PATRICK & MARIANNE’S WEDDING PARTY
WELLINGTON
SATURDAY 27 DECEMBER 2008.
Early in 2008, Patrick Giddy & Marianne Camerer decided to become a married couple. The wedding ceremony took place in February 2008. Marianne asked her parents for a wedding party to take place at a time when more of her family and friends could celebrate the occasion with her.
Barbara could not go to the wedding party as Cathy & Saul were at our home as well as Nicci and her whole family. So when Patrick asked me to go to the party in Cape Town I asked Richard Kumm (Dawn is Barbara’s sister and Richard is Dawn’s husband) if he would be prepared to drive down with me. Once he had accepted and I had approval from Marianne we made plans to drive down to Cape Town on Boxing Day 26.12.2008.
Richard and Dawn had recently acquired their Canadian Permanent Visa and Dawn asked if she could use the opportunity to drive to CT with us as she would go to say good bye to her family and friends in CT at the same time. Richard and Dawn have two daughters who both live in Calgary. Calgary has oil and for this and other reasons, has been a growth economy for a number of years.
Raylene has been in Calgary for something like 15 years with her husband Steve. Tracey and Mark plus two children; Asher & Kayle moved to Calgary from East London three or four years ago. They have a country home where Dawn and Richard share a basement flat that has its own entrance and view across the valley. Dawn tells me that she has plans to become involved in community activities now that she has residence. There is a tiny village near to their home called Priddis. Richard has become part of a Ham Radio group.
Ian’s two daughters; Julia and Laura arrived in SA on Friday 19th and I collected them from the airport that evening. Julia is in the final stages of her Geology studies at Michigan University while Laura completed high school this year with excellent academic records and is now in her first year at Michigan. Please note that Michigan is not pronounced with a T as Mitchigan. It is pronounced as Mishigan. They stayed for a few days with our son Michael who lives in Target Kloof (River Road).
Sunday evening we attended a carols by candlelight service at Clarendon Park School. This was the second year that our church has arranged this evening and it was a huge success. There was a great vibe on the field before the service with Mike Perks providing games. Most of us had a small picnic or bought some boerewors rolls. Both children and adults did quite a bit of socializing. There were 19 in our group: Barbara, Peter, Dawn, Cathy and Saul, Nicci, Stefan, Christian, Aaron & Zara, Ally and friend Ali, and Julia and Laura; Michael, Lene, Jessica, Joshua and Daniel. Our only missing family is Jacqui’s. Jacqui, Michael, Emily and Anabelle are still in London. Jacqui arrives in PE on 1st January 2009.
Then on Monday 22nd I drove J & L to Plett where Patrick and Marianne had been staying for a few days. Ian and Jenny met us there. Ian had stayed the previous night at their house in Springer Baai near to Mossel Baai. They had done some shopping for Wildcliff in George and we loaded J & L’s stuff in the back of the Toyota.
I had a quick lunch after saying my Hello’s to; Ena, Ian & Alice Spence and Alice’s brother Steeg and then headed back to PE. There was a strong tail wind and I flew home in quick time. The road works had been opened and suspended for the holiday period. Unfortunately the opposite applied to Ian and his family as they had to drive into the teeth of the West wind with a fully loaded bakkie. It was a bit of a nightmare of a drive for them.
That week seemed to fly as we were busy at home with family, busy at work and I tried to stay as fit as possible with jogging and swimming in the mornings at Hobie beach with Adrienne and Elmarie. Adrienne & I have been running partners for as many as 25 years. One of her daughters is Jenny Wilson who represents SA in Hockey at the Olympics. Adrienne herself is an international Dive judge and was in Bejing together with Jenny. Elmarie I have met more recently and she is the wife of Peter who is a good friend of Ron who has been a family friend of ours for over 25 years. Ron is currently visiting his son Craig in the UK. On the morning of 24th we did a short run through the Golf Course and ended up at the cars at Grey with a mug of Champagne that Adrienne supplied. One little sip at 06.00am and I felt the “warmth” in my tummy.
All this time Barbara had been trying to keep her family entertained and active while being busy with her traditional presents purchasing and wrapping. Barbara puts huge effort into this activity and at the end of it we had a Christmas tree with a mountain of presents under the tree. Our children’s family’s also placed their gifts under the tree and it was a wonderful time for the younger children to enjoy on Christmas day.
Christmas morning saw a beautiful sunrise and stockings being opened. I collected Sydney, the car guard, from Jerusalem Ministries to guard our house while we were in church. Unfortunately Michael was late for the service so we were not able to all sit together as a family.
The rest of Christmas day was spent in doing the present giving thing. There were piles of papers and boxes all over the place as wrapping was torn off the gifts and excited children examined their prize and then searched for the next one. Ally was quite conservative and took her time in opening the gifts. Each child had a huge red bag or stocking with the smaller gifts. I was given two shirts and a pair of shorts, a gift pack of toiletries, socks and a hanging sign for the front of the house. We had a good relaxed morning and afternoon which included a couple of naps on the couch. I washed and cleaned the car in preparation for the next day’s drive.
The following morning was Boxing Day and I collected Richard and Dawn at their home at about 05.00am. We had a reasonably easy drive to Wildcliff with a stop at Wilderness for a sandwich and then at Albertina where we stocked up at the Gekerfde Biltong shop and Richard bought Dawn a Magnetic Bracelet. This Biltong shop we discovered a few years ago and has become a compulsory stop each time we drive this road.
As we drive to WC I receive a phone call from Patrick asking me to “say a few words”. ‘About what?’ I ask. Patrick in his normal vague way tells me that I should talk about myself. While I know that I am an expert on this subject, I decide to talk about family instead.
We refueled in Heidleberg and stocked up on a few provisions at the Spar. As we arrived at Wildcliff we met up with Keith and his family. Keith has taken on the job of manager of WC for a year. He is ex US Air force and has traveled the world for his work. Now at the age of Mid Forties he has been able to take an early retirement and has committed to WC for a year. He has a wife Paula and two children; Abigail (10) and Bryce (6). They have been fixing up the White House and this is now a completely livable home. They are in the process of finishing off the fittings and providing some furnishings. They are presently staying in the Weaver’s Nest but should be able to move into the WH shortly.
Ian tells me that the Aloe that I planted on the Island of the Pond has survived. ‘Let me see’: thinks I. I take a swim in the pond. The top layer of water is warm like a bath but just below the surface the water is quite brisk. And yes, the Aloe is healthy and growing well. Jenny made up a good lunch of salads. Ian suggests that we take a walk up the Fynbos Road. I was stiff from the drive full from eating and happy for some exercise. As we were about to leave, Bryce calls me over to look at a Puff Adder that he had found on their front doorstep of the WH. It was a healthy looking animal and completely relaxed. Keith told us that he saw it move off later.
We hiked up the road for a bit before Paula caught us up with the Bushpig and we drove the rest of the way to the end of the old Wattle forest area. Where the Wattle has been felled, a forest of new saplings are emerging and will have to be sprayed soon. From here we walked up to Ena’s Falls. As we go up Fynbos Road we again see the impact that the clearing of both the pine and the wattle is already making to the reserve.
Laura had been up to Laura’s Peak before and was keen to show us the view from the top. The wind was quite chilly and this again reminded me of my own rule: never walk without a backpack and basics. Ian had some tape and we were able to mark a trail leading up to the Black Rhino Rock (or Dinosaur rock). And then up to Laura’s Peak. It is a short walk but worth the effort as from here you get a good view of the Hidden Valley and down to the Talari Valley.
Bryce is a bright youngster pointing out the Dassie Midden and the various types of Lichen. I have to ease my way down from rock to rock. Bryce simply jumps where my knees would not stand a chance. He feels the chill in the air so lies down on a warm rock out of the wind. On our way down, back to the bakkie, he tripped and fell. He cut his knee but this did not phase him as he was soon back on his feet sprinting downhill. The next time we saw him was at the driver’s seat of the Bushpig.
Jenny again made us a delicious meal of Turkey and salads. I was ambitious and tried to read in bed, but after five minutes my eyes were closed and the book was on my lap unread. The next time that I was conscious was at about 05.30am when I woke up to join Keith for a run. Keith and I jogged down to the stream and then walk/jogged up to the main gate. Here we turned left and jogged down to the quarry where there was a truck parked. Keith says that this truck has been here for months. I had a look and saw that the keys were still in the ignition. I am pretty sure that the truck is not in running order.
We saw two Heron on the field across from us and startled a buck in the bush near to the road. We turned and headed home and then just as we were approaching the WC gate at the weir, Keith pointed out two Reebuck in the road ahead. We also saw a good number of baboon in the oak tree meadow that morning.
After the run I had my shower and a bite to eat. Including this really great Smoothie that Jenny has made from Raspberry, Banana, Yogurt, ice cream and ice cubes. I check the TV for a cricket score and see that the Australians are in the process of giving us a hiding. They scored 394 in their first innings and, at the end of day two, we are at about 150 for 6. I turn off the TV in disgust. I see myself lazing the rest of the day away until we were to leave at about noon when Jill and family were due to arrive. Not so! Ian had other plans for me: Dig a hole for the Yellow Wood tree next to the pond.
I had made some pancakes and burnt a finger on the pan so was a little sensitive to wielding a pick. No Mercy: said Ian. Dig! So we dug a hole for this tree and finally with great difficulty had the tree secure in position. Off I go to wash and make a cup of tea which I intend to enjoy with Richard who is standing on the stoep watching and enjoying my labours.
Not so for the second time. There is a second hole to dig: this time for the creeper in front of the stoep. We hit rock. No trouble says Ian: move the hole to another place. Paula invites Ian to look at Baboon Poo under microscope. An excited Ian leaves me to dig the hole. So now we are on to the third hole of the day. I know that if I did this on a regular basis I could get fit for digging holes but, despite being in the shade, I am sweating and tired. Finally we have the creeper in place and I am able to pack the car and ready to leave. ‘But first my tea’; thinks I.
Not so for the third time! ‘Are you ready to leave?’ asks Ian. I look at him and with fear in my heart, admit that I am. Water the garden! he orders. So still no tea and no feet up on the bench. Eventually I hide myself in a corner, pour some tea and sit down to relax. Jill arrives and we drive off. We had decided to drive to CT via the Gysmans Hoek pass road but as the Bushpig had no petrol we had to turn around and go via Heidleberg. We stop off at the Wimpy for lunch. It was chock-a-block. We order take-away. They mess up the order but we have to leave and head off for CT.
Richard is not feeling that good. Julia is in the car with us. We drive on to Swellendam and phone Jenny to drive straight through where we plan to turn right to Ashton and Robertson. But somehow I mess up the instructions. After a bit of back and forth including chasing another Toyota which stops after we told Jenny to stop we finally drive off towards the N1 where we plan to off load Julia so that she can drive the last bit with Ian to Wellington. Really funny as we drive ahead then wait for Ian a few times. Each time he drives past us and we catch him up and hoot and wave as we pass him. I don’t think he saw us once! We manage to take time to stop off at the Spanspek Plek and buy a few Sweet Melons.
Finally Julia gets into the car with Ian and we drive through to drop Dawn off with her cousin Sue who lives near to Stefan & Nicci. Richard and I have a quick shower (cold for Richard) and put on our smart clothes. We follow Marianne’s (Lala) instructions & arrive at the wedding party which is being held at Marianne’s family home at Welgegund www.welgegund.co.za in Wellington at 18.30 exactly.
Lala’s Parents: Alex and Sheila Camerer live on a wine and olive farm near to Wellington. It is a wonderful home with a lawn where we are greeted with Champagne and snacks. Richard and I are introduced to family members. I almost make the mistake of calling Lala’s sister (Lissy) Marianne but realize just in time that this is a sister. A twin sister I am told later. I am able to sit down with an old friend of Patrick and of Mike Dean; (Margie) and her husband (Ian) plus two children Megan and Rosa. Megan & I find out that we share a birthday. Mine is just 38 years ahead of hers.
While sitting and chatting; a musical trio of a violinist, a flute player and a cello player serenade us with delightful music. Throughout the evening this trio plays in and around the guests. They accompany the background music when it is time to dance and they walk around tables making the evening even more romantic.
I see Shauna. She looks terrific. I am introduced to her husband Trevor and girls: Josie (10) and elder sister and younger brother (Names?). I am really sorry that I did not persuade Ally to come along as Ally loves to meet family. Shauna has a wonderful family and we are able to chat about Lloyd and Judy who I am delighted to hear still live at Little Falls Mooi River. I tell Barbara about this and we determine to try to visit them when we are in KZN for Nippers later in 2009.
Ena, Alice and Steeg arrive. They look good and dressed for the occasion. I am sorry to see that Ian Spence could not make it as he was not feeling his best. Ian, Jenny, Julia and Laura are there and look very smart. The two girls seem to be enjoying being in South Africa and being part of our activities. I love having them around as both of them are mature, intelligent and active young people. Add to that their good looks!
After a period of meeting people and chatting on the lawn we move to the dining area which is a covered stoep area. There is a very long table where Patrick and Marianne sit plus three smaller tables. I am fortunate enough to be on one of the small tables seated with some young people. On my left is Julia (a cousin to Lala) who is studying at Oxford University. I meet Shamus, Julia’s boyfriend. I like Julia: she tells me I look younger than my younger brother! She also tells me that she has rediscovered Christ and now attends the evening services at a vibrant Anglican church in Oxford.
I also sit next to Lissy. Lissy is married to an Ian. I meet him later that evening. And I see some children but lose track of who belongs to whom. The Minister says a short speech and then says the Grace. He does so in Latin, reminding me of my school days. The Grace ends something like Payasim Christim Dominum Nostrum: Amen. We learn that this invites us to the Heavenly Banquet. Later that evening I meet his wife Cecelia. We are served a delicious pastry with tomato mush and then there is a buffet of salmon plus a variety of salad. This is a real treat. I have heard that there is pudding so I avoid seconds.
Meanwhile Sheila makes a speech and tells us a bit about her experience of the couple. I think that the family has reservations about Patrick marrying their lovely daughter. But ultimately have no choice despite the fact that he does funny things like keeping his cap on his head during breakfast. As long as Lala sees the humourous side of Patrick they will be fine. Sheila loves Thomas and that cannot be put aside. Alex seems to be easy going. I have not met the Grandmother but I hear that she is still questioning this strange relationship. Lissy appears happy that Lala is happy. Everyone does a great deal of hugging.
Lala takes us through a very interesting chronological history of her coupling up with Patrick. (I have asked her for her notes). Sarah, a family friend makes an impromptu speech. And I am asked to say my bit as well. I have two points that I have decided to make: firstly it is really good to see Patrick so happy. And Secondly I try to introduce the people who originate in some way from ‘Patrick’s side’. Our Mother: Ena, her sister in Law & best friend: Alice and Alice’s brother Steeg from Sweden. Then there is Shauna, Trevor and their children. Our elder brother Ian, his children Julia and Laura and his wife Jenny. Patrick’s friend Margie and her family. Richard, who kept me company on my drive from PE.
Lissy orders all the men to stand and move four places in a clockwise direction. This applies to the main table only and everyone gets a chance to meet some new people. Then Pudding is served. It is a kind of Baked Alaska with Meringue and ice cream. Yummy! I have some of this while sitting at Richard’s table. Then, while the dancing is going on, I help myself to seconds. To avoid looking like the glutton that I am, I move to another table for this helping.
I encounter Rebecca (mother of Julia) and daughter Rebecca. Alex joins us and announces that we are sitting over the drain. We decide to move outside to the lawn for coffee. Julia and I dance. This has been quite an outing for us. The evening has been quite enchanting. The weather played its part as it was a clear, starry sky with little or no dew. Lissy and her team have run the logistics of the evening with precision. The meal was both healthy and tasty.
Both Richard & I have met a number of people who seem to fit into Marianne’s family in some way. Richard had a lady at his table who seems to think that he was a Hit Man and wanted him to take care of some problem people. Alex and Sheila are being shipped out to Bulgaria for a four year period to set up a South African Embassy there. I will have to look up on the map to find Bulgaria. Sheila, who is a lawyer, works in the Government as a Politician. Alex tells us that he will have to commute back to RSA to see to his farming activities. His son, who I did not meet, will be taking care of some of the business aspects as well. They are having to learn Bulgarian which is similar to Russian with a funny alphabet.
I have been a really good boy and only had my one glass of wine that I used for toasting and am quite fit for the hour drive home when Richard and I decide that the witching hour is upon us. We greet as many people as we can and head off back to Stellenberg where we flop into bed for a 5 hour sleep. Nicci & Stefan Steenkamp operate their Photographic business from their home in Stellenberg. www.zara-zoo.com
Nicci and Stefan have recently launched a wedding planner called the little pink book. The launch in Cape Town was a huge success and demand for the book both from Retailers such as Executive book and individual orders far exceeded expectations. As a result they are presently in the process of launching the Gauteng version.
We arranged to pick Dawn up in Wynberg at cousin Joan at 06.00am. Richard takes out his PC and finds the map that takes us directly to her home. After coffee and a chat we set off for the N2. Richard is in doubt of my ability to navigate our way out but finally concedes a mutter of agreement when he sees that we are on the N2 and not lost. I look out for a BP filling station and only find one in Gordon’s Bay.
Now on the road, we encounter fairly heavy traffic. But we are not rushed and I am not impatient. We have decided to stop in Albertina again as I need to stock up on Biltong for Gerald. Richard wants to purchase some of the Magnetic Bracelets for his Canadian Family. We listed to the wireless for a Cricket score. The Protea’s are playing Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). And to our amazement and great delight we hear that JP Duminee and Dale Steyn have steered us to an incredible 465 and that the Aussies are now going to have to play for a draw. This is a three match series and we have already won the first.
Near to the Biltong shop we find a shop selling toasted sandwiches. I have a toasted Cheese and Tomato and a Chicken Mayonnaise. Both sandwiches are great quality. This shop adjoins the filling station and while it does not look like much there is a nice play area, a place to walk the dog a good Biltong shop and a liquor store that boasts a wide variety of wines. It is perfect as a mid way between PE and CT.
The coffee we order is similar to that which we used to be served by the South African Railways when traveling distances. It is thick strong coffee with bits in it. Dawn tossed her coffee out. Unfortunately the food does not agree with Richard and again he is not feeling his best. Long periods of sitting seem to make Richard feel very uncomfortable and he has ongoing back pain.
The traffic remains heavy and I am able to ask Dawn to take over the driving for a while. In the back seat I lay down and fall fast asleep. As we approach Knysna we are in Bumper to Bumper traffic. We refuel and from here we make our way through a constant flow of cars and trucks to home. My family has been on the beach and enjoying the slides at McArthur Baths.
I drop Dawn and Richard off at their home where they are staying with friend Brenda. Brenda is a Fisherman and currently in Knysna where she is attempting to source a supper from the sea. I am glad to be home. We make a Seafood Paella for supper and turn in early. Stefan & I go out for an early morning run on the promenade and a swim at Hobie Beach the following morning.
It is Monday morning and I know that my office will be quiet and I will have to be creative in organizing a full day. As I get to work I see that the cricket has now taken an even more dramatic turn. The day’s Cricket in Melbourne start at 01.00am our time and now at about 09.00am we have bowled the Aussies out for just 240 and need something like 183 runs to win. And we have a full day to go. Graham Smith scores a steady 30 runs before stumps and so, with a day in hand, and no wickets down, we have to score just over 150 runs. The following day they won the match creating an historic first time ever to win a Series in Australia. Ian dropped J & L off at CT airport to fly back to New York and he & Jenny drive back v through the Hugenot Pass. They stop in Robertson at an antique shop and purchase a Chest of Drawers for WC which they load into the Bushpig.
