Mudlark

Hermanus Property For Sale

Located on the southern coast of the Western Cape Province, Hermanus is known as the world’s foremost land based whale watching destination. Hermanus property for sale is a thriving investment opportunity and is especially popular for purchasing holiday properties.Hermanus real estate has in recent years expanded the town, luscious mountains and on the other side the sea.

Hermanus living has all the necessary amenities. The town centre has shopping immensely, yet it still succeeds in keeping its fisherman’s village charm. Hermanus is a town located between gorgeous malls, many wonderful restaurants and for those wanting to live in Hermanus permanently the town also has great schools.  There is also Hermanus Yacht Club and Hermanus Golf Club for enthusiasts. Except for Hermanus, there are also smaller suburbs outside of the town. They are Gansbaai, Sandbaai, Vermont, Voelklip and Onrus. These smaller suburbs also have amazing properties and are growing rapidly. Hermanus properties offer great views and a fresh, peaceful living. Hermanus has been a popular retirement area for years as it is safe and has all the most needed amenities. It is a tranquil town.

Source : Leapfrog Properties

Get Luxury Camps Bay Accommodation at Atlantic Gold

There is a newcomer to the accommodation, it is called Atlantic Gold.I have recently visited this guest accommodation in Cape Town. luxury Camps Bay accommodation, with beautiful self catering guest houses, it is surely a great place for the summer holidays.Atlantic Gold also offers granite floors, jacuzzi s, flat screen TV, leather furniture and exquisite  contemporary fittings.

Delicious Amarula Coctail Recipes

This cocktail recipe is by far one of the famous one’s out there.

African Lullaby recipe

4 ml amarula cream liqueur
1 ml coconut milk
8 ml milk
2 dashes nutmeg

The Southern Right Whale seeks nursery accommodation, Witsand happy to oblige.

There is a small coastal town just off the N2, in the area of the Western Cape known as the garden route that hosts an annual whaling spectacular the likes of which can’t be witnessed anywhere else in the world. At the right time of year in this small sleepy town, called Witsand, accommodation is inundated with Whale enthusiasts.

The whales that congregate in this area for calving purposes every year are considered to be the least understood of all the species, they have inhabited the southern oceans for over 60 million years and are said to have the most highly evolved brain of all mammalian species. Every year from June to late November they move from the Southern Atlantic Ocean to the coastal regions off South Africa, Australia and South America. The region along the southern coast has some of the best viewing of these gentle giants and by all accounts the best of these is Witsand. Accommodation in this normally sleepy town can become hard to find at this time of year due to the popularity of watching the new mothers with their calves.

In 2005 a survey counted 130 whales and 51 calves a massive number considering that they have been a protected species for barely 40 years. The region along this particular stretch of coast is sparsely populated and other than in the town of Witsand, accommodation can be hard to find so booking in advance is important if you wish to witness this spectacle of life.

The calving is a natural complement to an area that is already full of beauty. Witsand means White Sand which is simply a reference to the brilliantly white sandy beach that hems in the town. This eye catching phenomenon is caused by an underground water supply that leeches the red iron oxide out of the sand leaving it bleached white. What makes this even more striking is the fact that the town sits on the mouth of the Breede River whose muddy brown water spills onto the dazzling white beaches of Witsand. Accommodation can be found all the way up the BreedeRiver and the historical Pont can be found near Malgas. This historical river crossing is still in use today. The roads in this area, however, are not well maintained and getting around can take time and could require a 4×4.

If you are after coastal activities it would be most practical to find Witsand accommodation, the river estuary formed by the river mouth provides a safe location for a range of activities, including windsurfing, swimming, paddle-skiing and fishing. These waters provide some of the best fishing in South Africa, the most common catch been the Spotted Grunter. Garrick, Shad and Steenbras are also commonly caught. Most Witsand accommodation owners are happy to provide you with information about the best fishing spots or even offer a charter service.

Perhaps the strangest thing you could experience at Witsand is what the locals call Brulsand which, in English means Roaring Sands, when the wind blows just right and the dunes start to move they release an eerie low rumbling noise. Finding Witsand accommodation is finding a place to share in natures wonders.

Breede River Fishing

Mudlark River Front Lodge offers chartered cruises. Whether it’s the excitement of deep sea fishing/Breede River Fishing or a leisurely sundowner cruise along the estuary you are after we can cater for your needs. We offer both river and ocean excursions.

Our boat is a 520C Supercat Mudlark equipped with all safety equipment, GPS, fish finder and Shimano tackle.

Both the estuary and the ocean in the San Sebatian Bay area offer superb fishing.

