A workshop on ‘reading’ the tissue salt levels in the body is on at Lightleys Holiday Houseboat Conference Centre in November.

Of interest especially to health practitioners the course is about the important role of tissue salts in personal health.

 The course is led by Eva Schoenfeld. It costs R2150, and runs from the 10^th to the 13^th of November. Its open to health practitioners especially, but non-professionals are also welcome and will derive great benefit from the course.

 Call Gisele Crewdson (044 383 1584, or 084 560 2003).

  New Tourism Standards

 A new move to define and guarantee minimum standards in the Tourism Industry was launched in Knysna this week.

After an address by National Tourism Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, Dr Bonakele Mehlomakulu, the CEO of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), said the SABS had rigorously processed the draft of the National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism (NMSRT) in record time.

 The NMSRT is now South Africa’s national standard.

 Dr Mehlomakulu said that South Africa was the first country in the world to include responsible tourism in its national priorities.

 Strong SWD team at SA Cross Country Championships

A team of 87 athletes from the Southern Cape are representing their region at this weekend’s SA Cross Country Championships in Bloemfontein.

 So keep fingers crossed for our guys and gals – cross country events are not too easy when you’re not used to running at higher altitudes….

 SA does well at International Flower Show

On Tuesday September 20 the Garden Route Floral Art Club will be giving a report-back on SA participation in the recent World Association of Flower Arrangers Show in Boston, USA.

 SA fielded 323 competitors, and won Best of Show, AND Runner-Up Best of Show…!

 Trish Carter will be sharing her impressions and insights of the show at the meeting, to be held at St George’s Church at 9am.

 Now for a laugh:

My wife’s a water sign.  I’m an earth sign.
Together we make mud.

-        Rodney Dangerfield

See you soon at Phantom View River Resort!

With the school holidays coming up soon (in 3 weeks!), now’s the time to make your bookings for a Knysna family holiday. Phantom View River Resort also has a number of specials available, such as our Stay and Play package – which is a great combination of time in your own spacious wooden chalet, AND time in a Lightleys Holiday Houseboat. We include a free canoe for a day!  For details, call us on 044 382c 0007.

Knysna Forest Holiday Accommodation

A great way to have a really different family holiday is to book accommodation at Phantom View River Resort.
Knysna’s forests are still one of the most special things about Knysna, and there’s no better way to let go of the stress of daily living than to disappear into the forest with the family.

The resort is in a forest and above it on the hillside a pair of nesting fish eagles will give you goosebumps with their otherworldly calls. 

The timber chalets all have gorgeous views over the Knysna lagoon.

Garden Route local is Mr SA finalist

Qualified personal trainer Julian Pretorius (27) is one of 50 Mr SA 2012 semi-finalists. Now a local after swopping the skyscrapers of Gauteng for the (relative) sanity of the Garden Route, Julian specialized in personal training.

He was personal trainer to 2007 USN Body and Lifestyle winner Innis Erasmus, and was himself in the top 20 of the 2006 event.

Mr SA 2012 has chosen the Chrysalis Foundation as the charity it will be sponsoring. Chrysalis provides life skills and self-knowledge for mentally and physically traumatized girls between 14 and 18.

Who let the dogs out?

Here’s something really great for dog lovers – at Simola on Saturday, there’s going to be the annual Knysna Dog Show!

It starts at 10am, and it should be lots of fun. Categories include: Golden Oldie, Cutest Puppy, Best Dressed, Best Trick, Sexiest 6 legs (?, ah!) and Best in Show.

Talking about dogs, here’s a laugh:

TO:       God
FROM:  Rover
Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?

Dear God: If a dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad dog?

Dear God: We dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID’s, electromagnetic energy fields, and Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?

Dear God: More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.

And on that very doggy note, have a great weekend!

 Wondering where to see the Garden Route Forest Rally cars in Knysna, and in the Knysna forest? Have you got a treat in store!  At ten minutes to six on Friday afternoon (Aug 26) the competitors will be doing some spectacular driving around the municipal offices downtown.

