The latest edition of the Mossel Bay Municipality Newsletter come out on Friday, Jan 25th and it highlights some important recycling tips to keep in mind in your effort to be "green" and environmentally responsible.  Here's an excerpt:

What  is recyclable and what is not?

Recyclable

Cardboard and paper: Machine copy paper; lazer and printer printing paper; all stationery, regardless of colour; newspapers; newspapers and magazines, books and pamphlets, all cardboard boxes, packaging materials, cardboard display items.

Plastic: Clean wrappings and packaging plastic; clean shopping bags; plastic; cooldrink bottles; plastic crates.

Cans and metals: All cooldrink cans and canned fruit tins.
 
Not suitable for recycling

Any wet, dirty or foul-smelling materials; disposable nappies; carbon paper; chemically treated fax paper; self-adhesive paper; icecream, sweets, biscuit of potato chip packaging; used paper gloves, serviettes and wax paper; milk cardboard containers; tin foil, cling plastic; polystyrene food containers; cellophane; dogfood bags, potato bags and wax-coated containers; window glass; mirror glass; light bulbs; windscreens and pottery.

You may have heard the sirens and seen all of the emergency vehicles racing down Morrison Road on Saturday, Jan 26th (I was kayaking up the river at the time).  It turns out there was a near-drowning just down the beach at Outeniquastrand when a local swimmer found himself caught in a rip current and being swept out to sea.  The NSRI were quickly on the scene and fortunately it ended well.  See the Mossel Bay Advertiser for more on the story.  The NSRI has a guide to Rip Currents (which are even stronger during Spring Tides) on their website.

Went up to explore Misty Meadows up in the Sinksabrug area in the farmland up above the Great Brak River village yesterday.  Bought a few things from the farm butchery (Steyn's) - but didn't stay for lunch as there are renovations underway immediately adjacent to the restaurant/pub.  We were told they hope to be finished by mid-February, then everything will be back on track and better than ever (live music featured, as well).  Meanwhile, their little craft/micro-brewery is doing up a new batch of Buzzard Country Ale super-early (6:30 a.m.) on Wednesday, Jan 30th.  Check out their website for more info if you're interested in participating - a great way to see how things are done!  Besides accommodation & the craft brewery experience, they also offer canoeing, as well as access to hiking & mountain bike trails for a small fee - see the photo on our flickr photostream for details & prices (or call them for more info).

A well-attended, fun event held under the trees by the tennis court on Jan 19th this year - great for catching up with the neighbours once the hectic Christmas season has passed!  Thanks to Piet "Mr. Braai" Ackerman for managing the fires!  Photos have been uploaded to our flickr photostream.

It's a wonderfully still evening - perfect for waving your feet/toes through the river water and seeing the magical phosphorescence!

Did you know that hot water geysers typically account for 30 - 50% of a household's electricity consumption?  The Jan 16, 2013 online edition of the Mossel Bay Advertiser has an article reminding greater Mossel Bay Municipality residents (including those in Great Brak River) of a free programme designed to reduce power during peak times.  Perhaps timely, given that many of us were without power for nearly 36 hours when there was a fault at Eskom's Great Brak sub-station just prior to Christmas.

More specific details on the programme are available in a news release issued by the Mossel Bay Municipality on Feb 27, 2012 (nearly one full year ago).  In a nutshell, as per the news release, "a small control unit (relay) is installed next to or inside the electrical distribution board in the home of the customer. This device then switches off the power supply to the geyser between 18:00 and 20:00 on weekdays." 

The relay is installed free of charge.  If this sounds like something you might be interested in, contact the Residental Load Management project office at 083 228 0268.

Tramonto has a new wine cellar and 3-4 set of wine pairings (with canapes).  This is located beneath the wedding planning and main venue (as distinct from the tea garden).  Didn't do the tasting, but the cellar has a fantastic selection of top shelf wines at competitive retail prices.  Great to be able to pick up some nice wines if there isn't a trip to the wine route on your horizon.  Of course, if you're looking for a huge selection with box discounts, you can't beat Ultra Liquors in George (most of the shelf stickers also indicate the John Platter ratings).

Went to Yellowoods for Sunday lunch on the weekend.  The hostess, Zanah-Lee also performs (she was on Idols in 2006).  See the Flickr photostream for venue pics and a bit more detail and the Flickr map near Friemersheim and the Botlierskop Game Reserve to pinpoint the location.  If you go, it's best to drive up via Greenhaven and take the Kleinvlei turn-off to your left.  This road actually dissects Botlierskop, so you get a sneak preview of some of the game in the park - bonus!  The alternate route, via Botlierskop, was closed due to flood damage.  You can take the long route back, driving through Friemersheim and back down to Great Brak River for a fantastic view of the Outeniqua mountains.

Check out some of the photos in our Flickr Photostream or Flickr Map for some ideas.

Thanks go to Hugh Tyrrell for providing a comprehensive list of birds spotted on The Island and Great Brak River - this list is available for download in the birdwatching section.