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Birding by Train: An Unexpected Adventure

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Can birding really be done from a luxury train? In our case, the answer turned out to be yes – and no.

In 2024, BirdLife SA launched the inaugural Rovos Rail Birding Safari – a world-class five-night bespoke journey through South Africa’s epicentre of avian diversity. Departing from Pretoria, the train overnighted at Dullstroom, Mbombela, Hoedspruit, Tzaneen and Polokwane, all chosen for their varied birding habitats and dramatic changes in altitude.

But how does one go birding on a train?

This was made possible by eight highly skilled bird guides who followed the train in minibuses, taking participants to prime birding hotspots early each morning.

The World of Rovos Rail

Rovos Rail, known as “The Most Luxurious Train in the World”, was founded by Rohan Vos in the mid-1980s. What began as a personal dream of refurbishing old railway carriages has grown into an internationally renowned business, complete with its own station and railyard in Pretoria, six trainsets, and routes stretching from Cape Town to Dar-es-Salaam.

To describe Rohan as “a boy with his toys” would be a serious understatement. Gleaming locomotives pull beautifully restored dining, sleeper, lounge and observation cars. He trained his workforce of 430 craftsmen and craftswomen himself, and the Capital Park workshops feel like stepping back into the golden age of rail travel.

At the start of the journey, passengers are guided to their named suites, each carriage attended by a dedicated hostess. Our Deluxe Suite, with its charming original SAR&H basin, shower, bar fridge, easy chairs and generous double bed, made for a very comfortable home on rails.

The Railway Reality

Once the train left Capital Park, however, it was in Transnet’s hands. Their locomotives and drivers pulled the Rovos carriages along an inconsistently maintained network, with little concern for passenger comfort. Jerking and banging could be severe, and Rovos adjusted its planning so that the train remained stationary overnight to ensure restful sleep.

Our journey offered insight into the current state of South Africa’s rail system. Long freight trains still operate, but derelict stations, vandalised infrastructure, abandoned rolling stock, and rusting tracks painted a sobering picture. Overgrown vegetation made leaning out of windows hazardous, and the carriages returned to Pretoria much the worse for wear.

Life Onboard

Despite this, the onboard experience was exceptional.


Great emphasis was placed on fine dining. Lunch and dinner consisted of four courses with wine or liqueur pairings, featuring fresh, local ingredients and traditional dishes. A gong announced each sitting, and linen, silverware and crystal glasses were impeccable.

Evening meals required formal attire, though jackets were mercifully optional. The final dinner was safari-themed, complete with décor and costumes. One could easily imagine Karen Blixen of Out of Africa feeling at home among the leopard prints.

Early Mornings and Rare Sightings

Each morning began at 5 am with coffee and rusks, followed by breakfast packs and minibus departures on one of three birding routes.

Our personal approach is to accept only self-taken photographs as positive records, while most guides rely on bird calls. This occasionally led to frustration, as birds are rarely camera-compliant.

A daily sightings list was published. Nearly 300 species were recorded over five days, including four lifers (first-time sighting) – Magpie Mannikin, Short-clawed Lark, African Quailfinch and a Cuckoo Finch pair – bringing our Southern African list to 637.

A disappointment was missing the African Finfoot, although it was seen on other routes. Such is the nature of birding.

Our most special sighting was the Short-clawed Lark, endemic to the grassland north of Polokwane. Sadly, habitat degradation has placed this near-threatened species at risk.

Learning, Friendship and Fulfilment

Birding was complemented by engaging lectures from Professor Peter Ryan on a range of ornithological topics.

Travelling with Rovos Rail and BirdLife SA proved to be a memorable experience of luxury and excellence. New friendships were formed over shared meals, minibus journeys and time spent in the observation lounge.

For the 72 participants, birding from a train on this inaugural safari was a rare privilege.
Having the means to play and learn with purpose in this way enriches one’s sense of fulfilment in retirement. This journey did exactly that.

Lindsay on the platform at Capital Park station prior to departure

Table setting for the Safari dress-up evening

Written by,

Graham & Lindsay Wells

Sea Cruise Holidays – to sail or not to sail?

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By Sandra Gordon

Researching what was for the two of us a brand-new holiday option was an eye- opener. We began by interrogating a wide range of trusty travellers on sea cruises options.

Most common and vehemently shared views were: Are you mad? (I am told it’s a slow process, was the response), I wouldn’t be seen dead on a ship (careful now), it’s FAR too expensive (Hmm), we can’t stand crowds/queues (been to Plett lately?) and it’s for old people (huh?), said with such passion and conviction that I failed to ask if they had experienced these feelings first-hand. Apparently, many had, but in a different era.

The Brandy and Coke Days

Those of a certain age will recall the MSC cruises that left from the KZN harbour headed for Mauritius, filled with over-excited sales ‘Achievement of the Year’ award winners. The corporate hosts provided French champagne, brandy and Coke, and a range of SA’s amazing ales. Those were the days. And the tradition continues – recently over 450 sales achievers of the year enjoyed an all-paid cruise in glorious sunshine, leaving onboard staff with stories to tell – including typical Saffer shenanigans.

Tackling the FAQs

Here’s the thing – the current crop of upmarket cruise liners gracefully ride the waves, offering a variety of destinations and packages. It’s certainly worth a try as you will read below.

FAQ1

Are we mad? The short answer is “no”. Until you experience the sheer comfort, safety and variety offered (including Alaska, South and North America, Europe and the Middle and Far East), it’s impossible to criticise. Unless you suffer from acute sea sickness, in which case there are nifty patches to wear behind your ear lobes; rather remarkably, they work like a charm.

FAQ2

The cost and what we got? We chose a smaller ship with a maximum of 500 guests and 200 staff. The ship can moor at many of the harbours we sailed into, making disembarkation swift and safe. Our two-week rate for two people was $17.000 (less expensive than a daily rate at a 5-star bush lodge in South Africa). It included pretty much everything. Excluded were laundry, land excursions and spa treatments. Land tour prices ranged from zero to $300 per person in a private luxury car or 4-wheel drive. There is a vast list of tours to choose from.

Or you can sunbathe on the ship, attend a talk on health/wellness or fascinating presentations by an eminent historian – favourite examples were Churchill, Lord Byron and the impact on the global order by Spanish and Portuguese explorers. Relaxing is popular and you can choose from a host of lounges/decks/coffee and ice cream bars, chill in your cabin with a view to marvel at, play table tennis, bridge and Mahjong, win a prize in the competitive putting competition or meet and talk to guests from across the globe.

Oodles of entertainment to choose from: live shows including opera, smooth jazz and late-night quartets followed by the resident DJ, background piano melodies and singers at the restaurant bar – and the cruise favourite, an ABBA show (close your eyes and you are transported to the ABBA Voyage in London).

The cabin was roomy, with service 24 hours a day at the ring of a bell. Filtered water and ice awaited us on arrival and were refreshed twice a day. A massive range of alcohol served by baristas at four bar areas included a different cocktail every evening. There were seven restaurants to choose from, with menus that included fresh food bought daily from the harbour towns we arrived at. We often disembarked and wandered around the harbour and town or city we docked at, and a brief history of the area was provided the day before in person, on our app and TV in the room.

FAQ3

But aren’t there long queues and crowds on board? We did not experience queues on board, even at the busiest bars and restaurants. Seldom were more than four guests sharing the elevator with us. The service was exemplary. Once, during a spate of strong winds, we were held back from disembarking for an hour, which we spent at The Observation tea and coffee bar.

Alert – the size of the boat really matters. In Thailand, we witnessed monster-sized ships carrying over 3000 people standing for hours waiting to go to and from the harbour.

FAQ4

Aren’t cruises just for older people? Age doesn’t matter. The first week on board, we estimated the average age at 55/60. The second week, a batch of tour groups from America, Australia and New Zealand embarked, dropping the age level significantly.

The land tours are divided from easy to challenging. Easy strolls around towns and villages along cobbled streets or challenging, including mountain climbing and sea boarding. You get to choose.

We attended wine farm and art gallery tours with 30-year-olds and tuk-tuk trips up the mountains in Montenegro with 65-year-olds. The entertainment schedule followed suit. We felt right at home wherever we were and whomever we spoke to.

The Sea, Sky and Scrumptious Food

After 3 fascinating days touring the old city and mountains, we embarked at Dubrovnik in Croatia on our way to Montenegro. Here are some highlights:

At 5 am, while enjoying tea and sandwiches on an open deck, we watched a glorious sunrise above the encircling mountain range and into an azure sky as we slowly entered the harbour.

Next stop, the boot of Italy. We strolled through the town of Gallipoli with its chic and colourful restaurants and marvelled at local fashion designs, arts and crafts.

We stopped at several ports along mainland Greece, all charming, historically interesting and full of life. Strolling along palm-lined promenades, shopping for arts and crafts in bustling bazaars or unwinding with fresh seafood and ice-cold local beers by the marinas – what’s not to love?

We took to Nafplion, a city located in Peloponnese Greece, an attractive tourist destination. Like many seaport towns, Nafplion has endured crushing crusades (Ottoman springs to mind). In 1827 it became an important city within the first Hellenic Republic in the Kingdom of Greece.

A 45-minute taxi drive into Athens, followed by a walk around the 5th-century BC Pantheon through the Plaka, brought back memories of previous visits to this city.

We visited two of the biggest and perhaps less travelled islands – Syros and Chania in Crete. Both lovely, with warm and friendly people.

The western Aegean coast of Turkey was a complete surprise. We visited a privately owned art gallery and wine farm in Cesme, a resort town, and drove through Kusadasi, a fast-growing modern area (it reminded us of Franschoek), where Istanbul residents have second houses to escape a tourist-overrun Istanbul. A leather clothing store close to the harbour invited us to ‘kom binne en koop a mooi baadjie”. Many Turkish entrepreneurs lived and worked in South Africa in the 1980/90s. Throughout our time in Turkey, the men spoke passionately about failing governments, the cost of living, the refugee situation and two wars close to Turkey’s borders.

Last stop was the ancient site of Ephesus. We were treated to an extraordinary experience of chamber music, seated among some of the most famous ruins in the world, as the sun lazily dipped below the horizon.

Our verdict

Sea cruises may not suit everyone. However, for the curious and adventurous, they offer comfort, security, diversity, and a massive range of things to do and people to meet.

Kotor Montenegro
Listening to a band playing ABBA on the pool deck
Cesme

The Finns Visit The Finns

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By Stephen and Louis Finn

Standing naked on our terrace at our timeshare just south of Lapland, we didn’t feel awkward as we looked out at a lake and forest. The two of us, Louis and Stephen, were having a sauna in our chalet and then went outside, where it was -4 to enjoy the “Finnish experience” even though there was no snow to roll in.

“What happens if anyone walks past?” Louis asked. “Don’t worry,” I said, “the Finns do this all the time – and are used to it.”

“By “the Finns”,” Louis asked, “Do you mean us as the Finns or the Finns who actually live here?” “Both,” I responded, as a man walked by with his dog and greeted us. Both of them had jackets on.

I’d wanted to go to Finland for decades, not only because of my surname but because of its reputation as a liberal country with its tranquil forests, freezing lakes and incredible music tradition. One of our favourite composers is the fantastic Jean Sibelius. Actually, when I was in primary school and my Dad bought an LP with loads of tracks, I used to stand in front of the radiogram (as it was in those days) and conduct Sibelius’s “Finlandia”, a wonderful tone poem that underlines a desire for independence from oppression.

We’d been warned that the Finns of Finland were unfriendly, unhelpful and taciturn; they evidently don’t engage in small talk. We found just the opposite: incredibly friendly, helpful at all times and some of them more chatty than even I, Stephen, am.

