mountain Vista provides the weary traveller with the perfect location in which to unwind and take in the breathtaking views of Table Mountain and the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Blouberg.

Flexible accommodation is available through three separate units:

Flamingo House – sleeps 10 in 5 bedrooms
Birdsview apartment – sleeps 5 in 2 bedrooms
Aviary apartment – sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms.

We are ideally situated backing directly onto Rietvlei Nature Reserve with breathtaking views of Table mountain yet within minutes of the city centre, V&A waterfront, local beaches and the Wine Route.

view the full listing

The year before last they hatched two chicks of which one survived.
Last year dogs and people trampled over their nest and they lost their eggs.
They remained on the beach for a long time afterwards but they never attempted to breed again.  I do not think they got the opportunity.

I fear that it will be the same this year.
The strip where they can hatch their chick is becoming very narrow.

visit the full Oyster Catcher’s blog here

Emigration may have slowed, but there’s still a lot of “edugration” going on in SA and it can be expected to increase as parents do their best to get their children into good schools, says Tjaart van der Walt, CEO of the RealNet property group.

The matric results released last week have once again shone a spotlight on the success of certain schools, and this combined with the recently-revived Sunday Times Top 100 Schools survey will no doubt prompt more families to move to live closer to such institutions.

And this will of course have growing implications for the residential property market. As it is, homes in the suburbs that contain State and private schools with a reputation for excellence are always in demand, and able to command better-than-average prices even in a depressed market. Examples of such areas are Kensington, Parktown and Bryanston in Johannesburg; Rondebosch, Newlands and Claremont in Cape Town and Glenwood, Hillcrest and Westville in Durban.

view the full article here

Two stylish rooms with adjoining bathrooms and kitchen can accommodate up to four people. Includes office desk, TVs, and outside cooking access. A three-minute walk from the beach, nearby shopping areas, and restaurants. We promise meticulously clean rooms with service second-to-none. Food service available on request.

About Melkbosstrand

Melkbosstrand is located 25 minutes drive from Cape Town International Air Port and the V&A Waterfront, 15 minutes from large local Canal Walk shopping center and Ratanga Junction theme park, also a stone’s throw away from well known Wine Estates.

Melkbosstrand is a popular location for kite surfing, windsurfing, Cray fishing, fishing, skin-diving and is ideal for boating with a very safe launch slipway. Wide sandy beaches are ideal for long morning walks, sunbathing and safe swimming. Melkbosstrand is an ideal venue to watch spectacular sunsets while having a picnic on the beach. This is an ideal small sea side village for those who want to slow down and relax. It also has several golf courses close by.

click to visit their web site

Residents in Milnerton and Sunset beach will have to live with the buzzing of remote-controlled aircraft for at least another five years, says the City of Cape Town’s legal services department.

Residents living in suburbs adjacent to the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, in which the Cape Radio Flyers Club is situated, have lodged numerous noise complaints with the city, resulting in a review of the club’s lease agreement which has been renewed on a five-yearly basis since 1964.

But legal opinion submitted to the Blaauwberg Subcouncil, which holds its monthly meeting tomorrow (19/08/2009), holds that the club’s lease is valid until 2014 and, without the club breaking the terms of the lease agreement – which makes no mention of noise levels – the city could not terminate the contract.

In her report to the subcouncil, City legal advisor Susan Mosdell states that the lease was granted to the Cape Radio Flyers Club -the oldest of its kind in the country – before the area from which they operate was declared a nature reserve.

view the full article here

blah blah blah. Why don’t we just stop everything and remain dead in our little homes and not observe any form of enjoyment. Get involved in more things and stop complaining!

Blaauwberg Animal Trust was founded in 2002 to provide an urgently needed Animal Rescue Shelter in our area. (The nearest existing shelter, the AACL, is too far away in Epping). We are staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers.

To realise our goal, we need land here in the Table View area, visible and accessible, but not too close to residential areas to avoid the nuisance of our barking dogs. So far our appeal to the municipality has been unsuccessful. Any ideas? Can you help?

Harry found a +/- six-month old mixed breed pup on 7-08-2009 in  Sandown Road, West Beach.

He is a lively, friendly intelligent little thing. Very lovable, but he is the kind of dog that will appreciate a bit of a yard and a walk now and then.

He is looking for his owner or someone to love.

He has the makings of a good watchdog.

If you want to adopt him, please get in touch with Harry on 021-5542757 or 0832731671 or contact the Blaauwberg Animal Trust shop located at 51 South Road (corner Keats Road)

visit their web site at http://batshop21.blogspot.com

Vehicles leaving Sunset Beach will not be able to turn right into Otto du Plessis/R27 at the Ocean Way traffic intersection (near to the Engen garage) for two to three weeks, from Monday, 07 September.