The wedding invitation:
Saturday 27th December 2008
6.30pm until late
Sundowners, Dinner and Dancing
Dress is “festive”
With love,
Marianne and Patrick
For catering purposes please RSVP by 1 December to let us know you are definitely coming; email, marianne.camerer@gmail.com or 083 2668316
Directions to Welgegund (www.welgegund.co.za):
(Coming from Cape Town, 75 km on good roads, and 50 minutes)
Leaving Cape Town, follow the N1 north towards Paarl. Prior to reaching Paarl, take the off-ramp on to the R44 to Wellington. Stay on this road until you come to a T-junction. You are now in Wellington, on Champagne Drive, with a cemetery on your right. Turn left into Piet Retief Street (R301), and at the first robot – with the Andrew Murray Church on your left – turn right into Church Street. This is the road leading to Bainskloof (R301). After exactly 1 km from the Church, you will see the Wellington Museum on your left. Turn right into Berg Street – indicated on the pavement. After crossing three 4-way stops, continue for 1½ km through agricultural land until you see a small farm school – Saal Charl Cillier – on your right. After about 100 m, a dirt road goes off to the left. Welgegund is signposted. Follow the dirt road to the end – approximately 1 km – into Welgegund.
Peter Giddy
peter@wildcliff.org
December 2008.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS 2008
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS
MINUTES OF A MEETING HELD AT CATHCART ROAD 31 JANUARY 2008.
Warren,
Varrin
Deon
Lee
Hannes
Clint
Peter
Carnival of Sunday 3 Feb 2008 at Kings Beach.
Be there at 06.30 to set up arena’s and our own tent and equipment.
Bring finishing numbers
Scoring books
Peter to be U12 Scorer
Safety Officers and craft – Warren to follow up with Clive.
Patrick Billson and other parents to assist with safety?
Donald to bring the Distance Meter
Warren and Clint will organise a new batch of Hose Pipe Flags.
Warren will bring 8 Penny Pinchers Feather Flags for the “Flags beach arena”.
We will be setting up
4 X Flags arenas
1 X Sprint arena
2 X Water Arenas
Parents and coaches are encouraged to wear Summerstrand kit to help with the support and identification of our teams.
Dave Collins to assist with this carnival?
Level Test on Saturday 2nd Feb 2008. at 17.00 at Hobie Beach.
Varrin and Warren will both try to be there.
Lee has sent out notice to the new nippers about this level test.
East Cape Nippers: Plett carnival is on track and we will encourage as many Nippers as possible to be there.
Provincial Nippers: Selection and dates:
Warren will approach East Cape Lifesaving to see if we cannot bring the Provincial Competition a day forward to the Thursday as the Nippers are exhausted after a competition like this and cannot perform at their best if they have to go straight into the National Nippers competition.
Warren will approach EP Surf regarding team selection following the SA Lifesaving comment on the Minister of Sport’s comments on this matter.
Nationals:
We need to find a sponsor or sponsors to assist with the Kit and other expenses. Deon will approach a possible Sponsor with a proposal. Urgent as there may be printing etc to be done.
Dave Naude may be able to campaign for a sponsor or sponsors.
All new nippers should be kitted with board shorts and yellow shirts.
We will be having a Nippers Evening on Saturday 16th February.
We will have to contact the parents and Nippers to tell them about this as we plan to have some Lucky Draws for the Nippers, a “Party Pack” for each Nipper.
Possible evening to talk about Nippers Nationals, East Cape in Plett and the Provincial teams.
Also give some feedback on the two carnivals that we have already had.
Donald to set up the DVD presentation if possible.
We will have a Potjie as well as a 100 club the same evening.
There is Super 14 rugby: Stormers vs Bulls at 17.00 and Cheetas vs Lions at 19.00. on that evening.
NIPPERS NEWSLETTER. Sunday 3 February 2008.
Sunday morning: I left home early on the bike. The wind had been blowing for most of the night and it was a strong west wind that almost blew me off the bike as I rode down to Kings Beach. Varrin, Clint, Donald, Hannes, Roger and Warren met to set up the Tent and take the craft onto the beach.
Warren hitches the trailer to Clint’s vehicle and takes a running start but gets stuck in the deep sand. We are able to tow his vehicle with Paul’s 4X4 and finally have the trailer on the beach. Setting up the tent is going to be a real challenge in the wind. We had to hammer the pegs deep into the sand and pile loose sand onto the bottom sides of the tent to make it more secure. The wind gusts and men like Hannes are almost blown away as they grip tightly onto corners of the tent.
Once we had the tent set up we were able to get our team together. I was delighted to see a good turnout of nippers that morning. The wind must have put some of the nippers and parents off going to the beach but most of the teams were there to represent Summerstrand.
Our first priority was to get the new Nippers through their level test. They had done most of the work the previous afternoon but were unable to swim due to a strong East Wind. Some of them were a little nervous with the West wind blowing so strongly this morning, but we soon had them out there swimming as far as some of them had ever swum in their lives. It is always good to see these young people developing new skills and abilities. This was no exception and all of them passed their level test and were then able to compete in this Carnival.
The U12’s started off with a Malibu Individual race. We were concerned that the nippers may become blown away by the strong winds but they all coped exceptionally well and that set the tone for the rest of the morning. The events ran in quick succession. After the individual Malibu event, the U12’s took part in Sprints, Beach Relay, Long Run, Run-Swim-Run and Malibu Relay.
By the time they had completed their last event the organisers had decided to call it a day.
The sun and sand had taken their toll but we had all had a great morning on the beach. We must thank the organisers for setting up this Carnival for our benefit. Claire and her team had to work in the clubhouse and could not even watch their children participate. The Tuckshop ladies put on some fine faire but due to the wind and cutting the Carnival short they were left with supplies over. Plett in particular should be congratulated for their participation. They had to drive down from Plett in awful winds and then had to drive back again in equally bad weather.
A number of Nippers had taken part in Water Polo, Gala’s and Biathlon on the previous day. You could see that they had their race number from the previous day’s event still written onto their arms next to their Nippers numbers for the Carnival. These youngsters must have been exhausted as many of them would take part in every event in the Carnival.
The overall result was Summerstrand U10’ and U14’s won and the U12’s came second. Summerstrand had some outstanding Nippers recognised: Adam Stevenson, Jamie Lee Engelke and Matthew Wilson. Summerstrand were overall winners for the second Carnival in a row. Our next Carnival is due to be held in Plett from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon the 1st and 2nd of March. This is the East Cape Champs and we will need to have a full team of participants if we are to have any chance of being “East Cape Champs” for the next season.
We will be meeting for Practice on Sunday 10th Feb between 11.00am to 13.00. Marius has agreed to assist with vital function of coaching of the Micro Nippers. These are the youngsters who will be the core of our U10 team of 2008/2009. Marius will need all the help that he can get from other parents or siblings willing to assist. Your U10, U12 and U14 coaches will be on duty and we expect to see all of you there for the next four weeks leading up to the Plett Carnival.
Saturday 16th February: We will be having a Nippers evening in the club house. This evening will be focussed on the Nippers: They will each receive some kind of “Party Pack” as well as Certificates to reward our young members for their efforts over the past two Carnivals.
This evening we will also be able to enjoy meeting parents as Clint will be cooking up his famous Pootjie, we will run Hundred Club draw and will be able to watch the Super 14 matches as the Stormers play the Bulls at 17.00 and Cheetas play the Lions at 19.00. We will also be talking to Nippers and Parents about the upcoming Plett East Cape Champs and the National Champs. Donald has offered to set up a DVD presentation of “Nippers in Action”. Please put this important evening into your diary.
Sponsorship(s). It is critical for us to try to secure sponsors for our National event in April. Your club has some huge expenses in equipment, kit for the Nippers and Parents as well as during the event itself. Please let us know if you would like us to approach an organisation or if you are able to make an approach on our behalf. Deon Engelke and Dave Naude will be available to make presentations and give some facts and figures.
Nippers
Summerstrand
Annual General Meeting and awards evening.
Held at the Summerstrand Lifesaving clubhouse
Friday 27th June 2008. 19.30h
A number of Certificates and Awards were handed to an exceptionally strong Nippers team for the 2007/2008 season.
The Under 14 Dream Team were recognised for their achievements and spirit over the past five or six years. Each one was awarded a Beanie and those leaving were urged to join up with the juniors.
Donald opened the meeting.
Warren read a comprehensive and detailed Chairman’s report. (see below)
Warren thanked the parents for their support.
Dave Collins complimented the parents on their participation.
Terry offered a DVD to assist with recruitment.
Sponsorship is essential for then new season.
Every parent is urged to be part of the parent team in what ever small way you can.
The following people offered to be part of the administration and coaching team for the 2008/2009 season.
Warren Collier – Chairman
Clint Meintjies – Vice Chairman
Terry Hepburn – Shadow Chairman
Peter Giddy – Secretary
Lee Collier – Actual Secretary
Shereen Van Der Watt -- assistant to Lee in Level Tests.
ANO --- Assistant to Lee in Carnival Coordination.
Claire Meintjies – Treasurer
Julie Dalgliesh – Assistant to Claire
Charmaine -- Tuckshop
Caryn Hepburn – Tuckshop assistant
Jacqui Zeelie – Clothing
Donald McGillivray -- Recruitment
Coaches
Roger Lightening; Andrew Jonas; Varrin Karp; Shereen Van Der Watt; Donald McGillivray; Alex Odendaal; Hannes Zeelie; Deon Engelke; Roger Fraser; Peter Giddy; Clint Meintjies; Charles Du Toit; Marius Smuts
Summerstrand Surf Nippers
Chairperson’s Report
27th June 2008.
1 Performance during the Season
The club has had its best season in recent years, winning ALL the local carnivals, including East Cape Champs, a title we have not held for three years. To top off and excellent season, we came a very close second to Fish Hoek at Nipper Nationals, who only beat us by a slim 27 points!
Well done to all our nippers, as each one of you contributed to these great results. While the nipper team achieved the club wins, we must also salute great individual performances. A number of U12 and U14 nippers received recognition from East Cape, and would have received colours if there had been an East cape side. These nippers were:
U12 U14
Kyla Naude Kirstie Engelke
Meghan Derry Lauren Billson
Kurt Van Staden Adam Stevenson
Luke Stevenson Oliver Wiehahn
Giovanni Falco
Jordan Zeelie
Nippers winning Victor and Victrix Ludorum awards this season included:
Adam Stevenson
Oliver Wiehahn
Lauren Billson
Matthew Wilson
Jamie- Lee Engelke
Lara Odendaal
Special mention must be made of our U14’s win at nationals. This group of nippers has won their section at nationals three times:
U10 – 2004
U12- 2006
U14- 2008
They are truly our dream team!!
2. Equipment
The challenge for the club this season was that we did not have an official sponsor. We had made a decision that our nippers needed to compete on Hurricane Boards, so we needed to find individual sponsors. I managed to arrange some contributors through my Penny pinchers suppliers. I would like to thank the following:
Rob Dowding - Ceiling Master
James Thompson - Motorvia
Spectrum Agencies
Swartland
Col Timbers
3. Financial Results
Claire Meintjes efficiently handled the finances this season. We started the season with around R20 000, thanks to the Equisweet sponsorship of the last two years. This also enabled us to buy two additional club Hurricane Boards. We paid for all carnival expenses and all club function expenses, and we have ended the season with around R6 000 in the bank.
This means we cannot be as generous next season, as we will only have membership fees and clothing profits to rely on. We need to find a sponsor for 2008/09.
4. Club events
We had a number of enjoyable social activities this season. We had 3 100 Club draws, the Christmas Party and the Gees party. Many thanks to Clint Meintjes, who provided us with very tasty food on most of these occasions!
Many thanks to all the families who supported us on these occasions. We believe that people who socialise together, will work hard together!
5. Thanks
A club of this magnitude cannot function successfully, without a lot of effort on the part of certain members. I would like to give special thanks to the following people:
4.1 Our coaching staff:
Joe Zeelie, Deon Engelke and Alex Odendaal, who achieved wonderful results with a small group. They won all the local U10 carnivals and lost out to Fish Hoek at nationals by only 12 points!
Varrin Karp, Roger Fraser and Peter Giddy, who did great work with the U12’s
Clint Meintjes, Charles Du Toit and Don McGillivray, who had the pleasure of coaching our victorious Dream Team U14’s!
4.2 Our Committee
Thanks to all committee members. However, special mention must be made of Claire Meintjes for coordinating the many administrative activities required to run the club.
4.3 Other Helpers
Terry Hepburn for all the photography, and for all the excellent recruiting efforts
Hannelie Bakker for officiating at carnivals
Lee Kemp for assisting with level tests and carnival arrangements
All the moms and dads who helped at practice and at carnivals!
Charmaine Ubsdell for helping at clothing/tuckshop on a Sunday!
Finally, we need to focus on 2008/09 to ensure that we continue on a winning trend. To do this, we need new blood on the committee, as the current committee all leave at the end of next season and we need continuity! We also need to recruit new nippers. We urgently need U10’s! We also need more beach specialists, especially at U14 level!
I am sure that as a Summerstrand Surf Team we can maintain our dominant position.
Warren Collier
Chairman
Summerstrand Nippers.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS.
Minutes of a meeting held at Clint & Claire on Wednesday 8 October 2008 at 18.30pm
Apologies:
Charles
Alex
Deon
Roger
Andrew
Present
Shareen
Peter
Clint
Claire
Warren
Donald
Hannes
Minutes of the last meeting:
Promotions:
St Georges was a success with Jonathan Liss being very positive
Summerwood on Monday 13th
Grey on Tuesday 14th
Deon sent out a very successful communication which was read by Neil Bissiker on Radio Algoa. See below for a copy.
U 10’s need more girls and U14’s need boys.
Nippers Nationals
Accommodation is still being negotiated as prices and quality do not seem to match. The host club to provide suggestions.
City / Road Lodge
Beach Hotel
Sponsorships
Nothing finalised
Gavin’s brother at Tiger. Donald to send a DVD to Allison Cameron with appropriate wording.
Other opportunities for branding or sponsorships:
Feathers
Clubhouse (Warren to follow up with Seniors)
Body Boards (Hannes) minimum of 20 are required.
Trailer. Possible for Atlas Mike Burmeister to fix up and brand the trailer.
Tent branding
Hurricane Boards if paid for
Costumes and scull caps
4 X torpedo’s required.
Subscriptions and fees as discussed last meeting.
Carnival and other competition fees to be paid individually.
Hardship discussions or applications to go directly to Claire.
Nippers Calendar
Warren has approached East Cape for hosting of a carnival as well as East Cape Champs.
Decisions still to be made regarding dates and East Cape to let us know as soon as possible.
Sunday 12th:
Free Hot dogs and Ice Cream: We will be providing for a potential 100 people.
Peter to buy Ice Cream and to bring gas cooker
Claire will prepare hot dogs.
We need as many coaches as possible as we have a number of people who will be away this Sunday.
Deon
Alex
Andrew
Marius
Roger
Varrin
Gavin
Peter
Shareen
Brian Saunders?
Ant Cox?
Warren
And any other coaches who will assist.
Scull caps: if the Nipper does not have a scull cap they will not be able to take part in training. In this case the nipper will have to “hire” one for a R30.00 deposit which will be refunded on return of the cap. It is impossible to control ‘unbranded’ Nippers.
Parents vs Nippers
Tug-o-War
Beach Relays
Flags
General
First 100 Club – 1 November 2008 Saturday.
Claire and Charmaine did an excellent job of sorting out the clothing. But even more good news: they took all the “old” clothing that we no longer use and gave this to a soccer club in Kwanobuhle (Uitenhage) and this club has 11 soccer teams kitted out and now wearing Summerstrand branded clothing. Great Move Claire!
Age categories:
If your birthday is before 30 September then you fall in the younger age group.
For example: If you turn TEN on 30 September then you are Under 12: But if you turn TEN on 1st October then you are Under 10 for that season. If in doubt please consult with Claire or your coach.
Requirements for Nippers Level Tests:
Must swim 400 Meters in a swimming pool. Once off only.
Must have a Birth Certificate
Must sign an indemnity form
Must complete the application form for a Level Test.
Must have the Level test Vouchers
If all of this has been done and submitted to East Cape Office then you will be entitled to apply for the next level test in two weeks thereafter.
We require some heavy weight anchors for the buoys
Disco for Grade 6 and Grade 7 only
Before or after Exams?
Nippers to sell tickets at R5
If response of Minimum 30 then go ahead.
Message sent by Deon to Radio Algoa.
Thanks Deon – nice one.
Very nice filler and I will use now at 08h30 this morning in sport and will also pass on to Roy Williams for his What’s On diary.
Shot for sending on to us.
Neil
Dear Shadley or Neil
Are you able to make use of this little article in sport or under upcoming events or when you chat about the weekend sport?
I am involved with Nippers at Summies and we are trying to grow this sport and develop water-skills etc.
Thanks gents
Deon
SUMMERSTRAND HOSTS NIPPERS OPEN DAY
Summerstrand Surf Lifesaving Club at Pollock Beach begins its bid to win national honours when the Nipper season officially starts on Sunday.
The club will host an Open Day for all prospective Nippers and their families this Sunday from 11am-1pm as they prepare to improve their national ranking.
The club is one of the strongest in the country, having been placed a narrow second at the Nipper Nationals Champs earlier this year, but it is not all about winning.
Club Chairperson Warren Collier said Nippers, or lifesaving for children aged between 8 and 14, was about developing life-skills on the beach and in the water.
“One of the greatest things, especially for people who live at the coast, is the ability to enjoy and handle the sea conditions and this is what Nippers develops in a safe, fun environment,”
Collier said. “It is one the most empowering activities for young people.”
The club near Something Good at Pollock Beach will be open to all newcomers this Sunday with goodies for all participants.
For more information please contact Deon Engelke at 041 3630310 or 082 692 4382 – cell
ends
Deon Engelke
Inkanyezi Events
tel 0413630310
fax0413638617
www.inkanyezi.co.za
242 Cape Road
Greenacres
Port Elizabeth
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS
Minutes of a committee meeting held on Thursday 13.11.2008. at Peter’s house:18.30pm.
Present:
Nicole
Shareen
Thomas
Andrew
Donald
Hannes
Clint
Warren
Terry
Peter
Apologies
Claire
Roger F
Roger & Louise L
Varrin
Charles
Deon
Welcome to Nicole, Thomas and Andrew. Andrew made the comment as to how much more the Nippers enjoy the activity when parents are involved. So thank you to you for your interest, attendance and contribution.
Minutes of the previous meeting.
Cash Flow:
Cash to be banked and money owed to Meintjies’ family to paid over.
Paid for Chafe vests, cossies and scull caps.
Paid for level tests and open day.
Shirley, Caryn and Charmaine are keeping the Tuck Shop well stocked. Many thanks and well done to them for all their efforts.
Clothing
T shirts and Shorts order has been placed. May be ready for Sunday 16th.
Chafe Vests for Coaches
Coaches: Please respond (Now!) to Claire or Peter if you want a Chafe Vest. Thanks to those already responded. Please let Claire have the money for this.
S,M,L R155; XL R165; 2XL R175; 3XL R180; 4XL R190
Level Test Dates and times.
