South Africa Blog

Start ticking off the days and get ready for White Mountain 2008 – KwaZulu-Natal’s only acoustic music festival that promises more than 40 live acts over five days, as well as a host of other activities for the whole family. Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, the festival runs from 24 to 28 September and is held at White Mountain Lodge in the foothills of the Giant’s Castle Nature Reserve in the Drakensberg, just 34km from Estcourt on tarred roads, 200km from Durban and 430km from Johannesburg.

Included in the line-up are Prime Circle, John Ellis of Tree63, Syd Kitchen, Laurie Levine, Maisha, Black Cat Bone, Cabins in the Forest and many others, all of whom will perform acoustic sets either on the main marquee stage, in the lodge’s 150-year-old restaurant and pub (Tom’s Tavern) or around the pool. See below for the full programme.

Food, beer and craft markets
Aside from the live music, there’ll also be a variety of food stalls and a beer market featuring naturally brewed ales, lagers, draughts and fruit beers from Nottingham Road Brewing Company, Bavaria Breweries, Shongweni Brewery and the full selection of SAB brands.

Not to be missed is the craft market where you’ll find original handcrafted wares, ranging from aluminium flutes and other musical instruments to stained glass, pewter and copper décor items, artworks, colourful hammocks, clothing and jewellery, as well as massage therapy and organic healing products. Supported by the Imbabazane Municipality, crafters from the local community will also showcase their intricate bead, wire and woven goods. And rest assured, Standard Bank’s Saswitch-enabled mobile ATM facilities will be available around the clock for when the shopping bug bites!

Outdoor activities
With even more outdoor activities on offer this year, festival-goers are going to be spoilt for choice and the only dilemma will be deciding how to fit it all in! Kids can look forward to fun and games coordinated by White Mountain’s team of qualified instructors, while adventure-seekers are sure to enjoy abseiling, paintball and a fuffi slide across a nearby 100m-wide gorge, with helicopter flips also available if the weather permits. Or there’s always swimming, hiking, boating or bass fishing in either of the lodge’s two dams. There’ll be great prizes up for grabs for catching the biggest fish, so don’t forget to bring your rods and tackle!

You’ll also have an opportunity to glide on the world’s only ‘self-balancing personal transport system’, called a Segway. These two-wheel battery operated machines work together with tilt sensors and gyroscopes to make for a totally unique experience. Give one a try on the specially designed track which will be operational throughout the festival.

With all of this on offer, how many more reasons do you need to pack up the family and head to White Mountain for a long weekend of fun and music in one of the most scenic spots in the central Drakensberg? Tickets are available at selected Game stores (R350), Computicket (R400) and at the festival gate (R450). Children under 12 pay R50 – tickets at the gate only. The price includes camping for the entire festival.

For more information and day tripper rates contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Wednesday, 24 September (Tom’s Tavern): 12:00 Rob & Garth Warren, 13:00 Off The Cuff, 14:00 Hruki, 15:00 Open Mic Session, 18:00 Dani Nieuwoudt, 19:00 Mitch Barné, 20:00 Manuvah to Land, 21:00 Sara Jackson, 22:00 Tresor Riziky, 23:00 Rob Warren & Steve Murray, 24:00 Open Mic Session.

Thursday, 25 September (Tom’s Tavern): 12:00 Bruce Warren, 13:00 Barry Thomson, 14:00 Sern Lagerwall, 15:00 Open Mic Session, 18:00 Shannon Connolly, 19:00 Cornel Meyer, 20:00 Catlike Thieves, 21:00 Candice Nel, 22:00 Jean Morrison, 23:00 Rob & Garth Warren, 24:00 Open Mic Session.

Friday, 26 September (Tom’s Tavern): 11:00 Dr Fly and the Nurses, 11:20 Brandon Hunt, 12:00 Zephyr, 24:00 Open Mic Session. Marquee Stage: 13:00 Cherise, 14:00 Elizabeth, 15:00 Fox Fyre, 16:00 Aden Hinds, 17:00 The Originals, 18:00 Cabins in the Forest, 19:15 Dave McMillan & Roly Struckmeyer, 20:30 Laurie Levine, 21:30 Habit To, 22:30 Black Cat Bone.

