New Official Barberton Airfield

The existing Barberton Valley Airfield on the Snymansbuilt road north of Barberton has been officially accepted by the Umjindi-Barberton municipality as the new official Barberton Airfield.  The airfield has already been renamed "Barberton".  The old municipal airstrip to the east of the town has been permanently closed.  The new Barberton Airfield will be licensed with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as a "Catagory-B aerodrome".  The airfield already has a 1000 m runway with lights, apron and hard stand for turbine aircraft and is available to all aircraft up to 6000 kg intending to land at Barberton.

Future expansion to the airfield by 2010 will include a terminal building and tower with Aerodrome Flight Information Service (AFIS), hangars and upgraded runway.

Airfield owner and operator CC Pocock 082 490 5721

African Bush Pilots Fly-In and Airshow

Barberton Garden competition

Entry forms to be collected from Realty Estate Agents.  Entry fees are R10.00

Great prizes to be won!

For more info call Daphne on 083 373 7128 

Para gliders

Two weeks ago on 19^th July the Para gliders returned to Barberton for their Air Raid inter-club para gliding competition.  Five clubs were involved.  To name a few of the most evocative, Sky Birds, Cloud busters and Slowvelders.  The event was sponsored by NUK and Qumo property developments.

They reported back enthusiastically saying that the weather was the best they had ever seen in Barberton during the last 10 years.  Gliders flew to a height of 2000 feet above sea level and ranged for 10 kilometers in every direction, a couple of pilots ending up in Badplaas!  There were only two minor injuries recorded due to gusty conditions at take off.

James Braid, the organizer of the competition, thanked the various parties in Barberton who made the competition possible and successful including the BCT.  He says that Barberton is South Africa's ‘premier winter flying site with unsurpassed flying conditions, and that it is only a matter of time before international para gliding competitions will take place form Lone Tree Hill'.  This looks promising.

Jock Cycle Race

Egbert De Bruin must be thanked for the successful Jock cycle race which took place on 19^th July.  The Medihelp Jock Cycle Classique had 800 entries and the race, starting from Nelspruit, ended at the High School.  There is a good chance that, if the road is finished, we will have the start in Barberton next year.  Sunday 20^th saw the Bulembu Road Climb Challenge known amongst cyclists as the Bulembu Giant.  NTT was the sponsors of this race.

Thanks to the school and the sponsors and most of all Egbert for arranging the race against what seemed like large odds earlier in the year.  Egbert says that next years race will be the 26^th Classique cycle race and he is hoping it will start here.

The Jock cycle Classique is the biggest cycle race in the whole of Mpumalanga and the only one in the North East of the country that is an Argus qualifier.  It is the persistence of people like Egbert which brings events to Barberton and this is what we need to become a sought after destination.

Know your town

Have you been following or entering the Wiz quiz in the Barberton Times?

Promoted by Africa Paper Base and Astrid of BCT it has been run for 2 weeks out of the 10 that are planned.  Gavin Neville and Mandla Mlambo were the winners of the first week of the competition. There were no winners in the second week.

To win the entrant has to have all the questions answered correctly, all the correct entries are put into a hat and a draw takes place, the first 5 drawn are the winners.  Even if you don't enter, test you knowledge and learn about your town.

Mozambique Tourism

FUTUR, a group of Mozambican tour operators and representatives of the Republic of Mozambique Ministry of Tourism, made a flying visit to Barberton, arranged by LCBT and MTPA.  The Mozambique government is interested in promoting tourism and exchange with South Africa and Barberton will hopefully benefit from this interest.

As the visit was to be of two hours duration only Astrid arranged for a glimpse of Barberton in constrained circumstances.  She arranged for Tony Ferrar and Flicka Goslett to talk about the World Heritage Site and the Umjindi Jewelery Project respectively.  The group arrived late putting further constraints on time, but were so interested in their trip to the museum that they stayed on, ending in a quick tour of the Heritage Walk with Alison Bornman.  Alison also told them about the Samora Machel Monument at Mbuzini, for which the Department of Sports Culture and Recreation and she, as Curator of the museum, are responsible.  This was of considerable interest to the group.

Butterfly News

There are 3 unique butterflies in Barberton, according to an article by Herbert Otto.  They are to be found in the vicinity of Sheba mine.  The three are Swanepoel's Blue (Lepidochrysops Swanepoel)  first identified in 1945 by David Swanepoel; Jeffrey's Blue (Lepidochrysops Jefferyi ) first sighted at the Ulundi Mine in 1906 and rediscovered at Sheba mine; and Barbara's Copper (Aloeides Barbarae) found by John Joannou in 1989 and named after his wife Barbara.

If you would like to read more about them log on to the BCT website where you can find the article ‘Barberton home to three unique butterflies and 3.5 billion years old Rock.' .

Barberton Round Table

Barberton Round Table 67 are hosting 64 international guests form 8 different countries.  They have arranged the big 5 tour.  On Saturday they will be taken on a special tour that has been arranged by Andrea from the Barberton Tourist Hive.  Astrid has been asked to represent the BCT at the dinner on Saturday evening.  She will be giving the visitors a Barberton rock bag as well as a shortened version of the World Heritage Site information compiled by Tony and Sandy Ferrar for the Indaba.

Museum Opening Times

Museum opening times at weekend and holidays are 9 am until 4 pm each day as well as Saturdays  and Sunday's. (Not 10 am till 4 pm at weekends as reported in last months Focus)

Contact details:

Barberton Tourism

Tel 013 712 2880