There will be a Re-Test of those Nippers who did a Level test on Sunday 9.11.2008 but who for one or other reason did not qualify. This will be at Hobie Beach at 10.00am. Nippers should be at the beach 20 Minutes early as there will be a coach to revise on Signals etc.
There will be a Level Test for all other Nippers who have handed in a Birth Certificate and who have completed their pool swim. This Level Test will be conducted at Hobie Beach on Sunday 23.11.2008. 10.00am
Sponsorships
Donald presented a DVD that he had made up for Tiger Brands. It showed the sponsor brand, the extent of the exposure and Nippers in action. It is a very effective DVD and he has offered to do something similar for Puma and for ADT who are potential sponsors. Hannes may be able to secure a sponsorship for scull caps for all nippers plus something like 100 more.
Nippers Nationals Accommodation.
Claire has obtained a group booking at the Parade Hotel. Price is R2 300 for three nights for a double (three bed family) sea facing / corner room. Or R1 960 for a Twin Room. R800 deposit has to be paid per room. I have spoken to Brenda at the hotel and she needs a verbal commitment by about 20.11.2008 and a Financial Commitment as soon as possible thereafter. Parents to confirm with Claire or Peter as soon as possible.
Arrive Thursday 2 April 2009 and depart Sunday 5th April 2009.
Nippers Nationals is a Three Day event starting on the Friday at Midday and ending on Sunday at about 14.00 or 15.00pm after the prize giving and awards ceremony.
Coaches to contact their parent and Nipper groups.
Nippers Carnival in Plett. Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November.
We have not yet had a program but in previous years the Plett Carnival starts on Saturday at about 12.00 on the Main Beach. Payment of R10 or R20 per Nipper must be made on arrival.
Nippers must have completed a Level Test for their age category to be allowed to compete.
These Carnivals are fun events and Every Nipper will be able to compete in a variety of events.
We will pitch our Yellow Gazebo as the central meeting place on Central Beach.
Parents should make their own accommodation arrangements. There are a number of options: Camping, Bed and Breakfast’s, Castleton or the River Club are suggestions. Nippers gain a huge amount of experience and have a great time at the Plett Carnival.
We must have parents willing to take times and places at each age group. This information is required for our own awards as well as future team selections.
Everyone must assist with off loading and loading of the craft onto the trailer.
Please stay for the awards and results at the end even after your child has completed his/her last event. This will finish at about 15.00.
Peter to establish if there will be a level test at Plett on the morning before the event. Also what are their requirements regarding teams etc.
Nippers Hobie Beach Carnival on Sunday 7th December. More details to follow.
100 Club. This will be held on Friday 5th December. This will be a Bring & Braai. Details to follow.
Disco Evening on hold
Judges:
Warren will contact a number of the existing Summerstrand Judges and Officials to see who will be at Plett and Hobie beach. He will also ask East Cape what are the requirements. Peter & Hannes attended a “course” last season.
In the East Cape LSA Minutes they state:
There will a judges/officials course in our area.
Hurricane product display.
Monday 17th November at 17.30: all parents and Nippers are invited to Summerstrand for a display of the Hurricane Wares. They will have a variety of their products on offer. Nippers may also want to “Test Drive” if it is a good afternoon.
Sunday 16th and Sunday 23rd will be trials for teams for the upcoming carnivals. Coaches will be taking times.
Donald suggested that we establish a “Ladder” for the various disciplines. This to be put up in the clubhouse.
In some cases times and teams for Beach sprints and relays have been established.
Trailer
Warren and Penny Pinchers, Barkhuizens and Uli Von WIlderman have done a complete overhaul of the Trailer. Thanks to these generous sponsors. To be branded “Penny Pinchers”
Subscriptions: if you have not yet paid:
2008/2009 Fees for Nippers Membership:
R350 for first child
R250 for subsequent children in one family.
Approach the treasurer (Claire) should fees be a problem.
No change from 2007/2008.
Micro Nippers are trained at no cost but must wear Summerstrand colours including a scull cap.
Carnivals: Entry fee of between R10 and R20 to be paid by individuals.
Nationals Entry Fee at about R100 to be paid by individuals.
Direct deposits : “Summerstrand surf lifesaving club cadets”
Standard bank branch 050017; Account Number : 080023835;
Email confirmation to Claire at shrek_3@vodamail.co.za
Or pay in cash on Sunday.
Updated Calendar of events:
Sunday 16th and 23rd November Nippers practice and trails for upcoming Carnivals. Level tests at Hobie Beach.
Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 November --- Plett Carnival. Parents to make own travel and accommodation arrangements.
Sunday 7th December possible carnival at Kings Beach
Sunday 28th December 2008: Sunday: No Nippers practices.
December & January school holidays: Nippers will continue through the school holidays on Sundays 11.00am to 13.00.
10 January 2009: committee, coaches and parents meeting to plan and organise the Summerstrand carnival. Peter’s house at 18.30pm.
25th January 2009: Summerstrand carnival at Summerstrand. (Pollock Beach)
15 February 2009: Cut off date for Nippers Level test for East Cape champs.
22 February 2009: Redhouse River Mile.
28 February 2009. Cut off date for Level Test for Nippers to take part in Nationals in Durban.
7th March 2009: East Cape Champs. Hosted by Summerstrand at Summerstrand Pollock Beach.
Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th April 2009: Nippers Nationals: Ushaka Beach, Durban.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS COMMITTEE MEETING
Notice and agenda
Notice of a Summerstrand Nippers Committee and Coaches meeting to be held on 8 January 2008 at Peter’s house: 23 Mill Park Road: 18.30pm
Agenda
Welcome
Minutes of the meeting of 13.11.2008.
Level Tests
Preparation for the Summerstrand Carnival of 25th January 2008.
Beach Preparation
Arena’s
One or Two water arena’s
2 X Flags set up: Ropes and measurements
Sprint arena.
Officials and Duties
Results and recording
Program of events
Tuckshop and catering
Shower and toilet facilities
Catering for officials and volunteers
Entry lists and Entry fee collection.
Safety officers
Other
.
NIPPERS HOBIE BEACH CARNIVAL
Sunday 7 December 2008.
From the start we battled to extract any information regarding this carnival. We knew that it was on the Nippers Calendar, however that was about the sum total of the information that we received. In addition to this we had the added complication of an Aquabear Gala and Water Polo events on the same day. Finally, after some time and effort, Claire was able to obtain a program. The Carnival was to be held at Hobie beach at 09.00am and the first event was to be a Taplin relay and then a number of events would follow.
I was able to send out a notification with just days to spare and must apologise to those who did not hear about this Carnival and who waited for us at Summerstrand.
The Trailer was still packed from the Plett weekend and Warren parked the trailer in the Hobie Parking lot. We arrived at around 08.00am and began with setting up our tent. The tent is to me, a symbol for parents and for Nippers, that Summerstrand it there. And that we are prepared for the day’s activities. We then brought some of the boards down to the beach and within a few minutes, Nippers started to arrive and were out in the ocean having a great time.
East London were next to arrive and then Paul from Kings Beach arrived with a small team of his Nippers. East London had somehow received a notification of the Carnival and had a reasonably large team of Nippers. There was, as far as I could see, only one little girl (Whitney) from Hobie Beach. Time passed and 9.00am approached without any sign of arena’s being set up nor any of the organising club being present. Resourceful as ever; the Kings Beach and Summerstrand coaches banded together and decided that we would run our own Mini Carnival.
First out were the U10 Taplin teams with other age groups following suite. Warren had rushed back to Summies to fetch some flags and we set up a flags arena which our small team of U10’s were first to use. The U14’s headed off to a sprint arena that had been set up and now we had a bit of a flow going. Parents assisted in all kinds of ways including; scoring, marshalling, water safety and catching. Even Katharine and Lisa Marie assisted in the water as the U10.s did their body board event.
During the morning between about 9.00am to 12.00pm we managed to fit in: Taplin, Flags, Individual Beach sprints, individual Body board, individual Malibu board, beach sprint relays and finally an Iron Nipper event. The one thing about having less control is that normal rules don’t apply: We dispensed with numbers. We did not ask who had done their level tests, when we had to do the team beach sprints we did not have the right numbers for teams so organised mixed (between clubs) teams for the event. And to top it all when we asked which of the U10 Nippers felt up to doing an Iron Nipper event we had a contingent of about 10 brave young boys and girls who were willing to take a chance.
Brett from East London made himself into a human Buoy and the U10’s swam around him and then Body Boarded around him as well. The event ended up with the youngest of Nippers out on Malibu’s around the red buoy. This is a tough event for these young people and we can be proud of there courage. The u14’s and U12’s followed with an Iron Nipper event.
Despite the non existent organisation those who were able to make it down to the beach on Sunday had a wonderful morning. The sea was flat and almost waveless. Most of us were able to find reasonably good parking and for those of us who enjoy a swim with the Nippers it was a fine morning for a “Goof”. Thank you parents for the many ways in which you assist so willingly. Without your support on and off the beach we could not organise this fantastic life style for our children.
Finally thanks to the Nippers for your enthusiastic participation and the way you have bonded into a team. Summerstrand was well represented and while I don’t think that there are going to be official results, I would be surprised if we would not have won the day despite depleted teams.
Peter
7.12.2008.
NIPPERS
PLETTENBERGBAY CARNIVAL
Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th November 2008.
The Plett Carnival always seems to spring itself on us early in the season. However it is a great motivator to get us all going with training, Level Tests, sorting out teams and recruiting of new Nippers. This year the Plett carnival was postponed to the end of November so we had a bit of breathing space. We had recruited huge numbers of new Nippers and these young people and their parents all had to be introduced to what Nippers and carnivals are all about. The U10’s had started off with something like 6 Nippers at the first Sunday and this had grown to over 25 active Nippers at last count. The U12’s and U14’s had also a whole gang of new young boys and girls who seemed as keen as anything to become part of this great activity.
Our daughter, Ally had decided that she no longer needed us and travelled down to Plett with her long time friend, Amber. So Barbara & I drove down on Saturday morning on our own. It seemed like it was going to be a bit overcast and I had a few doubtful parents question whether the carnival would go ahead as planned. My stock answer to this question for both Sunday practices and Carnivals is: “Your coaches will be there!”
After we had off loaded our stuff at my mothers flat (she lives in Plett), we headed for the beach and were happy to see that Warren had found a good parking and had left the trailer for the first there to off load. There were a couple of other parents who also arrived early and we quickly got stuck into carting the boards to our normal spot that we like to book for Summerstrand. We had the tent up in a flash and Barbara had our chairs (so kindly donated to us by Terry Billson) set up. I had brought programs and teams so that as the Nippers arrived they could see what was going to be expected of them.
Ant Cox called a managers meeting at 11.00am and once some of the detail had been sorted out we were able to start the first events. In the U10 group we realised that we had just 7 participants and the first event was the Taplin Relay which required four Nippers per team. When we explained that the swim was WAAAAY out to the two buoys and back then the body board section would be the same there was a bit of a pause before we convinced our team that we would be fielding two teams with one member having to do two disciplines. The U12s and U14’s had no such trouble as they have some wonderfully capable swimmers and boarders. Fortunately the Plett surf did not let us down and it was reasonably flat and calm throughout the Carnival.
I promised our younger team members that I would be with them the whole time so ended up doing quite a bit of water work that afternoon. And, by the way, the sea temperature was not as warm as it will be in Durban later next year! But in the end we did our thing and, much to the coach’s delight and pride, both U10 teams finished the Taplin Relay. We then moved on to the Flags section where the U10’s were much more comfortable and we had a good number in the finals. Poor young Marion was the only girl in the U10 squad but she certainly held her own doing almost every possible event that there was.
That afternoon we managed to complete the Taplin relay, the Flags heats, the individual Body Board event, the individual Swim event, the individual Beach Sprints heats, the Malibu relay, the Beach Sprints Relay heats and the Body Board Relay. This is a huge number of events for any Nipper and by the end of the day (16.30) everyone was quite exhausted. The day had remained overcast and cool and so we had the weather on our side.
Someone had booked supper at the fish restaurant near to Castleton and we headed off there for supper. A group of parents had stayed at the beach restaurant to watch both 15’s and 7’s rugby and by the time the arrived at supper they had already had a fair share of enjoyment. It was a stunning evening and we sat outside together with a table full of U14s at one table and U12s at another. The rest of the U12’s were having themselves a ball at Castleton. The vibe amoungst both the adults and the youngsters was something to experience.
Sunday morning we were up early and at the beach shortly after 07.00am. Ant had said we should start the first event at 08.00. The first event of the day would be the long run starting with the U10 girls. Our lone representative, Marion, was nowhere to be seen. Andrew must have decided to sleep in a bit. The run of 800m started without her. Then when the girls were already half way in their run the Jonas’ family arrived. Marion was not to be left out and she started the run all on her own. The amazing thing to see was the way the Summies U14’s ran in with her at the end. I think that it was more than just Barbara who felt quite choked up with emotion seeing the support that Summies gives to their team. Marion’s effort scored points for the Summies U10 team.
Our U10 boys took off at a sprint but then the distance was a bit too much for them: we need to work on this for future. The U12 girls were next and we saw Ally sprint off in front. In fact it was quite funny to see the look on her face of: “What am I doing here in front?” Well she held her own to the turn and then was overtaken but a slight young girl. Despite efforts from rivals to run ahead of her, Ally managed to stay in second place to the end. It was about now that I realised that she is no longer my little girl but a real tough young lady who can hold her own at any event that Nippers can throw at her. The U12 boys and the both groups in the U14’s did very well and this set the scene for the rest of the day. There was a bit of a scare after the U12 boys finished in that Jonathan N collapsed and his parents took him home early to make sure that there was not more that needed attention. I believe that he is back on his feet again and will be back at Summerstrand as soon as he can.
We went through the Run Swim Run, Beach sprint relay finals, Malibu board individual, Beach sprint individual finals, Iron Nipper and finally the Flags finals. The U12 boys was quite a sight as we had 9 out of 10 boys in Summies kit. Flags is, to me, one of the toughest events; as this is an elimination event. And the Nippers know that at any time they may be eliminated in front of a group of parents and peers. But this is what builds character in our children and we can be as proud of them if they are eliminated in the very first round as if they make it through to the final two.
Today had been sunny and as we sat watching our young champions doing their thing at flags I would feel the sun on my legs. I knew that I would suffer the next day. But the joy of being on the beach and in the sea and the wonderful enjoyment that we get out of being with a group of Nippers would far outweigh any pain. The carnival ended at about 15.30 after we had loaded the boards and kit back into the trailer.
The final results?
U10 U12 U14
1 Plett SS SS
2 KB KB KB
3 SS Plett Plett
Top boy Matt McGillivray Kurt V Staden
Top girl Christie Vaughan Lauren Billson
So well done Summerstrand. You were first overall and held up your title as East Cape Champs! The U10’s may have not ended up first in their group but they contributed to the overall result and we are very proud of them for what they achieved over these two days. Especially their participation in the sea events.
Parents: if this was your first Carnival: we hope that you have enjoyed it and will be back on the beach to support your Nipper as often as possible. Should you wish to be part of the adult group in any way there is a need for parent participation as much as there is for the nippers to take part. Please approach your coach or one of us to talk about how you can contribute to the ongoing success of Nippers at Summerstrand.
Our U10 group has a long way to go to be a force to be reckoned with. But we will get there. The U12 group is very strong but have one weakness in that we need two or three more strong swimmers and boarders. The U14’s look like they have already built a strong team in all departments. Recruiting must be something that we all do all the time: talk Nippers to parents and children alike. Particularly if you know that they have a strength either in water or on their feet.
Thanks to Plett for setting it up and to parents and Nippers alike for all your support and encouragement.
Peter
3.12.2008.
NIPPERS
SUMMERSTRAND
12TH OCTOBER 2008.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS: NEWSLETTER
We are really back into the season.
Today we had a huge turnout from existing Nippers as well as a wonderful response to the work of Deon and others to promote Nippers for the new season.
Shareen, Andrew, Marius, Roger Lightening and I coached the U10’s and Micro Nippers. Shareen had 6 boys last week. This week we had 8 girls and about 14 boys. And they were really very keen once they got into the swing of the game. The morning started off with a stunning display from the whales and the dolphins as they helped to add something special to the morning at Summerstrand.
We started the U10’s and Micro Nippers off with a bit of running in the shallows and then did a bit of a warm up away from their parents.
Once they were starting to feel as if they belonged to a team we played a game of fetch the balls and put them into baskets. And in no time at all they were running in and out of the surf as if this was the most natural thing to do. We put them on body boards for a short while. This allowed the first timers to become accustomed to the boards.
We then had a bit of a relay event including running into the surf.
We finished the morning off with Flags and we can already identify a few of the youngsters who will be next year’s stars.
Claire and Charmaine had prepared some Hot Dogs and Ice Creams. Once we had the Nippers really good and tired we sent them off to enjoy a bit of a treat. Being in the back rooms of Nippers is really hard work. Thank you ladies for what you do here.
The Under 12’s were led by Deon, Alex, Hannes and I think had about 30 Nippers. The coaches were not at all soft with this group and soon had them out on Malibu boards and swimming around the buoys. Deon reports that there were at least 6 of the 10 newcomers who had never been that deep into the sea before. “It is really encouraging to be able to be part of the journey that these young people are taking into a life of beach surf proficiency.” Hannes commented: “We are going to have a few great sprint teams for the new season”.
The Under 14’s were coached by Brian, Carmell, Lauren and Varrin. Varrin coached the 6 newcomers while Brian handled the more experienced group of 12.
In total we had about 70 Nippers on the beach this Sunday.
It was great to see previous U14’s, who have now moved on to Juniors, assisting all round. They were seen to be active in the club house as well as on the beach. Thanks to them.
Thank you to the parents who were there today. You have made a wonderful decision to bring your children to the beach. Personally I can think of nothing better for a young person than to develop a healthy respect and yet an ability to overcome a fear of the surf. Two hours of beach fun is one of the best ways your child can spend a Sunday morning.
We hope to see you again next week. Please note that while the weather was great today, it is not always the case. But you will find coaches there every Sunday. 11.00am to 13.00pm.
We should have a program for the upcoming carnivals soon and will pass this information to you as soon as possible.
Level Tests: Before a Nipper is allowed to take part in a competition (competitions in Nippers are known as Carnivals) the youngster has to undergo a level test. This test comprises answering a few simple questions which we will coach the Nippers on in advance. They then complete a run swim run. We do this on Hobie beach and it is well supervised by coaches and safety officers. Parents have to supply us with a copy of the Nippers’ Birth Certificate as well as a signed indemnity form. New parents please hand these into Claire as soon as possible so that we can book a level test.
MINUTES OF A MEETING HELD AT CATHCART ROAD 31 JANUARY 2008.
Warren,
Varrin
Deon
Lee
Hannes
Clint
Peter
Carnival of Sunday 3 Feb 2008 at Kings Beach.
Be there at 06.30 to set up arena’s and our own tent and equipment.
Bring finishing numbers
Scoring books
Peter to be U12 Scorer
Safety Officers and craft – Warren to follow up with Clive.
Patrick Billson and other parents to assist with safety?
Donald to bring the Distance Meter
Warren and Clint will organise a new batch of Hose Pipe Flags.
Warren will bring 8 Penny Pinchers Feather Flags for the “Flags beach arena”.
We will be setting up
4 X Flags arenas
1 X Sprint arena
2 X Water Arenas
Parents and coaches are encouraged to wear Summerstrand kit to help with the support and identification of our teams.