Saturday, 27 September (Tom’s Tavern): 11:00 Black Cat Bone, 12:00 Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters, 17:00 Xerox Lions v The Sharks, 24:00 Open Mic Session. Marquee Stage: 13:00 The Ryan Calder Band, 14:00 Angus Burns & Friends, 15:00 Shomon, 16:00 Syd Kitchen, 17:00 Zoe & Somebody’s Child, 18:00 Shannon Hope, 19:00 Van der Hoven feat. Henry Steel, 20:15 John Ellis, 21:30 Maisha, 22:30 Prime Circle.

Sunday, 28 September (Marquee Stage): 11:00 The Association of Weak Tea Drinkers, 12:00 The Bandits, 13:00 Ilan Lax & Friends, 14:00 Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters.

Related / Useful Links:
Drakensberg Accommodation
Durban Accommodation

Innovation and experience are the driving forces of sustainable, successful businesses in the hospitality industry, according to futurologist Ian Yeoman, a specialist in travel and tourism. If businesses don’t ‘innovate and change their hairstyles’ like fashion icon David Beckham does every eighteen months, they’ll drift into obscurity, claims Yeoman.

Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa in Somerset West is sporting a new hairstyle that will turn heads.

We’re referring, of course, to the internal transformation of this elegant boutique hotel, acquired in 2007 by Louis Group Hotels, Spas & Vineyards, a division of Louis Group, one of the largest privately-owned property, financial services and technology companies in South Africa. The recently redecorated Manor House ensures that guests will enjoy an even better experience than before.

“The décor of the public areas had become somewhat dated,” says Craig Seaman, Managing Director of Louis Group Hotels, Spas & Vineyards. “We decided to revamp the whole look and feel of this space with a modern yet sophisticated style. The choice of fabrics and artwork has been critical to achieve a balance between understated elegance and comfort. We’re very pleased with the result – the Cape country ethos of the hotel has been maintained, but with a fresher, more contemporary look. And we’re confident that guests will notice and appreciate the difference the refurbishment has made,” he adds.

“The purpose of the refurbishment was not merely to update the interior design of the public areas, but also to create a more sophisticated flow,” explains Jean Paul van As, General Manager of Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, “and this required relocating the restaurant. This in turn allowed us the opportunity to totally re-invent the dining experience through the birth of Magnolia Restaurant.”

Erinvale is steeped in history, but the natural evolution that gradually transformed it from a modest Cape Dutch style farmstead dating back to the 1700s into the elegant four-star boutique hotel of today has preserved the rich heritage of this property. Guests driving onto the grounds immediately notice the majestic, towering oaks that have silently stood their ground for generations. In fact, the entire layout of the property is a restoration of the historic buildings, with modern additions such as the replica of a quaint Irish chapel, conferencing facilities and a luxury wellness spa all enhancing its quality and distinction in the hospitality industry.

And now, with the latest refurbishment complete, Erinvale’s renowned ‘distinctive and captivating hospitality’ just got better.

Magnolia Restaurant: The evolution of improvements to Erinvale includes the newly launched Magnolia Restaurant, serving contemporary local cuisine with a twist. This sophisticated restaurant, draped in bold décor, creates a striking setting for patrons to wine and dine away the evenings or lazy Sunday lunches. The inspiration for the name ‘Magnolia’ comes from the spectacular flowering magnolia trees on the hotel grounds, which also inspired the regal décor of the restaurant.

Skelligs Pub: When Louis Group first purchased Erinvale, one of the initial upgrades was to the hotel bar, which became the popular Irish-styled Skelligs Pub. “The extension to Skelligs Pub transformed the previous hotel bar into a ‘gastro pub’, offering wholesome lunches and traditional pub dinners,” says Craig Seaman.

Contact
Erinvale Hotel & Spa
Lourensford Road, Somerset West, 7130
Telephone: +27 (21) 847 1160

Related Sites:
Cape Town Accommodation
South Africa Hotels