This is the only tar stage of the event, and each car will do two loops around the municipal offices. There will certainly be some spectacular sideways drifting, tire smoke, and the squeal of hot rubber on tar!

Each car will be timed, and those two loops around the municipal offices will count as one whole stage of the rally.

Please, ladies and gents, don’t take chances as spectators. Find a safe place to watch from, and at ALL times obey the instructions of the marshalls.

Once that’s over, the cars will go to Simola, where they will be locked up in an enclosure overnight.

There will be another easy opportunity to see the cars in action the next morning (Saturday) when they take off from Simola at 8am.

They then go into the forests (but they won’t be racing on the twisty public ground road from Rheenendal to Karatara and Hoekwil).

They then head back to Simola, where the winners will be announced at about 1545 on Saturday afternoon.

Spectating will be allowed on the forest stages, which are too complicated to explain in this space. For more details, go to: http://racevw.co.za/files/2011gardenrouterallyspecinfo.pdf

What better place to book accommodation  to see the Garden Route Rally than Phantom View River Resort on the Knysna lagoon – conveniently placed between Simola and the forest areas where  the rallying will take place?

Knysna Forest Networking

Here’s a great opportunity for those who love the Knysna Forest to network with others who also do. On Aug 31 (next Friday) at The Venus Ear in Sedgefield there will be a local networking meeting of the Green Drinks organization, which meets in 781 cities around the world.

Go along and share your ideas about networking to preserve the Knysna forest, and our wonderful natural environment.

For more information contact Lizelle Genade at 082 938 0973.

 Knysna Bus Accident Fund

If you’d like to contribute to the families of the children who died in the Knysna Bus Accident early on Wednesday morning, the bank account details are:

Rheenendal Bus Tragedy Support Fund,

First National Bank,

George Branch,

Branch code: 210114.

a/c no. 62324295676.

Oyster Festival raises R2,5 million

R1,2 million was raised for charity by the Knysna Oyster Festival. Sixty thousand visitors came to Knysna for the festival, and 8 528 runners took part in the forest marathons. Apparently tickets for the marathon were trading at up to R500 on the Internet after entries had closed. In the cycling events, about 6 500 competitors took part.

Stunning Knysna Lagoon view photographs

One of the joys of holiday accommodation at Phantom View River Resort is the astonishing views out over the Knysna lagoon.  At various times of the day – and in different seasons – the view is like a painting. (Correction: If an artist were to create paintings like these she’d probably be accused of ‘unrealistic hyper-realism’!) Here are a few photographs taken by our guests.

Knysna lagoon’s rich biodiversity

The Knysna lagoon has more than half South Africa’s Seagrass, which is actually not a grass type, but a flowering plant with leaves which look like grass.

The thing about these plants which makes them unique is that they thrive in seawater.

Seagrass ‘meadows’ are an amazing hive of rich biodiversity. Marine biologist Richard Barnes did some research in the Knysna lagoon, and found that each square meter of ‘meadow’ has about 6200 small animals sharing accommodation on or just below the surface!

Knysna music from the 60′s and 70′s

This weekend those of you who are into the sounds of the 60s and 70s have a major treat in store…..the Knysna Singers will be putting on a show of the wonderful music of those times in the NG Church Hall in Fichat Street at 7.30 on Saturday and Sunday – and at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

Titled ‘Thank You for the Music’ (the title of a great ABBA hit from those years), the sounds are sure to bring back memories and get your feet a ‘tappin…..

You can get tickets from Bloomers Florist and Village Pharmacy.

Now, on the theme of music, here are two clever chuckles:

-How many country & western singers does it take to change a light bulb? Three. One to change the bulb and two to sing about the old one.

- What happens if you play blues music backwards? Your wife returns to you, your dog comes back to life, and you get out of prison.

Looking forward to seeing you soon at Phantom View River Resort!