Dave Collins to assist with this carnival?
Level Test on Saturday 2nd Feb 2008. at 17.00 at Hobie Beach.
Varrin and Warren will both try to be there.
Lee has sent out notice to the new nippers about this level test.
East Cape Nippers: Plett carnival is on track and we will encourage as many Nippers as possible to be there.
Provincial Nippers: Selection and dates:
Warren will approach East Cape Lifesaving to see if we cannot bring the Provincial Competition a day forward to the Thursday as the Nippers are exhausted after a competition like this and cannot perform at their best if they have to go straight into the National Nippers competition.
Warren will approach EP Surf regarding team selection following the SA Lifesaving comment on the Minister of Sport’s comments on this matter.
Nationals:
We need to find a sponsor or sponsors to assist with the Kit and other expenses. Deon will approach a possible Sponsor with a proposal. Urgent as there may be printing etc to be done.
Dave Naude may be able to campaign for a sponsor or sponsors.
All new nippers should be kitted with board shorts and yellow shirts.
We will be having a Nippers Evening on Saturday 16th February.
We will have to contact the parents and Nippers to tell them about this as we plan to have some Lucky Draws for the Nippers, a “Party Pack” for each Nipper.
Possible evening to talk about Nippers Nationals, East Cape in Plett and the Provincial teams.
Also give some feedback on the two carnivals that we have already had.
Donald to set up the DVD presentation if possible.
We will have a Potjie as well as a 100 club the same evening.
There is Super 14 rugby: Stormers vs Bulls at 17.00 and Cheetas vs Lions at 19.00. on that evening.
NIPPERS NEWSLETTER. Sunday 3 February 2008.
Sunday morning: I left home early on the bike. The wind had been blowing for most of the night and it was a strong west wind that almost blew me off the bike as I rode down to Kings Beach. Varrin, Clint, Donald, Hannes, Roger and Warren met to set up the Tent and take the craft onto the beach.
Warren hitches the trailer to Clint’s vehicle and takes a running start but gets stuck in the deep sand. We are able to tow his vehicle with Paul’s 4X4 and finally have the trailer on the beach. Setting up the tent is going to be a real challenge in the wind. We had to hammer the pegs deep into the sand and pile loose sand onto the bottom sides of the tent to make it more secure. The wind gusts and men like Hannes are almost blown away as they grip tightly onto corners of the tent.
Once we had the tent set up we were able to get our team together. I was delighted to see a good turnout of nippers that morning. The wind must have put some of the nippers and parents off going to the beach but most of the teams were there to represent Summerstrand.
Our first priority was to get the new Nippers through their level test. They had done most of the work the previous afternoon but were unable to swim due to a strong East Wind. Some of them were a little nervous with the West wind blowing so strongly this morning, but we soon had them out there swimming as far as some of them had ever swum in their lives. It is always good to see these young people developing new skills and abilities. This was no exception and all of them passed their level test and were then able to compete in this Carnival.
The U12’s started off with a Malibu Individual race. We were concerned that the nippers may become blown away by the strong winds but they all coped exceptionally well and that set the tone for the rest of the morning. The events ran in quick succession. After the individual Malibu event, the U12’s took part in Sprints, Beach Relay, Long Run, Run-Swim-Run and Malibu Relay.
By the time they had completed their last event the organisers had decided to call it a day.
The sun and sand had taken their toll but we had all had a great morning on the beach. We must thank the organisers for setting up this Carnival for our benefit. Claire and her team had to work in the clubhouse and could not even watch their children participate. The Tuckshop ladies put on some fine faire but due to the wind and cutting the Carnival short they were left with supplies over. Plett in particular should be congratulated for their participation. They had to drive down from Plett in awful winds and then had to drive back again in equally bad weather.
A number of Nippers had taken part in Water Polo, Gala’s and Biathlon on the previous day. You could see that they had their race number from the previous day’s event still written onto their arms next to their Nippers numbers for the Carnival. These youngsters must have been exhausted as many of them would take part in every event in the Carnival.
The overall result was Summerstrand U10’ and U14’s won and the U12’s came second. Summerstrand had some outstanding Nippers recognised: Adam Stevenson, Jamie Lee Engelke and Matthew Wilson. Summerstrand were overall winners for the second Carnival in a row. Our next Carnival is due to be held in Plett from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon the 1st and 2nd of March. This is the East Cape Champs and we will need to have a full team of participants if we are to have any chance of being “East Cape Champs” for the next season.
We will be meeting for Practice on Sunday 10th Feb between 11.00am to 13.00. Marius has agreed to assist with vital function of coaching of the Micro Nippers. These are the youngsters who will be the core of our U10 team of 2008/2009. Marius will need all the help that he can get from other parents or siblings willing to assist. Your U10, U12 and U14 coaches will be on duty and we expect to see all of you there for the next four weeks leading up to the Plett Carnival.
Saturday 16th February: We will be having a Nippers evening in the club house. This evening will be focussed on the Nippers: They will each receive some kind of “Party Pack” as well as Certificates to reward our young members for their efforts over the past two Carnivals.
This evening we will also be able to enjoy meeting parents as Clint will be cooking up his famous Pootjie, we will run Hundred Club draw and will be able to watch the Super 14 matches as the Stormers play the Bulls at 17.00 and Cheetas play the Lions at 19.00. We will also be talking to Nippers and Parents about the upcoming Plett East Cape Champs and the National Champs. Donald has offered to set up a DVD presentation of “Nippers in Action”. Please put this important evening into your diary.
Sponsorship(s). It is critical for us to try to secure sponsors for our National event in April. Your club has some huge expenses in equipment, kit for the Nippers and Parents as well as during the event itself. Please let us know if you would like us to approach an organisation or if you are able to make an approach on our behalf. Deon Engelke and Dave Naude will be available to make presentations and give some facts and figures.
Nippers
Summerstrand
Annual General Meeting and awards evening.
Held at the Summerstrand Lifesaving clubhouse
Friday 27th June 2008. 19.30h
A number of Certificates and Awards were handed to an exceptionally strong Nippers team for the 2007/2008 season.
The Under 14 Dream Team were recognised for their achievements and spirit over the past five or six years. Each one was awarded a Beanie and those leaving were urged to join up with the juniors.
Donald opened the meeting.
Warren read a comprehensive and detailed Chairman’s report. (see below)
Warren thanked the parents for their support.
Dave Collins complimented the parents on their participation.
Terry offered a DVD to assist with recruitment.
Sponsorship is essential for then new season.
Every parent is urged to be part of the parent team in what ever small way you can.
The following people offered to be part of the administration and coaching team for the 2008/2009 season.
Warren Collier – Chairman
Clint Meintjies – Vice Chairman
Terry Hepburn – Shadow Chairman
Peter Giddy – Secretary
Lee Collier – Actual Secretary
Shereen Van Der Watt -- assistant to Lee in Level Tests.
ANO --- Assistant to Lee in Carnival Coordination.
Claire Meintjies – Treasurer
Julie Dalgliesh – Assistant to Claire
Charmaine -- Tuckshop
Caryn Hepburn – Tuckshop assistant
Jacqui Zeelie – Clothing
Donald McGillivray -- Recruitment
Coaches
Roger Lightening; Andrew Jonas; Varrin Karp; Shereen Van Der Watt; Donald McGillivray; Alex Odendaal; Hannes Zeelie; Deon Engelke; Roger Fraser; Peter Giddy; Clint Meintjies; Charles Du Toit; Marius Smuts
Summerstrand Surf Nippers
Chairperson’s Report
27th June 2008.
1 Performance during the Season
The club has had its best season in recent years, winning ALL the local carnivals, including East Cape Champs, a title we have not held for three years. To top off and excellent season, we came a very close second to Fish Hoek at Nipper Nationals, who only beat us by a slim 27 points!
Well done to all our nippers, as each one of you contributed to these great results. While the nipper team achieved the club wins, we must also salute great individual performances. A number of U12 and U14 nippers received recognition from East Cape, and would have received colours if there had been an East cape side. These nippers were:
U12 U14
Kyla Naude Kirstie Engelke
Meghan Derry Lauren Billson
Kurt Van Staden Adam Stevenson
Luke Stevenson Oliver Wiehahn
Giovanni Falco
Jordan Zeelie
Nippers winning Victor and Victrix Ludorum awards this season included:
Adam Stevenson
Oliver Wiehahn
Lauren Billson
Matthew Wilson
Jamie- Lee Engelke
Lara Odendaal
Special mention must be made of our U14’s win at nationals. This group of nippers has won their section at nationals three times:
U10 – 2004
U12- 2006
U14- 2008
They are truly our dream team!!
2. Equipment
The challenge for the club this season was that we did not have an official sponsor. We had made a decision that our nippers needed to compete on Hurricane Boards, so we needed to find individual sponsors. I managed to arrange some contributors through my Penny pinchers suppliers. I would like to thank the following:
Rob Dowding - Ceiling Master
James Thompson - Motorvia
Spectrum Agencies
Swartland
Col Timbers
3. Financial Results
Claire Meintjes efficiently handled the finances this season. We started the season with around R20 000, thanks to the Equisweet sponsorship of the last two years. This also enabled us to buy two additional club Hurricane Boards. We paid for all carnival expenses and all club function expenses, and we have ended the season with around R6 000 in the bank.
This means we cannot be as generous next season, as we will only have membership fees and clothing profits to rely on. We need to find a sponsor for 2008/09.
4. Club events
We had a number of enjoyable social activities this season. We had 3 100 Club draws, the Christmas Party and the Gees party. Many thanks to Clint Meintjes, who provided us with very tasty food on most of these occasions!
Many thanks to all the families who supported us on these occasions. We believe that people who socialise together, will work hard together!
5. Thanks
A club of this magnitude cannot function successfully, without a lot of effort on the part of certain members. I would like to give special thanks to the following people:
4.1 Our coaching staff:
Joe Zeelie, Deon Engelke and Alex Odendaal, who achieved wonderful results with a small group. They won all the local U10 carnivals and lost out to Fish Hoek at nationals by only 12 points!
Varrin Karp, Roger Fraser and Peter Giddy, who did great work with the U12’s
Clint Meintjes, Charles Du Toit and Don McGillivray, who had the pleasure of coaching our victorious Dream Team U14’s!
4.2 Our Committee
Thanks to all committee members. However, special mention must be made of Claire Meintjes for coordinating the many administrative activities required to run the club.
4.3 Other Helpers
Terry Hepburn for all the photography, and for all the excellent recruiting efforts
Hannelie Bakker for officiating at carnivals
Lee Kemp for assisting with level tests and carnival arrangements
All the moms and dads who helped at practice and at carnivals!
Charmaine Ubsdell for helping at clothing/tuckshop on a Sunday!
Finally, we need to focus on 2008/09 to ensure that we continue on a winning trend. To do this, we need new blood on the committee, as the current committee all leave at the end of next season and we need continuity! We also need to recruit new nippers. We urgently need U10’s! We also need more beach specialists, especially at U14 level!
I am sure that as a Summerstrand Surf Team we can maintain our dominant position.
Warren Collier
Chairman
Summerstrand Nippers.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS.
Minutes of a meeting held at Clint & Claire on Wednesday 8 October 2008 at 18.30pm
Apologies:
Charles
Alex
Deon
Roger
Andrew
Present
Shareen
Peter
Clint
Claire
Warren
Donald
Hannes
Minutes of the last meeting:
Promotions:
St Georges was a success with Jonathan Liss being very positive
Summerwood on Monday 13th
Grey on Tuesday 14th
Deon sent out a very successful communication which was read by Neil Bissiker on Radio Algoa. See below for a copy.
U 10’s need more girls and U14’s need boys.
Nippers Nationals
Accommodation is still being negotiated as prices and quality do not seem to match. The host club to provide suggestions.
City / Road Lodge
Beach Hotel
Sponsorships
Nothing finalised
Gavin’s brother at Tiger. Donald to send a DVD to Allison Cameron with appropriate wording.
Other opportunities for branding or sponsorships:
Feathers
Clubhouse (Warren to follow up with Seniors)
Body Boards (Hannes) minimum of 20 are required.
Trailer. Possible for Atlas Mike Burmeister to fix up and brand the trailer.
Tent branding
Hurricane Boards if paid for
Costumes and scull caps
4 X torpedo’s required.
Subscriptions and fees as discussed last meeting.
Carnival and other competition fees to be paid individually.
Hardship discussions or applications to go directly to Claire.
Nippers Calendar
Warren has approached East Cape for hosting of a carnival as well as East Cape Champs.
Decisions still to be made regarding dates and East Cape to let us know as soon as possible.
Sunday 12th:
Free Hot dogs and Ice Cream: We will be providing for a potential 100 people.
Peter to buy Ice Cream and to bring gas cooker
Claire will prepare hot dogs.
We need as many coaches as possible as we have a number of people who will be away this Sunday.
Deon
Alex
Andrew
Marius
Roger
Varrin
Gavin
Peter
Shareen
Brian Saunders?
Ant Cox?
Warren
And any other coaches who will assist.
Scull caps: if the Nipper does not have a scull cap they will not be able to take part in training. In this case the nipper will have to “hire” one for a R30.00 deposit which will be refunded on return of the cap. It is impossible to control ‘unbranded’ Nippers.
Parents vs Nippers
Tug-o-War
Beach Relays
Flags
General
First 100 Club – 1 November 2008 Saturday.
Claire and Charmaine did an excellent job of sorting out the clothing. But even more good news: they took all the “old” clothing that we no longer use and gave this to a soccer club in Kwanobuhle (Uitenhage) and this club has 11 soccer teams kitted out and now wearing Summerstrand branded clothing. Great Move Claire!
Age categories:
If your birthday is before 30 September then you fall in the younger age group.
For example: If you turn TEN on 30 September then you are Under 12: But if you turn TEN on 1st October then you are Under 10 for that season. If in doubt please consult with Claire or your coach.
Requirements for Nippers Level Tests:
Must swim 400 Meters in a swimming pool. Once off only.
Must have a Birth Certificate
Must sign an indemnity form
Must complete the application form for a Level Test.
Must have the Level test Vouchers
If all of this has been done and submitted to East Cape Office then you will be entitled to apply for the next level test in two weeks thereafter.
We require some heavy weight anchors for the buoys
Disco for Grade 6 and Grade 7 only
Before or after Exams?
Nippers to sell tickets at R5
If response of Minimum 30 then go ahead.
Message sent by Deon to Radio Algoa.
Thanks Deon – nice one.
Very nice filler and I will use now at 08h30 this morning in sport and will also pass on to Roy Williams for his What’s On diary.
Shot for sending on to us.
Neil
Dear Shadley or Neil
Are you able to make use of this little article in sport or under upcoming events or when you chat about the weekend sport?
I am involved with Nippers at Summies and we are trying to grow this sport and develop water-skills etc.
Thanks gents
Deon
SUMMERSTRAND HOSTS NIPPERS OPEN DAY
Summerstrand Surf Lifesaving Club at Pollock Beach begins its bid to win national honours when the Nipper season officially starts on Sunday.
The club will host an Open Day for all prospective Nippers and their families this Sunday from 11am-1pm as they prepare to improve their national ranking.
The club is one of the strongest in the country, having been placed a narrow second at the Nipper Nationals Champs earlier this year, but it is not all about winning.
Club Chairperson Warren Collier said Nippers, or lifesaving for children aged between 8 and 14, was about developing life-skills on the beach and in the water.
“One of the greatest things, especially for people who live at the coast, is the ability to enjoy and handle the sea conditions and this is what Nippers develops in a safe, fun environment,”
Collier said. “It is one the most empowering activities for young people.”
The club near Something Good at Pollock Beach will be open to all newcomers this Sunday with goodies for all participants.
For more information please contact Deon Engelke at 041 3630310 or 082 692 4382 – cell
ends
Deon Engelke
Inkanyezi Events
tel 0413630310
fax0413638617
www.inkanyezi.co.za
242 Cape Road
Greenacres
Port Elizabeth
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS
Minutes of a committee meeting held on Thursday 13.11.2008. at Peter’s house:18.30pm.
Present:
Nicole
Shareen
Thomas
Andrew
Donald
Hannes
Clint
Warren
Terry
Peter
Apologies
Claire
Roger F
Roger & Louise L
Varrin
Charles
Deon
Welcome to Nicole, Thomas and Andrew. Andrew made the comment as to how much more the Nippers enjoy the activity when parents are involved. So thank you to you for your interest, attendance and contribution.
Minutes of the previous meeting.
Cash Flow:
Cash to be banked and money owed to Meintjies’ family to paid over.
Paid for Chafe vests, cossies and scull caps.
Paid for level tests and open day.
Shirley, Caryn and Charmaine are keeping the Tuck Shop well stocked. Many thanks and well done to them for all their efforts.
Clothing
T shirts and Shorts order has been placed. May be ready for Sunday 16th.
Chafe Vests for Coaches
Coaches: Please respond (Now!) to Claire or Peter if you want a Chafe Vest. Thanks to those already responded. Please let Claire have the money for this.
S,M,L R155; XL R165; 2XL R175; 3XL R180; 4XL R190
Level Test Dates and times.
There will be a Re-Test of those Nippers who did a Level test on Sunday 9.11.2008 but who for one or other reason did not qualify. This will be at Hobie Beach at 10.00am. Nippers should be at the beach 20 Minutes early as there will be a coach to revise on Signals etc.
There will be a Level Test for all other Nippers who have handed in a Birth Certificate and who have completed their pool swim. This Level Test will be conducted at Hobie Beach on Sunday 23.11.2008. 10.00am
Sponsorships
Donald presented a DVD that he had made up for Tiger Brands. It showed the sponsor brand, the extent of the exposure and Nippers in action. It is a very effective DVD and he has offered to do something similar for Puma and for ADT who are potential sponsors. Hannes may be able to secure a sponsorship for scull caps for all nippers plus something like 100 more.
Nippers Nationals Accommodation.
Claire has obtained a group booking at the Parade Hotel. Price is R2 300 for three nights for a double (three bed family) sea facing / corner room. Or R1 960 for a Twin Room. R800 deposit has to be paid per room. I have spoken to Brenda at the hotel and she needs a verbal commitment by about 20.11.2008 and a Financial Commitment as soon as possible thereafter. Parents to confirm with Claire or Peter as soon as possible.
Arrive Thursday 2 April 2009 and depart Sunday 5th April 2009.
Nippers Nationals is a Three Day event starting on the Friday at Midday and ending on Sunday at about 14.00 or 15.00pm after the prize giving and awards ceremony.
Coaches to contact their parent and Nipper groups.
Nippers Carnival in Plett. Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November.
We have not yet had a program but in previous years the Plett Carnival starts on Saturday at about 12.00 on the Main Beach. Payment of R10 or R20 per Nipper must be made on arrival.
Nippers must have completed a Level Test for their age category to be allowed to compete.
These Carnivals are fun events and Every Nipper will be able to compete in a variety of events.
We will pitch our Yellow Gazebo as the central meeting place on Central Beach.
Parents should make their own accommodation arrangements. There are a number of options: Camping, Bed and Breakfast’s, Castleton or the River Club are suggestions. Nippers gain a huge amount of experience and have a great time at the Plett Carnival.
We must have parents willing to take times and places at each age group. This information is required for our own awards as well as future team selections.
Everyone must assist with off loading and loading of the craft onto the trailer.
