Bries-ie 25 Breez-e 25

Breeze-e, No 25 (2011.03)
Bries-ie 25
Maart 2011
Breez-e 25
March 2011
(Picture: Paul Perton)
Redaksioneel/Editorial
Hier op Rooiels is daar altyd opwinding! Die afgelope tyd weer was daar so baie dinge wat mense opgewonde
maak. So weer vroegoggend toe ons avonturier Riaan Manser by die glipweg raakloop. Hy het Suid-Afrika se
verbeelding aangegryp toe hy man alleen met sy fiets om Afrika getrap het, met sy kayak om Madagaskar geroei
het, en 'n week of twee gelede agter in 'n koeltrok die land vol gery het. Vanoggend het hy apparaat hier in ons
baai kom tot toets vir sy roeivaart naby Ysland.
There is always some excitement at Rooi Els! Recently there has been much for Rooi Elsers to get excited about
and then this morning we bumped into adventurer Riaan Manser at the slipway. He gripped the imagination of
South Africa by cycling around the perimeter of Africa, rowing around Madagaskar and recently he travelled the
length of the country in the back of a cooling truck. This morning he was out testing new equipment for his
coming adventure in Iceland.
Erf 115 aka the hotel site
The recent DEA+DP process of public participation on amendments to the single residential building and associated
infrastructure plans of erf 115 has elicited considerable comment. In order to understand the concerns and the developments,
we suggest you read the OCF, RERA and REC comments.
1. Comments by OCF
The OCF has referred the deviations from the environmental authorisations to the law enforcement section of the DEA & DP
for their attention. Since the deviations are material in our view, it is going to be interesting to see what DEA & DP make of
what has been built so far.
Click here to download OCF's comments.
2. Comments by RERA
RERA has examined the the development history, viewed the amended plans extensively, investigated the deviations, paid site
visits with the project co-ordinator and made some recommendations.
Click here to download RERA's comments.
3. Comments by REC
REC's mandate is conservation and has limited responses to conservation aspects, e.g. dunes, light pollution, rehabilitation of
vegetation. REC is fully supportive of the comments submitted by both RERA and the OCF.
Click here to download REC's comments.
Go beyond the hour!
This Earth Hour, go beyond the hour. Take action to make our world a better place and share
your act with the world.
Earth Hour is a global initiative in partnership with WWF. Individuals,
businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out
their lights for one hour on Saturday March 26, 2011 at 8:30 PM to
show their support for environmentally sustainable action.
We urge all Rooi-Elsers to switch off all lights for an hour, from 8:30 - 9:30 and enjoy the stars. REC is
organizing a get together for that time at the slipway. Bring your picnic basket and/or drinks. Contact: Sandra
Yeo 028 273 8163
A Sad Tale of a Whale's Entangled Tail
Dirk de Kock our local eagle spotter, who has recently
kept us well informed on the comings and goings of our
local Black Eagle family, has reported something totally
different!
Yesterday (Friday 25 February) he spotted an NSRI
vessel just off Rooi Els beach trying to disentangle a mass
of thick yellow rope - with several buoys attached to it
- from the tail of a big black adult Southern-right whale !
A light grey calf was alongside the adult whale. The rescuers used a special cutting tool and managed to remove
some of the rope but much remained when they called it a day at about 15.00. They intended to resume the
rescue attempt the next day. The question can be asked why any Southern Right whales are still in our waters at
this time of the year?
Apart from the mother's impediment both whales were reported to be in good health. The calf is estimated to be
at least a year old.
Later: ‘n Paar dae later is die walvis naby Gansbaai
gewaar. Die reddingspan is weer ingestuur en hulle het
daarin geslaag om nog van die toue los te sny.
Ongelukkig het die walvis weer sake bemoeilik en hulle
moes maar weer die aftog blaas. Beide moeder en kind
het nog sterk geswem. Die orige toue moet verwyder
word om haar oorlewing te verseker. Nan Rice van die
South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) het genoem dat hulle op die uitkyk sal wees vir
hierdie walvis soos sy langs die kus op beweeg.
Noorkapper walvisse word tog deur die jaar in ons waters gesien (aan die Weskus waar die koue stroom ‘n
sekere soort seeorganisme voorsien wat hulle kan onderhou).
