Gansbaai's Great White

Long feared as crazed, cold-blooded killers, white sharks are proving our first impressions very wrong. Cameron Ewart-Smith looked behind the hoopla, while cage-diving in the unlikely boom town of Gansbaai on the southern Cape coast, and discovered a majestic animal in critical need of some good press.

You are a thousand times more likely to die hanging your Christmas lights than to be attacked by a great white shark. Even dogs - our best friend - killed more people worldwide last year than have been killed by all species of sharks in the past hundred. With approximately 150 scalps a year, coconuts are positively bloodthirsty by comparison.

Even so, as a journalist entering the shark-infested waters off Dyer Island, near Gansbaai at the southeastern point of Walker Bay (close to where the Birkenhead went down), I was particularly anxious. If there's one group of people sharks should be peeved at, it's us. No other group has spread more falsehoods and hyperbole than the media... with the possible exception of Hollywood directors that is. If sharks were Americans they'd sue... and if I were a movie director I'd be safely ensconced somewhere high and dry in the Sahara.

Anxiety soon fled, however, as Brian McFarlane helped me and underwater photographer Geoff Spiby into the metal cage bobbing on the surface next to Predator II, the 12-metre catamaran he uses to take tourists shark-cage diving. He asked us to leave the scuba rigs on board and breathe using only our snorkels, as the mechanical sounds made by demand valves tend to scare the sharks - that's right, I said scare the sharks.

Unfortunately it was summer, not the best season for cage diving, but as we slipped into the cage the signs we'd have a good encounter were promising - a five-and-a-half metre female was mooching around. Let me say it again in case you glossed over that statistic... FIVE-AND-A-HALF METRES - bigger and heavier than a long-wheelbase bakkie.

As we submerged, peeping out from the bars and holding our breaths, the shark appeared out of the gloom. Passing within touching distance she glided by effortlessly, propelled by imperceptible movements of her tail. It looked almost artificial … as if she were a model toy driven by a little engine. The eyes were not those of a puppet, however. They were alive, assessing us, unfamiliar visitors to her aquatic realm.

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Gansbaai Accommodation

Gansbaai Accommodation:

Places to stay with Accommodation in Gansbaai which includes hotels, self catering accommodation, guest houses, bed and breakfast, game lodges, guest farms, golf lodges, caravan parks, discount backpackers lodges and cheap camping sites. Venues with Gansbaai Accomodation are listed above with all rates and details.

Self Catering Gansbaai Accommodation and Self Catering Apartments in Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa. Self catering units range from luxury to budget providing kitchen facilities allowing guests and residents to prepare their own meals. Browse for a Gansbaai self catering establishment, cottage, lodges, apartment or holiday house. Most self-contained accommodation is fully equipped and offer facilities to cater for yourself.

Bed and Breakfast Gansbaai Accommodation and BnB Accommodation in Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa. Bed and Breakfast accommodation range from luxury to budget providing overnight accommodation with breakfast included in the price. Breakfasts range from Continental breakfasts to Full English breakfasts. Browse for a Gansbaai bed and breakfast establishment, every b&b accommodation caters for breakfast.

Guest House Gansbaai Accommodation and Guesthouse Accommodation in Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa. Guest House accommodation range from luxury to budget providing a private home that offers accommodation to paying guests. Breakfasts and other meals are available at an extra fee. Browse for a guesthouse establishment which offers services that will suit your travelling requirements.

Hotel Gansbaai Accommodation and Hotels in Gansbaai, Western Cape, Southern Africa.
Hotels range from luxury to budget providing facilities allowing guests to relax and enjoy their stay. Browse for a reasonable Gansbaai hotel establishment that best suits you. Some hotel accommodation offer facilities such as airport transfers, laundry services and wake up calls.

Browse through pet friendly Gansbaai accommodation, venues that are wheelchair / disabled friendly, establishments with spas, plunge pools or fireplaces. Some places to stay have facilities such as air conditioning, baby sitting, bars, games rooms, internet access, room service, security staff, serviced daily or weekly and offer TV with Mnet or satellite.

For a list of all accommodation that is affordable and best priced, please have a browse through all our accommodation listings. Whether you are looking for something for the family or places by the beach, we try list the best priced and best specials so finding where to stay is easy. We also advertise team building and corporate accommodation as well as wedding venues in the surrounding area. Make sure to use our 7 day weather forecast and report to plan all the things to do while on your stay.

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Gansbaai: property values will rise

Gansbaai is fast moving towards becoming the Western Cape Overberg's new Hermanus.

