ATTEMPTS to salvage a 50-metre-long fishing trawler off First Beach, Clifton, have been hampered largely by low tides, the SA Maritime Safety Authority was reported as saying

"Our biggest problem is a lack of water, silly as that might sound, because of neap tides. As we move towards spring tides there will be more water coming in," regional manager Dave Colly told a radio station.

A neap tide is a low high tide. Tides change every seven days according to the position of the earth, moon and sun.

"The other big thing we have had to do is to weld on a much stronger towing point (yesterday). It's not a nice, young ship and it's (the old towing point) is starting to crumble," Colly said.

The team would also be decanting fuel into a rubber bladder on the beach as a precaution against any oil spills.

Ward councillor for the area Beverley Schäfer told the radio station that time was of the essence as the boat had already moved 25m towards the beach since it ran aground.

According to Colly the national transport department was footing the bill for the salvage operation.

Samsa was hoping to get payment from the ship's owner, though he had not yet been found. It was unclear whether he had insurance or not.

The Eihatsu Maru long line fishing vessel, a Japanese ship, ran aground at 5.15am on Saturday in thick fog. It was carrying 90 tons of diesel and 50 tons of fish.

The salvage attempts would not affect Fourth Beach's Blue Flag status, the city assured residents.

A Blue Flag is an international award given to beaches that meet excellence in areas of safety, amenities, cleanliness and environmental standards.

Of the 28 Taiwanese crew members on board 19 were evacuated.

The remaining crew and the captain were required to stay on the ship under international maritime law.

The surprise announcement that the province was planning a cable car in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg could take the local tourism industry to new heights.

This was the signal from Economic Development and Tourism MEC, Mike Mabuyakhulu, who unveiled the plan at the Indaba trade show at the weekend and said the project would change the tourism landscape.

Describing the proposed cable car as “a game changer”, Mabuyakhulu told the annual Tourism KZN networking breakfast on Saturday that it would unlock the tourism potential of the region and put the province on the national and international tourism map.

It was one of four tourism products that needed to be developed – he did not name the others – and the plan was to investigate the development of a cableway 3 300m long.

There would be an intermediate station “climbing 1 300m to the summit which will be an elevation of 3 300m above sea level offering expansive views of KZN, Lesotho and the Free State”.

A pre-feasibility study conducted 12 years ago had indicated that benefits of a cable car would include 1 200 jobs and increased opportunities for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

It had to offer views of neighbouring Lesotho and the Free State and this would thus enhance regional tourism, said Mabuyakhulu.

A cable car would also serve as a catalytic project to attract more international visitors and “provide a magnet to a host of other experiences and attractions in the area”.

It would boost the competitiveness of KZN as an adventure tourism destination and it would be an alternative “if people do not want to go elsewhere”, he said to laughter, as he referred to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway in Cape Town.

An advertisement calling for service providers to develop a detailed feasibility study had already been issued by his department, he said.

As the proposed cable car was earmarked for a World Heritage Site, he said it would “enhance the stature of the international asset and will not only profile KZN as a responsible tourism destination with co-existence of environmental management and economic development, but South Africa as well”.

Addressing environmental concerns, he emphasised in a later interview that “we will ensure that we don’t compromise the heritage site”.

It was too soon to say exactly where the cable car would be positioned, but it had to be at a place where there could be development in the Drakensberg, Lesotho and the Free State.

“All three regions have to benefit,” he said, adding that a joint planning committee between the three regions would look at the plan.

Asked who would fund it, he said it would involve government and strategic private partners.

“It is all about increasing our product offering to tourists. It is not just a stand-alone project. It is going to have huge impact on tourism,” he said.

If the project went ahead, he envisaged that tourists who arrived in Durban would be able to take a 30-minute flight to the Drakensberg for a cable car experience.

“I am absolutely excited about it,” he said.

Franz Gmeiner, the Austrian chief executive of the Orion Group, which owns Orion Mont-Aux-Sources in the northern Drakensberg and who knows a thing or two about mountain cable cars, said: “You are talking big money, but I like the idea. It’s fantastic.”

Gmeiner said he felt the best site for a cable car would be at the Amphitheatre region of the Drakensberg.

Kobus van den Berg, chairman of the Southern Drakensberg Community Tourism Organisation, said the only area where tourists would be able to get views all three areas in question was at the Royal National Park, north of the Amphitheatre.