So, you might well ask, what were the highlights (apart from cavorting naked near a lake). The music performances were spectacular: an opera, Animal Farm, written by a Russian in English, performed at the opera house across the road from our hotel; at the same venue the next night, magnificent ballet; the following night saw us in Lahti for a programme of Sibelius – brilliant; and the next one at the concert hall down the road of, among other works, Brahms’s Symphony No 3 – another of our favourites.

What was exciting was to see the age mix of people at all of these performances: as many youngsters were there as the more “mature”, with dozens coming along on their bicycles.

The concert hall in Helsinki is the most beautiful we have ever been to anywhere in the world, dominated by a magnificent steel sculpture that we worked out was actually the organ. It’s one of only two of its kind.

And then there was the phenomenally beautiful Sibelius monument, echoing in steel the flow of his music.

We also did a joyous parkrun along a lake, with loads of cherry trees festooned with blossoms.

As we’re vegan, we had wondered beforehand how well we’d be able to eat. Our hotel had a complete plant-based menu for breakfast and all the restaurants we went to for our suppers catered happily for vegans: Nepalese, Chinese, Italian – and Finnish, with the Helsinki train station having a fantastic restaurant.

We found something even better when we went by ferry across the Baltic Sea for a day in Tallinn, Estonia. It was very interesting, and we found a vegan restaurant just off the main square with incredible food.

Would we go to Finland again with its wonderful architecture (you should see the new library in Helsinki), where there’s no littering, everything runs to time and with its residents evidently being the happiest in the world? Of course, we’d love to but as there are so many other countries we haven’t been to yet, it’s unlikely. Is it one of our favourite of the fifty or so countries we’ve been to? It certainly is. And that’s the naked truth.

Giving Back – Making a Difference, One Child at a Time

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It is no secret that South Africa faces deep challenges when it comes to childhood literacy, particularly in reading and understanding English. While the causes are complex, what stands out more powerfully is the work of people who choose to be part of the solution—one child at a time.

One such person is Chartered client Roy Irvine, who recently joined an inspiring initiative called The Link Literacy Project.

Founded in 2010 by Margi Bashall, The Link is a registered NPO staffed entirely by volunteers who are fluent in English and passionate about helping children—no teaching experience is required. The Gauteng Department of Education recognises the programme and currently supports 18 schools across Johannesburg, with that number steadily growing.

Roy, who completed a TEFL course and has always had a passion for reading, saw The Link as an opportunity to encourage and assist the next generation to discover the joy of reading.

The Link’s methodology is both simple and effective. Volunteers commit to just 2.5 hours a week at a centre of their choice—Roy’s is in Melville. They are guided through the process and then paired with a Grade 2 or 3 pupil for two 45-minute sessions, separated by a short break. Together, they focus on key skills like pronunciation, letter formation, and word construction through blending—turning learning into something both fun and empowering.

Roy describes the transformation he’s witnessed in these children as remarkable. “At the first session, the children are very shy,” he says. “But very soon, they get used to this new person and start opening up and really engaging in the material.” One of his standout moments has been seeing the joy on children’s faces when the tutors arrive: “They’re so enthusiastic, chatting with their tutors about all kinds of topics.”

The teachers at participating schools have also embraced the programme wholeheartedly, recognising the rapid improvement that just a little one-on-one attention can bring to students struggling with English literacy.

The biggest challenge The Link faces is not funding or materials—it’s volunteers. “Come along to a session and just sit in,” Roy encourages anyone who’s considering getting involved. “Many tutors have been doing this for years, and a new volunteer will quickly see the joy that both the children and the tutors gain from the experience.”

At Chartered, we’re inspired by clients like Roy who are living out their values and making a tangible difference in their communities. If you’re interested in joining The Link or just want to learn more, visit www.thelinkliteracyproject.co.za.

Falling in Love with Retirement: Our Slice of Paradise

Written by Patricia O’Hare on . Posted in Client Story, Relationships, Retiremeant. 4 Comments on Falling in Love with Retirement: Our Slice of Paradise

We are singularly blessed to spend our retirement in what I consider to be my very own Garden of Eden. Our home is nestled in a magnificent coastal forest estate on the KZN North Coast, where we enjoy breathtaking sea views and are surrounded on three sides by pristine coastal forests.

Living so immersed in nature is incredibly therapeutic, though it has its share of unexpected visitors. We’ve had our fair share of snake encounters—usually harmless Natal Green snakes (at least, according to me!). The abundance of monkeys can be troublesome, but we’ve learned to baton down the hatches when they come through. Fortunately, they don’t linger for long. We purchased monkey screens for Christmas, which has certainly helped keep them at bay!

A Leap of Faith: Moving from Gauteng to the Coast

I was initially reluctant to leave my life and home in Gauteng – we spent 54 wonderful years in Vereeniging. Quite frankly, I couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home. Although we owned our coastal house for nearly 30 years, it was always just our holiday retreat.

Taking the plunge to move permanently was a significant decision but one we don’t regret. Our new life is even better than our old one. Still, I’ve realised that embracing change requires actively seeking out new experiences and opportunities.

Golf, Friendships, and the Unpredictable Weather

As an avid golfer, I quickly found my way onto the fairways and was warmly welcomed by a fantastic group of like-minded women. In a good week, I play up to four rounds—though the weather here is far less predictable than on the Highveld. Wind and rain make for challenging conditions, but if you wait for a calm day, you won’t play much golf at all!

A Commitment to Conservation

Caring for the environment has always been important to me, and I’ve found a wonderful way to contribute through a monthly beach clean-up group. Walking along the shoreline, I can’t help but pick up discarded plastic and polystyrene—so much so that I now won’t go for a beach walk without a garbage bag slung over my shoulder.

Beyond the beach, the estate boasts well-marked walking trails winding through the coastal forests. These walks often bring me face-to-face with bushbuck, blue duiker, and a spectacular variety of birdlife. There’s something deeply meditative about strolling through these trails, surrounded by nothing but the quiet hum of nature.

Quizzing, Camaraderie, and a Good Glass of Wine

My husband and I are keen quizzers and have been lucky to join a local quiz team. More often than not, we’re the go-to sources for any pre-1980s trivia! Despite the age gap, our younger teammates have embraced us warmly. Of course, no quiz night is complete without a delicious meal and a few generous glasses of red wine.

Up Close with the Estate’s Feathered Residents

I recently had the privilege of joining a bird-ringing event on the estate, where expert birders set up special nets before sunrise to safely capture and tag wild birds for research. Each bird was carefully weighed, measured, and released, with the data sent to the University of Cape Town.

The findings were fascinating—a resident crowned eagle is at least 29 years old, and a tagged bird returning from Antarctica had lost 50% of its body weight on the journey. We even learned how to hold a bird properly; some remained perched on our fingers despite being unrestrained. With over 250 bird species on the estate, it was a rare treat to get up close with around 20 of them, including the elusive Marsh Fluff Tail.

Living in Our Own Garden of Eden

These are just a few of the many reasons why we believe we live in a little slice of paradise. Retirement here has been more rewarding than we could have ever imagined. What more could anyone ask for?

Looking Back on a Memorable 2024

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We thoroughly enjoyed seeing our clients at events around the country this year! From celebrating milestones like Chartered Wealth Eastern Cape’s 10th anniversary in Gqeberha to hosting talks by Jeremy Gardiner, Kevin Hogan, Michael Charton, and Devi Govender, it has certainly been a memorable year.

Our Bucket Wheel® Wednesdays encouraged meaningful conversations and connections with events like Vision Boarding, Women’s Day celebrations, a Mandela Day initiative, Sean Brokensha – The Music Guru Ryan Fuller’s engaging dementia talk, and our book club. We also hosted smaller, bespoke events and enjoyed camaraderie on the greens during our golf and bowls days.

As we approach the end of the year, we look forward to collaborating with our clients to pack meals for Rise Against Hunger, ensuring our festive spirit extends to those in need.

From fun to meaningful, every moment this year reinforced the value of learning, giving back, and building relationships. Thank you for being part of our journey – here’s to more incredible moments in 2025!

Beyond Inheritance: The Gift of Experiences

Written by Lyndsay Barr on . Posted in Client Story, Purpose. 1 Comment on Beyond Inheritance: The Gift of Experiences

When we think about the legacy we want to leave behind, it’s not always about financial inheritance or material wealth. For many, it’s about creating lasting memories, imparting values, and sharing meaningful experiences that will be remembered for generations. Chartered clients Trevor and Rina White chose a different path when considering their legacy. Instead of focusing solely on financial inheritance for their grandchildren, they wanted to create something more personal, something that would resonate with their family for years to come. Here, they share their heartwarming journey of crafting a living legacy through shared experiences.

“While discussing our estate planning, as guided by Chartered Wealth, my wife and I decided that our financial inheritance planning would be limited to our children, allowing them to decide what would accrue to their children (our grandchildren). From the birth of our two grandchildren, one now eleven and the other eight years old, we, as grandparents, have been involved in their early childhood development. We’ve taken them to and from school, sponsored and accompanied our granddaughter to piano lessons, and our grandson to jiu-jitsu lessons.

We decided that instead of leaving them money, we would find a ‘lasting experience’ that we could share with them as a family – something our grandchildren would hopefully always remember us for, as their Oumi and Oupi!

We considered a long list of possibilities, such as pleasure cruises, skiing trips, Mauritius, the Kruger Park, or even a visit to Disney World, just to mention a few. However, none of these really ticked all the boxes. We wanted to be together as a family, actively involved, while also considering the costs and ensuring the experience was fun-filled for everyone.

Having done a barge trip on the French canals nearly a quarter of a century ago, my wife and I felt that this could be exactly what we were looking for. It combined transport and accommodation in one, with the grandchildren being old enough to act as crew members when entering and exiting the many locks along the way. They helped the lock-keepers with opening and closing the manually operated locks and cycled into the towns and villages to buy fresh provisions such as bread and milk. As a health-conscious family, the grandkids cycled alongside while one of us jogged on the traffic-free cycle routes, which run parallel to all the canals, keeping up with the boat as it made its way along the waterways.

The trip turned out to be everything we had hoped for and more. The weather was perfect, everything went according to plan, and we worked together like a well-oiled machine. The grandchildren were involved from start to finish; they were never bored and seemed to love every minute. We, as grandparents, truly believe we have given them an unforgettable experience that they will carry with them into the future. And the best part? We were able to share it with them!”

Riding the Waves of Joy with the Granny Grommets

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When Chartered client Ingrid Davidson and her husband Alistair retired to the coastal town of Plettenberg Bay, she was looking forward to peaceful mornings and long walks on the beach; what she didn’t expect was to find herself reliving the exuberance of her youth, thanks to an enthusiastic invitation from her dear friend, Mary Connock.

Mary introduced Ingrid to the Granny Grommets, a lively group of women who have turned the beach into their playground. Twice a week, this spirited group gathers at Robberg Beach at 10:00 in the morning, ready to embrace the waves and leave behind any cares that might have followed.

The Granny Grommets, as the name might suggest, is a group of women who have discovered the sheer joy of boogie boarding. The term “Grommet” originally referred to a young surfer or someone involved in extreme sports, highlighting this group’s youthful, adventurous spirit. But don’t let the “Granny” part fool you—this group is for anyone with a zest for life, with members of all ages joining in the wave-riding excitement.

Initially hesitant, Ingrid was quickly swept up by the group’s enthusiasm. The moment she caught her first wave, all her reservations melted away. The exhilaration of being tossed about by the ocean, the laughter that echoed across the beach, and the sense of freedom that came with every ride reminded her of the playful days of childhood.