The City of Cape Town did issue a traffic warning about this construction in last month, but due to bad weather and construction delays, this work will only commence on Monday morning.

Construction of Cape Town’s Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system will be taking place in the middle of the Ocean Way intersection, allowing no crossing between the north and south bound carriages.

Residents leaving Sunset Beach, headed towards Cape Town are advised to use a detour along Bay Beach Avenue and exit to the R27, at that Bay Beach Avenue intersection with the R27. Traffic Officers will be stationed at that intersection to assist traffic flow.

Vehicles travelling from the north (Table View/Blouberg) wanting to enter Sunset Beach, should also make use of the Bay Beach Avenue intersection.

Vehicles entering Sunset Beach from the South (City) side will not be affected and vehicles travelling from Sunset Beach north towards Table View will also not be affected by this construction.

Issued by:
Communication Department
City of Cape Town
Media enquiries:
Kylie Hatton
Manager: Media
City of Cape Town
Cell: 082 874 4605

view the full article here

Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa as seen with Table Mountain in the background.

Robben Island is in the Western Cape of South Africa, approximately 7km off the coast and 12km from Cape Town harbor. This island is an  UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

The island was first discovered by Europeans in 1488 when Bartolomeu Dias reached Table Bay.

Soon afterward it was put to use as a prison by the Portuguese, British and Dutch. From 1652 the island also served as a refreshment station for ships that did not wish to visit the mainland.

In 1658 the island saw its first political prisoner, Autshumato was stealing back livestock that was confiscated by the new European settlers, was tried and imprisoned on the island. Later the same century a number of people resisting Dutch rule over the East Indies were also shipped to Cape Town and incarcerated on the island.

In 1795 the British took control of the Cape. They continued to use the island as a prison and from the middle of the 18th century also used it as an asylum. In 1890 a leprosy colony as established on the island.

In 1936 the South African Defence Force took control of the island and improved the infrastructure by building new roads, a power station and housing.

From 1961 it was again used as a prison, primarily to house those opposed to the apartheid government of the time.

Today the island is a museum and tourist attraction.

Two shipwrecks spotted with Google Earth

While browsing around on Google Earth, I found two shipwrecks clearly visible. It appears as if these two wreckage’s are from the same ship yet information found indicates that they are from two different ships.

There are 4 listed shipwrecks around the Island, two as recent as 1998.

* Chanson de la Mer, (1986) at Shelly Beach
* Han Cheng 2, (1998) in Rangatira Bay
* Sea Challenger, (1998) in Rangatira Bay
* Fung Thu, (1977) on the South of the island

Layout of Robben Island

Click to enlarge

As seen above, the first photo is a view of both the shipwrecks, the Han Cheng 2 and Sea Challenger which both struck the island in 1998.

Visiting Robben Island

Due to limited facilities and conservation efforts, visits to the island is restricted to 1800 people per day. As at 1st February 2008 the waiting time to visit the island is two weeks, so if you plan to visit make sure that you book as soon as you arrive in Cape Town to avoid disappointment.

Ferries leave the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town six times a day. Trip time to the island is about 30 minutes. Book in advance, ph: +27 (0)21 413-4208. For information, ph: +27 (0)21 413 4200.

Be sure to book the trip to Robben Island in advance as the tours are usually booked up for several days ahead.

Want to take a helicopter flight to Robben Island? Contact Civair, +27 (0)21 419-5182.

Contact information for Robben Island:

Robben Island Museum
Telephone: +27 (0)21 409 5100
Fax: +27 (0)21 4111 059
Postal address: Robben Island Museum, Private Bag, Robben Island, Cape Town, 7400

Nelson Mandela Gateway

Telephone: +27 (0)21 413 4200
Fax: +27 (0)21 419 1057
Postal address: Nelson Mandela Gateway, PO Box 51806, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, 8002

Website: http://www.robben-island.org.za

And lastly we leave you with a beautiful of Cape Town taken from Robben Island.

Rezidor Hotel Group this week announces that it plans to expand with 10 new hotels in Africa as part of its continental development strategy for 2009. President  & CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group Kurt Ritter said during a media briefing at the grand opening of the new Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton in Johannesburg that the group will not falter in its commitment to Africa, amid the global economic slowdown.

“Rezidor’s global business development strategy is to introduce our world-class brands in emerging markets such as Africa and Russia, which are upcoming destinations for business and leisure travellers.  We are confident that Africa’s tourism will reach new heights during and after the 2010 FIFA World Cup next year, which will unlock the world’s appreciation of this continent’s unscathed beauty and offering as a world-class destination.”