Please stay for the awards and results at the end even after your child has completed his/her last event. This will finish at about 15.00.
Peter to establish if there will be a level test at Plett on the morning before the event. Also what are their requirements regarding teams etc.
Nippers Hobie Beach Carnival on Sunday 7th December. More details to follow.
100 Club. This will be held on Friday 5th December. This will be a Bring & Braai. Details to follow.
Disco Evening on hold
Judges:
Warren will contact a number of the existing Summerstrand Judges and Officials to see who will be at Plett and Hobie beach. He will also ask East Cape what are the requirements. Peter & Hannes attended a “course” last season.
In the East Cape LSA Minutes they state:
There will a judges/officials course in our area.
Hurricane product display.
Monday 17th November at 17.30: all parents and Nippers are invited to Summerstrand for a display of the Hurricane Wares. They will have a variety of their products on offer. Nippers may also want to “Test Drive” if it is a good afternoon.
Sunday 16th and Sunday 23rd will be trials for teams for the upcoming carnivals. Coaches will be taking times.
Donald suggested that we establish a “Ladder” for the various disciplines. This to be put up in the clubhouse.
In some cases times and teams for Beach sprints and relays have been established.
Trailer
Warren and Penny Pinchers, Barkhuizens and Uli Von WIlderman have done a complete overhaul of the Trailer. Thanks to these generous sponsors. To be branded “Penny Pinchers”
Subscriptions: if you have not yet paid:
2008/2009 Fees for Nippers Membership:
R350 for first child
R250 for subsequent children in one family.
Approach the treasurer (Claire) should fees be a problem.
No change from 2007/2008.
Micro Nippers are trained at no cost but must wear Summerstrand colours including a scull cap.
Carnivals: Entry fee of between R10 and R20 to be paid by individuals.
Nationals Entry Fee at about R100 to be paid by individuals.
Direct deposits : “Summerstrand surf lifesaving club cadets”
Standard bank branch 050017; Account Number : 080023835;
Email confirmation to Claire at shrek_3@vodamail.co.za
Or pay in cash on Sunday.
Updated Calendar of events:
Sunday 16th and 23rd November Nippers practice and trails for upcoming Carnivals. Level tests at Hobie Beach.
Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 November --- Plett Carnival. Parents to make own travel and accommodation arrangements.
Sunday 7th December possible carnival at Kings Beach
Sunday 28th December 2008: Sunday: No Nippers practices.
December & January school holidays: Nippers will continue through the school holidays on Sundays 11.00am to 13.00.
10 January 2009: committee, coaches and parents meeting to plan and organise the Summerstrand carnival. Peter’s house at 18.30pm.
25th January 2009: Summerstrand carnival at Summerstrand. (Pollock Beach)
15 February 2009: Cut off date for Nippers Level test for East Cape champs.
22 February 2009: Redhouse River Mile.
28 February 2009. Cut off date for Level Test for Nippers to take part in Nationals in Durban.
7th March 2009: East Cape Champs. Hosted by Summerstrand at Summerstrand Pollock Beach.
Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th April 2009: Nippers Nationals: Ushaka Beach, Durban.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS COMMITTEE MEETING
Notice and agenda
Notice of a Summerstrand Nippers Committee and Coaches meeting to be held on 8 January 2008 at Peter’s house: 23 Mill Park Road: 18.30pm
Agenda
Welcome
Minutes of the meeting of 13.11.2008.
Level Tests
Preparation for the Summerstrand Carnival of 25th January 2008.
Beach Preparation
Arena’s
One or Two water arena’s
2 X Flags set up: Ropes and measurements
Sprint arena.
Officials and Duties
Results and recording
Program of events
Tuckshop and catering
Shower and toilet facilities
Catering for officials and volunteers
Entry lists and Entry fee collection.
Safety officers
Other
.
NIPPERS HOBIE BEACH CARNIVAL
Sunday 7 December 2008.
From the start we battled to extract any information regarding this carnival. We knew that it was on the Nippers Calendar, however that was about the sum total of the information that we received. In addition to this we had the added complication of an Aquabear Gala and Water Polo events on the same day. Finally, after some time and effort, Claire was able to obtain a program. The Carnival was to be held at Hobie beach at 09.00am and the first event was to be a Taplin relay and then a number of events would follow.
I was able to send out a notification with just days to spare and must apologise to those who did not hear about this Carnival and who waited for us at Summerstrand.
The Trailer was still packed from the Plett weekend and Warren parked the trailer in the Hobie Parking lot. We arrived at around 08.00am and began with setting up our tent. The tent is to me, a symbol for parents and for Nippers, that Summerstrand it there. And that we are prepared for the day’s activities. We then brought some of the boards down to the beach and within a few minutes, Nippers started to arrive and were out in the ocean having a great time.
East London were next to arrive and then Paul from Kings Beach arrived with a small team of his Nippers. East London had somehow received a notification of the Carnival and had a reasonably large team of Nippers. There was, as far as I could see, only one little girl (Whitney) from Hobie Beach. Time passed and 9.00am approached without any sign of arena’s being set up nor any of the organising club being present. Resourceful as ever; the Kings Beach and Summerstrand coaches banded together and decided that we would run our own Mini Carnival.
First out were the U10 Taplin teams with other age groups following suite. Warren had rushed back to Summies to fetch some flags and we set up a flags arena which our small team of U10’s were first to use. The U14’s headed off to a sprint arena that had been set up and now we had a bit of a flow going. Parents assisted in all kinds of ways including; scoring, marshalling, water safety and catching. Even Katharine and Lisa Marie assisted in the water as the U10.s did their body board event.
During the morning between about 9.00am to 12.00pm we managed to fit in: Taplin, Flags, Individual Beach sprints, individual Body board, individual Malibu board, beach sprint relays and finally an Iron Nipper event. The one thing about having less control is that normal rules don’t apply: We dispensed with numbers. We did not ask who had done their level tests, when we had to do the team beach sprints we did not have the right numbers for teams so organised mixed (between clubs) teams for the event. And to top it all when we asked which of the U10 Nippers felt up to doing an Iron Nipper event we had a contingent of about 10 brave young boys and girls who were willing to take a chance.
Brett from East London made himself into a human Buoy and the U10’s swam around him and then Body Boarded around him as well. The event ended up with the youngest of Nippers out on Malibu’s around the red buoy. This is a tough event for these young people and we can be proud of there courage. The u14’s and U12’s followed with an Iron Nipper event.
Despite the non existent organisation those who were able to make it down to the beach on Sunday had a wonderful morning. The sea was flat and almost waveless. Most of us were able to find reasonably good parking and for those of us who enjoy a swim with the Nippers it was a fine morning for a “Goof”. Thank you parents for the many ways in which you assist so willingly. Without your support on and off the beach we could not organise this fantastic life style for our children.
Finally thanks to the Nippers for your enthusiastic participation and the way you have bonded into a team. Summerstrand was well represented and while I don’t think that there are going to be official results, I would be surprised if we would not have won the day despite depleted teams.
Peter
7.12.2008.
NIPPERS
PLETTENBERGBAY CARNIVAL
Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th November 2008.
The Plett Carnival always seems to spring itself on us early in the season. However it is a great motivator to get us all going with training, Level Tests, sorting out teams and recruiting of new Nippers. This year the Plett carnival was postponed to the end of November so we had a bit of breathing space. We had recruited huge numbers of new Nippers and these young people and their parents all had to be introduced to what Nippers and carnivals are all about. The U10’s had started off with something like 6 Nippers at the first Sunday and this had grown to over 25 active Nippers at last count. The U12’s and U14’s had also a whole gang of new young boys and girls who seemed as keen as anything to become part of this great activity.
Our daughter, Ally had decided that she no longer needed us and travelled down to Plett with her long time friend, Amber. So Barbara & I drove down on Saturday morning on our own. It seemed like it was going to be a bit overcast and I had a few doubtful parents question whether the carnival would go ahead as planned. My stock answer to this question for both Sunday practices and Carnivals is: “Your coaches will be there!”
After we had off loaded our stuff at my mothers flat (she lives in Plett), we headed for the beach and were happy to see that Warren had found a good parking and had left the trailer for the first there to off load. There were a couple of other parents who also arrived early and we quickly got stuck into carting the boards to our normal spot that we like to book for Summerstrand. We had the tent up in a flash and Barbara had our chairs (so kindly donated to us by Terry Billson) set up. I had brought programs and teams so that as the Nippers arrived they could see what was going to be expected of them.
Ant Cox called a managers meeting at 11.00am and once some of the detail had been sorted out we were able to start the first events. In the U10 group we realised that we had just 7 participants and the first event was the Taplin Relay which required four Nippers per team. When we explained that the swim was WAAAAY out to the two buoys and back then the body board section would be the same there was a bit of a pause before we convinced our team that we would be fielding two teams with one member having to do two disciplines. The U12s and U14’s had no such trouble as they have some wonderfully capable swimmers and boarders. Fortunately the Plett surf did not let us down and it was reasonably flat and calm throughout the Carnival.
I promised our younger team members that I would be with them the whole time so ended up doing quite a bit of water work that afternoon. And, by the way, the sea temperature was not as warm as it will be in Durban later next year! But in the end we did our thing and, much to the coach’s delight and pride, both U10 teams finished the Taplin Relay. We then moved on to the Flags section where the U10’s were much more comfortable and we had a good number in the finals. Poor young Marion was the only girl in the U10 squad but she certainly held her own doing almost every possible event that there was.
That afternoon we managed to complete the Taplin relay, the Flags heats, the individual Body Board event, the individual Swim event, the individual Beach Sprints heats, the Malibu relay, the Beach Sprints Relay heats and the Body Board Relay. This is a huge number of events for any Nipper and by the end of the day (16.30) everyone was quite exhausted. The day had remained overcast and cool and so we had the weather on our side.
Someone had booked supper at the fish restaurant near to Castleton and we headed off there for supper. A group of parents had stayed at the beach restaurant to watch both 15’s and 7’s rugby and by the time the arrived at supper they had already had a fair share of enjoyment. It was a stunning evening and we sat outside together with a table full of U14s at one table and U12s at another. The rest of the U12’s were having themselves a ball at Castleton. The vibe amoungst both the adults and the youngsters was something to experience.
Sunday morning we were up early and at the beach shortly after 07.00am. Ant had said we should start the first event at 08.00. The first event of the day would be the long run starting with the U10 girls. Our lone representative, Marion, was nowhere to be seen. Andrew must have decided to sleep in a bit. The run of 800m started without her. Then when the girls were already half way in their run the Jonas’ family arrived. Marion was not to be left out and she started the run all on her own. The amazing thing to see was the way the Summies U14’s ran in with her at the end. I think that it was more than just Barbara who felt quite choked up with emotion seeing the support that Summies gives to their team. Marion’s effort scored points for the Summies U10 team.
Our U10 boys took off at a sprint but then the distance was a bit too much for them: we need to work on this for future. The U12 girls were next and we saw Ally sprint off in front. In fact it was quite funny to see the look on her face of: “What am I doing here in front?” Well she held her own to the turn and then was overtaken but a slight young girl. Despite efforts from rivals to run ahead of her, Ally managed to stay in second place to the end. It was about now that I realised that she is no longer my little girl but a real tough young lady who can hold her own at any event that Nippers can throw at her. The U12 boys and the both groups in the U14’s did very well and this set the scene for the rest of the day. There was a bit of a scare after the U12 boys finished in that Jonathan N collapsed and his parents took him home early to make sure that there was not more that needed attention. I believe that he is back on his feet again and will be back at Summerstrand as soon as he can.
We went through the Run Swim Run, Beach sprint relay finals, Malibu board individual, Beach sprint individual finals, Iron Nipper and finally the Flags finals. The U12 boys was quite a sight as we had 9 out of 10 boys in Summies kit. Flags is, to me, one of the toughest events; as this is an elimination event. And the Nippers know that at any time they may be eliminated in front of a group of parents and peers. But this is what builds character in our children and we can be as proud of them if they are eliminated in the very first round as if they make it through to the final two.
Today had been sunny and as we sat watching our young champions doing their thing at flags I would feel the sun on my legs. I knew that I would suffer the next day. But the joy of being on the beach and in the sea and the wonderful enjoyment that we get out of being with a group of Nippers would far outweigh any pain. The carnival ended at about 15.30 after we had loaded the boards and kit back into the trailer.
The final results?
U10 U12 U14
1 Plett SS SS
2 KB KB KB
3 SS Plett Plett
Top boy Matt McGillivray Kurt V Staden
Top girl Christie Vaughan Lauren Billson
So well done Summerstrand. You were first overall and held up your title as East Cape Champs! The U10’s may have not ended up first in their group but they contributed to the overall result and we are very proud of them for what they achieved over these two days. Especially their participation in the sea events.
Parents: if this was your first Carnival: we hope that you have enjoyed it and will be back on the beach to support your Nipper as often as possible. Should you wish to be part of the adult group in any way there is a need for parent participation as much as there is for the nippers to take part. Please approach your coach or one of us to talk about how you can contribute to the ongoing success of Nippers at Summerstrand.
Our U10 group has a long way to go to be a force to be reckoned with. But we will get there. The U12 group is very strong but have one weakness in that we need two or three more strong swimmers and boarders. The U14’s look like they have already built a strong team in all departments. Recruiting must be something that we all do all the time: talk Nippers to parents and children alike. Particularly if you know that they have a strength either in water or on their feet.
Thanks to Plett for setting it up and to parents and Nippers alike for all your support and encouragement.
Peter
3.12.2008.
NIPPERS
SUMMERSTRAND
12TH OCTOBER 2008.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS: NEWSLETTER
We are really back into the season.
Today we had a huge turnout from existing Nippers as well as a wonderful response to the work of Deon and others to promote Nippers for the new season.
Shareen, Andrew, Marius, Roger Lightening and I coached the U10’s and Micro Nippers. Shareen had 6 boys last week. This week we had 8 girls and about 14 boys. And they were really very keen once they got into the swing of the game. The morning started off with a stunning display from the whales and the dolphins as they helped to add something special to the morning at Summerstrand.
We started the U10’s and Micro Nippers off with a bit of running in the shallows and then did a bit of a warm up away from their parents.
Once they were starting to feel as if they belonged to a team we played a game of fetch the balls and put them into baskets. And in no time at all they were running in and out of the surf as if this was the most natural thing to do. We put them on body boards for a short while. This allowed the first timers to become accustomed to the boards.
We then had a bit of a relay event including running into the surf.
We finished the morning off with Flags and we can already identify a few of the youngsters who will be next year’s stars.
Claire and Charmaine had prepared some Hot Dogs and Ice Creams. Once we had the Nippers really good and tired we sent them off to enjoy a bit of a treat. Being in the back rooms of Nippers is really hard work. Thank you ladies for what you do here.
The Under 12’s were led by Deon, Alex, Hannes and I think had about 30 Nippers. The coaches were not at all soft with this group and soon had them out on Malibu boards and swimming around the buoys. Deon reports that there were at least 6 of the 10 newcomers who had never been that deep into the sea before. “It is really encouraging to be able to be part of the journey that these young people are taking into a life of beach surf proficiency.” Hannes commented: “We are going to have a few great sprint teams for the new season”.
The Under 14’s were coached by Brian, Carmell, Lauren and Varrin. Varrin coached the 6 newcomers while Brian handled the more experienced group of 12.
In total we had about 70 Nippers on the beach this Sunday.
It was great to see previous U14’s, who have now moved on to Juniors, assisting all round. They were seen to be active in the club house as well as on the beach. Thanks to them.
Thank you to the parents who were there today. You have made a wonderful decision to bring your children to the beach. Personally I can think of nothing better for a young person than to develop a healthy respect and yet an ability to overcome a fear of the surf. Two hours of beach fun is one of the best ways your child can spend a Sunday morning.
We hope to see you again next week. Please note that while the weather was great today, it is not always the case. But you will find coaches there every Sunday. 11.00am to 13.00pm.
We should have a program for the upcoming carnivals soon and will pass this information to you as soon as possible.
Level Tests: Before a Nipper is allowed to take part in a competition (competitions in Nippers are known as Carnivals) the youngster has to undergo a level test. This test comprises answering a few simple questions which we will coach the Nippers on in advance. They then complete a run swim run. We do this on Hobie beach and it is well supervised by coaches and safety officers. Parents have to supply us with a copy of the Nippers’ Birth Certificate as well as a signed indemnity form. New parents please hand these into Claire as soon as possible so that we can book a level test.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
HOW TO HAVE A "HAPPIER NEW YEAR?"
Maybe you have heard the words Happy New Year a few times these past two days?
So how do we go about having a Happier New Year?
Here are some suggestions that may apply to your life. And if they do; then take out one or two, write them down and take action. Nothing gets done if you don’t make a conscious effort. Changed behaviour is difficult at first but soon becomes habit.
Focus on your blessings in life.
Discuss your problems with God, your family and your friends.
Then leave them alone.
Tell those around you to stop you every time you start moaning about stuff.
Work out action plans for doing things that bring you joy.
PRASAK --- Practice Random and Senseless Acts of Kindness.
Forgive those who you consider to have wronged you – and then tell them that you want to reestablish a friendship.
Work hard at being a good family member.
Work hard at your place of employment
Work hard at being a good community member
Work hard on your health.
Become more of a servant and less of a controller
Take out a calendar or a diary and plan for fun activities,
Children don’t care about clean rooms; they remember days on the beach building sandcastles.
Spend time with children as a child not as an adult.
Start saying ‘Yes’ rather than ‘No’ when a child asks you something.
Pay up accounts and save a few rand every month.
Do not open one new account nor take out a loan for one whole year: cut up your cards.
Laugh more than you did last year.
Allow yourself to wobble --- become a little less stiff and more of a loose person.
Smile, compliment people, shake hands and greet everyone.
So how do we go about having a Happier New Year?
Here are some suggestions that may apply to your life. And if they do; then take out one or two, write them down and take action. Nothing gets done if you don’t make a conscious effort. Changed behaviour is difficult at first but soon becomes habit.
Focus on your blessings in life.
Discuss your problems with God, your family and your friends.
Then leave them alone.
Tell those around you to stop you every time you start moaning about stuff.
Work out action plans for doing things that bring you joy.
PRASAK --- Practice Random and Senseless Acts of Kindness.
Forgive those who you consider to have wronged you – and then tell them that you want to reestablish a friendship.
Work hard at being a good family member.
Work hard at your place of employment
Work hard at being a good community member
Work hard on your health.
Become more of a servant and less of a controller
Take out a calendar or a diary and plan for fun activities,
Children don’t care about clean rooms; they remember days on the beach building sandcastles.
Spend time with children as a child not as an adult.
Start saying ‘Yes’ rather than ‘No’ when a child asks you something.
Pay up accounts and save a few rand every month.
Do not open one new account nor take out a loan for one whole year: cut up your cards.
Laugh more than you did last year.
Allow yourself to wobble --- become a little less stiff and more of a loose person.
Smile, compliment people, shake hands and greet everyone.
ACTUAL WRITINGS ON HOSPITAL CHARTS:
ACTUAL WRITINGS ON HOSPITAL CHARTS:
1. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
2. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
3. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
4. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
5. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
6. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
7. Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
8. The patient refused autopsy.
9. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
10. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
11. Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
13. She is numb from her toes down.
14. While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.
15. The skin was moist and dry.
16. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
17. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
18. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
19. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life,
until she got a divorce.
20. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
21. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
22. Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
23. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
24. The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stock broker instead.
25. Skin: somewhat pale but present.
26. The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.
27. Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.
28. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.
29. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.
1. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
2. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
3. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
4. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
5. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
6. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
7. Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
8. The patient refused autopsy.
9. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
10. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
11. Patient's medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
13. She is numb from her toes down.
14. While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.
15. The skin was moist and dry.
16. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
17. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
18. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
19. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life,
until she got a divorce.
20. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
21. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
22. Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
23. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
24. The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stock broker instead.
25. Skin: somewhat pale but present.
26. The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.
27. Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.
28. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.
29. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL OCTOBER 2008.
TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL
Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October 2008.
On this trail:
Peter, Barbara & Ally
Angus & Madison
Hannes, Jordan and Amber
Friend of Jordan – Handre
Rob, Megan & Jason and their friends James & Sarah
Fred, Jeremy and Janine
Alex, Lynne and Lara
John, Michael and Greg
Dawn was due to come but had to pull out for work reasons as her computer had ‘crashed’.
The hike was born from an idea of Graeme Gilmour (Walmer Methodist Church)who wanted to encourage family activities. I put out a notice and was pleased to receive an immediate and positive response from church members.
We met before the hike to discuss the logistics and kit requirements. At this stage I could already see that we were going to have a great hike. The youngsters immediately started to bond and there was an electric vibe in our lounge as we spoke about the coming hike. I was able to borrow a number of backpacks. The Glovers’, Perks’ & Scheepers’ were all good to lend out their equipment. These were distributed amoung people who were first time hikers.
On the morning of Friday 3rd October I was up early and made a few final preparations and packed the food that was in the fridge. Ally’s pack would be a little heavier than she was used to but I thought that it was about time that she started to carry for herself. The pack that she would use was one borrowed from the Perk’s. We met at the church and were able to leave at about 09.30.
We had been a bit concerned about the weather as we had seen some nasty predictions on the news. But the day looked fine and I was looking forward to a great three days ahead. Alex was in St Francis and had arranged to meet us en route. Barbara had forgotten her walking stick and after a quick stop at home we were on our way. Hannes took his Combi, Rob has a big Pajero, John has a station wagon and we had our Toyota with Angus and Madison driving with us.
We stopped at Humansdorp to wait for Alex but the wind was bitingly cold and we decided to press on as far as Storms River. On our way we saw two experimental Solar Powered vehicles heading towards PE. They looked more like a large Frisbee than a car. But it is interesting to think that people will continually be looking out for alternative energy. There was construction at the bridge and we were able to chat while we waited.
Hannes pointed out that I had been speeding and probably would receive a speeding fine for going over 60kph along the bypass section. The youngsters jumped out of the cars and walked across the bridge. At Storms River we stopped for a toilet break and pressed on to the Lottering Station where we would leave a car and park the rest of them at Boskor.
Fortunately Barbara decided to walk to the office where she met up with Nadia. Nadia had done the bookings but I had made a Boo boo! We were not going to hike the section that I had planned and so had to get back into our cars and drive through the toll gate to the Blaaukrans Forest station. Here we again parked cars and John & I drove back to Lottering where we would leave our cars to be collected at the end of the hike. Alex, Hannes and Rob left their vehicles at Blaaukrans. As we returned to where they were waiting I made my next mistake. I put my car keys into Hannes’ Combi. Doff! How was I to drive my car back to collect the others if the keys were at the start? Ah well! No worries. John had kept his keys with him.
After a bit of back pack adjustments we set off on the trail up to the Blaaukrans hut. It was a Forest Road and really very easy walking. All uphill. As we walked we were able to see the Blaaukrans River Bridge where the Bungy Jumping takes place. At one stage we were looking down into deep gorges and valleys. Stunning views. The distance from the forest station where we had parked to the overnight hut was about 6kays and it took us about 2 hours of easy walking to reach the hut.
Fred must have reached the hut first as he came back to see if he could help with anyone who was struggling. I was one of the last to the hut and discovered that the young group had secured exclusive use of one of the rooms. There were about 12 to 15 beds in the form of triple bunks in each room. Madison had wanted to know if she was going to be in her own room. However I think that she was delighted to be in a room with so many other children.
We got the fire going and then walked down to the stream below. From the balcony of this hut you look down to the stream and waterfall. Handre and Jordan were doing some cliff hanging as they sat on the edge of the waterfall. I tried to get them to step back, as it would be me who would have to face Jacqui’s fury if something happened to Jordan. But they seemed confident and Fred joined them for a swim in the pool. I was a bit more conservative and swam with James and Jason in one of the upper pools. These two boys had a ball as they looked for frogs and tadpoles. The water was chilly but bearable. This was my wash for the day.
Back up at the boma area the kettle was already boiling and we were able to make ourselves coffee. We settled into our rooms and unpacked the evening supper allocation. Barbara & I had decided to treat ourselves. Now you have to understand the dynamics of hiking with our groups. Each evening or meal time there is an unspoken rivalry as to who can be the most inventive and who will have the most luxuries. Normally what we do is set out snacks which can include muscles or oysters on crackers, Biltong and any other delicacies that we can think of.
This evening I had a plate with cauliflower, carrots and chips with a dip. Rob added some biltong and cashews and we passed this around while we opened our beers & sherry. Then I opened our pack of Tiger Prawns that we had brought for the evening. At the last hike Fred had shown me the special rice that he had bought and I used this idea with the Prawns. I put some Chinese rice on the fire in a dixie. I had brought some premixed olive oil and butter to fry the prawns and once they had turned a bright pink I served Barbara & I a meal that would have rivalled any that you could prepare at home.
Ally does not eat prawns so I braaied boerewors and served this in rolls for her. Immediately after the braaing was done, the marshmallows came out and soft, burnt, sticky marshmallows were served up as a dessert. The temperature dropped quickly as we sat enjoying the evening. The sky was clear and stars shined as bright as you will see anywhere. Barbara went off to bed and I followed soon afterwards. The youngsters were having a great time in their room. Singing, chatting and playing.
Saturday morning. I had slept fitfully as I generally do on hard uncomfortable bunk beds. Tough! During the night I had felt something run across my sleeping bag. The window was open next to me and I thought it was a mouse. Only after I had announced that there was a mouse in the room and had explained this in detail to everyone and sundry, did Barbara tell me that the mouse was her hitting me with a pillow to stop me snoring! How embarrassing.
John had slept outside in the boma on a table and Rob & Jason had slept on the floor next to the fireplace. They must have frozen. It was really chilly that night and there is no protection against the breeze. I put the fire on for morning coffee and one by one the rest of the group emerged. It was still quite cold but as the sun came up it became warm. Barbara & I had agreed that coffee and rusks would be our breakfast. The main consensus amoungst the hikers seemed to be Oats so easy or plain porridge.
At about 08.00am we managed to group together for a photo and then headed down the pathway for day two of our hike. I always wonder at how quickly we climb on hikes like this. In no time we were looking back down at the hut where we had stayed. The path took us up and then down to a stream in the forest. Here we stopped for a rest and a snack. And then headed off to the next stop which was to be at the 5kay mark.
We could see the rest of the group down at the stream long before we worked our way down. Here there is a crossing of the river with a chain. The last time we crossed the river was flowing strongly and we really had to use the chain. This time however the river was a gentle flow and once across, we found a wonderful place to relax, suntan, eat and swim. I saw Greg and Handre having a race across the pool. This looked like fun until I got into the water. I cannot remember ever being in such cold water. It was really bitingly cold. But the swim did our legs and muscles good. Refreshing was an understatement. I think that everyone was impressed to see Lynne in her bathing costume and also jump into the water.
After a good relaxing break we headed up hill. This was a long climb. Below we could see the stream flowing down to our pool. Across the valley was a sentinel Baboon barking a warning to the troop. The next section of hiking was heavy going. We walked along the contour of the mountain. The pathway was tough and there were continuous sets of ups and downs as each stream that we passed was a little valley that we had to go through. Ally was not feeling her best and Barbara had a sore back / side that she was battling with.
We plodded on slowly and made steady headway. Finally we came up to John, Rob and his little group and Ally managed to stay with them. Barbara & I then took it easy for a while. John had been studying the map and had pointed out where he thought the next camp should be located. We reached a small forest section where there was a reasonable stream. Each time we came across water I would fill my bottle. As we emerged from this wooded area we decided to take a break. Barbara closed her eyes and I took out my book to read.
The break had lifted our spirits and we headed down the pathway and then turned left along a forest road. From here we continued in an easterly direction for a short while before heading left up on to the pathway again. We again reached the forest road and saw a sign which indicated that we had 1.5kays to go to Keurbos. This would be the road that we would have to walk along the next morning, back to the Lottering Forest station. Ahead we could see Rob and Jason. As you near the huts you pass some pools called Twin Tubs. I had swum there before when we did a hike with family. These pools provide a really freezing swim opportunity. Rob had noticed the animal trap and took some people back to examine it later.
That afternoon we must have reached the hut at about 16.00. There seemed to be quite a bit of activity around the hut. The fires were burning, people were showering and a few hikers took the mattresses off the beds and laid them on the grassy area for an afternoon nap. I was looking forward to my coffee and was happy to see that the kettle was boiling. Chatting to the rest of the group I realised that it was not only us who had battled with the afternoon walk. Angus was quite weary, Fred looked like he was glad to be in camp and the sleeping bodies on the grass told a story as well.
That evening Barbara & I prepared a potato with Bacon, cheese, spinach, onion and mushroom topping. We had this with a hamburger and marshmallows as desert again. A really substantial and delicious meal. After supper and a few drinks we were pretty exhausted and were in bed early again. The youngsters had commandeered one of the huts and were having a great time together. Some of the adults stayed up a little later but I could hardly keep my eyes open.
The mattresses are pretty thin and with sore limbs I did not sleep too well and was happy to see that first light was just emerging. The boma area was empty that morning and Angus & I got the fire going for early morning coffee. As more people emerged a variety of breakfasts were prepared before we were ready to set off at about 08.00am. Rob & Janine were suffering with blisters and did a bit of doctoring. Janine had told me that she remembered our Jacqui from Church Youth Groups.
The road back to Lottering started off with an uphill but the forest road is easy going and we were soon back to where we had met up with the road the previous day. As we walked, John told us some very interesting facts about GIS mapping (Geographic Information Systems). The use of GIS mapping and how a variety of information is used for farming, development and all kinds of studies. We walked at a steady pace and reached the stream crossing the road where we estimated the 5 kay mark to be. Here we stopped for a break and to regroup.
I was really happy with our food provisions as we finished the last of our food supply at this point. I often over cater and take stuff home that I have lugged along for days on the trail. After a good rest we hitched up again and walked down to the weir of the Lottering river at the bottom of the valley before a steady climb up again. At the River we realised that we had already walked 7 kays and had just over four kays to go.
The last section of the hike was not too tough and we finally emerged back at the forest station about 4 hours after we had started off that morning. Fred and Handre were first in. Our little group was next and Ally, Lara, Greg and I had a little sprint to the finish. As each group came in we encouraged them to run in at the finish and this added fun to the end of a good hike. John loaded Rob, Hannes and Alex into his car and they went off to collect the other vehicles from the Blaaukrans forest station.
Those who were left behind either relaxed with closed eyes or played around on the grass. As soon as they returned with the vehicles, we loaded our stuff and drove through to Storms River where we purchased an unhealthy combination of burgers, chips, milkshake and coffee. All our hard work over the past few days was lost to burgers in a few minutes! Once we were back onto the N2 we took just under two hours to reach home. I really love the whole thing of going on an outing like this but I also love getting home. The thought of a hot shower, coffee and a remote control was really enticing. My body was tired and sore and we spent most of the remainder of the afternoon on the couch as we chatted about the hike.
Response from parents:
From: Cheryl Kotze [mailto:info@jksurvey.com]
Sent: 12 October 2008 08:03 PM
To: Peter Giddy
Subject: Re: Tsitsikamma Hiking Group October 2008 Report.
Well done Peter! Nice to read all you got up to!!
Dear Peter
Thanks so much for all you did to organise this hike. Sara THOROUGHLY enjoyed it and I believe from many people that she coped very well. We are so proud of her.
Tindal really battles with his knees from old rugby injuries and could never manage the up and downs of hiking. We do walk a lot along the flat beach at low tide and Sara thoroughly enjoys that too, but
this was a privilege and a blessing for her to be part of. Thank you, I appreciate it.
Jacquie
Dear Peter
Thanks you very much for this report – it brought back a lot of memories for me of my hiking days! It really sounds as if you had a great time and certainly achieved objectives I had in mind if terms of giving families quality time to spend together, and kids a chance to socialise in good company and a healthy environment, all as part of the WMC community. Many thanks for taking it on. I very much hope that we can move forward with what I see to be a valuable ministry.
With that in mind I would ask you, if you have not already decided to do so, to attend the men’s breakfast on Saturday. We are going to do some serious thinking about where men can fit into the vision we have for WMC and what you have done here is an example of what others can do with a little bit of imagination and thought. I think you could have a useful contribution to make, so please come if possible.
Graeme
Dear Peter
Thanks for initiating and enabling an obviously special adventure for part of our family at Walmer Methodist.
I hope we will get more of these going in time to come. I expect that those who went won’t miss out in future but hope others will find the time and take the opportunity.
Blessings
Jonathan
Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October 2008.
On this trail:
Peter, Barbara & Ally
Angus & Madison
Hannes, Jordan and Amber
Friend of Jordan – Handre
Rob, Megan & Jason and their friends James & Sarah
Fred, Jeremy and Janine
Alex, Lynne and Lara
John, Michael and Greg
Dawn was due to come but had to pull out for work reasons as her computer had ‘crashed’.
The hike was born from an idea of Graeme Gilmour (Walmer Methodist Church)who wanted to encourage family activities. I put out a notice and was pleased to receive an immediate and positive response from church members.
We met before the hike to discuss the logistics and kit requirements. At this stage I could already see that we were going to have a great hike. The youngsters immediately started to bond and there was an electric vibe in our lounge as we spoke about the coming hike. I was able to borrow a number of backpacks. The Glovers’, Perks’ & Scheepers’ were all good to lend out their equipment. These were distributed amoung people who were first time hikers.
On the morning of Friday 3rd October I was up early and made a few final preparations and packed the food that was in the fridge. Ally’s pack would be a little heavier than she was used to but I thought that it was about time that she started to carry for herself. The pack that she would use was one borrowed from the Perk’s. We met at the church and were able to leave at about 09.30.
We had been a bit concerned about the weather as we had seen some nasty predictions on the news. But the day looked fine and I was looking forward to a great three days ahead. Alex was in St Francis and had arranged to meet us en route. Barbara had forgotten her walking stick and after a quick stop at home we were on our way. Hannes took his Combi, Rob has a big Pajero, John has a station wagon and we had our Toyota with Angus and Madison driving with us.
We stopped at Humansdorp to wait for Alex but the wind was bitingly cold and we decided to press on as far as Storms River. On our way we saw two experimental Solar Powered vehicles heading towards PE. They looked more like a large Frisbee than a car. But it is interesting to think that people will continually be looking out for alternative energy. There was construction at the bridge and we were able to chat while we waited.
Hannes pointed out that I had been speeding and probably would receive a speeding fine for going over 60kph along the bypass section. The youngsters jumped out of the cars and walked across the bridge. At Storms River we stopped for a toilet break and pressed on to the Lottering Station where we would leave a car and park the rest of them at Boskor.
Fortunately Barbara decided to walk to the office where she met up with Nadia. Nadia had done the bookings but I had made a Boo boo! We were not going to hike the section that I had planned and so had to get back into our cars and drive through the toll gate to the Blaaukrans Forest station. Here we again parked cars and John & I drove back to Lottering where we would leave our cars to be collected at the end of the hike. Alex, Hannes and Rob left their vehicles at Blaaukrans. As we returned to where they were waiting I made my next mistake. I put my car keys into Hannes’ Combi. Doff! How was I to drive my car back to collect the others if the keys were at the start? Ah well! No worries. John had kept his keys with him.
After a bit of back pack adjustments we set off on the trail up to the Blaaukrans hut. It was a Forest Road and really very easy walking. All uphill. As we walked we were able to see the Blaaukrans River Bridge where the Bungy Jumping takes place. At one stage we were looking down into deep gorges and valleys. Stunning views. The distance from the forest station where we had parked to the overnight hut was about 6kays and it took us about 2 hours of easy walking to reach the hut.
Fred must have reached the hut first as he came back to see if he could help with anyone who was struggling. I was one of the last to the hut and discovered that the young group had secured exclusive use of one of the rooms. There were about 12 to 15 beds in the form of triple bunks in each room. Madison had wanted to know if she was going to be in her own room. However I think that she was delighted to be in a room with so many other children.
We got the fire going and then walked down to the stream below. From the balcony of this hut you look down to the stream and waterfall. Handre and Jordan were doing some cliff hanging as they sat on the edge of the waterfall. I tried to get them to step back, as it would be me who would have to face Jacqui’s fury if something happened to Jordan. But they seemed confident and Fred joined them for a swim in the pool. I was a bit more conservative and swam with James and Jason in one of the upper pools. These two boys had a ball as they looked for frogs and tadpoles. The water was chilly but bearable. This was my wash for the day.
Back up at the boma area the kettle was already boiling and we were able to make ourselves coffee. We settled into our rooms and unpacked the evening supper allocation. Barbara & I had decided to treat ourselves. Now you have to understand the dynamics of hiking with our groups. Each evening or meal time there is an unspoken rivalry as to who can be the most inventive and who will have the most luxuries. Normally what we do is set out snacks which can include muscles or oysters on crackers, Biltong and any other delicacies that we can think of.
This evening I had a plate with cauliflower, carrots and chips with a dip. Rob added some biltong and cashews and we passed this around while we opened our beers & sherry. Then I opened our pack of Tiger Prawns that we had brought for the evening. At the last hike Fred had shown me the special rice that he had bought and I used this idea with the Prawns. I put some Chinese rice on the fire in a dixie. I had brought some premixed olive oil and butter to fry the prawns and once they had turned a bright pink I served Barbara & I a meal that would have rivalled any that you could prepare at home.
Ally does not eat prawns so I braaied boerewors and served this in rolls for her. Immediately after the braaing was done, the marshmallows came out and soft, burnt, sticky marshmallows were served up as a dessert. The temperature dropped quickly as we sat enjoying the evening. The sky was clear and stars shined as bright as you will see anywhere. Barbara went off to bed and I followed soon afterwards. The youngsters were having a great time in their room. Singing, chatting and playing.
Saturday morning. I had slept fitfully as I generally do on hard uncomfortable bunk beds. Tough! During the night I had felt something run across my sleeping bag. The window was open next to me and I thought it was a mouse. Only after I had announced that there was a mouse in the room and had explained this in detail to everyone and sundry, did Barbara tell me that the mouse was her hitting me with a pillow to stop me snoring! How embarrassing.
John had slept outside in the boma on a table and Rob & Jason had slept on the floor next to the fireplace. They must have frozen. It was really chilly that night and there is no protection against the breeze. I put the fire on for morning coffee and one by one the rest of the group emerged. It was still quite cold but as the sun came up it became warm. Barbara & I had agreed that coffee and rusks would be our breakfast. The main consensus amoungst the hikers seemed to be Oats so easy or plain porridge.
At about 08.00am we managed to group together for a photo and then headed down the pathway for day two of our hike. I always wonder at how quickly we climb on hikes like this. In no time we were looking back down at the hut where we had stayed. The path took us up and then down to a stream in the forest. Here we stopped for a rest and a snack. And then headed off to the next stop which was to be at the 5kay mark.