And it wasn’t just the wave riding that captured Ingrid’s heart. After an hour of fun in the surf, the group plunks down on the beach, flasks of coffee in hand, sharing stories, solving the world’s problems, and indulging in delicious treats. It’s a time of connection, camaraderie, and simple pleasure.

Ingrid’s Wednesday and Friday mornings have become the highlight of her week. The Granny Grommets have given her a sense of community, energy, and an unexpected source of joy. Even the chilly water can’t dampen the spirits of this group—though, of course, they take a well-deserved break during the colder months when the sharks make their appearance.

So, if you find yourself near the shores of Plett, grab a boogie board and join them—all are welcome.

A Leisurely Road Trip to the Fairest Cape Rally

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By Terma Kussman

Although our intention was to attend the Fairest Cape Rally, we decided to turn the journey into an adventure, visiting new places and making memories with good friends. Joining the rally with our Pretoria Old Motor Club (POMC) companions, Hylda and Tinus Steenkamp, made the trip even more special.

We kicked off our journey early in the morning, celebrating the start of our adventure with a Wimpy breakfast, complete with milkshakes and cappuccinos.

Our first stop was Britstown, where we booked into a charming guest house – the owner was quite the talker! We all agreed that a relaxing evening stroll was needed, so we ventured out to the hotel for a delicious buffet dinner featuring a leg of lamb and springbok pie.

Our destination for breakfast the next morning was Loxton, a charming town in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape Province and a two-hour drive from Britstown. It was the perfect choice! We enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast, and the locals thoroughly entertained us with the most interesting conversations. We were spoilt for choice with lovely spices with intriguing names like “Varkerig” and “Oorlams.” From there, we ventured over the escarpment and entered Vanrhynsdorp to spend the night. Vanrhynsdorp is a small town with a distinct Victorian character, famous for its Nama Karoo vegetation, succulents and fynbos, and offers a wide range of cultural and historical experiences.

It was time to slow down our journey, and the following day was spent exploring the beautiful Cederberg. We visited Lamberts Bay, stopped by Leopoltsville, and finally reached Hermanus, where we booked into The Esplanade Apartment Hotel for four nights. We savoured long walks among the wildflowers, enjoyed the stunning sea views from a beachside bench, and dined at outstanding restaurants like Dutchess, Fick’s Pools, and Bientang’s Cave.

We arrived at Goudini Spa for the Fairest Cape Rally six days into our adventure.

We were warmly welcomed by Leon Stander, the scorekeeper, and settled into the Slanghoek Luxury Villas for three nights. On our first evening, we enjoyed a beautiful view over the Breede Valley and a good old South African braai.

The rally kicked off the next morning with over 70 entries, most of them veteran motorcycles. Fortunately, a few classic cars and a touring class for newer cars were also allowed to enter.

We participated in the fastest speed category (80km/h), driving without instruments but finding opportunities to accelerate, primarily through the beautiful Bainskloof Pass.

After a stop at Riebeek Kasteel and lunch in Tulbagh, we headed back for a relaxing soak in the warm water pool at Slanghoek, taking in the breathtaking view after a long day on the road.

We rallied again the next day, embracing the thrill of the open road. Later, we drove to Ceres for a delightful lunch, where we shared countless stories about motorcycles, reminiscing with laughter and, at times, tears as we connected over our shared passion and all our memories.

The last evening was a highlight, with a gala dinner and a prize-giving celebration. It was wonderful to meet so many new friends, but the time eventually came to part ways.

This road trip was a journey of camaraderie, stunning landscapes, and unforgettable memories. If you ever have the chance to join the Fairest Cape Rally, don’t hesitate – it’s an adventure you won’t want to miss!

South African Masters Swimming

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Inspired by fun, friendship and fitness

by Sandy Murray, Chartered client.

Swimming is a great way to keep mentally and physically fit. Many of us, however, need considerable motivation to take the plunge – so to speak.

South African Masters Swimming is a fraternity of aqua enthusiasts who enjoy keeping fit and setting their sights on maintaining or shaving seconds off their previous personal best times. The year’s highlight is the Masters National Championships, which brings together swimmers across South Africa and beyond for a 4-day gala. The excitement of the 379 swimmers – aged 20 to over 90 – is invigorating; everyone is decked out in their club colours, greeting their comrades and competitors, and eyeing the 50m pool with apprehension – or eagerness to clinch bronze, silver, or gold medals.

I met Marion Hollander at Chartered, and we both swim for the largest team, Wahoo Masters. Our section of the stand is generally the most festive, with a swathe of 120 purple t-shirts, banners, silly hats, and other festive paraphernalia.

The 2024 Masters Nationals was a first for Marion: “This was the first time I swam in a gala since primary school – let alone a Nationals Masters Gala! It was terrifying, and I was completely out of my comfort zone. However, I managed to swim in all my races and even got a bronze medal for coming third in one of them. It ended up being a fantastic experience. I met many people, including Sandy, whom I recognised from Chartered Wealth! What a wonderful four days!”

I have swum with Masters for many years, inspired by my teammates who, well into their senior years, continue to relish their sport and strive to break South African records. Our oldest swimmer, Patrick Galvin, a 91-year-old Australian, holds breaststroke world records in his age group and South African Colours. Hosting our American team members added a bonus social dimension to the event for my family. Each member of my relay team earned a silver medal, a proud memento of the event.

Marion and I, fuelled by the fun, friendship, and fitness of Masters Swimming, are ready to set the bar of our achievements even higher for the 2025 40th Masters National Championships.

Finding Purpose on the Beach: My Life-Changing Journey with SMART

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My journey with SMART (Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team) began after our retirement and move to Mossel Bay. This non-profit, established in 2015, rescues stranded marine mammals and turtles. Our role is to respond quickly to animals on beaches, prioritising their well-being.

While Cape Fur Seals basking on rocks is normal, pups washed ashore during storms need our help. When pup strandings are reported, the SMART teams immediately respond so that the pups can be picked up and taken to a place of safety. We reunite them with their island home as soon as possible. Sadly, three sick Sub Antarctic Seal Pups we found resting last year didn’t survive.

Similarly, dolphins, whales, and turtles on beaches are unnatural occurrences requiring our immediate response. For live animals, we keep them safe, educate onlookers, and ensure they aren’t touched or fed. Resting animals don’t need water or covering! Injured animals are evaluated by a vet for possible treatment. SMART even supports global research by collecting data from stranded or deceased animals.

We believe ocean education starts young. SMART educates children through school visits with Sammy, our entertaining turtle mascot. Dressing up as Sammy also provides us with many giggles trying to get in and out of the costume!

Joining SMART fulfilled the “give back” section of my Bucket Wheel® and has enriched my life beyond measure. It has given me a renewed sense of purpose, and the best part is that I get to learn, play, and work in the most incredible office ever – the beach!

Riding into a New Life: From Jozi to George

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Dreaming of escaping the Johannesburg hustle for open roads and scenic vistas, Chartered clients Huida and Granville set out on a motorcycle trip with a twist: Granville had a secret agenda – to scout potential semigration destinations. Little did they know, George would capture their hearts with its charm, natural beauty, and a hidden gem of a house waiting to be discovered.

Their initial odyssey wound through towns like Prince Albert and Tulbagh, each offering unique flavours of life. While Port Owen’s remoteness didn’t resonate, Gordons Bay, a place they loved, didn’t offer any houses that suited them. Montagu’s historical allure tempted them, but having a Woolworths within a 5km radius remained a dealbreaker for Huida.

Reaching George, they met up with friends who had already made the leap, and their glowing experiences about George ignited a spark. The town’s clean, friendly atmosphere left a positive impression. But the true magic unfolded on a breathtaking motorbike ride up Outeniqua Pass. Lush valleys, ancient forests, and panoramic vistas unfolded with each turn, sealing their desire for a change.

Back in Johannesburg, the “what if?” echoed. Inspired by a vision of their ideal home and a couple they met on their travels encouraging a “just do it!” attitude, they took on the challenge. The search for their perfect George haven began.

Despite initial hiccups – a damp property and limited options – they persevered. A serendipitous discovery led them to a magnificent house in Welgelegen Estate, ticking all the boxes, even the motorbike-friendly location.

With an accepted offer and their Johannesburg house sold, their semigration dream materialised. Moving in November 2022, the timing was perfect. Today, nestled in their haven, they’ve embraced the George lifestyle, made new friends, and explored the Garden Route’s wonders.

Their journey is a testament to open hearts, serendipity, and the courage to take a leap of faith, proving that sometimes, the best destinations are discovered on two wheels and with an open mind.

Transforming Zoo Lake One Clean-Up at a Time

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Zoo Lake, a cherished oasis in Johannesburg, owes its origin to banker and mining magnate Herman Eckstein. In the late 19th century, Eckstein envisioned a lush city oasis, initially naming it Sachsenwald after Otto von Bismarck’s estate. After his death, his partners donated land to the Johannesburg City Council in 1904, leading to the creation of Herman Eckstein Park and a zoo. In 1906, an artificial lake, aptly named Zoo Lake, was added, becoming its centrepiece. The Coronation Fountain was added in 1937 to honour King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and remains a famous landmark of Johannesburg.

Over the years, Zoo Lake has evolved into a vibrant hub for community gatherings, sporting events, and cultural celebrations. Its sprawling lawns provide ample space for picnics. In recent years, Zoo Lake has faced the challenge of litter, a common issue in many public spaces.

Stuart Norman, a Chartered client, has lived in Parkview for 17 years. Like many residents, his busy life prevented him from doing more than just using the park for recreational walks and bike rides.

One day recently, while walking around Zoo Lake, Stuart was struck by the amount of litter everywhere. Stuart had an idea and was determined to make a difference. He had been so impressed by the cleanliness of Rwanda on a recent trip, and he was convinced that if Rwanda could be cleaned up after its turbulent history, surely Zoo Lake could be cleaned up too.

Stuart’s initiative took flight when he reached out to a residents’ group, inquiring about the availability of a skip for an upcoming clean-up effort he had planned. The response was overwhelmingly positive, prompting him to establish a dedicated WhatsApp group exclusively for residents eager to rejuvenate Zoo Lake. Stuart then forged a partnership with the Zoo Lake Users Committee, setting the wheels in motion for their inaugural clean-up event.

The event was a success, with 13 paid staff and four volunteers participating. They filled 155 bags of rubbish, waste and glass. The second clean-up was even larger and more successful, collecting 210 bags of litter. It’s important to note that these clean-ups are not focused solely on picking up the litter left behind, as the council already employs staff for this purpose. Rather, the emphasis lies on revitalising the general area, the lawns and the lake itself. To clean the lake, volunteers are equipped with pool nets, allowing them to retrieve discarded bottles and plastic from the water.

Stuart has managed to raise R19,000 in donations to date, and local businesses have stepped in to help. The money raised is used to provide lunch and refreshments for staff and volunteers, buy equipment needed and pay the staff hired to help with the clean-up. Several of the individuals employed to clean the lake reside in nearby shelters and appreciate an extra day of work and pay.

Stuart is committed to making Zoo Lake a clean and beautiful place for everyone to enjoy. He believes that the key to sustainability is to have a long-term strategy. Stuart’s vision extends to involving all the suburbs around Zoo Lake, mirroring the successful approach that transformed Central Park into the beloved destination it is today. You can’t help feeling inspired by Stuart’s story as it really proves that change begins with you and that you need to be the change you want to see in the world.

From Priest to Painter – Gill’s journey

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After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Chartered client and former priest, Gill Bowman, discovered a new purpose in art. She had always been passionate about art, even studying it after matric, but her faith and community work took precedence. When she was put on disability leave due to her diagnosis, she realised it was time to rekindle her passion for art.