Estuarine fish including Kob up to 50kg, Spotted Grunter up to 6kg, Garrick up to 12kg, Steebras up to 8kg as well as Elf and Cape Stumpnose.

Out at sea we routinely catch Yellowtail, Yellowfin Tuna, Skip Jack or Bonito, Kob, Cape Salmon or Geelbek, Red Roman, Red Stumpnose, Santer, Red Steenbras and Mussel Cracker. Of course sharks are also plentiful.

These fish are all caught at different times of the year depending on the season.

New Breede River development

A new holiday and retirement development is under construction on the banks of the Breede River, in the coastal town of Witsand, overlooking the river mouth.

Prices for vacant stands at the Breedezicht Retirement and Holiday Development start at R500 000, and a variety of architect designed building packages are available priced from R750 000.

The Johannesburg developer, Central Developments, has appointed Seeff consultant for the Southern-Cape area, Jo Attenborough, to market the full title estate.

“Seeff Witsand’s sales in the past six weeks include two houses, two vacant stands and on smallholding on the Breede River,” says Attenborough. “Four out of the five sales were to cash buyers, and the fifth, subject to a mortgage loan, was granted to the applicant within one week of the application. Prices for the properties sold range from R795 000 to R1.1m for the vacant stands, and R1.1m to R3.6m for the houses. All properties where bought by buyers looking for second homes, or vacant land on which to build second homes.”

The Breedezicht Retirement and Holiday Development allows holiday and retirement investors to choose from various classical housing styles, all luxuriously finished, in keeping with a ‘refined overall look’ for the development, says Attenborough.

The development will consist of 188 full title stands, developed in three phases. The second phase is now for sale, and buyers can view the six furnished showhouses.

Central Developments’ on-site project manager Helen Heyns says there are two dedicated self-catering homes on the development and clients are welcome to come and stay over, to gain first hand experience of the estate.

“The splendid viewpoints from all properties include endless river and seascapes to one side and rolling Overberg farm and mountainscapes on the other. Buyers can choose which home they want and work on the finishes with the on-site designer,” she says.

The architectural styles include Cape Heritage homestead, Modern Beach with a combination of glass, wood and rock, Vermont with patios on both floors, and New England, where the living areas centre around a private courtyard, creating space and natural light. There is also a Fisherman-style cottage with cosy open-plan features.

Three indigenous park areas are being developed and the estate is focused on environmental-friendly living, with a fynbos and Milkwood protection programme, a nursery for home owners, underground rainwater tanks and lawns that need very little water.

Attached to the development is a luxurious fishing boat, which will take clients on the river for sight-seeing tours and fishing if requested or visits to the secret bush pub, ‘somewhere upriver’, says Attenborough.

Source

If you are interested in visiting the Breede river area check out this Breede River Guest House which offers Witsand Accommodation.

If you are travelling around South Africa check out car rental South Africa

“sightings” & strange happenings @ the River

The past month has been full of strange happenings.
The first was a so called `sighting` of a whale calf in the river, after much investigation we found a dolphin swimming happily up the river!! Subsequently we saw them regularly on the spring tides, and were told that they go up the river to the fresh water to clean the parasite off themselves.

The next happening was another so called `sighting`by a very experienced fisherman of a body floating in the river. He confirmed twice to the NSRI that it was definitely a body, the wheels of beaurocracy sprang into motion, the police, and the ambulance services were called. The NSRI launched their rescue boat to retrieve the body, and many onlookers stood by. The results of all this drama no `body` but an old animal hide that had been washed down the river. End results lots of red faces.
On a more serious note a ski boat overturned in the mouth of the river while trying to go out to sea. Happily the two crew members were quickly rescued by the NSRI, their black spaniel was seen swimming towards the shore and was also escued. All’s well that ends well.
A couple of days ago we received a telephone from the S.A Weather Services, they had lost a weather buoy and from the GPS information it was in the area of the mouth of the river. We launched a search and Rudolf and Ashley our 2 gillies found it on the Infanta beach.
It had been deployed in the Southern Mozambique channel on the 25/6/2009 and drifted down the coast. This buoy was designated as a Surface Velocity Program Buoy, and is used in the Global Drifter Program. It is only the third that has been recovered.

Let’s get down to the business of fishing, which has been good up till now. We have been catching grunter up to about 4kg and kob up to 20kg, The largest kob caught so far this season was 62kg, unfortunately not released by the angler, luckily he was not staying at the Mudlark. As we encourage release and feel strongly that all large fish should be released as they are far better breeders than the smaller fish.
The Garrick are starting to work on the flats chasing the mullet, good sport has started to become the order of the day. Our clients who have just left were having great fun catching 12 in a morning on their poppers all about 50cm, and all released. Surprisingly no large steenbras were caught in October, historically it is our best month for these doughty fighters, although there are plenty of juveniles around, this is a good indication of a healthy river. The signs are still good for an excellent fishing season.The whales are on their way South very few are left, but the variety of birds are making up for their departure.