According to Dean Yeadon of Western Cape-based 2tribes, the development company responsible for Baleana Bay, Gansbaai is the new kid on the block as far as property 'hot spots' go and he anticipates values rising dramatically over the next few years.

The only development to have been approved by the Gansbaai Council, Baleana Bay forms part of the coastal village's move from a tourism node to creating homes for potential buyers. Furthermore, the local authorities have recognized the need to protect the delicate natural assets of the area and all future developments need to fall within the clearly defined urban edge.

"The property purchasing trend is moving towards buying in those areas that have a strong sense of community and where purchasers are able to combine the natural goodness that life has to offer with a modern and well functioning environment.

"Our Baleana Bay development offers a rare opportunity to own a lifestyle that combines the natural beauty of this magnificent coastline in a modern contemporary milieu," says Yeadon.

Named after a flock of wild Egyptian geese that are alleged to have congregated at the freshwater fountain near the harbour, Gansbaai is every tourist's dream getaway complete with working harbour, Southern Right Whales, Great White Sharks and stunning beaches.

Situated between Hermanus and Pearly Beach, Gansbaai lies at the foot of the Dynefontein Mountains and boasts a coastline rich in fynbos vegetation.

Closely located to Dyer Island, the breeding ground of the jackass penguin, Gansbaai serves as the passage between Dyer and Geyser Islands respectively for the Great White, and is referred to as 'shark alley'.

Yeadon confirms that the area has all the right ingredients for country living and has grown into a charming village and holiday resort complete with a range of activities that includes whale watching, shark cage diving, angling, water-sports, and hiking.

"With its amazing attractions and activities, Gansbaai has earned a strong following both for families looking for action-packed holidays, and others who simply want to escape to the solitude of its beautiful beaches," said Yeadon.

With shark diving as one of its main attractions, Gansbaai has experienced a surge of tourism with many visitors unable to spend nights in the town due to the lack of top quality accommodation.

Yeadon says that his team will be encouraging non-resident Baleana Bay purchasers to place their units in a rental management scheme on a long term basis as a means to alleviate this problem.

"Baleana Bay will provide fully-furnished and serviced apartments with a host of amenities to both foreign and local tourists.

"Within the first year, developers can find themselves in the difficult position of needing to establish occupancy on a new apartment hotel. We believe we have found a solution to this problem through our rental management scheme.

"At an additional cost, we will fully equip and furnish apartments in line with the specifications as established by international tour operators. In so doing, we will also guarantee a 9% yield to purchasers in the first year.

"This will also give purchasers the flexibility of utilizing their apartments when and how they chose to and to secure income in the times they don't," says Yeadon.

The first urban high density development to be constructed in Gansbaai, Baleana Bay boasts 30 apartments with resplendent views of the coast and a sought after modern lifestyle package. Prices range between R725,000 - R3-million depending on individual requirements and finishes.

Construction commenced in January 2007 and 90% of the development has already been sold out. Yeadon anticipates occupancy to be achieved by 1st February 2008, giving purchasers enough time to enjoy the beauty that this growing, unpretentious haven has to offer.

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Gansbaai road to benefit property

Intro
New road from Gansbaai to Cape Agulhas has positive spin-offs for property market

The major new 65-70km road which is to be built between Gansbaai and Cape Agulhas in the Overberg region of the Western Cape is expected not only to have significant socio-economic benefits for these areas and the coastal towns en route, it will further impact positively on the residential property markets in those areas, says Glyn Bricknell, MD of Pam Golding Properties' Boland and Overberg region of the Western Cape.

"This is very good news as it heralds a major boost for tourism, as previously, the tarred road ends 20km east of Gansbaai - famous for its Great White shark-diving tourism - and visitors were faced with gravel roads through to Cape Agulhas, which is the southernmost tip of Africa. As a result travellers often simply bypassed the area altogether, which is extremely unfortunate as this is possibly South Africa's best kept secret with spectacularly beautiful natural scenery, and pristine beaches. The new road will also provide a huge boost for employment, with some 5000 new jobs to be created during the two-year construction period.

"In terms of the real estate market, news of the new road is extremely positive as it will create greatly increased awareness of the attractions in these areas, boosting demand for homes and resulting in increased investment in existing and new homes, and ultimately providing a greater return on investment for home owners," adds Bricknell.