During a life planning session at Chartered, Gill realised how much she wanted to get back into art. She started doing mandalas and found the process both meditative and healing, describing it as getting the thoughts in her head out onto paper. During lockdown, Gill took online courses from the Learn to Paint Academy and the ETCHR Studio, as well as motivational courses from Jessica Serran.

Gill primarily works with acrylics, occasionally dabbling in watercolours. She soon began selling her art and displaying it at local galleries, spending up to six hours a day in her studio creating her paintings. In December this year, Gill will exhibit her work at “Art on the Veranda” in Bushman’s River. She has also been invited to showcase her art at the prestigious Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2024.

Gill has turned her art into a new side hustle and also finds it beneficial in managing Parkinson’s symptoms. She says that painting helps to calm her hands and body, as well as her overall anxiety.

Roy, her husband, has been a great supporter of her journey in the world of art. He helps with the framing and other tasks, and she fondly refers to him as her assistant.

When asked about her new purpose in life, Gill said that she had two choices when her purpose as a priest was taken away by Parkinson’s; she realised she could either choose the tomb and see this as the end of her life – or choose the womb, an opportunity to start a new one. Her choice is obvious.

Gill’s story is an inspiration to us all. It shows that we can always find new purpose and meaning in life, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges.

To see Gill’s art, you can follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

Unleash Your Creativity and Boost Your Mental Health with Neurographic Art

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Are you searching for a new way to boost your mental health and express yourself? Consider giving neurographic art a try. The technique was developed by Russian artist and psychologist Pavel Piskarev in the early 2010s as a way to help people express themselves and overcome creative blocks. Today, neurographic art is popular around the world as a simple and accessible way to engage in a mindful and enjoyable activity that can benefit mental and emotional health.

Some of Gill van Rooyen’s Neurographic Art

Neurographic art is an excellent way to reignite your creativity. As we age, our creativity can fade, but this art form offers a chance to discover a new outlet for self-expression. Neurographic art is accessible to all, regardless of artistic skills, and has no rules or guidelines for what your design should resemble.

To begin your neurographic art, start by gathering the necessary materials: a pen or marker and a piece of paper. You may also choose to have additional colouring supplies such as coloured pencils, markers, or paint on hand.

Next, find a quiet and comfortable place where you can focus on your drawing. Choose a starting point, such as a dot or a small shape, and begin to draw continuous lines and shapes that flow spontaneously. Allow your pen to move freely, without lifting it from the paper, and see where the lines take you.

As you draw, try to focus on the present moment and allow yourself to be in a meditative state. Pay attention to the sensations you feel in your hand and body as you create your design. You may find it helpful to take deep breaths and allow yourself to relax into the process.

Repeat the pattern until you feel that the piece is complete. You can add colour if you like, using markers, coloured pencils, or paint. Remember that there are no rules or expectations for what your pattern should look like, so allow yourself to be playful and creative.

Don’t be concerned about your artistic ability or the final outcome of your design – the process is what counts. So why not give neurographic art a try and see how it can benefit you?

Client Story Gill Van Rooyen

The Healing Power of Neurographic Art

Last year, Chartered clients received a retirement tip from us about neurographic art and the many benefits it can offer. One of our clients, Gill van Rooyen, who had always been interested in art, was intrigued by the concept and decided to give it a try. Since then, she hasn’t looked back.

Gill has no formal art training but enjoys oil painting and acrylics. What she found most appealing about neurographic art was the combination of art and mindfulness. Gill can sit for hours and let her creativity flow, which helps her find clarity and peace of mind. She is guided by her energy, which allows her to create beautiful art that is unique to her.

Gill shared her newfound passion with a friend whose brother was diagnosed with acute leukaemia. It became a healing practice for both her friend and her brother. They spent many hours in the hospital doing neurographic art, which proved to be a therapeutic and helpful activity. It helped Gill’s friend deal with her grief, and her late brother’s artworks were framed and cherished.

For Gill, neurographic art is more intuitive than colouring in. She did a lot of research, including looking on Pinterest and YouTube for inspiration and techniques. The practice of neurographic art allows her to be in the moment, focusing on the lines and shapes she creates. It’s a meditative process that allows her to express herself freely and without judgment.

Here are some links that Gill suggests to help you get started:

https://betterhumans.pub/how-i-use-neurographic-art-to-meditate-aab05663b771

Garden Route Slackpacking Adventure Trip

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By Louis Marcus Finn

Having undergone a double knee replacement in 2021, my husband Stephen and I decided to relish his remarkable and wonderful rehabilitation and cash in on this golden period of our lives together.

I did some research and found a fantastic option on the Garden Route. Mark Dixon, an outdoor enthusiast with a magnificent protean knowledge of ecology, biological science and nature conservation led our hike. We were joined by a UK couple in their early sixties, enjoying an outdoor adventure in South Africa. Mark organizes trips and highlights the incredibly rich fossils on our coastline, the indigenous trees, geology, insects, marine life and avian specimens. We learnt such a great deal about a myriad of impressive elephant, crocodile, buffalo and hominoid footprints found on the coastline ranging from Wilderness to Brenton-on-Sea. Touching and beholding these 120 000-year-old remnants was indeed a huge privilege.

We covered about 60 kms by foot, nearly all on pristine beaches and traversed the Garden Route and Goukamma National Parks, sleeping in private and Cape Nature reserve accommodation.

The route also encompasses 15 kms of kayaking on the Touws and Goukamma rivers. Much fun and many enjoyable experiences were had, and at one stage, our kayak capsized, and Stephen, Mark and I fell in the temperate river. We laughed our way back to the bank and continued canoeing in high spirits seeing a magnificent Fish Eagle soaring overhead and then roosting on the banks of the river. Being outdoors, enjoying perfect weather and seeing unspoilt conservation coastline was a huge inspiration, physical experience and treat for both Stephen and me.

Garden Route Coastal Meander can be reached at gardenroutetrail.co.za or followed on Instagram. It is well worth the effort if you would like to expand your physical and intellectual horizons.

Winemaking in your Backyard

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Written by Errol Allcock

Like many wine lovers, my interest in all things wine began while as a student at university and studying microbiology was an added catalyst. I joined a wine club which assisted me in gaining exposure to a more diverse range of wines. As time progressed, I soon realized how little I knew and signed up for the wine courses offered by the KWV and, later on, by the Cape Wine Academy. These were wonderful learning opportunities and a great place to meet new friends, especially on the practical courses. Holiday destinations were carefully chosen in wine regions both locally and internationally.

As our combined knowledge and confidence grew, we started visiting key wine regions in France, Italy and Spain … these will always remain as highlights of our travels. Visiting and tasting wines at these Holy Grails of world wines was very special. On one of these trips, I met Graham De Villiers, the new owner of Mont Rochelle Vineyards in Franschhoek. He sensed my interest in wine, and by invitation, I spent three harvests working in the Mont Rochelle cellar doing odd jobs but learning all the time as well as making lifetime friends.

We were fortunate to have a wine cellar at home which provided more than a place to store wine, it was often somewhere to entertain friends and, of course, solve the problems of the world. Wine cellars are interesting places where one can develop a special relationship with the wine styles that you prefer.

We undertook a major renovation of our home in Somerset West in 2016, and it was then that the idea of developing a micro vineyard on the property was conceived. We had roughly ¼ of an acre to develop, and this was large enough to plant 110 vines which, by my calculation, could yield sufficient grapes to make a standard barrel of wine. The vineyard development took just over two years and included a soil analysis and preparation, water availability, trellising design and cultivar selection. Our “stokkies” were planted in September 2018, and then the work of training the vines began. We decided on a Shiraz scion grafted onto a robust 101-14 root stock. Each year the vines became stronger as they developed, and we had our first full harvest last year (2022). Following nine months in oak, this vintage was bottled in late January 2023. I am very pleased with the final product which shows typical varietal characteristics, a good colour and soft tannins. No resting for now though; the 2023 harvest will be ready for picking at the end of February. Thanks to my family and friends for their continued support and encouragement.

Phinda, pangolins and a once-in-a-lifetime experience

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Barbara and Andrew McGregor’s recent visit to Phinda private game reserve was a Bucket Wheel® item for them. With so many interesting and varied sightings, it was an experience that didn’t disappoint.

Phinda is in northern KZN, situated between the Mkuze Game Reserve and the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. Covering an area of 170 km², it features seven distinct ecosystems, resulting in an unusually rich diversity of fauna and flora, including many species endemic to the Phinda area.

Having not been to Phinda before, endemic sightings were “lifers” for the McGregors. They included a “flutter” of Black Swordtail butterflies having fun in a pool of muddy water on the road, Tonga red squirrel, Bell’s hinged tortoise, Neergaard’s Sunbird, Pink-throated Twinspot, along with several trees and bushes.

Other highlights included a close encounter with a herd of elephants (in a vehicle that refused to start) and excellent cheetah, rhino, and leopard sightings. However, all these were outdone by a fabulous encounter with a pangolin.

Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are unique mammals found in various parts of the world, including South Africa. They are known for their distinctive scales, which cover their entire body. These scales are made of keratin, the same material that makes up human hair and nails. They are known for their keen sense of smell, which they use to locate ants and termites, their primary food source.

They are nocturnal creatures and spend most of the day in burrows or termite mounds. This sighting in broad daylight was, therefore, extra special. They watched it for over an hour as it moved along the side of the road, seemingly oblivious to their presence and very engaged in sniffing out dinner.

There are two species of pangolin in South Africa, both of which are endangered due mainly to illegal hunting for their meat and scales. Pangolin scales are highly valued in traditional medicine and are used to treat a variety of ailments. Their meat is also considered a delicacy. Pangolins are a sought-after commodity on the illicit wildlife market.

Barbara and Andrew’s visit to Phinda was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They were able to see some of the most elusive and endangered species in their natural habitat, all while enjoying the luxury and beauty of the reserve. They left with a reinforced appreciation of the incredible biodiversity of South Africa’s natural heritage.

Bread – one of life’s simple pleasures

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When Chartered client Jeff Lawrence took early retirement from Nedbank in 2016, it marked the start of turning his passion into a business. When he and his wife, Sue, decided to retire, there were three things they knew for sure.

Firstly, they wanted to remain physically and mentally active; secondly, they wanted to live off the money they earned in retirement; and thirdly, they would move permanently to Wakkerstroom, where they owned a property. So began Jeff’s journey from city to country, banker to baker.

Jeff has always loved baking and eating bread, and let’s be honest, the smell and taste of freshly baked bread are hard to beat. He decided to take his passion for bread and turn it into a business, and Country Bread was born. Initially, he wanted to master the art of bread-making so that he could supply local establishments with fresh bread. Over the years before retirement, Jeff read books and took bread courses locally and overseas to expand his knowledge, and a post-retirement highlight was spending his 60th birthday in the UK doing a four-day course for professional bakers.

His business soon expanded, and he began running bread-making courses in addition to supplying bread to local establishments. Currently, he offers fifteen artisan bread-making courses designed specifically to teach all the theory and techniques to make the perfect loaf. Think of any bread, and Jeff has likely developed a course in it ranging from sourdough bread to ciabatta to croissants; he’s got them all covered. He also has a course designed for families and friends as he believes that baking bread together as a family or with a group of friends is an excellent way of spending quality time together and learning a life skill simultaneously.

There is another side to his business as well —business consultancy. Jeff trains restaurants, bakers and boutique hotels in the art of bread making. These courses are customised to meet the business’s specific needs, typically lasting three to four days.

Sue and Jeff’s other activities are their holiday cottages in Wakkerstroom that they rent out, and Sue owns Village Bakery – the local bakery and coffee shop. Sue roasts her own coffee and also makes beautifully handcrafted leather bags.