Hilary is busy designing new menus for the summer season. Who knows what new flavors we shall be savouring. Thanks to the rain our garden and veggie patch are looking stunning. Early mornings are still chilly, but the days and evenings are stunning, See you all at the river

Breede River Accommodation

Going with the Breede River’s flow

Breede River Guest House

If you follow the course of the Breede River from source near Ceres to mouth between Witsand and Infanta, you’ll pass through ragged mountains, beautiful vine-gilded valleys and wild stretches guarded by klipspringer and fish eagles. Along its course, Narina Exelby found some awesome spots for family holidays – from wine farms to riverside cottages and house boats. Justin Fox took the photos.

High up in the Cape Folded Mountains, in a place watched over by black eagles and jackal buzzards, trickles of water snake between folded bastions of Table Mountain Sandstone. There isn’t much to them and it’s difficult to say where they first begin, but as these fine strains of water flirt with gravity they flitter between rocks and gather force, momentum and substance as one trickle joins another, joins another. The streams leap over boulders and down between Herculean sandstone shoulders, 1 000 metres and more, of the Witels Kloof, and by the time they’ve converged near Michell’s Pass below Ceres, the edge of their youthfulness has been eroded and the river, as it’s now become, settles onto a gentler gradient.

It’s here, near Wolseley, the maps start to label it the Breede – meaning broad – River. But as the tannin-darkened water chortles over boulders and into little pools, creating a home for trout, it’s still narrow and a far cry from the grand river that once carried its own steam ship.

Not just a another river
The Breede boasts some impressive statistics: it may be short – only 323 kilometres – but it’s the longest navigable river in South Africa, the southernmost major river on the continent and is partly responsible for the economic development of the Overberg. It flows through South Africa’s largest wine- and brandy-producing areas and creates one of the prettiest valleys in all of the Cape.

The tidal bore of the Breede is 60 kilometres, it’s crossed by the country’s last manually operated pont and its estuary has the largest population of dusky cob (Argyrosomus japonicus) in South Africa. The Breede’s also a wonderful place to chill out and spend a family holiday – you can canoe, swim, fish and boat to your heart’s content. (And catch up on a bit of wine tasting or game viewing, too.)

The middle reaches
From Wolseley through to Worcester, Robertson and Bonnievale, the Breede feeds a broad, picturesque valley flanked by the rugged Langeberg and Riviersonderend ranges. The valley floor, widened over millions of years by the river, is nutrient-rich though dry Malmesbury shale, but irrigation from the Breede creates a fertile tapestry of orchards and vineyards. It’s an absolute sight on hazy autumn mornings when the vines turn through yellow and orange to deep red and the pale blue mountains stretch up into the sky.

The Breede’s middle reaches tend to be hidden behind vineyards, but when you do catch a glimpse of it you see a river that’s gradually widening its course and pushing on towards the Indian Ocean.

At Swellendam, the river leaves the mountains and heads south through tussock-like hills of sheep and ostrich farms. It slows its pace, dropping the sediments it gathered upstream, and meanders on its final kilometres to the sea. It’s along the banks of these wide lower reaches, from the famous pont at Malgas through to the mouth at Witsand, that generations of families have built holiday homes. It’s also these banks that witnessed journeys of the Breede’s own steam ship, the SS Kadie.

The tale of the Kadie
Back in the 19th century, before a reliable road network was established in the Cape, it could take up to two months to travel from Cape Town to Swellendam. So Joseph Barry, one of the Overberg’s great traders (the town Barrydale bears witness), had a 158-ton screw steamer built, the SS Kadie.

Because the river was wide and relatively deep for about 30 kilometres upstream, the Kadie would sail from Cape Town through Port Beaufort, just inside the river mouth, to Malgas where Joseph’s company, Barry and Nephews, had a warehouse and a store. From there goods were traded and transported by wagon to Swellendam. It would take wool, sheep, aloes and grain as well as a handful of passengers back to Cape Town. During the Kadie’s six years and 120 voyages, the Overberg flourished and Malgas, Swellendam and Barrydale over the Tradouw Pass all grew into a thriving towns.

