Tourism Indaba

Astrid again attended Indaba in Durban, Africa's largest Trade Travel Show. Thanks to NTT Toyota for the vehicle, which again proved to be an attraction, the Barberton logo causing a lot of comment. Indaba had a record turnout this year, 13,200 visitors! This gave Astrid plenty of opportunity to hand out little hessian bags with fragments of Barberton Greenstone in them.

Thanks to Sue from Fountain Baths who made the bags, and to Jannie De Witt for supplying the stones. We took 360 bags and were rapidly out of supply; everyone wanted a rock 3.5 billions years old. We even managed to give the Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Rejoice Mabudafasi, a stone.

Huge interest was shown in the prospective WORLD HERITAGE SITE. This gives BCT the oportunity to not only market our town, but also the wider Province, and of course our country. We are both delighted and grateful.

Booking System

You may have noticed that BCT has decided to scrap both membership fees and our centralised booking system. All bookings now depend entirely on visitor's choice. Every service provider in the Barberton area should have their telephone numbers on the web site. Visitors inquiring about accommodation at BCT offices is given a list of guest houses, lodges and B and B’s so that they can make their own decisions, and their own arrangements if they wish.

Please check your web site information to ensure that all your information, including your rates and telephone numbers, have been updated. It is up to you to keep the information correct. If anything that is on the visitor handout needs to be changed, please let Astrid and Dirk, the web master, know to ease the updating. Contact Dirk at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Integrated Visitor Services Strategy

If you did’nt get to the Barberton meeting of the IVS presentation, you have another chance to keep abreast of tourism plans for the Lowveld. Lowveld Tourism has organized a breakfast for all interested parties, which includes all BCT members, to a breakfast meeting in White River to discuss the Integrated Visitor Services Strategy. It will be a chance for networking as well as listening to four presentations, from the IVS team, the CEO of SANParks, the 2010 coordinator of the Mbombela Local Municipality and the CEO of My Acre of Africa.

Date: 15th of July.

Venue: the Kshani Golf and Nature Reserve, in White River.

Time: 9.30 am for 10 am until 12 noon

Cost: R 75 for BCT members and R 100 for non members. RSVP: Linda or Noleen by 1300 on Monday 14th July on 013 755 1988 or This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Good News - Ambulances

In the course of finding out about Barberton’s medical facilities for the Cockney Liz crew, Astrid discovered that the ambulance fleet would be gaining four new ambulances. This should be comforting knowledge not only to us as residents but to our tourists as well.

Paragliders

The NTT Toyota National Paragliding Cup was a great success. So much so, that we have had confirmation that this will be an annual event for Barberton. We need to thank NTT Toyota for coming up with the main sponsorship, as well as every single person that pitched in to make this event a success. The paraglider pilots decided to adopt the Esperado Children’s Haven as a way of giving back to the community. This was most graciously accepted with our Mayor, Richard Lukhele, who opened the event and was present when all the gifts were handed out. Sophia, the Chidren's Haven's House Mother, was taken up for a birthday flight which she thoroughly enjoyed. Many locals jumped at the chance of the special cut-rate tandem flights for the duration of the cup.

Stop press

Despite a few days of grim weather,the gliders were so happy with the flying conditions, the beauty of the area and the warmth of the people, that about 80 paragliders will return for the week-end of the 19th of July, to revel in Barberton's wide sky. This will be the launch of a new Paragliding competition, Air Raid 2008, a free-entry Inter Club Challenge. The idea was born here, fostered by the need to promote inter club links as much as the superb conditions. Well done, Astrid, for coordinating this singular success.

Jock Cycle Race 19 July 2008

Good news! Egbert De Bruin has again been successful in getting a sponsor for the Jock Cycle race. Well-done Egbert! It will now be called the Medihelp Jock Cycle Classique, will is still an Argus qualifier. It will start in Nelspruit at the Show Grounds, and end at the High School in Barberton. To book stalls please contact Wandi at the High School, 013 712 1120. Costs are R50.00 per stall.

Enter the race on line at www.cyclelab.co.za  The Jock Cycle Classique was rated the best cycle race in Mpumalanga last year The “Barberton Giant” the Bulembu Road climb challenge, will start at 09h00 on Sunday. Entries cost R50. Anyone who enters will receive a medal and a Champagne Breakfast. Spectators can join in for the breakfast at a cost of R30.00 each. Contact Egbert 082 926 7395.