When asked why he chose Wakkerstroom, he is quick to tell you about this hidden gem in South Africa. Wakkerstroom is the second oldest town in Mpumalanga and has become one of the prime bird-watching venues in South Africa. It is also well known for its cycling and walking routes, quaint shops and restaurants.

Jeff’s passion is contagious. Teaching the art of bread making is not a job for him; it’s his purpose and combines all the things he loves. But it’s not all work and no play. Jeff and Sue work on their own terms. They love exploring and visit the Drakensburg and Mozambique frequently. They like to go away at least every two months. Family is important to them, so they see their seven grandchildren as often as possible.

We always encourage clients to find balance in the areas of work, give back, relationships, money, learn, health, purpose and play. Jeff is undoubtedly someone who has achieved this balance. As Sheryl Sandberg says, “It is the ultimate luxury to combine passion and contribution. It’s also a very clear path to happiness.”

You can read more about Jeff’s courses at www.countrybread.co.za

Santiago de Compostela Cycling Holiday

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We are a couple in our late 60s who enjoy camping, hiking, cycling and other activities with a sense of purpose and adventure. Cycling in Europe was on our bucket list, so we decided to tick this one off this year. We searched the internet for cycling routes and decided that cycling the Camino Primitivo in Northern Spain would be a worthwhile challenge.

The Camino Primitivo (Original Way) is a pilgrimage route from Oviedo to Santiago de Compostela (“Santiago”). Historically it is the route followed by pilgrims who travelled to see the final resting place of Saint James. Today there are many such routes to Santiago. The routes are signposted with scallop shells indicating the direction pilgrims should follow. People who complete the pilgrimage are awarded a pilgrim’s certificate in Santiago. In order to qualify for the certificate, the pilgrim must get stamps in a pilgrim’s passport. These stamps can be obtained in churches, restaurants, hotels and lodges along the way. To qualify for a certificate, cyclists must have cycled at least the last 300km of a pilgrimage route. We choose to cycle from Oviedo to Santiago. (315km)

The Primitivo route from Oviedo to Santiago is a scenic route through the province of Asturias, passing over the mountainous countryside to the relatively flat farmlands of Galicia and onto Santiago. After researching the route carefully, we realised that we would not be able to cycle the 300 km route on ordinary mountain bikes, so we did it on e-bikes. Don’t be fooled by e-bikes; you still have to pedal, as the battery only lasts so long! A reasonable level of fitness is required. We booked a six-day self-guided cycle tour that included bed and breakfast accommodation, bike hire, a navigation app, and daily transport for our luggage. Comprehensive trip notes were provided, and we studied the notes meticulously and made sure we were fully prepared.

After arriving in Oviedo, we collected our bikes, downloaded the daily routes onto our phones and obtained a pilgrim’s passport from the tourist office. The cycling route follows the walking route, and where this was unsuitable for cyclists, the cycling route reverts to tracks and secondary roads. The app provided us with the equivalent of pre-programmed Google map routes, and after a few wrong turns, we were on our way.

The route through northern Spain gave us the opportunity to see the beautiful scenery and experience day-to-day rural Spanish life. We took plenty of time to enjoy the views and sights along the way and stopped for lunches in the villages we passed through. The first night was spent in a castle in a place called Salas. We then cycled over a serious mountain pass into Galicia. We needed the fitness training we had done at home, and we were elated when we reached the summit. Another stop was in a small town called Fonsagrada on a festival day, where we watched traditional dancing in the town square. We had the opportunity to meet a diverse bunch of pilgrims in the hotels and lodges/albergues along the way. The evenings were spent exploring the villages and towns and sampling the local fare.

We felt a real sense of achievement when we completed our pilgrimage at the cathedral in Santiago. We joined many other pilgrims in the queue to get our pilgrim certificates. After a celebratory meal and a good night’s sleep, we attended a very moving Pilgrim’s Mass in the cathedral.

One more item on our bucket list can now be ticked off! We were realistic about what we could do physically and found a way to make our dream a reality. Meticulous planning is essential. We learnt that there is much out there for retirees if you just take the time to find it.

Return to self – Margie’s weight loss journey

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Chartered client Margie Kennard Davis reached a point where she was tired of feeling miserable. She disliked her body and felt conscious of how she looked; she was living off Gaviscon to try and control her heartburn; she had a sore body and couldn’t sleep. Hearing about someone her age suffering from a stroke and realising her high-risk factor, given her co-morbidities, should she get Covid was a tipping point for her, and she decided to do something about it.

Margie knew all about dieting and had tried every diet in the book. A few years ago, she signed up for the Real Meal Revolution Hero programme, which she began but stopped because she wasn’t committed. However, she was still on their mailing list, and after reading inspirational stories, she decided to give it a second chance.

She admits that, at first, she was sceptical and wondered what a group environment’s benefits could be. She was pleasantly surprised. She didn’t expect anything as structured and liked the intellectual and psychological approach to food and weight loss. As a curious person, she loves researching, so she felt she had a good understanding of nutrition, but the programme gave her the tools to implement it. The group environment was a non-judgmental, intellectual and supportive space.

A significant part of this journey for Margie was changing her identity and her relationship with food and, more importantly, believing that she wasn’t a failure because she had failed to lose weight in the past.

And it worked. Margie lost 27 kilograms in 27 weeks and is now the weight she was at 27! Margie was very active as a youngster and feels she has come full circle and is back in a healthy space. She has undone all the damage she did and described her transformation as returning to her true self. Her new physique is now part of her identity. She has been given her life back and shines; she likes how she now sees herself. What a gift that is.

Margie walks for an hour five to seven days a week; she does two pilates and two to three yoga classes weekly. She feels stronger, fitter, happier and healthier than she has in decades.

Click here to watch her interview with RMR on YouTube

Ladles of Love

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Chartered Client Claire Claasens firmly believes that if you have been blessed in life, you must support those less fortunate, and it’s a motto she has always lived by. For three and a half years (before Covid), she volunteered at one of the local schools in Vredehoek. Four mornings a week, she would assist in making breakfast for four hundred pupils, ensuring they got one balanced meal a day.

When Covid hit, and schools closed, Claire began assisting an organisation called Ladles of Love, something she still does today at the age of seventy-seven. Twice a week, she makes sandwiches that she delivers to a central depot and are then distributed in the community.

In six years, Ladles of Love has grown from serving seventy meals at their soup kitchen to one of the most prolific food charity organisations in South Africa. Today, they support numerous other community kitchens, schools, social enterprises, and NPOs with much-needed groceries and other goods, allowing them to reach out further and touch the lives of the vulnerable who need it now more than ever. They recently expanded and currently serve the communities in Cape Town and Gauteng.

Ladles of Love provides numerous opportunities for people to get involved. One way is through their Feed The Soil programme. Feed The Soil is a programme in which compost is made from household organic waste. Feed The Soil addresses the need for “zero-landfill” food waste and the need for Community Farmers to enrich their soil. This helps them grow better and more nutritious produce. You actively form part of their new urban farming ecosystem by purchasing and using their Food Waste Kit for R200.

People can also support the organisation through their sandwich campaign, by donating groceries or by actively volunteering. There is something for everyone.

If you would like more information about Ladles of Love, please visit their website.

Do you have something that you are doing to give back to society, or are you passionate about an organisation or cause you would like to share with us? We always love sharing your stories, so please email us if there is something you would like us to feature.

Cold Water Swimming

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Article by Lise Day

As we grow older and realise that, in certain ways, we are turning into our parents, we may view this as a positive or a negative. My mother was not gracious about accepting help in her old age, so I am determined to accept help when it is offered. But there is another inheritance from my mother that I am embracing gladly. She was Danish, of Viking stock, and all through the freezing Orange Free State winters, she would swim ten laps of her pool every morning. Now at seventy-eight, I find myself in the Camps Bay tidal pool two mornings a week and have been through this winter. Apart from the well-documented effects of swimming in cold water, this pool is in such a beautiful setting that it is good for the soul as well as the body. The Twelve Apostles rise majestically in the North; Signal Hill is in the East, and the pool lies, an emerald jewel between the boulders and the ocean. I love it because it has a flat sandy bottom, you enter from the beach so there are no slippery rocks to negotiate.

It is important to keep moving in cold water. We “water blommetjies” have an aqua-aerobics instructor, the delightful Florence Poretti, who keeps us active with vigorous exercises. At the end of every class, she lines us up for a photograph in the style of a synchronised swimming team, sometimes with our noodles balanced on our heads, or whirling them around like a circus act. On Freedom Day, she brought rainbow-coloured umbrellas to support our nation. The pool itself is so varied according to the weather. Some mornings we are shrouded in mist which swirls around us, making the rest of the world disappear. On bright sunny days, the pool sparkles so clear, and we can see tiny fish and anemones below. The seagulls, cormorants and oyster catchers accept us as fellow wild things as they perch on the sea wall. One morning the pool was full of foam; we watched an Egyptian goose chasing her chicks out of the water as they looked as though they were going to get lost in the white billows. When I posted pictures of us swimming in the foam, some of my friends thought it was ice and snow and were really impressed!

It is much easier to do this in an encouraging group. There is a lot of laughter. We bob around in the middle of the pool while the serious swimmers training to swim to Robben Island, or such like, do smooth laps around the circumference. Although I have a wet suit top with a zip down the front, I have never worn it. It was made for me by Coral Wetsuits after a vaguely humiliating shop at the surf stores in Muizenberg that don’t really cater for large seventy-eight-year-old swimmers. Also, by the time you have got into a wet suit and contorted yourself to pull up a back zip, you will be far too exhausted to swim at all. I have a “scratch vest” to keep the sun off in summer and a “shark skin” top to wear in winter. The important thing in winter is to get warm after the swim. We have had gowns made with a secret pocket for car keys, long front zips and large enough to wriggle out of a wet costume underneath. Then I drive home with the car heater on high, and fine music playing loudly on the radio; it’s really exhilarating.

Recipe

Frozen Blue Daiquiri

Ingredients:

  • Fresh seawater at 9 degrees
  • (preferably high tide, but any tide will do)
  • Nine maidens, well-aged
  • A South-easter
  • Noodles
  • Bubbles
  • Madness
  • Mixologist

Method

  • Shell the maidens, peel back towelling.
  • Add the maidens to the sea quickly
  • Add the noodles
  • Listen to mixologist tending the bar
  • Balance the maidens on the noodles
  • Whip to a frenzy with the South-easter
  • Bubbles of laughter will rise to the top
  • Add a dollop of madness.
  • Beat for 30 minutes
  • Remove sluiced maidens
  • Wrap well
  • Enjoy!

Where should I live- taking yourself with you

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A few years ago, I read this comment, which resonated with me, “When we question or think about where we will live in the next season of life, be reminded that happiness is an internal process, and we can be happy wherever we are if we have done the inner work”.

As a retirement life coach, the question of downsizing, buying into a retirement estate or staying where you are, is one I am often asked. It is one of the biggest financial decisions we make in this season of life, so it can’t be taken lightly.

Each person is unique, and circumstances differ for each of us. Here are some questions to consider and tips for making this decision.

  • Be clear about why you want to move and what options you would like to investigate.
  • Ensure that you and your partner agree with the options.
  • Discuss the possibilities with your Retiremeant™ Specialist
  • Are you ready to let go of some of your possessions and downsize?
  • Understand the different legal offerings.
  • Life Rights is a long-term lease with many benefits, but not all contracts are the same. Read carefully and understand the pros and cons.
  • If the possibility exists, experiment by selling your primary residence and renting in an area to ensure you are making the right decision. Many people have a romantic illusion about living at the coast, only to find it’s not for them.
  • Ask yourself the question about friends and family as these relationships form part of your life in a more profound sense during this season of life.
  • Analyse your current living costs versus the levies you will be paying.
  • We are living longer than our parents’ and grandparents’ generation. Are you looking to have two seasons in the same place? Firstly, as a lock-up-and-go and then settling into a community lifestyle supporting you as you age.