Lees meer oor die werk wat gedoen word om walvisse en dolfyne te help: www.dapg.org.za /sawdn.htm
Pro-active Rooi Els
With Easter approaching and the promise of cooler
autumn weather, there might be a perfect opportunity for
Rooielsers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of
their individual properties and be pro-active.
Security
Check that your door and window locks/burglar proofing
are in good working order.
Ask your security company to do a maintenance check of
your alarm system.
Activate your alarm system when you are not home, and consider having a night-time mode programmed
in for when you are home.
Check that your motion-triggered external lights still work, and ensure that their automatic switch-off
settings fall within the spirit of Rooi Els’s light pollution guidelines.
Get to know your neighbours and the people in your community.
Report suspicious activity immediately.
Remember, Rooiels Security Watch coordinates information and facilitates the discussion of community-wide
security options, but ultimately YOU are responsible for security arrangements on your property, so take
a thorough look around, take care of yourself, and become actively involved in a caring community.
Fire
Rooielsers have been fortunate so far this year with no serious fires reported. Perhaps we are more vigilant and
take responsibility for reducing our fire risks.
Keep up the good work:
Harvest your roof water and connect a long hosepipe to your storage tank/s (ensure the pipe can reach up
to the boundaries of your property).
Remove alien vegetation such as Rooikrans from your property (FIREWISE have identified these plants
as a fire risk!)
Remove dead wood and branches around your house to reduce the fuel load.
Plant a fire break (sourfigs are ideal) on the edges of your property.
Ensure braai fires are always safe and never left unattended.
Report suspicious fires immediately: All Hours Fire Emergency Number: 028 312 2400
And: There has been overwhelming support for the idea that we do not support the fruit and fish vendors by
buying from them.
Eneth Kruger
Gnomes down in the garden?
Two incidents of vandalism occurred recently. Both
involved water and sprinkling systems. In one case the
wires in the control box of the computerised system were
cut through. In the other case two water tanks were
emptied of their contents and a huge amount of municipal
water was lost (for owner’s account). Both lawns seemed
“burnt” in certain areas.
As daar nog mense is wat opgelet het dat hul grasperke
“gebrand” is, laat ons asseblief weet daarvan.
In beide gevalle kon die gebreekte toerusting nie aan
bobbejane toegeskryf word nie aangesien toegang tot die
skakelaars/stelsels te ingewikkeld was vir bobbejane om baas te raak.
Our Leopards
Wolfgang, Anuta and Jill were invited to join the two
leopard girls on their first sortie into the Kogelberg to
collect data from the cameras installed two months ago.
We visited four camera sites and were able to view
photographs of three cameras on site.
Left: Wolfgang helps to replace batteries
Subsequently Jeannie and Anita forwarded the photos
below.
Twee foto’s was teleurstellend omdat een kamera se lens
toegewasem was na die reën en in die ander geval het
beperkte finansies beteken dat daar slegs ‘n enkele
kamera geïnstalleer is en die luiperd het te naby aan die
kamera beweeg. Was daar twee oorkant mekaar, sou
ons ‘n pragtige foto gekry het wat identifikasie moontlik sou gemaak het. Hieronder is 'n paar van die diere wat
verby die kamers beweeg het. By Spinnekopnes is daar egter 'n pragtige foto gekry. Ons weet dus wel dat daar
nog luiperds in ons berge is!
The cameras installed by the Leopard Trust will only be in use in the Kogelberg for another two months after
which they will be removed for use in another mountain range. Wolfgang is still recruiting sponsors to buy and
erect a Rooi Els camera which would be a permanent installation to be serviced and maintained by Rooi Els
residents. So, let the sponsorships roll in! Do an EFT and claim your stake in our own camera.
And the winner is: Kolle, caught on camera behind Rooiels at 11:36 on 23 January at Spinnekopnes!
Bank details:
Rooi Els Conservancy
ABSA, Branch code 334 312, Savings acc. no. 9126694863
Reference: Camera project
Our own weather station?
There is a hunger for good weather info from many folk in
Rooi Els, so we asked Keith Moir to investigate the
possibility of installing our own weather station.
Below is the link to iweather website which contains
enough info re costs and weather station ability to provide
us with an idea of the implication of running a weather
station.