In March 2009 Rezidor will open the Radisson Blu Hotel Port Elizabeth and in 2010 the group will open its second Radisson in Sandton and a Radisson in Blaauwberg, Cape Town which will compliment the very established and successful Radisson Blu Hotel Cape Town Waterfront. Rezidor plans to announce more hotels in the Cape Town, Durban and Gauteng area over the next 12 months under either its first class Radisson brand or mid-market Park Inn brand.   Rezidor will open Radisson hotels in Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia during 2009.

view the full article here

Big Bay Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

Good Luck to all athletes!

BIG BAY in Blouberg Strand has been named as the venue for the second international 11global Olympic-distance triathlon race, which is to be held on Sunday 1 March.

The event, which was originally planned for Dolphin Beach, has been relocated to Blouberg Strand, where the organisers found the swimming conditions to be safer.

The Blouberg Strand showdown for triathletes from across the world follows on the first contest, held at Sun City in November last year. Erhard Wolfaardt of Bloemfontein and Czech star Lucie Zelenkova took the honours at Sun City. Kent Horner of Tokai and Vicky van der Merwe of Durbanville finished runners-up in the men’s and women’s competitions respectively.

view the full article here

Just stop your crap, all of you!

RUMOURS of further disruption and possible violence by striking taxi operators in the Du Noon area were dismissed by the mayor of Cape Town, Ms Helen Zille, in a statement issued on Monday.

Zille said she had personally spoken to the chairperson of the dissident National Taxi Association (NTA) who gave her the assurance that there would be no violence.

Zille was to meet with the NTA today (Wednesday) to discuss their concerns after an earlier meeting scheduled for 28 Janaury had been cancelled at the last minute by the taxi alliance.

Meanwhile the Milnerton police will remain on red alert, monitoring the situation carefully, says spokesperson Insp. Daphne Dell.

view the full article here

Taken from YouTube

Great footage of kiteboarding in Cape Town, South Africa.

Kitesurfing experience in South Africa. Just above Cape town, there is a town called Blouberg. The surf is good but the kitesurf is better! Water temperature is about 12 degrees, but air is in summer around 30 degrees. Wind is about 20 knots SSE. I used a Best Waroo 08 9m2. I started kitesurfing one month before this compilation was made.

Businessman and avid cyclist Colin van Schalkwyk, who was killed when a shipping container truck crashed into the group with which he was cycling, had been training to take part in his 10th Pick n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Tour.

His widow, Zarina, said her husband, the father of their six-year-old daughter, Sara, had been training with three team-mates when the accident happened near Woodbridge Island on Otto du Plessis Drive on Saturday morning.

Van Schalkwyk said her husband, aged 43, and his teammates had left their homes at about 5am to start training, intending to head back to spend Valentine’s Day with their families.

view the full article here

This peaceful circle at the end of Blaauwberg road…..

(off the record, I’ve always wondered why they never build a nice fancy fountain feature in the middle of this circle, it would have looked so much more spectacular than the existing  weird features.. comments?)

..Could end up looking like this…

Photo apparently taken from somewhere in China

Yep, according to this latest Cape Times report, families living on a farm close to Du Noon are holding up a R4billion road project that will solve all Blaauwberg traffic problems.

A R4-billion residential and commercial development which would create thousands of jobs, could be jeopardised because 27 families living on the site near Du Noon are reneging on an agreement to leave the land, the project’s developer says.

The land owner, Ronald Shell, said the families were tenants on Annandale Farm north of Bothasig and adjacent to the N7 highway, and had agreed to financial payouts to find other accommodation.

An agreement with the families signed in December stated that each household would receive either R55 000, or R25 000 and a Wendy House set up on a site of their choice.

view the full article here

Can somebody clarify what this water sport is referred to?  A number of our readers have sent in quite a few photos capturing many of these “surfers” out in the Big Bay area. It looks awesome! Comment and let us know.

Credit to: Datafreak

Poachers with packs of dogs have been targeting Cape Town nature reserves where they hunt animals as part of lucrative betting schemes.

City officials say the poachers operate with up to 20 dogs at a time which hunt small antelope and anything else they can catch, particularly in the Blaauwberg Conservation Area and in the False Bay Ecology Park.

While they may eat what the dogs bring down, the purpose of the hunt is not to get meat for the pot, but to rake in money from betting on the hunt.

view the full article here

THE days are over when property owners on the Blaauwberg beachfront could put up a block of flats without going through a formal rezoning process that would have to include public participation.

With the lapse of Section 14 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance (LUPO) the scenario no longer exists where single residential erven could willy-nilly be consolidated for the purpose of building a hotel.

The problem is, several such consolidations and buildings have come into existence since the premier of the Western Cape allowed the so-called “Real Rights” to lapse in June 2007.

view the full article here