Twenty-one volunteers attended on an overcast and humid day to remove New Zealand Christmas trees of all sizes from the dense fynbos on the northwestern side of Bass Lake (Malkopvlei). It was most encouraging to have such a good turnout so early in the year when many people still have friends and family visiting. Melanie van Greunen and her sons Cameron and Hilton were welcomed to their first Betty’s Bay Hack, and it was good to have Tommy Mills back after a three-month stint in Mauritius.
The hackers outdid themselves as all the NZ Christmas trees were cut, poisoned, dragged and stacked at the corner of Edward Avenue and Bass Road by the 10am break. So much for taking things easy at the start of the year!
Thanks as always to Dave Mourant who each month provides all that is needed for a good cup of tea or coffee – table, boiling water, cups, teaspoons, tea bags, coffee, sugar and milk. A big thank you to Mary Whitelaw and Lee Boyd for sponsoring and making their customary egg mayo and cheese & cucumber sarmies and to Christine Coupar for the packet of biscuits which was left over from the December hack. Clearly, people were underfed at Christmas and New Year as not a crumb remained.After refreshments the hackers cleared 350m of the Bass Road verges starting at Edward Avenue and moving eastwards, some braved the extremely dense and high fynbos on the northern shore of Bass Lake. Loads of Australian myrtle, huge Australian tea bushes, a few rooikrans and a bottle brush were all dealt with.
The aftermath was enjoyed by all on the grassed area on the western side of the lake. This was a wonderful start to the hacking year with amazing volunteers who really don’t need supervision. Everybody finds his/her niche and seamlessly gets the job done.
Our thanks to Magda and Tommy Mills and Chris Geldenhuys for joining us from Pringle Bay and Christine who crosses the Palmiet River to join us from Kleinmond.
As ever, on behalf of the Betty’s Bay Fynbos, thank you all for your efforts.
Rob Boyd
Convener Betty’s Bay Hack Group