I sold my home and moved from Hartbeespoort Dam to Somerset West in late 2020. I decided to rent in a Retirement Estate so that I could understand the culture and the complexity of this move at this stage of life. I am 65, still working and wanted a lock-up-and-go environment, a safe place to sleep at night and an opportunity to experiment living in a new city and community. I have appreciated the support of the staff in finding highly recommended service providers and having access to some of the readily available support services like a laundry, a clubhouse, fibre, gardening, and cleaning. I live a full life outside the gates of the community but value the support of the staff in the community. The move was not easy, the early days were a challenge, especially since I knew no one, but I made an effort to treat this as an adventure and push through. Change gets harder as we age, so don’t leave it too late. I am happy I moved out of my comfort zone and into a wonderful new adventure, and I look forward to many more happy years ahead in the Cape.

Radical Acceptance

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Have you heard of the term radical acceptance before? In a nutshell, radical acceptance is a distress tolerance skill designed to keep pain from turning into suffering by accepting the facts rather than fighting them. In other words, it is what it is. By radically accepting things out of our control, we prevent ourselves from becoming stuck in unhappiness, bitterness, anger, and sadness.

Last year Chartered Client and retired psychologist Patricia O’Hare wrote an article for Inflight about radical acceptance; however, it was something she had to really put into practice recently when her husband, Kevin, fell ill. Kevin went from working as a doctor, something he loved doing, to being unable to work in a very short time. Overnight their lives turned upside down.

Patricia admits that there have been moments of self-pity, and it’s easy to forget radical acceptance, but when this happens, she reminds herself about the importance of mindfulness by maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of her thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment.

There are also things she does daily and weekly that keep her grounded and mindful – these are her tips:

Yoga

Patricia is a qualified Kundalini yoga teacher. Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses. She teaches several classes a week.

(Don’t be afraid to try yoga, you can start slow and build up – so no, it’s never too late to start.)

Podcasts

In the evening, while exercising, she listens to podcasts. She has always been a huge fan of music, and while she still loves it, she has found recently that podcasts make her reflective and give her things to ponder. She is particularly enjoying Oprah’s Super Soul podcasts and Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us.

(There are endless free podcasts on Spotify; best of all, Spotify works on Android and Apple products.)

Connecting with nature

Few things are as good for the soul as spending time in nature. When spending time at their home in Zimbali, Patricia goes for long walks daily, often off the beaten track, but this connection to nature keeps her grounded and gives her strength to face the uncertainty in her life.

What do you do to remain grounded in times of uncertainty? We would love to hear your tips to share them with all our clients.

Click here to view Patricia O’ Hare’s interview with Kim Potgieter on The Chartered Show

Building a new career of relevance and meaning in retirement

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After a career spanning 53 years in engineering, Chartered client Kenneth Charles found himself wondering what he would do for the rest of his life. As it happened, at the same time, his son Elliot had decided to expand his knowledge in IT and start his own company building websites. While watching his son navigate his way through the ins and outs of building a startup, Kenneth decided to use his time helping his son grow his business and so began his journey into the world of IT.

Kenneth started by learning WordPress, a platform used for building websites. Once he had mastered the art of building websites, he wanted to understand the back end in more detail and decided to delve deeper into the world of IT. Courses in numerous Google certifications followed. Kenneth learnt how to use coding programmes such as HTML5 and CSS. More recently, he has been studying Confluence, Jira, and Trello, programmes that help in collaborative working amongst team members and clients.

As Elliot’s company, called 1.3Creative, grew, they decided to give back to those less fortunate by offering free assistance to charities who need a website or an upgrade to an existing website. To date, they have helped numerous charities, including many in Africa. As part of their offering, they mentor volunteers who need assistance obtaining practical experience by working with them in the building or upgrading websites. Kenneth derives a lot of satisfaction by helping upskill others so that they may enjoy a better life.

He firmly believes that you must never be afraid to learn something new, no matter your age. At the age of 77, he fully embraces his second career, which has become a full-time one.

His passion for giving back to those less fortunate is also evident. Kenneth ended off our interview by sharing this quote. “It’s nice when someone smiles, but even nicer when someone smiles because of you.”

Experiences of a Covid-19 patient

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Chartered Wealth client Paul Runge was hospitalised with Covid in December. We are happy to report that he is on the mend and has a busy 2022 planned; as he says, he has a book to write and squash to play.

Here he shares some helpful tips should you or a loved one have to be hospitalised.

It’s very important that a Covid patient being admitted to hospital packs their bag properly. No visitors are allowed, the patient is alone, and it is vital to maintain communications to maintain high morale. Ensure that all the required electric plugs and leads are packed for keeping the cell phone charged. In my case, music is important, and the iPod leads were essential. The reality is that the patient has to do much fending for themself. A man should consider a shaver to facilitate the insertion of drips in hairy arms! Other items could be a small towel (towels not always easily available), pyjamas, slippers and perhaps dental floss in addition to the usual toiletries. Pack a pen or two. The ward is noisy with much light, and earplugs and the typical airline eye cover could be useful. If you pack sleeping pills, clear the usage thereof with your doctor. If you have received prescribed medicines, keep them all in a plastic packet and show them to the doctor so they can verify and adjust your medication. Having a bath or shower improves spirits considerably and ensure you have the shampoo, soap required. The last newspaper will help pass the time, (not available in the wards). Your laptop may provide a little interim entertainment.

During my stay, my doctor warned me that blood tests showed that I was undernourished and dehydrated. I had not eaten for nearly four days, and the hospital seemed to be restricting the number of bottles of water they were distributing to patients. A dietician visited me and gave me some fortified drinks. However, this was insufficient, and my partner played an invaluable role in arranging for a bag of protein bars and Energade drinks to be specially delivered to me. This was also my doctor’s suggestion. A supportive partner is gold!

You will find that effective cell phone communications will ease your passage through your treatment. The WhatsApp streams of well wishes – even from unexpected associates lifts morale. Then there is valuable advice from those who have had the Covid experience. A sense of humour eases matters too. Respond kindly and deal without fuss with those that come with misinformation and conspiracy theories.

A negative aspect of the communications scenario is when friends are strangely non-communicative. Hypersensitivity sets in, and I felt very guilty that on the day before I fell ill and just had my light cough, I accepted an invitation to visit a friend at his home. I immediately informed him when I heard that I was Covid-positive, and he was compelled to place himself and his family in isolation for seven days. Terrible timing because it was year-end for his company as well as that of his wife. I apologised twice via WhatsApp messages and received no acknowledgement or even response. This weighed on my mind through much of my hospital stay. It was also strange that while my work colleagues were sympathetic and supportive, one colleague has yet to send me any message.

Exercise care when interacting with the hospital staff. They are stressed and carrying out a difficult job. Make sure you remain polite and patient. There is little banter and laughter. Don’t push too hard and try to sort yourself out with small matters wherever possible. The doctor’s visits are unscheduled, brief and sometimes rushed. It’s a good idea to prepare beforehand for their visit by writing a list of all the questions you wish to ask.

Contrary to the old adage that the patient should just lie and rest in hospital, the practise today is for them to be as active as possible – especially if there are respiratory problems. In the case of Covid, the breathing exercises given to you by your physio are very important in restoring lung capacity. Walks around the ward are recommended and are enjoyable. They also help pass the time. The physio was very kind and helpful (albeit that I fear the bill that may be coming my way!) I enjoyed practising my squash shots as I walked around the ward!

The final hospital check-out can be a lengthy and frustrating process. Ensure that you leave with the necessary prescriptions. There is a special exit for departing Covid patients, and the staff will wheel you there. Ensure that your partner picks you up at a specific time and at the correct place. Otherwise, you could inconvenience the very busy nursing staff.

Reflections on turning 60 – the good, the bad, and the ugly

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So, you’re a man and you just turned 60? The world’s going to change for you. You’ve seen it coming already with your colleagues in their early and mid-60s. Suddenly, they’re gone. The company, the organization, wherever they’ve been slaving away (and perhaps even loving their work) doesn’t want them anymore. Policy dictates after 63 or maybe 65 yadayada… the email crosses their screen and if they’re lucky someone remembers to throw a party for them before they’re gone. Ah, except I forgot for a moment, there’s Covid to deal with – so no party either.

It’s coming to you soon. And unless you are one of the lucky few who has a good pension or independent wealth, you’re going to have to make a plan.

So, the first part of that plan is to do what your wife likely does much more often than you ever did – go and see the doctor for a check-up. Prostate, ECG, those scaly little bumps on the side of your cheek, just where the golf cap doesn’t shade the skin. Have them seen to. The good news is that you’ve probably got a lot of years still ahead of you. Medicine is getting better and better literally with each passing month. Things that crippled or killed our grandparents can be solved increasingly easily. Look at your ageing parents. They are doing much better than their parents. We can expect to be much healthier than any generation before us. Probably many of you already know this. You’ve already had your first knee op or are feeling that dull ache in your lower back that means a hip replacement is coming up. I was a war correspondent for many years until finally the weight of the flak jackets wore my back out. I got to the point where I was crippled with pain – and this is no metaphor – I couldn’t walk, I was shaking with agony. I lay on the floor at the doctor’s office, and he operated on me the next day. As I write this, I get a lump in my throat with the gratitude I feel for what modern medicine made possible. I hardly think of my back now. But I tell you what…. my hip is starting to niggle just the tiniest bit when I go for my daily walk. Let’s see, maybe yoga and stretching exercises will keep things together.

So, believe me, you’re likely going to be physically okay for a long time now; but its what’s in your head that holds the most unexpected surprises. You’ve seen your colleagues kicked to the curb. You’ve had the conversations when they hit 62 and they say “what am I going to do? I don’t have a clue.”

“Ah well,” you replied. “Something will come up.” But behind the next sip of Johnny Walker Black he took, you won’t forget the look of fear, anger, and looming humiliation. Usually something does seem to sort of work out. But it’s not a given.

Most of us are going to still be working for another 15 to 20 years yet. And trust me on this, just about no one’s going to give you another job. Even for us freelancers, after a certain age, the phone stops ringing. It’s emotionally the same as getting the two-line email. You’ve been working this career for 35, 40 years and you’re really good at it. And, if you are like me, you’ve loved every minute of it. But suddenly, or slowly, if you’re lucky, the carpet is whipped out from under your feet, and, as Tom Petty put it (remember how we partied to him?) you’re freefalling.

It’s going to hurt like hell. And all sorts of old damage from your childhood or teen years or your divorce will come back to haunt in ways you thought you’d long ago put behind you. And you won’t know who the hell you are anymore.

Be prepared for this. You can’t tough it out. It’s real. It’s life-shattering, and it happens to all of us. It’s what Dante wrote about in the Inferno, getting lost in a dark wood with the road “wholly lost and gone.”

But that’s not the end of the story. Dante also wrote two more books about this journey of life: Purgatory and Paradise. I don’t think the voyage ahead is that clear or that simple, but know this: there is a way out of that dark forest that you will find yourself lost in. There are a myriad of ways. And if you haven’t already started, dive into the internet and the digital world. Wrestle with it daily, learn its ways. There are millions to be made there, and you don’t have to be Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos just to pull in a few thousand bucks here and there. Or use it to grow a business you are running from your garage with the help of a couple of formerly jobless youth.