One morning in 1865 Captain Semmes tried to steer the Kadie past the littoral sand bank and into the Breede River. Both he and the folk at Port Beaufort realised it wouldn’t make it and he turned the steamer around. Those watching from the shore breathed a sigh of relief – the experienced captain would wait until conditions were right. To their surprise the captain tried again straight away. The Kadie struck the sand bank at the mouth of the Breede and sank. It was never replaced and Malgas, Port Beaufort and Witsand descended slowly into the sleepy little places they are today.

At low tide, on the rocks just off Infanta, you can see what’s left of the Kadie’s boiler. Behind them the Breede slides into Sebastian Bay between Witsand on the north bank and Infanta on the south. The river’s final stretch into the sea is slow and easy going; it’s difficult to tell exactly where the river ends and the Indian Ocean begins.

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Breede River Valley Self Catering Accommodation

Breede River Valley Accommodation Guide – Search for and book quality accommodation in Breede River Valley for holiday and business travel. Breede River Valley accommodation options include hotels, lodges, guest houses, bed and breakfast and self catering accommodation including holiday homes, apartment rentals and suites. Whatever your Breede River Valley accommodation requirements … you need look no further.

Breede River Valley Self Catering Accommodation – Budget, comfortable and luxury self catering accommodation in Breede River Valley available for holiday rental year-round. Self catering options include holiday homes, luxury villas, cottages and self-contained chalets often in a garden or bush setting, holiday apartments and suites / units. These feature a fully equipped (unless otherwise specified) kitchen and a dining area enabling guests to cater for themselves. Cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery are provided. Some establishments include (or can arrange) servicing of the unit.

Breede River Valley Hotels – Breede River Valley Hotel Accommodation: From budget to 5-star Breede River Valley hotels, resorts and inns, boutique hotels as well as larger guesthouses which feature all the facilities and services a traveller would expect of an hotel. These Breede River Valley Hotels and Lodges offer en-suite rooms and public areas, including a guest lounge and dining area where breakfast and dinner (and lunch usually on request) is available.

Breede River Valley Guest Houses – Find Breede River Valley Guesthouse Accommodation: Breede River Valley guest houses and lodges are an ideal alternative to staying at the (sometimes more expensive) hotels in the area. These establishments offer rooms with en-suite or shared bathrooms. Meals besides breakfast are available (dinner and/or lunch) usually on request. Many of the services offered at hotels can be expected, such as airport transfers, credit card facilities, laundry service, but you are requested to please check with the Breede River Valley guest house of your choice should any be specifically required.

Breede River Valley Bed and Breakfast – A Bed and Breakfast in Breede River Valley provides a number of advantages over staying at an hotel – for the same quality of accommodation, the Breede River Valley B&B would be less expensive than the hotel, and it gives you the opportunity to live as a local and enjoy the advice of your hosts with regards to their favourites spots in the area. These establishments are usually owner-managed. Breakfast is included in the daily rate or available on request. Dinner is usually unavailable, unless the B&B is in an area where dinner is not available nearby.

Breede River Valley Conferences – Breede River Valley Conference Venues: South Africa’s conference venues are of a high standard, with custom built venues designed to international specifications in major centres. In Breede River Valley, facilities are also available at hotels, guest houses and educational institutions. These establishments provide facilities for small to large meetings, seminars, corporate events and functions, with a conference or board-room equipped with standard conferencing equipment. Menus can often be customised to suit your budget and the delegates’ requirements.

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Breede River Accommodation – Mudlark

Breede River Valley, Western Cape

There really is no adjective apt enough to describe the beauty of the Breede River Valley. This incredibly picturesque fruit and wine producing vale has become extremely popular with Capetonians and visitors, not only because it is close enough to the mother city to reach easily within a couple of hours, but also because little towns like Robertson, McGregor, Ashton, Bonnievale, Tulbagh and Montagu that litter the valley are particularly appealing to visitors, and together with outlying farms, provide a space that gives city dwellers instant reprieve from the grind of city living. Mountain ranges abound in the valley and it follows that there are roughly 10 alternative scenic routes that lead one here, depending from where one comes.

The valley stretches from McGregor in the south and Gouda in the west, to Montagu in the east and the Karoo in the north with the N1 passing virtually through its centre in a north easterly direction. It derives its name from the Breede River that rises in the mountains near Ceres and flows through the valley en route to the Indian Ocean and serves as the main water source for the Breede River Valley.

The valley is littered with wine producing vines due in no small part to the hot climate that is perfect for fortified desert wines like Hanepoot and Muscadel in particular. More than 50 wine estates are incorporated into various wine routes within the valley as well as a Brandy route as a result, and the relatively new and extremely popular Route 62, marketed as the longest wine route in the world, makes its way through the valley to the Klein Karoo too.

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Breede River Accommodation – Mudlark