After Cyclone Irina the barn swallows arrived to roost at Mount Moreland. If you haven’t seen this phenomonon you are missing out on something special.

Angie Wilken, chairman of the Lake Victoria Conservancy, reported on Wednesday 7 March, the swallows started arriving at 5.45pm and kept coming until 6.34pm.
“The numbers were huge, very impressive indeed,” said Wilken. She said that on Sunday night there were ‘millions’.

“It’s been absolutely awesome. It’s all been weather-related. The rain brought the insects which brought the swallows.”

The barn swallows generally migrate sometime around the Easter weekend, however, Angie said it would be interesting to see if this was the case given the erratic weather.
For information about viewing the barn swallows visit www.barnswallow.co.za

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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Brookdale Secondary pupil, Valentino Ndaba is a Matric sucess story that should be told. She is a pupil from disadvantaged background who exceled in matric exams thanks to an Umhlanga based initiative.

Valentino, a resident of the Amaoti informal settlement, recently achieved six distinctions and one B in her matric exams. She was also part of the Lungisisa Indlela (LI), back to school initiative pioneered by Umhlanga resident Anthony ‘Titch’ Smith.

“When I was six years old I lost my mother in a car accident and I lived with my grandmother in Amaoti. The people from LIV, who were always willing to help, kick-started my schooling career. They paid for my fees and helped buy school textbooks, stationary and uniforms and took care of all my needs,” she said, ”I’ve always said, my life began, when my mother passed away. It was when I struggled to find meaning in life. Being a part of LI was one of the ways which enabled me to do that and complete my matric.”

“When I saw my name in the paper, I was ecstatic, happy, proud and thankful to everybody who helped me like Anthony Smith. Their contributions have been the reason for my success today,” she said.

Valentino hopes to pursue a career in journalism and has already received a bursary from the University of the Free State. “I have never been out of Amaoti and I cannot wait to experience and explore life’s possibilities,” she said.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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THERE is a bite of freshness in the air, dispelled occasionally by a patch of sun moving through the clouds and the surf is small, vestiges of an early morning swell. For Umhlanga’s surf enthusiast, Rosh Honneysett, the conditions are ideal. Besides surfing for more than 35 years, Rosh is one of the few people in KZN also involved with hand-crafting surfboards.

His love for all surfing began at an early age on the shores of Umhlanga’s beachfront. “My earliest memory of the sea is watching my dad cruising on the waves with a 17-foot board, while my mom rented out deck chairs,” he said.

His dad, Cliff, was the first lifeguard in Umhlanga, and was the man responsible for sparking his love for making surfboards. In 1958, Cliff founded his company, Dolphin Surfboards and started making his brand of wooden surfboards.

“The boards take about two months to make. I normally use lightweight marine ply, California Redwood and Alaia wood,” he said. Rosh is what some would call a surfing purist, preferring the early style of the Hawaiian board, Alaia.

Rosh comments, “There were two kinds of surfboards back then, an ‘Olo’ (rode by the chiefs or the noblemen known as the ‘Alii’) and a ‘Alaia’ (rode by the commoners). It’s amazing how the surfboard has evolved since then, they are lighter but I still prefer the older boards”,  “Surfing is about freedom and having fun. Many of the younger surfers today aren’t aware of how it has evolved. The one thing that hasn’t changed though, is the thrill you get from being out on the water”.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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Pam Golding area principal in Umhlanga and Umdloti, Elwyn Schenk, says major developers, traditionally recognised as having an astute capacity to read the market, are becoming more active. Pam Golding has just been awarded the exclusive marketing mandates for two new residential developments in sought-after locations in Umhlanga.

“Over the longer term, changes in demographics and consumer buying power are major drivers of the property market. It is a combination of these factors which is fuelling the demand for property in areas such as Umhlanga and Umdloti, especially following several years of muted developer activity and rapid growth in the Ridgeside/ Gateway area of Umhlanga,” he says.

In Umhlanga Village, Pam Golding Properties has acquired the exclusive marketing mandate for the Beacon Rock development, which is under construction.

This mixed-use project, incorporating 68 apartments, was launched in December and is in close proximity to Umhlanga’s main beaches, restaurants and entertainment and has sophisticated security features. The apartments are a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, and residents have access to a protected landscaped courtyard and pool.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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The eThekwini Municipality’s plans to spend R26.7 million on building a tidal pool at Umhlanga near the Umhlanga lighthouse, which is among the beaches extensively damaged during storms three years ago.

The tidal pool will ensure an acceptable beach width which will result in a spread of users along the Umhlanga beachfront and will address the problem associated with high concentration of users at the existing beach area. The tidal pool will provide a safe bathing and beach area for children and the elderly to enjoy.

The guests in the Oyster Box Hotel and the Beverley Hills Hotel as well as the people working in local businesses were in favour on condition that the pool was tasteful and looked ‘natural’.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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STAFF and parents  were filled with great excitement on Saturday as Umhlanga College, opened its new, multi-purpose, Astroturf surface.

The Reid Astro, named after past headmistress, Margo Reid, was sanctioned during 2011 by the Umhlanga College Parents’ Association whose fund-raising efforts generated the R900  000 needed to install the facility. Principal Greg Brooks said the astro turf was completed shortly after school closed in December last year.

“It’s such an honour for us to name the astro field, after the first principal of the school and we are delighted to have the Muirs, who have travelled all the way from the USA to be with us. It’s thanks to the wonderful support from the board and the parents and our benefactors that has made this possible,” he said.