Now here’s a great idea!  First, have you and your family ever been to Buffalo Bay? Probably not, hmmm?  Well, now, we’re going to give you two reasons, no THREE reasons, to go there this weekend.

The big reason is that the Ross Taylor Surfing Contest is taking place there on Saturday and Sunday Aug 6 & 7.  Even if you and your family don’t surf, it’s a tremendous spectacle. Laid-back, but no more laid back than watching cricket….

Check out those tanned, lithe bodies balancing and dancing and pirouetting on the waves…..and Buffalo Bay HAS WAVES ! BIG ones. In fact its the only place close to Knysna where you are really close to REAL SEA.

Ross Taylor was a brave young surfing fella who survived a shark attack, but then died of cancer. He is fondly remembered by the good guys and gals of the Knysna surfing fraternity, and every year they do a memorial surf contest for him.

So…that’s one reason to go to Buffalo Bay this weekend. Another is the totally gorgeous drive there from the N2. Really, within seconds after turning off you’re in another world – lush, green pastures and cows grazing contentedly….and peace and quiet.

OK, the third reason is that there are two good places to stop and have a bite to eat, or sample some farmstall fare.  Picturesque and very ‘country’, both venues are sort of in a time warp…..the way Knysna was long years ago.

Knysna lagoon accommodation

There are so many things for a family to do next to the Knysna lagoon – most of which don’t cost anything at all.

You can wander down the quiet, country road in the direction of Phantom Pass, just enjoying the peace and the verdant greenery, take a picnic basket with you and stroll off into the forests, explore a nature reserve on foot – and of course you can swim in the lagoon from a variety of beautiful spots on the water’s edge.

The lagoon is one of the few places in Knysna where you and your family can lose yourselves for a day, and return relaxed and refreshed, AND your wallet unopened !!

Phantom View River Resort on the Knysna lagoon landward of the White Bridge is a great place for a family to book holiday accommodation.  If your kiddies are under the age of six, we’ll accommodate them for free until December 8 – excl. school holidays and long weekends.

And now, how about a laugh? (OK, its not Easter, but it IS a good joke….)

After the egg hunt on Easter Sunday, the young farm boy decided to play a prank. He went to the chicken coop and replaced every single egg with a brightly colored one. 

A few minutes later the rooster walked in saw all the colored eggs, then stormed outside and killed the peacock.
My stupid computer keeps saying, “You’ve got mail!”

Looking forward to seeing you soon at Phantom View

Ballet in Knysna

Those of you who enjoy ballet have a real treat in store. Later in August the SA Ballet Theatre will be coming to Knysna again to raise funds for the local hospice.

Ballet stars like Burnise Silvius, Shannon Glover, Hyun Cho and Nicole Ferreira will be showing off their paces – and giving classes. Joining them for the first time are members of the SABT Academy.

Bookings open at Sothebys in Woodmill Lane on August 10.

Phone  Lynne Barnhoorn on 083 252 8994 for more details.

Pianist coming to Knysna

While we’re on the subject of old-fashioned culture, did you know that internationally-renowned SA concert pianist Ben Schoeman will be in Knysna on August 16?   He’ll be accompanied by Dawid Venter on the flute. They’ll be performing at the NGK Church Hall in Fitchat Street, and tickets cost R100 for adults and R20 for scholars.

No pre-booking in possible. Tickets can be bought at the door at 7.30pm.

Knysna forest accommodation

Spoil yourselves for three nights and get the best of both worlds – gourmet cuisine and a wellness workout. Accommodation in an authentic spacious Knysna Timber Chalet in the forest, a discounted gourmet meal on vibey Thesen’s Island a free canoe for a day with a picnic hamper, AND a discount on a professional spa treatment.

We call it our Natural Wellness Special – and it starts at R715 per person sharing until September 16.

Go to www.phantomview.co.za for more details. Click on ‘special packages’.