She says the tarring of the final stretch of road from Gansbaai to Cape Agulhas will create a wonderful scenic circuit of the farms, beaches, nature reserves and fishing resorts of the area right from the Strand, Gordon's Bay to Kleinmond and Hermanus, Stanford, Gansbaai, Pearly Beach to Cape Agulhas, Bredasdorp, Napier, Caledon and back to Cape Town on the N2.

Pam Golding Properties is very active in the marketplace in the various towns along or in the vicinity of the route of the planned road. Gansbaai and the adjoining coastal towns of Franskraal, Die Kelders and Perlemoenbaai are already popular destinations and are connected by tarred roads. Here, prices for plots with sea views range from R200 000 to R1.1 million at an average size of about 600sqm. However stock is limited, and new seafront properties are practically unobtainable.

The areas of Kleinbaai, Franskraal, Pearly Beach and Die Dam, which lie further east along the southern coastline, are already connected by tarred roads, and these towns are developing at an extremely rapid rate. However, the creation of the coastal connecting road will open up the area of the old Moravian mission town of Elim with its original church clock, water wheel and picturesque thatched cottages. The new route will be called the Slave Route. Tourism will unlock the potential of this quaint village as well as open up the farmlands in the area to new investors, facilitating technological improvements and ultimately resulting in increased values.

At the Victorian village, Stanford, which is situated between Gansbaai and Hermanus, its proximity to the Klein River and scenic mountain backdrop make it an extremely sought after residential area, coupled with the fact that it is easily accessible. In 1994 a conservation programme was implemented, in order to preserve its Victorian character and ambience. PGP agent Jillian Smith says recently there has been a strong demand from younger Capetonians seeking a village where young families can enjoy a freedom of lifestyle, as well as a strong demand from the 'young retired' age group. Prices for two bedroom, open plan houses now range from R650 000 while river properties, when available, are priced from around R970 000. Occasionally one of the older, Victorian homes come onto the market priced from approximately R500 000.

Says Le Roux van der Merwe, PGP's area manager for the Overberg and South Western Cape areas incorporating Bredasdorp, Napier, Arniston and Breede
River: "Currently the best and quickest way to reach the already popular coastal resorts of Arniston, Struisbaai and Cape Agulhas is on the N2 over Sir Lowry's Pass and through the towns of Caledon, Napier and Bredasdorp, which is a trip of two to two-and-a-half hours from Cape Town.

"Because of their popularity, there is a strong demand for homes from both local and overseas buyers, which is resulting in increased prices. At Cape Agulhas and Struisbaai, stands with sea views are selling from R500 000 to R600 000 with one of the last remaining beachfront plots on the market at R800 000. Houses with sea views sell from R650 000 to R2 million and further back, stands range from R100 000 to R160 000, with seafront houses along the golden mile selling for up to R3.5 million.

The fishermen's cottages on the cliffs at Arniston, which in their entirety are a national monument, are a scenic backdrop to this coastal village, where property is also in great demand. Here, seafront houses change hands for over R6 million, with a recent PGP sale being for a home priced at R4.3 million, while another seafront house is currently on the market at R4.76 million. Seafront or sea view plots are unobtainable, while other plots are fetching up to R1.7 million. Further back the lowest priced house is currently on the market at R850 000.

Bredasdorp - whose surrounding areas are a haven for bird lovers - was established as a municipality in 1834 and is the supply town for the surrounding farms as well as being the seat of the Cape Agulhas Municipality. It is a charming town set against the Heuningberg mountain, with a population of about 10 000 and a good infrastructure and facilities.

Van der Merwe says house prices range from around R350 000 for modest homes to R850 000 for luxury homes against the lower slopes of the mountain. Erven range from R45 000 for 400sqm to R77 000 for 1500sqm stands with excellent views.

Adds Bricknell: "These south coastal areas have tremendous potential.
Farmlands which were traditionally used for wheat, barley, oats and sheep, are enjoying interest among both local and overseas investors, with positive results. Now, in the cool folds of the hills between the sea and the R316, vines are being planted, which because of the five degrees lower than average temperature, allows for harvesting during the day - eliminating the need for costly night harvests. Olive groves, also suitable for the Mediterranean climate, are appearing, while other new forms of farming include game, dairy and beef farming, and cattle and sheep stud farms - with the latter producing some of the most prized Merinos in the world, due to the good climate and the soil's rich nutrients."

The areas are also known for Australian fresh water crayfish and carp, angora goats, ducks, geese and ostrich, as well as for its fynbos - including proteas and other flora for a thriving export industry.

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