If you’re really lucky you get to be a consultant for a while, or perhaps mentor younger people. I’ve started doing both and I love it.
Basically, you’ll probably have to become an entrepreneur of some sort. It’s a different thing altogether from getting a consulting contract. Believe me there are a whole host of 50-year-olds waiting to grab that away from you.

Being an entrepreneur sounds a lot sexier than it is most days, but there are also so many opportunities out there that you will begin to find once you’ve stopped grieving for who you were for the last 40 years and begin to accept who and where you are now.

The “golden years” of retirement are a tired old myth created by advertisers for insurance companies when we were in our teens and twenties and watched our grandparents retire on secure pensions. That way of life is gone, if it ever really existed in the first place. It’s not an option for most of us now – men or women – we will have to find a way to keep making it on our own.

Forget about the myth – remember instead just how lucky we really are to be turning 60. We ain’t old yet, no matter how our ageist society largely regards us. So many more years lie ahead, and within each one of those are so many golden days to enjoy with those we love and to celebrate our new, unexpected, and better yet, still unimagined, successes.

Wellington Wine Walk – June 2021

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Brian and I were very privileged to be invited on a WWW in 2018 by Pat Blamire from Chartered Wealth. We had a lovely time during that walk, and now living on a Mature Lifestyle Estate and chatting to friends about our various travels, we one day mentioned the Wine Walk we had done in 2018. Before I knew it, I had been nominated to get another group together and do another walk.

This time the walk was in June 2021, a little chilly in the mornings and evenings, a bit of drizzle on the first day, but other than that, wonderfully blue skies, and warm weather during our walks. We were the last group of walkers for the season – Autumn season stretches from the last week of March to approximately 10 June and Spring season starts the last week of August to end November.

There are so many superlatives that I could use to describe this adventure that it becomes a bit overwhelming, so I shall just give you a little precis of our three-day walk. In this time of Covid, with so many people not being able to travel internationally, visiting or revisiting some of our local destinations makes sense.

We had another couple within our group of 15 who had also done this walk (in 2011), and they concur that doing it the second time around was different and as enjoyable as the first time. This trip again confirmed how blessed we are to live in this beautiful country, with such spectacular vistas and passionate and committed South Africans willing to share their stories and farms with visitors. We had three non-drinkers in our group – this should also explain how popular this trip is – if non-drinkers want to do the wine walk!

All the WWW guides are fully accredited and qualified and willingly share their exceptional knowledge of the area’s history. There are always two guides with the group each day. Both guides telling us stories of the vineyards, the people, the geography, and so much more.

The adventure starts at Diemersfontein Wine Estate and Guest House, where Johann gave us our first wine tasting and spoke with such passion and eloquence about Diemersfontein, told us the history of the farm, spoke about Thokozani (sustainable economic empowerment with world-class wines) and let us taste some outstanding wines. Here the 15 of us already started filling in our order forms with gusto.

The next day was cloudy and a bit cool with some drizzle, but nothing deterred us from jumping onto the tractor/trailer to be taken up the “trekpad” through Diemersfontein Estate to start our walk. We walked through vineyards, past herb farm tunnels, admiring the spectacular Franschhoek mountains. We visited Augusta Kleinbosch (destroyed by fire in 2017 and due to be renovated shortly). Francois gave us a most interesting walk around and talked about the cemetery and old school and invited us to sample some of the most recent delicious guavas straight off the fruit trees. We stopped at Druk My Niet for our next wine tasting. Here Dorothy let us try fabulous wines (more orders flowing) and told us about the destruction to the homestead and vineyard during the fires in 2017. After a lovely picnic lunch, prepared by Sam, another local mom, we walked to Cascade Manor for our next stop.

Here, even battling through load shedding, Volker was able to give us tastings of his olive oils, and we were treated to another outstanding meal. A note to potential walkers, pace yourselves with the food – every single meal was a delight! And together with the wine, we all overindulged.

The second day’s tasting started at Elsabe du Plessis’ homestead with buchu brandy. Buchu is grown only in South Africa and has astonishing medicinal qualities – we did have to have more than one shot of the buchu brandy to make sure! These shots warmed us all up instantly, and Elsabe’s passion for her farm and her olive oil, wines, jams and preserves had us all in stitches. Elsabe told us about “stokkies”, the grafting of vines and where the term “stokkiesdraai” comes from – very enlightening. We were most reluctant to leave her home to continue our walk to Hildenbrand Wine and Olive Estate.

At Hildenbrand, we were entertained and given a splendid lunch and wine tasting by Reni (lady owner and winemaker of note). Reni is on the International Olive Oil Tasting Association and is in demand worldwide. She is also a passionate animal lover with lots of cats, dogs, donkeys, horses and other rescued animals on her farm.

A relatively quick walk to our next stop, Dunstone Country House, where we were met by Privilege and Rene with coffee/tea and the most delicious scones and cream. Another superb dinner, with lots more wine – there were no wine tastings at Dunstone, but we had experienced their Shiraz before, so copious amounts were consumed and purchased for home enjoyment. A quick show of line dancing was given by some of the group, much to the delight of the waitrons – Jerusalema was a huge hit!

Our third and last walking day saw us being shuttled up Bains Kloof pass – beautiful scenery and such history. Our first wine tasting was at Doolhof Estate by Mercia – where we even tried their gin – again, the order forms were out in full force. A short walk to Welvanpas, the home of the Retief family (yes – descendants of Piet Retief) – Dan and his wife Retha gave us a splendid lunch and more wine tasting. Our last wine tasting for the trip and the third one of the day (whooo!) was at Bosman Family Vineyards by Charlene – the biggest farm in the region, with unparalleled wines. There are 500 permanent workers on this farm, it being the largest “stokkies” farm in Wellington. Fascinating to learn how the various cultivars are grafted.

We were shuttled back to Diemersfontein to sort out our purchases, ready to be shipped to Johannesburg and then shuttled back to Dunstone for our last night before departing the following morning, back to reality.

We walked 10km, 11km, and 8km daily (most of us used Steps on our phones to measure distances which are not consistently accurate but gives an indication of distances). None of the walking was strenuous, some uphills are handled by shuttle, and most of the walking is relatively sedate, with lots of stopping to admire and talk about the view, the fynbos, the farming, wines, food, and the history of the area. There were some really exceptional walks; one, in particular, was a walk through a forest on the way to Welvanpas, whilst another was walking through miles and miles of vineyards, with the various colours, from deep red to light green.

If you are a walker, a passionate wine drinker, an armchair historian or a patriotic South African, this walk will be ideal for you and your friends. We left feeling proud to be South Africans – being reminded of our history, our culture, language and the hardships of being a farmer – every time you lift a glass of wine to say cheers, the first salute should always be to the farmers! Respect and enormous gratitude to them all!

There are other options of shorter or longer walks – check out their website www.winewalk.co.za or contact them directly at info@winewalk.co.za.

Ring the bells that can still ring

Written by Patricia O’Hare on . Posted in Purpose. 3 Comments on Ring the bells that can still ring

At the age of 72, I am so blessed to be still able to work part-time at a Mental Health Care Unit nearby. Not only does this job provide me with stimulation (which I crave in this Covid dominated world), but it also allows me to interact with all the other doctors and therapists in the team. Each of them brings new ideas and suggestions which are truly invigorating.

The therapeutic modality which we follow in this ward is called Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT) – a well-researched and documented therapy especially for disorders where emotional dysregulation causes negative consequences for the patient. The overall goal of the therapy is to give patients a life worth living. The programme is skills-based, and a number of the skills taught can also be invaluable to people who do not fall into the emotional dysregulation category – they are good, simple, down-to-earth life skills that can be used in various situations by a variety of individuals.

The particular skill I would like to share is called Radical Acceptance, which is defined as “complete and total acceptance, from deep within, the facts of reality. It involves acknowledging facts that are true and letting go of the fight with reality” (Linehan).

The above definition sounds obvious, yet for many people, when reality does not accord with their hoped for or expected reality, a huge mental and emotional process is unleashed. This flood of negative thoughts and emotions can be very unsettling and interferes with the individual’s coping capacity. The emotional mind goes into overdrive with intense feelings of disbelief, fear, outrage and anger, to name but a few. The emotional mind then dominates the rational mind. The result is usually poor problem-solving techniques followed by impulsive behaviour (which is generally later regretted) and the ensuing emotions of shame and regret, which add to the emotional turmoil.

To identify whether you have trouble with radical acceptance, monitor your thoughts for a while, and if you catch yourself thinking thoughts like” this shouldn’t happen, this can’t be happening, this is not fair, I don’t deserve this, I don’t believe this” you would, in all likelihood, have problems with radical acceptance. When you are unable to accept what is, all your emotional energy is used to generate more and more inflammatory thoughts and emotions. This type of behaviour will never result in acceptance because all you are doing is fanning the flames instead of trying to douse them. No matter how unpalatable the event that caused your pain, if you don’t allow yourself to accept what is, the pain will persevere and cause prolonged suffering.

To illustrate the above, a song by Leonard Cohen comes to mind (I am an unabashed devotee of his – his poetry is magic). The song is Anthem, and the chorus line is as follows:

This refrain encapsulates for me all the ideas about radical acceptance. Firstly, there is always a chance for a new beginning even though it may not be our ideal – there will always be bells that still can ring even though your preferred one is out of the equation. Secondly, forget the perfect offering because it doesn’t always guarantee the perfect outcome. Thirdly, there is a crack in everything – although perfection is highly desired, it is seldom realised. Lastly, that’s how the light gets in refers to possibilities and a new way of thinking that may not have been possible had the crack not appeared to let the light in.

Radical acceptance is a tool that you can use, not to dull the pain but to prevent long-time suffering because of your inability to say, “So be it. Amen”

July Winter Warmers

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We are in the grips of winter. The cold weather, coupled with the lockdown and the chaos in our country means that staying at home is the only option at the moment.

It’s hard to focus right now, so why not keep busy cooking a delicious meal or losing yourself in a good book. These are our two suggestions, but you know we love hearing from you, so please email us here if you have a recipe worth sharing, or if you have read a book that you absolutely loved and would like to share.

RECIPE

Taste Magazine’s Delicious Oxtail

Ingredients

  • 5 T olive oil
  • 2.5 kg oxtail, cut into 4 cm chunks
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 400 g carrots, sliced julienne
  • 400 g celery, sliced julienne
  • 1 T fresh rosemary finely chopped, plus an additional sprig for remembrance
  • 1 T fresh thyme finely chopped, plus an additional sprig for courage
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 T flour
  • 2 x 400 g whole tomatoes cans
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 litre beef stock

Method

Preheat the oven 220°C. Place 3 T oil in a roasting tray and heat in the oven. Once the oil is hot, add the oxtail and toss until all the meat is coated. Season to taste.

Return the meat to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until it’s nicely browned and the fat is golden.

Meanwhile, place the carrots, celery and herbs in a large saucepan with the remaining olive oil and gently simmer for 20 minutes. (You many need to add a few tablespoons of water at some point.)

Remove the oxtail from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven’s temperature to 170°C. Add the bay leaves, cloves, flour, tomatoes, wine and beef stock to the vegetables. Lastly add the oxtail, all the roasting juices and bring to a boil.

Return to the roasting tray, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for a further 5 hours. If you make this a day or two in advance, no harm comes to it if you put it into the oven at 170°C for another hour or so to heat it up.

BOOK REVIEW & COMPETITION

The book we highly recommend this month is The Heart Is The Size Of A Fist by PP Fourie. If you would like to win a copy of this book, please email lyndsay@charteredwealth.co.za, and we will put you in the draw.