And now, for you balletomanes, here’s a chuckle:

The 7 year-old was watching ballet dancers working out at the bar. Puzzled, she turned to her mother and said: “Mom, why are they all standing on tiptoe? Why dont they just get taller girls?”

See you soon at Phantom View River Resort!

Great news! On August 26 and 27 Knysna is hosting a National Championship Motor Rally in the forests between Knysna and George.

Forest stage motor rallying is very exciting to watch, and we suggest that Phantom View River Resort on the Knysna lagoon is just the place to book accommodation to watch the rally.

The resort is only a few kilometers from the twisty ground roads the rallyists will be using. In fact, the famous Knysna Phantom Pass ground road starts about one km  from the resort’s gates.

That weekend those fabulous forest roads will be the setting for some serious rallying – the Osram Rally, the 6^th round of the 2011 SA Motor Rally calendar.

It will be the first time in 16 years that the Western Cape will be hosting a national motor rally.

Joe Fourie of the Algoa Motor Sport Club is currently finalizing the route. He is pumped up about the event, and he points out that it is ‘virgin territory’ for most of the competitors – which should make things interesting!

We’ll keep you updated as the dates approach. But what we DO want to say is: you petrolheads out there, do yourselves a favour and make a plan to get to Knysna that weekend. And book accommodation at the resort. Events like this don’t come often, and they are amazing spectacles!

Accommodation in the Knysna Forest

After the rains this weekend, the forests around Knysna are stunning. We’ve had more than two days of solid rain, and you know what happens in the forests when they’ve been drenched like that – everything is fresh and dripping, and as the sun comes out you get a myriad of little rainbows everywhere as the sun strikes the drops on the leaves and branches.

And the best of all is that as you stand still and listen you can hear little streams and rivulets gurgling and chattering and rushing through the forest.

Its magic! Truly. It’s what Knysna is supposed to be all about.

In the same way that people rush up to Ceres when it snows, those who know rush into the Knysna forests after a few days of good rain…..

Accommodation-wise, our advice is to book yourselves one of our two-storey, spacious, fully-equipped timber chalets. We are right next to the forest. About one km from the resort the road becomes the ground road of the Phantom View Pass – and you’re in the Deep Green of indigenous forest.

And now – a laugh (it’s a bit long, but its worth it…!)

A long time ago, in Communist Russia, there was a famous weather man named Rudolf. 

He’d always had a 100% accuracy rate for his forecasts of Russian weather conditions. His people loved him and respected him for his faultless foresight. He was particularly good at predicting rain.

One night, despite clear skies, he made the prediction on the 6:00pm news broadcast that a violent storm was approaching. It would flood the town in which he and his wife lived. He warned the people to take proper precautions and prepare for the worst. 

After he arrived home later that evening, his wife met him at the door and started arguing with him that his weather prediction was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. This time, she said, he had made a terrible mistake. There wasn’t a cloud anywhere within 10 miles of the village. As a matter of fact, that day had been the most beautiful day that the town had ever had and it was quite obvious to everyone that it simply wasn’t going to rain. 

He told her she was to be quiet and listen to him. If he said it was going to rain, IT WAS GOING TO RAIN. He had all his Russian heritage behind him and he knew what he was talking about. She argued that although he came from a proud heritage, IT STILL WASN’T GOING TO RAIN. 

They argued back and forth for hours, so much that they went to bed mad at each other. 

During the night, sure enough one of the worst rainstorms hit the village the likes of which they had never seen. That morning when Rudolf and his wife arose, they looked out the window and saw all the water that had fallen that night. 

“See,” said Rudolf, “I told you it was going to rain.” His wife admitted: “Once again your prediction came true. But I want to know, just how were you so accurate, Rudolf?”

To which he replied, “You see, Rudolf the Red knows rain dear!” 

See you soon at Phantom View River Resort!

The gorgeous forests are what bring many visitors to Knysna, and it’s a stroke of luck if you can find accommodation in or near a forest that doesn’t cost the earth when you come to Knysna on holiday.