These stations provide real time web-based info on wind
speed and direction, temperature humidity and rainfall
(maybe extra cost).
You’ll note initial cost of approx R11,000 while there’s a monthly R129 on top of that.
The data could be made available via a link from our web site.
Keith spoke with Russell (lives in Betty’s Bay) about reliability of the equipment with respect to our daunting
winds. He assures me that he has upgraded particularly the wind sensors which were a problem in his initial
systems. Even so, these wind sensors will not last forever and may need replacement in the 2 to 3 year time
frame.
We would welcome your comments on this idea.
http://iweathar.co.za/products.php then click for “more info”
Grasse, grasse, grasse
'n Uitheemse grassoort het groot gedeeltes van die
natuurtuin ingeneem. Die vermoede is dat dit met
padgrond ingekom het, en soos enige indringer het dit
baie vinnig versprei. Die Bewarea het besluit om van
hierdie grasse te verwyder en tuinier John is nou elke
Donderdag hard besig om hierdie grasse uit te haal en in
sakke te sit, wat die munisipaliteit dan vir ons verwyder.
John het oor die afgelope 7 weke al by die 40 sakke van
hierdie gras uitgehaal!
John word ook vir ander Bewareawerk gebruik:
skoonmaak van die oorlaaistasie - omgewing, uitkap van rooielsbome, en dan gaan hy ook vir Jill by die ingang
se tuine help. John is aan baie van ons bekend en is 'n baie harde en betroubare tuinier. Kontak Anuta as u hom
nodig het vir tuinwerk.
Lidmaatskap/Membership
Die Rooi Els Belastingbetalersvereniging en die Bewarea het beide u lidmaatskap nodig. Hierdie twee verenigings
doen baie om ons dorp 'n beter plek te maak. Verlede jaar het die Bewarea bv. die 'boardwalks' in die
natuurreservaat laat bou, 'n voetpad seelangs aangelê, duine help stabiliseer, die kapdae help befonds, padtekens
aangebring en nog vele meer. En al hierdie dinge kos geld wat uit u lidmaatskapgelde kom.
Click here for membership application for RERA and REC
'n Nuwe blom in die ekosentrum!
Elizabeth Moss het die flora-inligting en voorbeelde van spesies wat in bepaalde tye in Rooi Els blom oorgeneem
en sy maak dit 'n moet-besoek aan die ekosentrum. Sy doen baie moeite om na te vors wat op op die oomblik
blom, kry agtergrondinligting en dit word alles saam met die voorbeelde uitgestal. Sy doen ook moeite met die
medisinale plante wat in Rooi Els groei en verskaf ook daaroor inligting.
Loer beslis in...
Come and smoke a joint from my garden....
One of the flowers that you'll find in and around Rooi Els at the moment is the so-called 'wild dagga' or Leonitus
leonurus - because the hairy flowers vaguely resemble lion's ears. Sunbirds can't resist this flower and drink the
nectar brewed within the wild dagga's cluster of orange flowers. But why wild dagga? It is recorded that the
Nama smoked the leaves and made small cakes, in much the same way that Cannabis sativa is used! Yes, it
has a mild intoxicating effect! But so mild that it could hardly be called a drug...
It is an attractive shrub growing 2 to 5 meters in height. Thick woody base and pale brown branches. Bright
orange flowers borne in characteristic rounded groups.
...and meet the bride
Hier in die begin van die najaar slaan ons wilde kamfer, Tarchonanthus camphoratus, in 'n oorvloed van
witterige watterige blomme uit. Ek noem dit ons vroegherfsbruid.
Tarchonanthus camphoratus grows from 2-9m high. It is a semi-deciduous small tree that grows mostly in
large uniform groups, but it grows larger and more densely when it grows alone among other trees in the bush.
The creamy-white flowers are borne in a branched inflorescence on the terminal end of the branch. The fruits are
covered with fluffy cottonwool-like hairs. These woolly, white fruiting heads are strongly scented and most
attractive. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees.
The camphor bush is used for medicinal purposes. Problems such as blocked sinuses and headache can be
healed by inhaling the smoke from the burning green leaves. Drinking a boiled mixture of leaves and water can
help to treat coughing, toothache, abdominal pain and bronchitis. Leaves can also be used for massaging body
stiffness and as a perfume. The cottonwool like seedheads were used to stuff cushions.