The Heart is the Size of a Fist by PP Fourie
Review by Kate Sidley

The semi-autobiographical novel centres on Paul and his relationship with his politically liberal but cruel and violent alcoholic father, and his loving but damaged mother. The book shifts between recollection of his childhood, devastated by addiction and domestic violence, and his adult life in which he does the work of understanding and healing, and reconnects with his much younger half-brother in a poignantly tentative and tender way. It’s a coming-of-age and coming out novel, a book about survival and healing and memory.

It’s beautifully written, thoughtful and strangely gripping. It had me glued to the book and the sofa all day. One of my best books of the year so far.

Giving back through skills sharing

Written by Clients in Action on . Posted in Give Back. 1 Comment on Giving back through skills sharing

There is a beautiful quote that says, “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it,” and this is precisely what Chartered clients’ Dr Errol Allcock and Veronique Hoog have been doing.

Give back has always been important to them, and independently they have contributed to various causes, be it supporting mobile libraries for township schools to fund raising for children orphaned by HIV. They acknowledge, though, that give back is not just about building houses or giving of one’s time and money. At a time where people are struggling as a result of, amongst other things, Covid and our strained economy, Errol and Veronique consciously decided that they would give back to people through the transfer of their vast knowledge and skills gained through many years of work experience. Drawing from their collective backgrounds in science, IT and business, and having worked in various industries, they are ideally suited to assist those in need.

Through word of mouth, companies ranging from micro-enterprises to medium-enterprises call on them for expertise and advice on next steps to take in order to survive or grow their businesses. Many of these companies have come from an informal structure where compliance, particularly adherence to tax laws, labour laws and reporting, and governance, amongst other areas, have been all but neglected.

Errol and Veronique acknowledge what a lonely place owning a small business can be, so they aim to be a quality soundboard for small enterprises. They could be described as a resource centre, offering guidance and advice, or as micro-management consultants. They don’t work in isolation, though, and rely on their extensive networks. Often times they link business owners up with other relevant service providers who can guide the small enterprises in their areas of expertise.

Both Errol and Veronique are still active in their careers, so they give back in their spare time. It is an area they feel incredibly passionate about and one in which they find huge fulfilment. Spending half an hour in their time challenges one to think out the box about how you can personally give back. Their passion is contagious, and one can’t help but be left feeling hugely inspired.

Helping aspiring entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to life

Written by Clients in Action on . Posted in Learn. 2 Comments on Helping aspiring entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to life

With unemployment at an all-time high and the economic impact of Covid being felt, many people have been left with no choice but to start their own businesses. Sadly, according to statics, 50% of small businesses fail within 24 months of launch. Research done by the University of the Western Cape showed that between 70% and 80% of small businesses fail within five years. This is a significant number. One of the primary reasons small businesses fail is a lack of planning or a rock-solid business plan. What you think sounds like a good business idea on paper may not fare so well in reality. Most businesses are brought into existence for survival. The business owners simply register a company and hope everything will be fine. There is no detailed plan on how the business will be run, and there are no well-defined short-term and long-term goals. As a result, there is no understanding of costs, responsibilities, markets, funding needs, and other business requirements.

Entrepreneur and Chartered client Megan Stark and her business partner were all too aware of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs. So, with a passion for helping aspiring entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to life, Hola Business was formed. Hola Business is for any aspiring entrepreneur serious about turning their idea into a profitable business. It was developed specifically for South Africans, informed by the country’s legal, tax and business environment, and caters for all age groups.

Through 12 online modules and over 30 hours of interactive training material, users are walked through the entire business and financial planning journey. While gaining start-up skills and knowledge, they develop their own business and financial plan as they learn. The information captured by the user is automatically populated into a pre-formatted, professional business plan template which can be presented to potential investors. Some examples of the modules that users cover include: cycles of your business, from ideas to plan, business planning, financial forecasts, understanding costs, pricing for profit and marketing for start-ups.

Additionally, the course includes a fun-to-play business simulation where users can see how their decisions impact the businesses, and in doing so, they can learn and sharpen their business skills before launching their own business.

This project, finalised and launched during lockdown, is what Megan calls her passion project, and she has a deep desire to empower and help other entrepreneurs succeed. Her passion, vision and motivation, all characteristics required to be a successful entrepreneur, shine through in this project.

Midlife Money Makeover book review

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In her latest book, “Midlife Money Makeover”, Kim Potgieter draws on her own experiences and those of her many clients to deliver a cohesive, easy-to-read manual on how to deal with both life and finances. I was thoroughly absorbed by the book, even though I would have to live to 140 if I am only halfway through my life.

It was a relevant reminder of the path my wife and I set out on some years ago with Kim and all the workshopping we subsequently did to map out the next stage of our lives. All the various ideas and dreams are falling into place, and some have become irrelevant. All this requires constant monitoring and updating. Being well prepared for our future has made the COVID-19 event so much easier to work through. During this time, we successfully sold our big house and have made a move into a lifestyle estate.

I am investigating mentoring people starting their own businesses and dealing with the daily challenges and reinventions. A path has opened up to do this, and despite being a little afraid of the idea, Kim’s book has given me many pointers as to how to set about this task. I think her programme can be used whenever a big change is made and would recommend her book to anyone starting out on a new adventure.

Written by Dick Binge

Our Route 62 motorbike road trip from 20 February to 6 March 2021

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Route 62 is an inland tarred route between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town that offers a scenic and interesting alternative to the traditional N2 highway that is further South and follows some of the coastline. Route 62 promotes associations with the legendary Route 66 in the USA which was built in 1926 to connect Chicago and Los Angeles. Route 62 (the red line in the map below) covers around 1000 km of mountains, fertile valleys and semi-desserts, ensuring an experience that leaves those who have travelled it with special memories. As Route 62 tends to be a bucket-list trip for many South Africans, particularly those who ride motorbikes, I had been wanting to arrange a bike road trip of this area for years.

Our 15-day Route 62 motorbike trip was originally planned for April 2020, but Covid-19 unfortunately scuppered those dates. We therefore had to postpone it to February and March this year (2021) and in the end a small group of four of us did the whole trip – Avril, Anton, Grant and I. When we do such long bike trips, we try to stay off the main N routes and we typically plan the route to cover an average distance of around 350 to 400 km per day, as this is easily done and is not too tiring. In addition, we do these trips outside school holidays and we normally do not book accommodation in advance, but rather look online for accommodation for the night when we stop for lunch or for something to drink in the afternoon. Doing it this way gives us flexibility and means that we do not need to add “rest days” along the way. It also means that if we get stuck somewhere due to bad weather or some other delay, we can usually catch up by increasing the distance ridden over the next day or two. Having done quite a few two-week bike trips in SA and overseas, we have never battled to find accommodation and the places where we have stayed have seldom been disappointing. Another advantage is that one sometimes finds special last-minute rates when booking on the day.

As is generally the case when riding or driving just about anywhere from Gauteng, the first day is somewhat boring and the scenery only really improves from the second day. Our first day was planned to take us from Gauteng to Bultfontein, but we missed a turnoff to Wesselsbron somewhere after Bothaville and ended up in Odendaalsrus, where we had lunch. We looked online and decided to change our plans and to rather stay on a farm called Die Kuirhuis B&B outside Ventersburg. This was reached via a roughly 14 km dirt road that was a bit tricky on road bikes with road tyres, but we all managed to get there without falling off our bikes. The accommodation was nice and the owners were very friendly and hospitable. We had a lovely “Boerekos” supper there and an equally good breakfast the following morning.

Day 2 took us from Ventersburg to Bethulie via Bloemfontein and Phillipolis, staying off the N1 as far as possible. Our overnight stop was at the Royal Hotel in Bethulie, which is a unique and quirky hotel with literally thousands of LPs and books lining most of the walls in all areas except the actual rooms.

The third day took us from Bethulei to Graaf-Reinet, via the Gariep Dam which was still overflowing after the recent good rains. We stayed overnight at the Roode Bloem Farm House, which is a lovely old house on a farm about 10 km before Graaff-Reinet. One advantage of staying outside the towns is that the stars are so much brighter than when in the cities. The Milky Way is so clear that it seems that you can reach out and touch it and one can see lots of satellites on clear nights.

Day 4 was from Graaff-Reinet to Prince Albert, via Meiringspoort which is absolutely stunning.

Our route for the fifth day was from Prince Albert via the Swartberg Pass to Barrydale. The Swartberg Pass was probably the most impressive of the many great passes we did on this trip and the scenery was amazing. The dirt road had recently been worked on and was in excellent condition. Barrydale is a lovely little town and we found really nice accommodation at Doorways. If you are ever in Barrydale, I can highly recommend that you spend the night there, followed by breakfast at The Diesel and Crème Diner.

Day 6 took us from Barrydale to Riebeek Kasteel, which is another lovely town we stayed in. Luis, an old friend of Grant’s and mine who lives in Cape Town, met up with us along the way and joined us until the next afternoon.

The seventh day was from Riebeek Kasteel to Darling (where we met up with Darryl, another mate of ours, for lunch at The Darling Brewery), Paternoster and then to Langebaan. This day also included us seeing the sea for the first time on this trip.

The route on day 8 was from Langebaan to Kleinmond and included several road passes and amazing scenery. My brother, Guy, rode through from Stellenbosch on his restored 1958 Vespa and joined us in Gordon’s Bay. We then rode the 50 km to Kleinmond against some serious headwinds which were a bit of a battle on the Vespa. This was followed by a lovely supper at KabelJoe’s Seafood Restaurant that night.

Guy left us on the morning of day 9 – he went back to Stellenbosch – and we then headed from Kleinmond to Barrydale, via Cape Agulhas. We had intended staying over in Swellendam but decided to go back to Doorways in Barrydale when we realised how close it was and as they again had rooms for us.

Day 10 took us from Barrydale to Wilderness, doing several more lovely passes along the way.

The eleventh day started with the amazing Seven Passes Road (more info below) from George to Knysna, milkshakes at Marilyn’s Diner near Storms River and on to Port Elizabeth.

The route for day 12 was from Port Elizabeth to Elliot and we stayed at The Mountain Shadows Hotel which is on the road from Elliot to Barkly East. We were then getting close to the Drakenberg Mountains, the scenery was spectacular and the hotel was very nice.

Day 13 was from Elliot to Bulwer. Although there were some nice and scenic stretches, most of the day was spent riding through sprawling settlements and some towns that have sadly really deteriorated over the past 20 or 30 years. If I ever do a similar trip again, I will look for an alternative route from Elliot.

The fourteenth day – from Bulwer to Fouriesburg – included the Midlands Meander (R103) which is very pretty with lots of places to stop, Oliviershoek Pass and the beauty of the Golden Gate National Park. We stayed at the Sandstone Chameleon Guest house in Fouriesburg, which I can highly recommend. If you are ever in the Clarens area for a night, rather stay at Sandstone Chameleon in Fouriesburg. There are some lovely places to eat at in the town and you can then take the lovely and scenic 35 km road to Clarens the next day.

Our last day was getting home from Fouriesburg and once again meant that the scenery would unfortunately be getting boring, the closer we got to Gauteng. Having said that, we rode past many farms with good crops getting ready for harvesting.

The only “trouble” we had on the trip was a rear wheel puncture Grant had in Underberg on day 13. We were fortunately just arriving in the town when he discovered it – his bike has tyre pressure sensors and these alert you before you feel it. He fortunately had a puncture repair kit with him, which he used to plug the hole very quickly and he did not have any further problems with it on the trip.

The above is but a taste of the trip, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. The company was great, the scenery was amazing and most of the roads were good. If you have any urge to do a road trip, be it by car or (preferably) by motorbike, do yourself a favour and do Route 62. You won’t be sorry.