Thursday, May 1, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Vote of Thanks
The first and second VIIIs have had a terrific trip to SA. Highlights for me included spending a day with the Nemato rowers at Port Alfred, the trip to the Diamond Mine at Cullinan and the fantastic lake at Elgin, CT. I'm sure that the VO2 max testing was an enduring memory for the boys, as some found new levels of pain only dreamt of before!
Finally, I must thank all those that have helped us. There have been so many, but special thanks must go to: Sean Tangney at St Benedicts, Harold Hobson (St Andrews) and Jan Bloom (Nemato) at Port Alfred, Brian and Adam and all the crew at Stellenbosch uni - we look forward to hosting you at Eton for Henley. Lastly, thanks to Martin and his team at Sport Tours SA for all he has done for us. Without his help we would have been in very deep water.
ABH
Finally, I must thank all those that have helped us. There have been so many, but special thanks must go to: Sean Tangney at St Benedicts, Harold Hobson (St Andrews) and Jan Bloom (Nemato) at Port Alfred, Brian and Adam and all the crew at Stellenbosch uni - we look forward to hosting you at Eton for Henley. Lastly, thanks to Martin and his team at Sport Tours SA for all he has done for us. Without his help we would have been in very deep water.
ABH
Aquila Private Game Reserve
Aquilla Reserve, 8th April. An early start was rewarded by a hearty breakfast and interesting game drive at the reserve. Rhino, Elephant, Hippo and Lion were the highlights, as well as a spot of so
mething sparkling to end the trip.
mething sparkling to end the trip.
Maties, Ikeys, Rugby!
All the boys and coaches went to watch the final of the Varsity Rugby at the Stellenbosch University grounds. A capacity crowd of over 30,000 attended, and most of the boys had to watch unofficially from the hill at the back of the stadium. After a terrifically exciting game the Maties triumphed over the University of Cape Town's Ikeys 16-10.
Match v. Stellenbosch University
Match with Stellenbosch Uni, 7 April. After the disappointment of the cancellation of the Western Cape Championships as consequence of a single day of very poorly timed South African winter wind and rain, an informal race was arranged for the following afternoon and when an Eton VIII prevailed against a technically proficient crew from Stellenbosch University at Elgin.
No Pain, No Gain?
"The VO2 max testing will be an enduring memory for the boys, as some found new levels of pain only dreamt of before!"
Monday, April 7, 2008
Sports Science Institute of South Africa
Monday morning and it's time for physical fitness assessments at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. The submaximal step test is a world-wide, standardised and acknowledged procedure of testing high performance rowers during training and/or competition periods, and the results are usually regarded as significant data for selection of national teams of rowers.
Cape Town
Sunday morning, the clouds burst and the storm broke, resulting in the disappointing cancellation of the Western Province Champs regatta. Instead, the squad decamped to Cape Town and the V&A Waterfront.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Eikenhof Dam
For the last stage of the tour, we arrived at Eikenhof Dam just outside Grabouw, in the Western Cape.
Dune Training
In the late afternoon, the boys took to the dunes near Port Alfred for some tough training in the sand. (some cool b&w pics from Mr. Henshilwood)
Township Walkabout
After the morning's training session, the boys went on walkabout with the development squad to see their township homes - a bit of an eye-opener, but a remarkably warm welcome.
Kowie Development Squad
In Port Alfred, the squad met a remarkable youth group from the local township which uses rowing as a means of building self-respect and discipline, and offering a way out of poverty and disadvantage. The township squad joined the Eton boys for a great morning of training and interaction.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
A Very Local Connection
In 1820 the British government, wrestling with a depression, the problem of absorbing soldiers returning from the Napoleonic wars and the Industrial Revolution, seized on the idea of settling people in the frontier districts of the Cape.
More than 4 000 British people landed on the beach in Algoa Bay and were guided inland to their allocated farms - they're known as the 1820 Settlers.
Just inland from Port Alfred is the town of Bathurst. Founded in 1820, it was named after, Lord Bathurst, then the colonial secretary. It was intended to be the administrative centre of the Settler community, but it lost its status to the more prosperous Grahamstown and is today one of the smallest municipalities in South Africa.
Strangely, it's also the site of this giant pineapple......
More than 4 000 British people landed on the beach in Algoa Bay and were guided inland to their allocated farms - they're known as the 1820 Settlers.
Just inland from Port Alfred is the town of Bathurst. Founded in 1820, it was named after, Lord Bathurst, then the colonial secretary. It was intended to be the administrative centre of the Settler community, but it lost its status to the more prosperous Grahamstown and is today one of the smallest municipalities in South Africa.
Strangely, it's also the site of this giant pineapple......
Port Alfred
On Monday morning, the squad began the trek to Port Alfred, in the Eastern Cape. The bridge is a key landmark over the River Kowie, and is right next to the boat club.
Monday, March 31, 2008
All Creatures Great and Small
On Sunday, the squad took the opportunity of a guided bush walk through the veld around Wagon Drift. There they encountered wildlife large and small.
The Premier Diamond Mine, Cullinan
On Saturday morning, the squad headed off early for something COMPLETELY different; the Premier Diamond Mine in nearby Cullinan.
Premier Mine is world-famous for the discovery of the massive Cullinan diamond in 1905. It was found in the early surface workings and is still by far the largest gem diamond ever found. It weighed 3106 carat or 621 grams and was 10 cm long, 6 cm high and 5 cm thick. The stone was named after Thomas Cullinan and was sent to Amsterdam for splitting and cutting – allegedly by parcel post in a plain box. The original stone was cut into nine large stones and 96 smaller brilliants. The four largest stones are known as “The Stars of Africa". All nine large stones are either in the Crown Jewels or are owned by the British Royal Family.
The Premier Mine has produced over 300 stones greater than 100 carats and more than a quarter of the entire world's stones larger than 400 carats. Other stones include the Golden Jubilee (at 755.50 carat rough, the largest diamond ever found) the Premier Rose (a 353 carat rough), the Niarchos (cut from a 426 carat stone) and the fabulous 599 carat De Beers Centenary diamond. The Premier - South Africa's third busiest working diamond mine - is historically famous for being the source of many of the world's largest diamonds, including the Stars of Africa and the Golden Jubilee. The tour not only visited the upper workings of the mine - a big hole several hundred metres across - but also went underground, deep into the mine itself, where the minimum temperature is a cool 27 degrees.
The Premier Mine has produced over 300 stones greater than 100 carats and more than a quarter of the entire world's stones larger than 400 carats. Other stones include the Golden Jubilee (at 755.50 carat rough, the largest diamond ever found) the Premier Rose (a 353 carat rough), the Niarchos (cut from a 426 carat stone) and the fabulous 599 carat De Beers Centenary diamond. The Premier - South Africa's third busiest working diamond mine - is historically famous for being the source of many of the world's largest diamonds, including the Stars of Africa and the Golden Jubilee. The tour not only visited the upper workings of the mine - a big hole several hundred metres across - but also went underground, deep into the mine itself, where the minimum temperature is a cool 27 degrees.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
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