A leading hospitality figure attending the networking breakfast, who did not want to be named, was initially upbeat about the idea, saying that after all the years of people talking about a cable car “they should just get on with it”.

Later, having thought about it, he phoned to say that he did not think it would happen and that it was all “hot air”.

Brett Dungan, the former chief executive of the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) and an outgoing board member of SA Tourism, said that rather than spending money on a cable car, the focus should be on fixing the Oliviers Hoek pass road from Harrismith to Bergville.

The road was so “disgusting” that the Little Switzerland Hotel had had to close down, he said.

Gerhard Patzer, the chairman of the KZN branch of Fedhasa, said:

“The MEC took us by surprise with this announcement of a cable car. I would have thought that there are a lot of other projects that would be more profitable.”

Source:   iol.co.za

A rare strawberry-colour leopard has been photographed roaming a game reserve in Mpumalanga, a report says.

National Geographic reported on Thursday that photographer and safari guide Deon de Villiers sent a photo to experts at a US-based wild cat conservation group asking them about the animal’s strange colouration.

Tourists have occasionally seen the big cat. Normal leopards have a tawny coat with black spots.

The president of the cat conservation group, Luke Hunter, told National Geographic that the leopard might have erythrism, a little-understood genetic condition that's thought to cause either an overproduction of red pigments or an underproduction of dark pigments.

"It's really rare - I don't know of another credible example in leopards," said Hunter. He added: "It's surprising that [a photo of the leopard] didn't come out sooner, because he's relatively used to vehicles."

Erythrism is very unusual in carnivores, and the condition appears most often in raccoons, Eurasian badgers, and coyotes, Hunter told the nature magazine.

While the cat seems to have managed thus far as a carnivore despite his unusual fur, should he venture outside of Madikwe reserve, he will lose the strict protection that it offers and become fair game for trophy hunting, said Hunter. "It's the fate of a lot of leopards."

Donald Trump’s sons are still making headlines for their African hunting trip where they killed precious animals and posed with the dead creatures in photographs. Now, they are reportedly under investigation for their killing spree.

According to TMZ, Donald Jr. and his brother Eric are currently being scrutinized in Zimbabwe to determine if they were hunting illegally. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force is now making allegations that during their 2011 trip they used a non-registered South African safari firm.

Many people have been appalled at Don Jr. and Eric’s actions, in addition to the photos that have gone viral. From posing with a chopped off elephant’s tail to laying next to a dead buffalo to holding a leopard in their arms, for some it’s hard to justify their outing. Even their father had choice words for his sons.

“I’m not a fan of the whole situation and I’m going to talk to them about it,” he said. “I don’t particularly want to see them. I’ve never liked it. I’ve never liked that they love it,” Trump explained and went on to say he has not, and will not look at the photos.

The Zimbabwe task force is reportedly looking to see if license and trophy fees were paid, along with if the South African firm used by the Trump’s was actually cleared by wildlife authorities.

A spokesperson for the parks authority, Caroline Washaya-Moyo, refutes such claims that the hunting trip was illegal. “They were accompanied by a professional hunter, and we have done a background check on him and his license is still valid. Also, with the Trump brothers was a ranger from the parks department who was monitoring the hunt. The animals they hunted are available for hunting in Zimbabwe.”

Don Jr. has made no apologies for his trip and tweeted, “I’m a hunter, for that I make no apologies . . . I can assure you it was not wasteful . . . the villagers were so happy for the meat which they don’t often get to eat. Very grateful.”

Climbing up and around things is a skill we learn as children, but as we get older, we lose interest in perching in the branches of a tree, or scooting up and over a wall. But climbing is a really powerful workout that contributes to building core strength, upper body strength and endurance.

These days, you don't have to go outside and look for a tree to climb. You can do it all indoors at the SA Climbing Academy and Indoor Climbing Gym. The gym specialises in teaching children and adults how to ascend steep walls and build up their strength and confidence. And you don't have to be an expert to take part.

Even for those with no climbing experience, this facility can be a great place to learn. Training walls vary in angle from 15º to 30º to 45º and even to 90º. The walls are 4.8m in height but beginners are restricted to the 3m line.

If you want to try something new, something challenging and something fun, contact the SA Climbing Academy on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 083 669 3028.

Image courtesy: Chaiwat