Tag: Festival

Hermanus Whale Festival


Hermanus (originally called Hermanuspietersfontein) is a seaside town situated along Walker Bay on the south coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa.  It is famous as a place from which to watch Southern Right whales, during the southern winter and spring and is a popular local holiday spot.  The whales can be seen from the cliffs in the town centre from as early as June.  They were once hunted locally, but are now protected.  Hermanus is 40 km from Gansbaai, a famous spot where one can dive amongst the Great White Sharks.  It is also notable that Hermanus still boasts an historic railway station building although eventually no tracks were laid to connect the town to the national network.  The founders of the town decided not to lay any tracks as this would have made Hermanus more commercial and they felt Hermanus needed to stay a small Fisherman Village and is still to this day know by the locals as “the Village”.


The Two Oceans Hermanus Whale Festival celebrating its 20th year as the only enviro-arts festival in South Africa, “puts the creatures of the deep on stage and under the spotlight alongside top performers and musicians from 30 September to 4 October 2011”.


Hermanus plays host to thousands of visitors (2010 saw some 130 000 visitors) who flock to the seaside resort to exhilarate in the unique natural environment, watch the whales and revel in music, and African rhythms during the festival.  The Whales are always the star performers at the festival and will be joined on land by great food, quality crafters, sport events, kids entertainment and thousands of people celebrating Spring in one of the most beautiful place on earth.


The Evening Music line-up in the Two Oceans Marquee on Market Square is Prime Circle on Friday 30 September and Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels on the Saturday 1 October.  The Hemel en Aarde Forest Theatre presents Chris Chameleon on Saturday 1 October.  The variety of events planned will keep the whole family entertained throughout the festival which includes a street parade on Saturday 1 October 2011.  Contact us at Road Travel to find out more about this party of note.

One Sky, One World, Mental Health for All


The 17th Cape Town International Kite Festival is proudly hosted by Cape Mental Health, a registered non-profit mental health organization that offers free community-based services and support to adults and children living with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities as well as mental health problems.  The event will take flight on 22 and 23 October 2011 at the beautiful scenic grounds of Zandvlei in Muizenberg – a family event not to be missed!  The Kite Festival is an annual fund-raising and awareness raising event for Cape Mental Health, promoting positive mental health in an uplifting, fun and colorful way.


This year’s theme of ‘One Sky, One World – Mental Health for All’ highlights the importance of mental health for all people across the globe, the need to provide quality mental health care and resources especially in poor communities, and the right of people with mental ill-health and mental disabilities to be included in development opportunities.


The Kite Festival is an annual fund-raising and awareness raising event for Cape Mental Health, promoting positive mental health in an uplifting, fun and colourful way.  In 2010 the Cape Town International Kite Festival secured over R3.2 million worth of media coverage on TV and radio, and in print and online branding; it remains a great event for a great cause.  The festival provides a wealth of sponsorship opportunities for companies to brand, market, promote and showcase their products and services to a mass audience.


The 2011 kite festival follows hot on the heels of the first World Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health to be held in Southern Africa, which will be hosted by the South African Federation for Mental Health in Cape Town from 17 to 21 October.  The event also coincides with the 2011 Rugby World Cup,” explains Ingrid Daniels, Director of Cape Mental Health. “By adopting the theme of One Sky, One World – Mental Health for All for this festival, Cape Mental Health is promoting a global message of the importance of good health, and the acceptance and understanding of people with mental disabilities.”