We could see the rest of the group down at the stream long before we worked our way down. Here there is a crossing of the river with a chain. The last time we crossed the river was flowing strongly and we really had to use the chain. This time however the river was a gentle flow and once across, we found a wonderful place to relax, suntan, eat and swim. I saw Greg and Handre having a race across the pool. This looked like fun until I got into the water. I cannot remember ever being in such cold water. It was really bitingly cold. But the swim did our legs and muscles good. Refreshing was an understatement. I think that everyone was impressed to see Lynne in her bathing costume and also jump into the water.
After a good relaxing break we headed up hill. This was a long climb. Below we could see the stream flowing down to our pool. Across the valley was a sentinel Baboon barking a warning to the troop. The next section of hiking was heavy going. We walked along the contour of the mountain. The pathway was tough and there were continuous sets of ups and downs as each stream that we passed was a little valley that we had to go through. Ally was not feeling her best and Barbara had a sore back / side that she was battling with.
We plodded on slowly and made steady headway. Finally we came up to John, Rob and his little group and Ally managed to stay with them. Barbara & I then took it easy for a while. John had been studying the map and had pointed out where he thought the next camp should be located. We reached a small forest section where there was a reasonable stream. Each time we came across water I would fill my bottle. As we emerged from this wooded area we decided to take a break. Barbara closed her eyes and I took out my book to read.
The break had lifted our spirits and we headed down the pathway and then turned left along a forest road. From here we continued in an easterly direction for a short while before heading left up on to the pathway again. We again reached the forest road and saw a sign which indicated that we had 1.5kays to go to Keurbos. This would be the road that we would have to walk along the next morning, back to the Lottering Forest station. Ahead we could see Rob and Jason. As you near the huts you pass some pools called Twin Tubs. I had swum there before when we did a hike with family. These pools provide a really freezing swim opportunity. Rob had noticed the animal trap and took some people back to examine it later.
That afternoon we must have reached the hut at about 16.00. There seemed to be quite a bit of activity around the hut. The fires were burning, people were showering and a few hikers took the mattresses off the beds and laid them on the grassy area for an afternoon nap. I was looking forward to my coffee and was happy to see that the kettle was boiling. Chatting to the rest of the group I realised that it was not only us who had battled with the afternoon walk. Angus was quite weary, Fred looked like he was glad to be in camp and the sleeping bodies on the grass told a story as well.
That evening Barbara & I prepared a potato with Bacon, cheese, spinach, onion and mushroom topping. We had this with a hamburger and marshmallows as desert again. A really substantial and delicious meal. After supper and a few drinks we were pretty exhausted and were in bed early again. The youngsters had commandeered one of the huts and were having a great time together. Some of the adults stayed up a little later but I could hardly keep my eyes open.
The mattresses are pretty thin and with sore limbs I did not sleep too well and was happy to see that first light was just emerging. The boma area was empty that morning and Angus & I got the fire going for early morning coffee. As more people emerged a variety of breakfasts were prepared before we were ready to set off at about 08.00am. Rob & Janine were suffering with blisters and did a bit of doctoring. Janine had told me that she remembered our Jacqui from Church Youth Groups.
The road back to Lottering started off with an uphill but the forest road is easy going and we were soon back to where we had met up with the road the previous day. As we walked, John told us some very interesting facts about GIS mapping (Geographic Information Systems). The use of GIS mapping and how a variety of information is used for farming, development and all kinds of studies. We walked at a steady pace and reached the stream crossing the road where we estimated the 5 kay mark to be. Here we stopped for a break and to regroup.
I was really happy with our food provisions as we finished the last of our food supply at this point. I often over cater and take stuff home that I have lugged along for days on the trail. After a good rest we hitched up again and walked down to the weir of the Lottering river at the bottom of the valley before a steady climb up again. At the River we realised that we had already walked 7 kays and had just over four kays to go.
The last section of the hike was not too tough and we finally emerged back at the forest station about 4 hours after we had started off that morning. Fred and Handre were first in. Our little group was next and Ally, Lara, Greg and I had a little sprint to the finish. As each group came in we encouraged them to run in at the finish and this added fun to the end of a good hike. John loaded Rob, Hannes and Alex into his car and they went off to collect the other vehicles from the Blaaukrans forest station.
Those who were left behind either relaxed with closed eyes or played around on the grass. As soon as they returned with the vehicles, we loaded our stuff and drove through to Storms River where we purchased an unhealthy combination of burgers, chips, milkshake and coffee. All our hard work over the past few days was lost to burgers in a few minutes! Once we were back onto the N2 we took just under two hours to reach home. I really love the whole thing of going on an outing like this but I also love getting home. The thought of a hot shower, coffee and a remote control was really enticing. My body was tired and sore and we spent most of the remainder of the afternoon on the couch as we chatted about the hike.
Response from parents:
From: Cheryl Kotze [mailto:info@jksurvey.com]
Sent: 12 October 2008 08:03 PM
To: Peter Giddy
Subject: Re: Tsitsikamma Hiking Group October 2008 Report.
Well done Peter! Nice to read all you got up to!!
Dear Peter
Thanks so much for all you did to organise this hike. Sara THOROUGHLY enjoyed it and I believe from many people that she coped very well. We are so proud of her.
Tindal really battles with his knees from old rugby injuries and could never manage the up and downs of hiking. We do walk a lot along the flat beach at low tide and Sara thoroughly enjoys that too, but
this was a privilege and a blessing for her to be part of. Thank you, I appreciate it.
Jacquie
Dear Peter
Thanks you very much for this report – it brought back a lot of memories for me of my hiking days! It really sounds as if you had a great time and certainly achieved objectives I had in mind if terms of giving families quality time to spend together, and kids a chance to socialise in good company and a healthy environment, all as part of the WMC community. Many thanks for taking it on. I very much hope that we can move forward with what I see to be a valuable ministry.
With that in mind I would ask you, if you have not already decided to do so, to attend the men’s breakfast on Saturday. We are going to do some serious thinking about where men can fit into the vision we have for WMC and what you have done here is an example of what others can do with a little bit of imagination and thought. I think you could have a useful contribution to make, so please come if possible.
Graeme
Dear Peter
Thanks for initiating and enabling an obviously special adventure for part of our family at Walmer Methodist.
I hope we will get more of these going in time to come. I expect that those who went won’t miss out in future but hope others will find the time and take the opportunity.
Blessings
Jonathan
Sunday, September 28, 2008
WILDCLIFF WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 2008
WILDCLIFF WEEKEND
Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th September
Michael had said that they would come along this time. But as it turned out they found a new house to live in and had to move over the weekend. They had been living in Westering and they found this to be a long drive each day to both work and school so looked for a house closer to where they had all their activities. They found a house in Target Kloof (River Road) belonging to a Nippers family and were able to secure it for a year.
We then offered to take their children with us to WC to give them the freedom to move. Wednesday was a public holiday and I was able to get a lot of stuff done. Started off with a 15kay around Moffet. It was blowing and I went through Walmer, Moffet and back via Newton Park. I ran on my own which is unusual for me but really enjoyed the exercise and gave myself plenty of time to think and plan. I went to Builders warehouse where they were having some kind of promotion and I bought a ladder plus some hardware. Richard was due to come that morning and we would be fitting the video door chime. That took us most of the day.
Thursday morning Barbara had school until 11.00am. Ally & Jessica had stayed out of school. I made up my list of things to do which started off with a letter to the insurance company, making an offer to purchase the Mazda Bakkie that had been stolen and that I had recently recovered in Uitenhage. It was in a garage (Owen’s) in Uitenhage for repair and roadworthy. When I recovered the bakkie it looked in terrible condition. The wheels were flat, the locks had been damaged, the canopy had been stolen and the alloy wheels exchanged for steel rims. I later heard, from the insurance company, that my offer of R5 000 had been accepted and I must now go back to Uitenhage to pay Owen, collect and licence the vehicle.
My next task was to go to see if I could get Ally’s little pink camera to work. I replaced batteries but am still not sure if I am taking pictures. I will have to download the software and then see if I am able to transfer the photo’s that I took this weekend onto the computer.
Then I had to buy Pinkies (newly born mice that are frozen) for Barbara’s snake. I then went to Pick’n Pay to stock up on provisions. I had a list and thought that I would be able to get through this quite quickly but as always I met up with people I know and each encounter takes time as we exchange stories and chat for a bit. Sonja Giddy (Wayne’s wife) runs a small jewellery shop from inside a chemist next to the entrance to the supermarket. I always stop for a chat there as well.
I drove down Moffet and saw that I was passing the Camping Warehouse shop and as Ally had been nagging me for Puttees I decided to see if they had any. While I was there I also looked at Two Man tents and ended up buying a tent (R700) and the gaiters (R200) (the sales lady refused to call them puttees). I then went to the Builders Warehouse where I bought the Paint for my painter, Clive Felix, to continue with the painting of the boundary wall and the school area.
Clive is an interesting man who had arrived a few days earlier asking for painting work. I had started with the job myself but had botched it up and was pleased to find a person who gave reasonable prices. I had asked him to do a small section of the boundary wall. This developed and I now have him working on all the walls except the house itself. Clive has a wonderful disposition and this makes him a likeable man. When we were at our “Cooking Class” on Monday night I mentioned to Derek Kibble that I had this painter, he immediately recognised my description of Clive from his limp and pleasant ways. Derek has also used him on occasions.
Finally, on my way home, I stopped in at the canvas place and gave them the trampoline mat to repair. By the time I had done all of this it was 11.00am and we had planned to leave at 12.00. We loaded the trailer (Gerald’s) and were on the road by midday. We now had Ally (11), Jessica (9), Joshua (5) and Daniel (3) in the car with us. We took the Gamtoos bypass and when we got to the road works at Storms River were the last in the queue and drove straight through without a stop. Amazing!
Our first stop was in Sedgefield. Nicci had said that she was not able to buy pyjamas and we found a Pep Stores where Barbara bought a set for each child. Then at the Mossel Bay Engen we bought some eats. Then it was a straight through drive to Heidelberg. Here we filled up with petrol and a final top up of groceries. Nicci and Stefan were at WC ahead of us and had phoned in to say that some of the stuff that we had left the last time had been used up.
We arrived at WC just as it was getting dark. Barbara took some stunning evening photos including one of a distant tornado that we saw on the horizon. There had been a fire on the mountains of Heidelberg and Bob plus his neighbours had spent nearly three days putting the fire out.
It had been about a 6.30hours drive. We put on a fire and braaied some chops and sausage. They children seemed to go wild making a huge racket and laughing and playing around. But it was not long after supper that we were all fast asleep. They wind blew all night threatening to blow the roof off.
It was raining as well and on Friday morning it was freezing cold, the wind was howling and the rain falling. It would be a mainly indoor day. Bob came for his mandatory visit and coffee. It is always good to see Bob and hear the local farming woes. The next visitor we had was Freek. He came to discuss the work that he had completed and the payment due to him. I was not able to inspect the work outside as the weather was just too miserable.
Then Mike and Basil arrived. And as it happened just as they arrived the roof in the kitchen and the lounge area started to leak. Mike blamed it on the baboons for removing the caps over the roof nails. Each time a visitor arrives we boil another kettle for coffee and tea. I was able to discuss all of Mikes work list as I had prepared for this; including payments and work still to be done.
There is very little to be completed in Talari. The White House (Casa Bianca) is now to be the focus of his attention. We walked down to the CB and looked, first off, at the store room which has a sky light and this makes it quite bright. He has started the inside work but will leave this to last as it now serves as a bedroom for his labourers. In the main house he has now painted a first coat of white paint and finished the roof (no ceiling).
He still has to build the bathroom and put in the fittings (shower, toilet, bath, basin and light). Then he has to build the mezzanine which will serve as an additional sleeping area for Keith’s children. Against the south wall he must build a counter leaving place for a fridge and must run electricity to that side of the house. He then has to finish off the front of the house with a stoep and roof and then lead a brick pathway.
Finally when we had finished our talks with both Mike & Freek they had to call Bob to come and assist them to drive back to the Gysmanshoek pass road. Bob drove through from his farm in his tractor. When he arrived at Talari his hands were freezing and he had to soak them in hot water to try to get the circulation going again. A good helping of sherry also helped. The roads were by now so muddy and slippery that it would have been impossible to drive through with a normal vehicle. I think that even the 4 X 4 would have battled. Bob put a chain to the front of the tractor and the back of Mike’s bakkie to drive down the hill and then had to tow them up on the other side of the stream.
A little later it stopped raining and we were able to walk down to the pond. The children had a great time. They all had Wellington boots but still became so muddy that the new corner in the front porch area for boots and washing was put to the test. Unfortunately the drain pipe is a bit too small and soon became clogged with mud.
Stefan & I found a gap in the rain and walked down the Talari road to the stream. It is a concern that the WFW people have left branches and tree trunks lying either in the stream or so close that a big rain will cause damming and flooding. We had a long afternoon which included collecting firewood from the meadow as the wood in the braai had been demolished and the wood in the inside fireplace was almost finished. The WFW people have been cutting on the West side of WC so the approach to WC is now more visible. Then they have also cut along the Wilderkrans Stream and both above Heron and Talari. Unfortunately the felling of trees leaves a mess and makes walking quite difficult. I am sure that the long term benefits will make it worthwhile.
We lit the newly fitted indoor stove in the kitchen. It seems to work very well as I was able to heat water and Stefan baked bread in the oven area. I think that it might work well as a slow cooker for a stew but may not be hot enough for frying or boiling rice etc. We did not try to load the fire burning area with more than a few then pieces of wood. A really strong fire in the stove may have made the stove hot enough to get the water really boiling. I had bought some Tiger Prawns and we had those for an afternoon snack. Stefan made a Pootjie in the indoor fireplace. It turned out very well. He does not mix the ingredients but starts with the meat and then adds vegetables to the top.
Our night was a bit better as Barbara had put the single bed next to hers but still there was a lot of restlessness from the children as one fell off and blankets were dragged off the beds or from one body to the next.
Saturday morning looked like it was going to be a great day. The sky was clearing and the wind had dropped so Stefan and I were able to get and early start on our planned hike. If the weather had been really good we had planned to walk up the Hidden Valley and to sleep out there. This did not work out but we still planned a long days walking. We packed back packs for the worst including wet suites, jackets, stove and torches.
We started off past the Rain Frog dam and it was here that we remembered that we had not brought the lopper. Stefan walked back to fetch it while I tried to phone for someone to bring it up the hill a way. But by the time I was able to phone, Stefan was already back at Talari. We bashed our way up the hill, past all the fallen pine that Tom had recently cut. And up to Fynbos Road. From there we walked past the area that Freek was supposed to fill with rocks. The clay washes away and what we really need is some kind of permanent solution but in the meantime rocks will at least shore the road up a bit.
Our marker for the trail down to the kloof was still there. As we walked closer to Ena’s falls the wind picked up and it became quite chilly again. But over the hill and in the valley we were sheltered from the wind and as soon as the sun emerged from the clouds it was pleasantly warm. We crossed the stream and were pleased to find a pathway had been established and marked with ribbon. Trail Marking Ribbon should be a permanent fixture in a day pack at WC.
We followed the trail for a while but it seemed to peter out and we then decided, for no real reason, to deviate from our original plan and walked up the hill on our left. Here we saw a Klipspringer silhouetted on the top of the ridge. Stefan had brought his new camera which takes up to 26minutes of video. He took a picture of this Klipspringer and then it gave us a display of why it has the name Klipspringer as it bounded from rock to rock with incredible agility and made us look like real fish out of water as we lumbered up the rocks.
Right now we were very pleased to have the puttees. The bush is thick and the sticks are quite vicious as they scrape your legs and knees. Each step is quite tiring as you need to step up and push your way through the bush. At the top of the mountain we looked down onto Ena’s Falls from the West side for the first time. It gives one a different perspective and we were able to see the water pipe that feeds the rest of the reserve. We had seen a Dassie Midden but then Stefan saw a live dassie (Rock Hyrax).
We then decided to head down to the Kloof that Stefan had tried to reach once before but had been unable to climb down an apparently high waterfall. Ahead of us we could see the end of the horse shoe ridge that jutted out to the west of Fynbos Road. It seemed like a reasonably gradual slope that could be negotiated from that side. On our side of the kloof we came across a number of interesting features. The most noticeable was the number of King Protea. While they are still sparse they were more in evidence than we had seen anywhere else on the slopes of the reserve. None of the Protea were flowering at this time of year. The King Protea had buds or young closed flowers. This was the only Protea we saw on this side of the mountain. There were a variety of heather and everlastings that provided colour to the veld.
We saw two other interesting plants. One was quite unique and only found on the top of a rock in a crevice. It looked like a pine leaf that we have seen before but was in the form of a small shrub. Then the other was a plant with a bean like seed. It must have flowered earlier in the winter and its seeds now formed miniature beans or pods. I picked samples of both. The beans unfortunately became black. Both of these two specimens I have posted to Gael and Roger to see if they can identify them.
We headed down towards the Wilderkrans kloof. On our way we saw a lone pine tree and decided that we did not like this invader and headed towards it. The going was quite rough through some high reeds and thick bush. But we finally reached it and attacked it with our Leatherman knives. The idea was that we would ring bark it.
The outer layer of bark and the soft part of the trunk was reasonably easy to cut through but as we reached the thick solid part of the trunk we gave up cutting. We thought that the tree would now die through lack of moisture as nutrients are drawn up the tree trunk through the outer soft layers of the trunk while the thick hard inner layers of the trunk provide the stability and strength for the tree. This little tree is visible from Fynbos road as it is just below a flat section of rock and is the only Pine in that area and on that side of the mountain.
From here we headed straight down hill. It was reasonably easy going as we did a lot of slipping and sliding through the reeds and bush. Finally we reached a point where we could no longer see where we were going and then headed to the right to a sloot where we thought we may be able to see a pathway down. But even here we could see nothing ahead of us. For a short while we thought of using the rope that I had brought but it would have been hopelessly too short and we could still not see more than three meters ahead of us.
So reluctantly we decided to head back up hill. At this stage we were only about twenty meters away from being right down in the kloof. We could now see up to the falls that had frustrated Stefan the previous time. This set of falls may be the most spectacular of the entire kloof. There is a long fall probably the same height as Ena’s Falls and then a number of falls after that, each creating pools, before cascading down again. But it was just not safe for us to attempt this without adequate strong ropes, helmets, harnesses and probably guidance from the other side of the kloof.
But what we were able to see from this angle, is that if we made our way from the Fynbos road straight across to the end of the horse shoe bend. And by keeping more to our left, we probably will be able to hike down to the Kloof below these falls by this route from Fynbos Road. Going back up the way we had come was exhausting. We had to trample our way through dense bush with each step being a burden as we pushed our way up. We found our pathway that we had established on the way down. The pine tree was a bit of a marker. From there we battled up the big rock faces and finally ridged over the top where we now could again see the pipes leading from Ena’s Falls. We saw, what we thought was a Rock Kestrel. Quite unusual and interesting to see the bird from above.
We sat down for a snack and it was here that Stefan lost his wide brimmed hat. We went back to find it but all the rocks looked alike and we could not find it. The way down on the north side was tough for me. I was, by now, becoming quite leg weary. A combination of the sharp sticks digging into my knees and legs as well as the climbing down was extremely tiring. We spotted some of the trail markers and this lifted our sprits as we looked forward to walking on a path again. We had underestimated our need for water. The apples and oranges that we had brought were a good substitute but we should have brought a spare water bottle.
