Let's do some wine testing......Paarl Wine Estates in South Africa.

Welcome to Paarl Wines and Vineyards. Paarl is the central hub of the Winelands district in the Cape Province. Paarl along with its little sister with a big reputation - Franschhoek, has many historic and venerable, as well as new, wine farms and vineyard estates in their winelands, producing some of the best wines in the country, and indeed the world.Scattered winelands around the Paarl Mountain with its gleaming granite rocks and the town of paarl, nestled in the foothills of the Klein Drakenstein and Simonsberg Mountains, and tucked away in the Franschhoek Valley, these splendid Wine Estates on the Paarl Wine Route enhance the beauty of the area with their lush vineyards and their wines are a delight to the wine lovers who visit the Cape Winelands in their droves.

Come..pick your own Strawberries !!

            The Polkadraai Strawberry Farm is located in the Stellenbosch,South African, Winelands and is the perfect outing for family and friends to pick their own strawberries in season which runs from September to December each year.

There is also an authentic farm stall on the farm that offers a wide range of jams, preserves, dried fruit as well as an extensive range of estate wines from wine estates in and around the Stellenbosch wine route.

Polkadraai Farm has become famous for its scarecrows and sweet tasting strawberries as well as homemade strawberry jam which you can purchase from the farmstall along with other delicious treats!

We salute a true Rugby legend and may you over come your illnes .

1. Joost van der Westhuizen is a South African former rugby union player who played as a scrum-half for the national team. He played in the 1995, the 1999and the [[2003 Rugby World Cup|2003] Rugby World Cups. 
3. Born: February 20, 1971 (age 43), Pretoria
4. Height: 1.85 m
5. Weight: 88 kg
6. Education: University of Pretoria

7. Van der Westhuizen spent his entire club career with the Provincial State side the Blue Bulls, from 1993 until 2003, whereupon he retired from playing rugby.
   He spent his entire career as a scrum half, and has the honour of being part of the first ever South African team to win the Rugby World Cup when the Springboks triumphed on home soil in 1995. Many observers of the game highlighted Van der Westhuizen's contribution to the team as vital, and a driving force behind the team's successes. As a scrum half, despite standing 6 ft 1 ins, an unusually tall height for a scrum half, he was known for finding and penetrating the tiniest gaps in opposition defences, and his willingness to move forward and join the attack, which brought him 190 points from 89 international caps. In his defensive duty, he played with savage aggression and a fearlessness that aided his team greatly, often producing heroic and result-defining tackles. This attribute was rigorously noted most during the game against New Zealand, who were favourites to win the tournament. Jonah Lomu, New Zealand's winger, made a typical battering run from deep. He defied several challenges before Van der Westhuizen hauled him down just outside the 22m line. Indeed, Lomu had never scored a try against South Africa, and never achieved such a moment again.
   Van der Westhuizen retired from international rugby in 2003 as South Africa's record cap holder
8. On 12 May 2011, Van der Westhuizen's publicist announced that he had a muscle related neural disease, believed to be a form of motor neurone disease. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States have since confirmed that the former Springbok captain has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and has only an 20% chance of living longer than five years from diagnosis

Whale watching Meca-Hermanus

A popular tourist destination for everybody visiting South Africa. With its unparalleled scenic beauty, long stretches of beach, mild climate, rich floral kingdom, award winning wine estates, endless adventure options which includes shark cage diving and also offering the best shore or boat based whale watching in the world, Hermanus can fulfill all your holiday needs. Voted South African town of the year in 2008 and also winner of the cleanest town of the year award since 2003, Hermanus continues to offer great value for money.

First time visitors are left speechless by the overwhelming beauty of Hermanus. As you arrive, nothing can prepare you for the spectacular site of this quaint fishing village, surrounded by mountains, deep blue sea and its stunning bay.

There is so much to do in Hermanus, you will soon discover that a week is nowhere near enough time to spend here. Here is a list of just some of the wonderful activities available in Hermanus.

Hermanus Railway Station has no Train

Hermanus Railway Station has no Train! Have you ever wondered why the Hermanus Railway Station has no railway line or train in this lovely village?
Here is the story how this came about. One of the most fondly remembered visitors to Hermanus was Sir William Hoy. He made an impact on this town so great, that the repercussions are still felt today. Born in Scotland to the farmer Robert Hoy, William Hoy left school at the age of 12 and became a clerk at the North British Railway in Edinburgh. While working, Hoy made extra money teaching shorthand at a local night school. When not working or teaching Hoy spent his time reading the works of John Noble, becoming particularly fond of Noble’s book ‘Handbook on the Cape of Good Hope’. In 1890 a recruiting officer of the Cape Government Railways arrived in Edinburgh and Hoy, in love with the Cape already, applied to be sent to Cape Town. His application was successful and after only two years in the country he was promoted to chief clerk to the Traffic Manager in Kroonstad.
Only a year later Sir Hoy became the Transvaal agent for the Railways, being put in charge of the Military Railways during the Anglo-Boer War. In 1901 Sir Hoy married Gertrude Price with whom he later had one daughter, Maudie. Sir Hoy’s father-in-law promoted him to Chief Traffic Manager, a post Sir Hoy had earned through diligence, hard work and enthusiasm. In 1910 Sir Hoy became the youngest General Manager of the South African Railways ever, gaining control of the second largest government-owned railways in the world. It was during this time that he and his wife wished to get away from Cape Town and go on a relaxing holiday. Their search for the perfect holiday destination led to their discovery of Hermanus where Sir Hoy could enjoy his favourite hobby – fishing. Hoy quickly became enchanted by the village’s natural charm and grew to be one of Hermanus’ most enthusiastic patrons.
Sir Hoy quickly made friends with the local fisherman, growing very fond of them as his visits to the seaside town increased. Sir Hoy formed a particularily strong friendship with one of the young fisherman who used to assist him, Danie Woensdregt. Together they had many trips and fishing expeditions and they often sat on the Klipkoppie (rocky hill) in the middle of town to watch the boats coming in. On one such occasion Sir Hoy expressed a desire to be buried there on the hill overlooking the bay.
Many of the Hermanus patrons hoped Sir Hoy would help along the already developed plans to extend the railway line from Botriver to Hermanus to establish a Hermanus Railway Station. The plans were so advanced already that a station building was already built in anticipation of the coming trains. Sir Hoy, however, had witnessed what the railway lines did to small villages like Kalk Bay. Determined to keep Hermanus a village with fresh air and visitors who loved the town enough to go the extra mile to reach it, Sir Hoy actively opposed the railway line. He overruled all attempts at the extension and even set up a coach service between the two towns to make sure not even a single train ever entered the station building at Hermanus.While some grumbled at the decision, many were overjoyed at the blessing Sir Hoy granted Hermanus with his decision. For his services to the town and to transport in general Sir Hoy was knighted in 1916. He continued to work tirelessly on the railways and by the time he stepped down in 1927 he was burned out and already suffering from cancer. He retired to his beloved Hermanus but this retirement was short-lived and he died at age 62 in 1930. His wife contacted his old friend Woensdregt, expressing her desire to honour his wish to be buried on the koppie. Danie made the necessary arrangements with the municipality and led Hoy’s fishermen friends in carrying his coffin up a newly made pathway for the burial. From that day on the site was known as “Hoy’s Koppie”. Lady Hoy, who died in England, was buried next to him and their graves are still situated at the top of Hoy’s Koppie today, where one can gaze out across the pristine town Hoy so lovingly helped to create.