Cape Town’s Nomads Motorcycle Club’s 37th Buffalo Rally will return to Mossel Bay from the 21st to the 23rd of March.

This will be the ninth time that the town has hosted the event.

“We’re looking forward to another enjoyable weekend with all the bikers – many of whom have become old friends now,” said Mossel Bay Tourism chairperson, Jeanetta Marais.

Rally organiser and Nomads chairperson, Luderick Jacoby, said that this year’s programme is packed with a pillions-worth of entertainment.

“The big draw cards include a Concours d’ Elegance, which will take place in the Eden Plaza, next door to the Dias Museum; a mass ride on Saturday morning, which will start in front of De Bakke an Santos beach, and will follow the same route as last year; trick bike displays by the Christian Motorcycle Association (the CMA) and the Le Riche Brothers (who’ll be putting on their new show for the crowds); and live bands Heywire and Kiss the Sky.”

The rally is open to all bikers and their families (although children under 18 will only be allowed into the rally grounds in the company of their parents or guardians) – but motorcars and quad bikes will not be allowed entrance.

“Everyone who buys a ticket becomes eligible for the lucky draws – with prizes of ten-, twenty-, and a hundred thousand rand on offer,” said Mr. Jacoby.
Prizes will also be awarded to the riders who have traveled longest distance to the rally on a motorcycle; ridden the longest distance on dirt; ridden the longest distance to the rally on the smallest bike; to the oldest male and female bikers in attendance; and to the best-represented club – amongst others.

“The entry fee includes a metal Buff badge, and the cost of camping for the weekend – and there’s no extra charge for the music or the riding displays.”
Mossel Bay’s Round Table – together with volunteers from the NSRI and the local community – will once again man the beer tents in the rally grounds.
“This is our single biggest fundraising event of the year, and we’re hoping to realise between sixty- and eighty thousand rand,” said Table chairperson Edward Weston.
He said that the club will plough about 75% of its profits back into deserving causes in the community of Mossel Bay. (The Round Tables of Mossel Bay and Zeeuwsch Vlaanderen in the Netherlands recently raised R 400,000 for the construction of a new home for the Khanyisa Day Care Centre in the suburb of kwaNonqaba. The building was opened in February 2013 – and much of Mossel Bay’s contribution came from the proceeds of the beer tents at previous Buffalo Rallies.)

Ms. Marais said that the Buffalo Rally makes a significant contribution to the local economy, and that the town’s tourism practitioners see it as an important showcase for Mossel Bay as a holiday destination.
“We’re very aware that the bikers who come here will also want to go on other holidays at other times of the year, so with the help of the organisers, the people and the Municipality of Mossel Bay have been polishing our leathers and shining our chrome-work to make sure that the event happens without a hitch,” she said.
“We wish everyone a safe and happy Buff 2014.”
Entry forms are available on line at www.nomads.org.za

More information:
Mossel Bay: www.visitmosselbay.co.za
Buffalo Rally: www.nomads.org.za
Follow Mossel Bay Tourism on
Twitter – @GetMe2Mossel Bay or @MBayTourism
Facebook – www.facebook.com/VisitMosselBay

Mossel Bay’s only fine wine producer – Jakkalsvlei Private Cellar, near the village of Herbertsdale – is currently harvesting a bumper crop, and the company has once again invited members of the public to visit and pick some of its famous Hanepoot grapes for themselves.

“Our Pick-your-own Season is becoming more and more popular every year, and it’s nice to see how many families are coming along to enjoy the occasion together,” said the estate’s owner and wine maker, Jantjie Jonker.

He said that his team has already brought about two thirds of the harvest into the winery.
“Things started off a bit slow for us because the sugars were too low, and we found a bit of botrytis rot in two of the blocks – but everything’s OK now, the rest of the blocks are uninfected, and the grapes are looking perfect: our tonnage will probably come in within about 5% of last year’s yield, and the quality is really beautiful.”

Mr. Jonker farms with red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Ruby Cabernet, Shiraz), white (Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon), and dessert grapes (Hanepoot, Red Muscadel, White Muscadel)

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But it’s not only the quality of the grapes that draws visitors to the farm.

“We encourage everyone to bring their own picnics and mountain bikes, and to come and spend a day walking in the vineyards, or riding in the area. Although we haven’t laid out any single tracks, the farm roads around Herbertsdale offer great riding – and the mountain scenery is magnificent,” said Mr. Jonker.

Although the farm is open to visitors Mondays to Saturdays throughout the year, Mr. Jonker said that the Pick-your-own Season is particularly popular. “Last Saturday alone we had more than 300 guests here, and between them they picked more 1,500 kilograms of grapes” .

“They use them for the table, and to make jams and preserves – the Hanepoot is one of South Africa’s most popular varieties.”
Mr. Jonker uses his grapes to produce eight table and dessert wines: Jakkalsvlei Mount Cuvée (a Pinotage/ Merlot blend); Cabernet Sauvignon; Pinotage Coffee Edition; River Cuvée (a blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc); Sauvignon Blanc; La Perle Rosé; Hanepoot Desert Wine (which was SA Champion Hanepoot and SA Dessert Champion in 2009); and Red Muscadel (which was SA Champion in 2010).
The wines are available from the farm’s tasting room, which also serves cheese platters.
Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm said that wine tourism – which is one of the Western Cape’s biggest draw cards – is relatively new in Mossel Bay, but that Jakkalsvlei has quickly put the region on the map as a wine destination.
“There’s no doubting the quality of their products – and when you add the warm welcome that you get whenever you go there, and fun and interesting events like Pick-your-own, you can see why Jakkalsvlei is becoming one of Mossel Bay’s premier attractions,” she said.
Jakkalsvlei’s Pick-your-own Hanepoot Season ends 15 March. Entrance to the farm is free. The grapes are sold at R 5.50 a kilogram, and guests are encouraged to bring their own harvesting baskets.

• Writer

The Western Cape Minister of Education, Mr Donald Grant, will be holding a public meeting in the Mossel Bay Town Hall on Friday, 21 March 2014, to report back to the general public on progress in education in the Western Cape since 2009.

The meeting forms part of the Provincial Cabinet’s programme to take Parliament back to the people and is open to any member of the public with an interest in education.
It is not a meeting for principals and the chairpersons of school governing bodies only, but also for any member of the public, including parents, teachers and ordinary members of school governing bodies. The aim is to attract as broad a cross-section of the community as possible.
The meeting will be held in the side hall of the Mossel Bay Town Hall from 09:00 to 11:00. Refreshments will be served.

Enquiries in this regard can be addressed to Ms Venessa Mortlock at telephone (021) 467-2378.

• Harry Hill