The astro playing surface is approximately 1250 sq metres in extent and comfortably houses two, full-sized tennis courts and a playing surface large enough to accommodate both mini and midi hockey. The facility will also be used for mini cricket, mini soccer and action netball.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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Durban North SAPS are the first in KZN to put up information boards informing the public of its rights.

LAST week, Durban North SAPS, with Haden Searles and councillor Heinz De Boer put up boards informing the public of its civil rights. Valery Govender, communications officer for the Durban North SAPS said the boards explain  the services offered at any police station in South Africa.

Valery Govender said “The board is titled KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Our station operates on transparency and accountability to the community and a board of this nature will make the community feel confident that we want to give appropriate services to them. This is important especially for our international tourists” .

An example of a right is that a case may be reported anywhere in the country and the case file will be registered and forwarded to the relevant police station. Many people do not know this simple right.

Haden Searles states “Should people face problems with this or be sent away from a police station on the basis that the crime did not happen in the area, they should know they have a case for complaint” .

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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THE New Year got off to a good start for Imbaliyamazulu Primary School in Inanda.

Devtech Civils, contracted to Tongaats Huletts Development, donated boxes of paper, charts, and various gardening implements as part of its socio-economic development programme to Imbaliyamazulu Primary School in Inanda to help them start the new year.

Well done, this is grass level support.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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It has been a fantastic festive holiday season with November and December being bumper months.

“It has been an exceptional and outright record season, no question about it” said a delighted Peter Rose, chairman of Umhlanga Tourism.

Grant Pringle, chairman of the Ilembe Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s tourism forum reported that Ballito was affected by a water crisis for part of the peak season, but tourists still continued to flock into the North Coast town and has was much busier than in previous years. Pringle said “The water shortage created “a massive challenge” for hoteliers, and there were some frustrated guests who did not understand that the resulting restrictions were out of the control of hotels”.

Andrew Zaloumis, the chief executive of Isimangalo Wetland Park Authority, said a record 90 000 tourists visited the park at new year. “There are new hides and picnic sites on the eastern shores, and the number of game has improved,” he said.

Over in Umhlanga, there were so many beach-goers that it was often difficult to find a place on the sand. Peter Rose said “Umhlanga is pumping. I went into the village for a meal earlier this week at 9pm and was astonished to find a big queue outside the restaurant”.

The South Coast resort of Port Edward had done better than last year, partly as a result of a new tourist attraction (Wild Waves) at the nearby Wild Coast, which had attracted 3 500 visitors a day, said the South Coast’s Michael Bertram.

Another new attraction was the 3.5km Zip Line at Lake Eland, 38km inland from Port Shepstone, which is the longest line in Africa and takes tourists into the Oribi Gorge.

Durban Tourism’s Philip Sithole said that the upgraded Umhlanga, Durban and Umgababa beachfront cost more than R500 million to improve but it boosted the region’s holiday figures dramatically.

Sithole said “The black middle class has also contributed to the growth in visitors to the city. If you go to Soweto today and do research, people will tell you that their preferred destination is Durban” .

Mike Dowsley, chairman of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s tourism committee, said that city hotels had reported to him that they had 80 percent and 90 percent occupancy rates.

Well done Kwa-Zulu Natal.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

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It looks like ‘load shedding’ is imminent so here are a few ways for people to reduce energy consumption when using household appliances.

General
Turn off all appliances that have standby modes because they consume energy when not in use.

Ovens
Repair oven seals if they are broken or torn, the heat escapes and the heating process takes longer using more energy.

Fridges
Fridges also have seals, commonly referred to as ‘door rubber’. If these are not sealing properly or are damaged, the fridge temperature will be lost and the fridge will ‘run’ for longer periods, wasting energy. Don’t leave the door to the fridge open because the longer the door is left open, the more energy is going to be used to get the fridge back to the desired temperature. When going away on holiday, turn the thermostat down to minimum. Some fridges have a ‘vacation’ mode which reduces energy consumption as well.

Washing machines
Only wash when you have a full load for the machine. Washing takes a long time and uses a fair amount of energy and washing small loads is a waste of energy. Do not overloading as this will damage the machine. Hot washes should be limited because elements that are responsible for heating the water use a lot of energy.

Dishwashers
Only wash when you have a full loadand use a less intensive wash to save energy.

Tumble dryers
Only use the tumble dryer when it is raining. Drying clothes on the line is healthier and saves a lot of energy. Clean your tumble dryers filter often and tumble dryers should be serviced at least once year.

Kettles
When boiling water, only boil as much as is needed because the heating elements use a lot of energy.

Airconditioning units
Aircon units must be kept clean and dust free because dirty filters prevent sufficient air flow coming through, thus wasting power. Close doors and windows when the aircon is on.  When buying a unit, get one with an inverter type compressor as they save up to 35 per cent on energy consumption over a period of five years.

Geysers
Switch off the geyser over peak electricity demand times if possible. To reduce electrical consumption on a geyser, reduce hot water consumption and the temperature setting of the water on the thermostat. The ideal setting is 50 to 55 degrees in summer and 60 to 65 degrees in winter. Incidentally, it is not detrimental to the geyser to switch it on and off all the time. You can also connect a heat pump to your geyser which will reduce your energy usage up to 60 percent.

For your Durban Accommodation please contact us by phone on 031 566 1206 or email us on info@gatewaycountrylodge.co.za. For a 360 degree virtual tour of our Umhlanga accommodation please select http://in3sixty.com/cms/manager/sharetour/id/ed84298f-d385-067d-1336-470386d249df or go to our website on http://www.gatewaycountrylodge.co.za/.

We are looking forward to welcome you.