Now we’ve got a great idea for you: At Phantom View River Resort on the banks of the Knysna lagoon you can enjoy the best of both worlds – forest and water.

Our timber chalets are situated in the midst of some beautiful forest, with huge mature trees all around them. AND, they are positioned on the slope of a hill, so you have absolutely STUNNING views of the Knysna lagoon, and the Outeniqua Mountains in the distance.

Knysna Accommodation Specials

Now that Knysna is a bit quiet, how about booking yourselves a treat – our Natural Wellness Accommodation Special is a great combination of welolness activity and traditional Knysna good living.

The accommodation special is a three-night experience – three nights in one of our tiumber chalets, a discount on a great meal on Thesen’s Island, a discount on a top-class spa treatment, a canoe for the day, AND a picnic hamper.

Go to www.phantomview.co.za and have a look at the accommodation specials packages. The Natural Wellness special is there, with all the information you need.

Knysna Cycling

The recently-concluded Knysna Oyster Festival’s cycling events were as usual fully subscribed, and even though the weather during the first week was cold and wet, the roads were full of hardy cyclists doing their rather strenuous thing.

Knysna has become a cycling mecca. It’s a great place for all types of cycling. Those who just want a gentle slow pedal around will find that Knysna has two great advantages: the roads around town, along the lagoon, and out to the Heads and Leisure Isle are generally quite flat (so there’s not much effort involved), and the traffic is friendly and quite slow-moving.

On the other hand, those who want to get some serious exercise can choose from a variety of cycling tracks around Knysna. In the forests there are so many cycling tracks that by the time you’ve done them all you’ll have forgotten the first one completely!

Now THAT’s how to do your cycling…..in the peace, quiet and calm of a healthy indigenous forest, with gorgeous clean air pumping through your lungs – not along some crowded city street with exhaust fumes burning your nostrils and your chest!

And now an end-of-week joke to tickle those laughter buds. (How many of you remember the Readers Digest feature “Laughter is the Best Medicine?  It’s still true!)

‘Things to Say When Caught Asleep On a Friday Afternoon’

  – I wasn’t sleeping, I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm.

- Amen

- This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time    management course you sent me to.

- I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress.

 - Hey, that cold medicine I took last night just won’t wear off.

 - Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem.

See you soon at Phantom View!

Those of you who have used SAA planes recently may have noticed a black and orange sticker on the side in front, which might have ben a bit small to see. Or if you were on one of the airbuses you WILL have seen it, because it was on the all  the seats. The stickers said MANDELA DAY, and it is TODAY – Monday July 18.

 Not only does Madiba have his own official (international) Day, but the Secretary-General of the United Nations put out a message at the weekend calling on folk around the world to consciously do something positive today (for at least six minutes) to help others, or to ‘do good’, whatever that might mean to you.

 And may you have nightmares tonight if you don’t!   (Maybe Bishop Tutu will wag  PWBotha’s finger at you!)

 Knysna lagoon accommodation

For the next while, Knysna is not as busy as its been recently, what with Oyster Festivals and School Holidays. And those who know say the next few months are THE time to enjoy Knysna in its more laid-back mood.

 The Knysna lagoon is a wonderful place to relax and be blown away by the changing moods of sky and water, and never has Knysna lagoon accommodation  been more affordable.  

 Our wooden chalets are just the place to unwind – close to town, and yet quiet and secluded.

 We have a range of lagoon accommodation specials available. Check them out on our website. One in particular we’d like to mention is the 15% discount we give pensioners. And there are many more…..    

 Knysna Conferences and Teambuilding

 This time do it in the Crows Nest….and on the water.  Bored with stuffy boardrooms and that same old resort where the Mozzies eat you alive? Looking forward to something REALLY different the next time you do a conference or some teambuilding?  In Knysna, the Phantom View River Resort, and its partner business, Lightleys Holiday Houseboats, have burst upon the conferencing and teambuilding scene in a big way.