Rooi Els 100 years hence
In a hundred years we’ll all be gone but Rooi Els will be here,
The fynbos outlasts us all, while Millenniums come and go.
More homes will cover the landscape I do fear
As people ebb and flow.
The eagles soar on thermals high, gaze down upon the land,
Where otters, muishond, snakes and baboons roam
Seeking forage for their hungry band
Beside the sea and foam.
Some days still, and some days wild, the sea has brushed away
Some rock and sand, and kelpy shore and dune
Dancing on many a blustery day
To our South Easter’s tune.
But only man, the changeling, will come to live and die
Leaving damning history our memory-path
While nature either laughs or cries
At our epitaph.
Geoff Harris • Rooi Els 2011
(Picture: Sandra Yeo)
Fluit-fluit my storie is uit. Till next time.
Gerard
Fire Update
Report from Geoff:
Saturday morning
A fire started near Arabella and burned up into the Kogelberg. Fanned by very high winds, it streaked across
toward False Bay and Rooi-Els. The first flames could be seen coming over the mountains to the North late last
evening – but the clouds of smoke had long presaged their arrival.
We were told that there were a hundred firefighters with all their equipment on site. The command post was set
up at Something Els in the CBD and food and refreshments were quickly supplied by many of the local ladies.
The REBC ‘came to the party’ and donated R500 towards refreshments.
The fire worked its way around the corner of the R44 and then encountered the high winds barreling down the
Rooi-Els River, which slowed its progress. The firefighters were then able to ‘do their thing’ and had the situation
under control by early morning. In situations like this, men remain on duty to ensure there are no ‘flare-ups’.
Fire fighting teams were: City of Cape Town, Work on Fires, Overstand Municipality, Cape Nature, the Fire
Volunteers from Pringle Bay and Bettysbaai and Gansbaai. The minister of ​
Local Government, Environmental
Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, will visit the area this morning.
Our heartfelt thanks to all those brave folk who helped keep the flames at bay – and those who kept the hunger
pains away!
In the midst of all this mayhem a visitor in Rocklands Road was seen with an open fire, sparks flying in the wind
– about to braai his meat. Geoff asked him to douse the flames. The visitor was not very happy and denied that
this fire was actually illegal i.t.o the local by-laws.
Remember that Pierre Kruger is our resident Firewise Man: 071 399 9112. Please report any fires to him. You
could also phone him for updates.
Report and photos from Dick:
For the past week we have been subjected to very strong south-east winds rising to gale force at times. This
coupled with the intense heat (unusually getting up to 35 degrees) has been a recipe for disaster. On Wednesday
a large fire started near the Arabella Golf Estate (allegedly stared by arsonists) and swept down towards
Kleinmond. No property or lives were lost and the fire was diverted into the mountains behind Kleinmond
town. By Thursday afternoon it was acknowledged that it was out of control and heading for Gordon’s Bay and
Rooi Els. Friday was a very smoky day; hot and gale force winds added to the discomfort index.
The photos shown in the Picasa album shown below will bring it all to life for you - should you be interested!
We spent a very anxious Friday afternoon and evening debating whether or not we would have to evacuate, or
at least prepare to do so. Eventually we just sat tight and hoped that the “Cavalry” would protect us- which they
did. There were far more fire fighters in the area than we had had on the previous occasion when the fire came
right up to our front door so we took heart that this time it would be different. And it was- by 23h00 on Friday
night the fire was stopped about 300 metres from the Rooi Els bridge and eventually burnt itself out along the
coast line heading back towards Gordon’s Bay. So we were at last able to get to bed!
The mountains all around us are now black and bare and will remain so for the next few years. We shall be
covered in soot whenever the wind blows- but there is a promise of rain tomorrow so here’s hoping that the
small fires still burning high up in the mountains will at last be extinguished and the long process of rejuvenation of
the fynbos can start.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
Cheers from a recovering Rooi Els
https://picasaweb.google.com/JillAndDickLockley/RooiElsFireMarch2011?
authkey=Gv1sRgCNusyNqO8JeFVQ&feat=directlink