Back onto Fynbos road the going was easy and we even had time to pick a few flowers to take home with us. As we made our way across from where we had been earlier we were able to see the terrain. When we had decided to make our way up from the dangerous section we now realised that we could have walked diagonally across to what we refer to as bum slide pools and then from there back up to Fynbos road. We finally reached Talari at about 16.30 having walked for over eight hours. I was really exhausted but a shower, warm tracksuit and a beer was enough to make me start feeling human again. Fortunately there was a rugby game on TV and we used that as an excuse to sit and do nothing for a while.
Barbara, Nicci and the 7 children had gone on a “Bear Hunt”. Barbara has a book that she reads to children about a bear hunt as you squish and tramp through a forest. The bear hunt took them up to Rain Frog Dam where the group of children had a great time enjoying each other’s company and playing in the sloot that Freek had built. The report we received later was that they had walked well together. When we returned to Talari the children were all down at the pond having a great time exploring.
We built a small fire in the lounge where they spent an hour with marshmallows on sticks. This evening we were all pretty tired and people seemed to fade off to bed rather than a deliberate intent to sleep. Zara and I were last to leave the couch and she came with me to our bed which already contained Barbara and four children. But after a short while she toddled off to her bedroom.
Sunday morning we spent most of the morning packing, cleaning, having breakfast and chatting to Mike and to Bob. Bob came for a visit with his grandson (Ashley) and confirmed that the road had now dried sufficiently for us to be able to drive out without his assistance. Mike came with a fishing buddy of his (Gordon) and I was able to talk to him about some of the places he still needed to spend some time.
We left Talari at about 12.00pm. The drive out was not without event and we had to stop and fill the hole at the gate with stones before driving through. We then decided to follow Nicci and Stefan through the Gysmanshoek pass road. As we turned left Stefan stopped to point out Wildcliff from an angle that we had not seen before. It was very interesting to look at WC from the East. We could see Plattekloof, Peter’s Kloof and the waterfalls that continued up the Plattekloof. This is a worthwhile drive as it gives one a different perspective of the reserve.
From there we headed up and over the pass. It was quite tough going and at one stage we had to off load all the passengers and Barbara & Stefan pushed the trailer while I drove it up and over the ridge. Over the north east side of the mountain range we were now in the Klein Karoo. The change in vegetation is quite dramatic. At the end of the pass Nicci turned left and we turned right. They went as far as Ceres that night where they stayed with Stefan’s sister, Lynette.
The dirt road from Talari to the Riversdale / Ladismith tar road is about 35kay and took us just over an hour. The road to Oudtshoorn is spectacular with deep gorges and valleys as we drove through passes. We drove past the now familiar Sewe Weeks Poort pass, Calitzdorp and on to Oudtshoorn. In Oudtshoorn we stopped to buy cold drinks, KFC and to fill up with petrol. This route is about 35kays longer than the coastal route and took us about 30 minutes longer than the journey down to WC. But it is an interesting alternative and it misses out the slow section from Storms River to George where we have to drive through Plett, Knysna, Sedgefield & Wilderness. The return trip took us about 7 hours as we arrived home at 19.00. Michael and Lene were there to collect their children and pile of clothing.
Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th September
Michael had said that they would come along this time. But as it turned out they found a new house to live in and had to move over the weekend. They had been living in Westering and they found this to be a long drive each day to both work and school so looked for a house closer to where they had all their activities. They found a house in Target Kloof (River Road) belonging to a Nippers family and were able to secure it for a year.
We then offered to take their children with us to WC to give them the freedom to move. Wednesday was a public holiday and I was able to get a lot of stuff done. Started off with a 15kay around Moffet. It was blowing and I went through Walmer, Moffet and back via Newton Park. I ran on my own which is unusual for me but really enjoyed the exercise and gave myself plenty of time to think and plan. I went to Builders warehouse where they were having some kind of promotion and I bought a ladder plus some hardware. Richard was due to come that morning and we would be fitting the video door chime. That took us most of the day.
Thursday morning Barbara had school until 11.00am. Ally & Jessica had stayed out of school. I made up my list of things to do which started off with a letter to the insurance company, making an offer to purchase the Mazda Bakkie that had been stolen and that I had recently recovered in Uitenhage. It was in a garage (Owen’s) in Uitenhage for repair and roadworthy. When I recovered the bakkie it looked in terrible condition. The wheels were flat, the locks had been damaged, the canopy had been stolen and the alloy wheels exchanged for steel rims. I later heard, from the insurance company, that my offer of R5 000 had been accepted and I must now go back to Uitenhage to pay Owen, collect and licence the vehicle.
My next task was to go to see if I could get Ally’s little pink camera to work. I replaced batteries but am still not sure if I am taking pictures. I will have to download the software and then see if I am able to transfer the photo’s that I took this weekend onto the computer.
Then I had to buy Pinkies (newly born mice that are frozen) for Barbara’s snake. I then went to Pick’n Pay to stock up on provisions. I had a list and thought that I would be able to get through this quite quickly but as always I met up with people I know and each encounter takes time as we exchange stories and chat for a bit. Sonja Giddy (Wayne’s wife) runs a small jewellery shop from inside a chemist next to the entrance to the supermarket. I always stop for a chat there as well.
I drove down Moffet and saw that I was passing the Camping Warehouse shop and as Ally had been nagging me for Puttees I decided to see if they had any. While I was there I also looked at Two Man tents and ended up buying a tent (R700) and the gaiters (R200) (the sales lady refused to call them puttees). I then went to the Builders Warehouse where I bought the Paint for my painter, Clive Felix, to continue with the painting of the boundary wall and the school area.
Clive is an interesting man who had arrived a few days earlier asking for painting work. I had started with the job myself but had botched it up and was pleased to find a person who gave reasonable prices. I had asked him to do a small section of the boundary wall. This developed and I now have him working on all the walls except the house itself. Clive has a wonderful disposition and this makes him a likeable man. When we were at our “Cooking Class” on Monday night I mentioned to Derek Kibble that I had this painter, he immediately recognised my description of Clive from his limp and pleasant ways. Derek has also used him on occasions.
Finally, on my way home, I stopped in at the canvas place and gave them the trampoline mat to repair. By the time I had done all of this it was 11.00am and we had planned to leave at 12.00. We loaded the trailer (Gerald’s) and were on the road by midday. We now had Ally (11), Jessica (9), Joshua (5) and Daniel (3) in the car with us. We took the Gamtoos bypass and when we got to the road works at Storms River were the last in the queue and drove straight through without a stop. Amazing!
Our first stop was in Sedgefield. Nicci had said that she was not able to buy pyjamas and we found a Pep Stores where Barbara bought a set for each child. Then at the Mossel Bay Engen we bought some eats. Then it was a straight through drive to Heidelberg. Here we filled up with petrol and a final top up of groceries. Nicci and Stefan were at WC ahead of us and had phoned in to say that some of the stuff that we had left the last time had been used up.
We arrived at WC just as it was getting dark. Barbara took some stunning evening photos including one of a distant tornado that we saw on the horizon. There had been a fire on the mountains of Heidelberg and Bob plus his neighbours had spent nearly three days putting the fire out.
It had been about a 6.30hours drive. We put on a fire and braaied some chops and sausage. They children seemed to go wild making a huge racket and laughing and playing around. But it was not long after supper that we were all fast asleep. They wind blew all night threatening to blow the roof off.
It was raining as well and on Friday morning it was freezing cold, the wind was howling and the rain falling. It would be a mainly indoor day. Bob came for his mandatory visit and coffee. It is always good to see Bob and hear the local farming woes. The next visitor we had was Freek. He came to discuss the work that he had completed and the payment due to him. I was not able to inspect the work outside as the weather was just too miserable.
Then Mike and Basil arrived. And as it happened just as they arrived the roof in the kitchen and the lounge area started to leak. Mike blamed it on the baboons for removing the caps over the roof nails. Each time a visitor arrives we boil another kettle for coffee and tea. I was able to discuss all of Mikes work list as I had prepared for this; including payments and work still to be done.
There is very little to be completed in Talari. The White House (Casa Bianca) is now to be the focus of his attention. We walked down to the CB and looked, first off, at the store room which has a sky light and this makes it quite bright. He has started the inside work but will leave this to last as it now serves as a bedroom for his labourers. In the main house he has now painted a first coat of white paint and finished the roof (no ceiling).
He still has to build the bathroom and put in the fittings (shower, toilet, bath, basin and light). Then he has to build the mezzanine which will serve as an additional sleeping area for Keith’s children. Against the south wall he must build a counter leaving place for a fridge and must run electricity to that side of the house. He then has to finish off the front of the house with a stoep and roof and then lead a brick pathway.
Finally when we had finished our talks with both Mike & Freek they had to call Bob to come and assist them to drive back to the Gysmanshoek pass road. Bob drove through from his farm in his tractor. When he arrived at Talari his hands were freezing and he had to soak them in hot water to try to get the circulation going again. A good helping of sherry also helped. The roads were by now so muddy and slippery that it would have been impossible to drive through with a normal vehicle. I think that even the 4 X 4 would have battled. Bob put a chain to the front of the tractor and the back of Mike’s bakkie to drive down the hill and then had to tow them up on the other side of the stream.
A little later it stopped raining and we were able to walk down to the pond. The children had a great time. They all had Wellington boots but still became so muddy that the new corner in the front porch area for boots and washing was put to the test. Unfortunately the drain pipe is a bit too small and soon became clogged with mud.
Stefan & I found a gap in the rain and walked down the Talari road to the stream. It is a concern that the WFW people have left branches and tree trunks lying either in the stream or so close that a big rain will cause damming and flooding. We had a long afternoon which included collecting firewood from the meadow as the wood in the braai had been demolished and the wood in the inside fireplace was almost finished. The WFW people have been cutting on the West side of WC so the approach to WC is now more visible. Then they have also cut along the Wilderkrans Stream and both above Heron and Talari. Unfortunately the felling of trees leaves a mess and makes walking quite difficult. I am sure that the long term benefits will make it worthwhile.
We lit the newly fitted indoor stove in the kitchen. It seems to work very well as I was able to heat water and Stefan baked bread in the oven area. I think that it might work well as a slow cooker for a stew but may not be hot enough for frying or boiling rice etc. We did not try to load the fire burning area with more than a few then pieces of wood. A really strong fire in the stove may have made the stove hot enough to get the water really boiling. I had bought some Tiger Prawns and we had those for an afternoon snack. Stefan made a Pootjie in the indoor fireplace. It turned out very well. He does not mix the ingredients but starts with the meat and then adds vegetables to the top.
Our night was a bit better as Barbara had put the single bed next to hers but still there was a lot of restlessness from the children as one fell off and blankets were dragged off the beds or from one body to the next.
Saturday morning looked like it was going to be a great day. The sky was clearing and the wind had dropped so Stefan and I were able to get and early start on our planned hike. If the weather had been really good we had planned to walk up the Hidden Valley and to sleep out there. This did not work out but we still planned a long days walking. We packed back packs for the worst including wet suites, jackets, stove and torches.
We started off past the Rain Frog dam and it was here that we remembered that we had not brought the lopper. Stefan walked back to fetch it while I tried to phone for someone to bring it up the hill a way. But by the time I was able to phone, Stefan was already back at Talari. We bashed our way up the hill, past all the fallen pine that Tom had recently cut. And up to Fynbos Road. From there we walked past the area that Freek was supposed to fill with rocks. The clay washes away and what we really need is some kind of permanent solution but in the meantime rocks will at least shore the road up a bit.
Our marker for the trail down to the kloof was still there. As we walked closer to Ena’s falls the wind picked up and it became quite chilly again. But over the hill and in the valley we were sheltered from the wind and as soon as the sun emerged from the clouds it was pleasantly warm. We crossed the stream and were pleased to find a pathway had been established and marked with ribbon. Trail Marking Ribbon should be a permanent fixture in a day pack at WC.
We followed the trail for a while but it seemed to peter out and we then decided, for no real reason, to deviate from our original plan and walked up the hill on our left. Here we saw a Klipspringer silhouetted on the top of the ridge. Stefan had brought his new camera which takes up to 26minutes of video. He took a picture of this Klipspringer and then it gave us a display of why it has the name Klipspringer as it bounded from rock to rock with incredible agility and made us look like real fish out of water as we lumbered up the rocks.
Right now we were very pleased to have the puttees. The bush is thick and the sticks are quite vicious as they scrape your legs and knees. Each step is quite tiring as you need to step up and push your way through the bush. At the top of the mountain we looked down onto Ena’s Falls from the West side for the first time. It gives one a different perspective and we were able to see the water pipe that feeds the rest of the reserve. We had seen a Dassie Midden but then Stefan saw a live dassie (Rock Hyrax).
We then decided to head down to the Kloof that Stefan had tried to reach once before but had been unable to climb down an apparently high waterfall. Ahead of us we could see the end of the horse shoe ridge that jutted out to the west of Fynbos Road. It seemed like a reasonably gradual slope that could be negotiated from that side. On our side of the kloof we came across a number of interesting features. The most noticeable was the number of King Protea. While they are still sparse they were more in evidence than we had seen anywhere else on the slopes of the reserve. None of the Protea were flowering at this time of year. The King Protea had buds or young closed flowers. This was the only Protea we saw on this side of the mountain. There were a variety of heather and everlastings that provided colour to the veld.
We saw two other interesting plants. One was quite unique and only found on the top of a rock in a crevice. It looked like a pine leaf that we have seen before but was in the form of a small shrub. Then the other was a plant with a bean like seed. It must have flowered earlier in the winter and its seeds now formed miniature beans or pods. I picked samples of both. The beans unfortunately became black. Both of these two specimens I have posted to Gael and Roger to see if they can identify them.
We headed down towards the Wilderkrans kloof. On our way we saw a lone pine tree and decided that we did not like this invader and headed towards it. The going was quite rough through some high reeds and thick bush. But we finally reached it and attacked it with our Leatherman knives. The idea was that we would ring bark it.
The outer layer of bark and the soft part of the trunk was reasonably easy to cut through but as we reached the thick solid part of the trunk we gave up cutting. We thought that the tree would now die through lack of moisture as nutrients are drawn up the tree trunk through the outer soft layers of the trunk while the thick hard inner layers of the trunk provide the stability and strength for the tree. This little tree is visible from Fynbos road as it is just below a flat section of rock and is the only Pine in that area and on that side of the mountain.
From here we headed straight down hill. It was reasonably easy going as we did a lot of slipping and sliding through the reeds and bush. Finally we reached a point where we could no longer see where we were going and then headed to the right to a sloot where we thought we may be able to see a pathway down. But even here we could see nothing ahead of us. For a short while we thought of using the rope that I had brought but it would have been hopelessly too short and we could still not see more than three meters ahead of us.
So reluctantly we decided to head back up hill. At this stage we were only about twenty meters away from being right down in the kloof. We could now see up to the falls that had frustrated Stefan the previous time. This set of falls may be the most spectacular of the entire kloof. There is a long fall probably the same height as Ena’s Falls and then a number of falls after that, each creating pools, before cascading down again. But it was just not safe for us to attempt this without adequate strong ropes, helmets, harnesses and probably guidance from the other side of the kloof.
But what we were able to see from this angle, is that if we made our way from the Fynbos road straight across to the end of the horse shoe bend. And by keeping more to our left, we probably will be able to hike down to the Kloof below these falls by this route from Fynbos Road. Going back up the way we had come was exhausting. We had to trample our way through dense bush with each step being a burden as we pushed our way up. We found our pathway that we had established on the way down. The pine tree was a bit of a marker. From there we battled up the big rock faces and finally ridged over the top where we now could again see the pipes leading from Ena’s Falls. We saw, what we thought was a Rock Kestrel. Quite unusual and interesting to see the bird from above.
We sat down for a snack and it was here that Stefan lost his wide brimmed hat. We went back to find it but all the rocks looked alike and we could not find it. The way down on the north side was tough for me. I was, by now, becoming quite leg weary. A combination of the sharp sticks digging into my knees and legs as well as the climbing down was extremely tiring. We spotted some of the trail markers and this lifted our sprits as we looked forward to walking on a path again. We had underestimated our need for water. The apples and oranges that we had brought were a good substitute but we should have brought a spare water bottle.
Back onto Fynbos road the going was easy and we even had time to pick a few flowers to take home with us. As we made our way across from where we had been earlier we were able to see the terrain. When we had decided to make our way up from the dangerous section we now realised that we could have walked diagonally across to what we refer to as bum slide pools and then from there back up to Fynbos road. We finally reached Talari at about 16.30 having walked for over eight hours. I was really exhausted but a shower, warm tracksuit and a beer was enough to make me start feeling human again. Fortunately there was a rugby game on TV and we used that as an excuse to sit and do nothing for a while.
Barbara, Nicci and the 7 children had gone on a “Bear Hunt”. Barbara has a book that she reads to children about a bear hunt as you squish and tramp through a forest. The bear hunt took them up to Rain Frog Dam where the group of children had a great time enjoying each other’s company and playing in the sloot that Freek had built. The report we received later was that they had walked well together. When we returned to Talari the children were all down at the pond having a great time exploring.
We built a small fire in the lounge where they spent an hour with marshmallows on sticks. This evening we were all pretty tired and people seemed to fade off to bed rather than a deliberate intent to sleep. Zara and I were last to leave the couch and she came with me to our bed which already contained Barbara and four children. But after a short while she toddled off to her bedroom.
Sunday morning we spent most of the morning packing, cleaning, having breakfast and chatting to Mike and to Bob. Bob came for a visit with his grandson (Ashley) and confirmed that the road had now dried sufficiently for us to be able to drive out without his assistance. Mike came with a fishing buddy of his (Gordon) and I was able to talk to him about some of the places he still needed to spend some time.
We left Talari at about 12.00pm. The drive out was not without event and we had to stop and fill the hole at the gate with stones before driving through. We then decided to follow Nicci and Stefan through the Gysmanshoek pass road. As we turned left Stefan stopped to point out Wildcliff from an angle that we had not seen before. It was very interesting to look at WC from the East. We could see Plattekloof, Peter’s Kloof and the waterfalls that continued up the Plattekloof. This is a worthwhile drive as it gives one a different perspective of the reserve.
From there we headed up and over the pass. It was quite tough going and at one stage we had to off load all the passengers and Barbara & Stefan pushed the trailer while I drove it up and over the ridge. Over the north east side of the mountain range we were now in the Klein Karoo. The change in vegetation is quite dramatic. At the end of the pass Nicci turned left and we turned right. They went as far as Ceres that night where they stayed with Stefan’s sister, Lynette.
The dirt road from Talari to the Riversdale / Ladismith tar road is about 35kay and took us just over an hour. The road to Oudtshoorn is spectacular with deep gorges and valleys as we drove through passes. We drove past the now familiar Sewe Weeks Poort pass, Calitzdorp and on to Oudtshoorn. In Oudtshoorn we stopped to buy cold drinks, KFC and to fill up with petrol. This route is about 35kays longer than the coastal route and took us about 30 minutes longer than the journey down to WC. But it is an interesting alternative and it misses out the slow section from Storms River to George where we have to drive through Plett, Knysna, Sedgefield & Wilderness. The return trip took us about 7 hours as we arrived home at 19.00. Michael and Lene were there to collect their children and pile of clothing.
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