 Imagine a divine breakfast on a wooden deck overlooking the Knysna lagoon…then a briefing session in a cool, airconditioned, timber conference centre….then its OUT ONTO THE WATER in fishing boats, canoes or houseboats as a tem member chasing clues, a la The Amazing Race….then its back to the shore to see who won, and down a few pints…..then its up to your spacious, wooden chalet with stunning views over the lagoon for a shower and a chill….then back to the Crows Nest pub for a few with your colleagues under the sparkling stars as a fire burns nearby….the meat sizzling on the grill….

 THAT’s what teambuilding and conferencing should be all about!

And NOW…in honour of Mandela Day, here’s a really good joke:

 Nelson Mandela is sitting at home watching the telly when he hears a knock at the door. When he opens it, he is confronted by a little Chinese man, clutching a clip board and yelling, “You sign! You sign!” Behind him is an enormous truck full of car exhausts.

 Nelson is standing there in complete amazement, when the Chinese man starts to yell louder. “You sign! You sign!”

Nelson says to him, “Look, you’re obviously at the wrong place….”

 But the little man is adamant.

 ”You sign! You sign!” he keeps saying.

Mr Mandela is getting a bit cheesed off now, so he shoves the little Chinese man back, saying: “I don’t want them!”

 The little Chinese man looks at him very puzzled, consults his clipboard, and says:
“You not Nissan Maindealer?”

 See you soon at Phantom View River Resort!

In our recent lucky draw competition, we asked entrants to nominate someone else who they’d like to see win a prize as well.

Who’d have guessed that two couples just up the road – in George – would turn out to be the winners of a stunning four-night breakaway in a Phantom View River Resort timber chalet?

Chrisna Smeda entered on behalf of herself and her hubby,and she nominated Bruce and Benita as her friends to put them in line for a prize too.

Chrisna told us the couple are close friends, and needed a ‘blaaskans’ (breathing space).

Chrisna is a receptionist for a firm of auditors, and she says this is the first prize she’s ever won.

She says the thing she’s looking forward to most about Knysna is the boat rides on the lagoon. Well, Chrisna, you struck it doubly lucky!  Our sister operation, Lightleys Holiday Houseboats, is right next door – and offers special prices to guests of Phantom View River Resort.

At Lightleys you can hire a canoe, or a small motorized fishing boat, or a houseboat – for a day, or half a day. 

So someone’s luck was definitely IN, hmmm?

Weird lights in New York this week

We’re telling you this because it’s doubtful whether you’ll read about it in our newspapers, which seem to have forgotten that there IS a whole world out there….oh, apart from the News of the World and Wiliam and Kate, that is….

An enterprising young scientist (an astrophysicist, to be exact) at the American Museum of Natural History, Neil deGrasse Tyson, investigated when rumours began about strange lights which flickered through particular parts of Manhattan on certain days of the year.

He had a theory – and it proved to be true. Just as the Sun crosses the central axis of Stonehenge at the summer and winter solstices, creating spectacular ‘tricks of light’, it turns out that four times a year the Sun lines up exactly with the grid of parallel streets in Manhattan – doing the same thing.

When you think about it, this is not so unusual. But it took a fresh, unclouded young mind to see it.

de Grasse Tyson says that a similar effect is possible theoretically in any city which has Manhattan’s grid layout, aligned along certain latitudes and longitudes.

However, he says he has investigated a number of other cities – but in none is the phenomenon as spectacular as in New York.

The peak dates for the show were May 30 and July 13 (yesterday).  Obviously it also happens in winter (December 5 this year and January 8 2012), but because the weather is often cloudy and grey in winter, it’s not that visible.

The US press have called the phenomenon “Manhattanhenge”.

So, SA physicists, there’s a challenge!  The street grids in a few SA cities are also quite uniform….does it happen here too?

See you soon at Phantom View River Resort!