Egbert points out that in 2000 we had a total 2100 cyclists. Last year we had only 780, and this year numbers will probably be much the same. He puts it down to the fact that there are several races around the country, and petrol prices mean cyclist will chose one closer to home. But if all goes according to plan we will have the race back next year to start here and end here in Barberton.

Publicity for Barberton

Main Line media came for a two-day visit and stayed for five thanks to Astrid’s hosting them and pointing them in their specified direction. Their search was for the odd, eccentric or interesting people as subjects for stories and features in magazines such as Sawubona (the in flight SA Airways magazine) Country Life, and Drive Out, to name but a few. Beautiful views and of course World Heritage news were also on the list.

The feedback is that there are four stories due to be published in Lowveld Living and two accepted by Country Life. Others are in the offing. Keep your diaries handy John Duncan, a long standing Barberton resident, has offered to lead a walk and talk up historical Rimers Creek. Barberton Tourism and Friends of the Museum will jointly organize this event which your visitors are bound to enjoy. It will be a chance for you to acquaint yourselves with the history of this fascinating old part of town, too. The date is to be arranged.

Rimers Creek Festival

This event turned out to be a great success and we will let you know when the next one will take place. Gold Panning at Diggers Retreat Sunday 1st June saw about 30 panners competing in a variety of events on a beautiful sunny day in the lovely setting at Diggers. Thanks to all the service providers who generously gave weekend break prizes for this competition. The organizers apologize to those who were not mentioned in the papers as they had hoped. The subsequent event was on 27th June and although there was a smaller turn out all the panners and spectators enjoyed themselves. It is a pleasant way for visitors to Barberton to spend the day and even participate in the events.

Next time you see it advertised send your visitors along. Beginners and children are welcome to come and try their hand. Our champion Barberton Gold Panner leaves for the World Championships in Spain on 16th July and the championships start a few days later. Good luck Danny.

Keep a look out During the next ten weeks as the Barberton Times will be running a ‘Know Your Town’ competition sponsored by Gunther from Africa Paper Base. Gunther’s idea is to encourage increasing knowledge of the town and increase tourism awareness. The questions will be compiled by Astrid and will cover all sorts of aspects of the town and it’s history. Africa Paper Base will be sponsoring the many lovely prizes and the winner will become the crowned Barberton Boffin. Keep and eye on the Barberton Times where you will see details of the competition.

Did you know the Meaning of the Barberton Tourism Logo? Because Barberton's world renown stems from it's geology, rocks form the basic symbol. This is linked to other aspects of our heritage by resembling the art work of Nucain Mabusa who, in the 70’s painted the rocks near Revolver Creek on the Kaapmuiden road, calling them his garden. The designs on the rocks are of a daisy – our Barberton daisy, of course - and an animal, representing our wonderful wildlife heritage. The decorative border on each rock echoes the work of Mabusa, but could also represent the chain of existence (DNA) or the circle of life. If you don't know Mabusa's garden, go and take a look at the rocks. They are easiest to view in winter, when the grass is not so thick. Nucain Mbusa was a farm laborer who spent his money on paint and brushes, leaving us an extraordinary legacy of original art. He is named as one of the two South African ‘Outsider Artists’ alongside Helen Maartens,the ‘Owl Lady’ of Bethseda in the Karoo.

A member’s query

Talking to a BCT member the other day, I discovered that she did not know the Museum opening times at weekend and holidays. They are: 9 am till 4 pm on weekdays, Sat and Sunday’s 10am till 3pm, and closed between 1 and 2pm BCT has an arrangement with the museum regarding unforeseen closures. The INFO staff have a list of duty arrangements for weekends and holidays, and if the museum is found to be closed,contact the INFO offices where a staff member will then contact the relevant Museum staff member.

If you know of any up-coming events or items of interest, be sure to let Astrid know or get in touch with Anne Morgan, our newsletter compiler, on 013 712 5418 or 082 255 3233. Otherwise simply load the details onto the website calendar at www.barberton.co.za 

We will be happy to provide advance publicity in this newsletter. Please make this newsletter yours by becoming involved. Let us know what you want to publicise and/or wish to hear.

Contact details: Barberton Tourism Tel 013 712 2880