GANSBAAI BOOK BACK ON TRACK
Gansbaai book – long expected but much delayed – is in the pipeline again, thanks to the intervention of additional advance buyers.
The Afrikaans version will come first and is being written at the moment. As soon as it starts taking shape, an English version will be produced, aimed at a wider international readership. In this blog we will give you tasty excerpts and info work in progress. Your comments (and advance orders) are always welcome!
Gansbaai is a typical small South African fishing village, and along with the neighbouring villages or hamlets of Baardscheerder’s Bosch, Elim, Pearly Beach and Uilenkraal, it is unique in many interesting ways.It is for instance part of the landscape where Homo sapiens, ancestors of us all, first saw the light; the real Paradise if you like.
Of course, Gansbaai, more properly Kleinbaai, is world-renowned as a prime Great White Shark watching venue, more reliable than any other on earth, and one of the best places for watching right, humpback and Bryde’s whales, as well as several varieties of dolphins.
The Gansbaai region is also part of the stunning “Fynbos” biome, a treasure chest of species and a source of endless wonder to botanists and amateurs alike. It is also a fishing village of note, contributing millions to the economy by its harvests of pilchards, anchovy and a wide variety of line-fish.
Cape Agulhas also features in the book, primarily for the role it has played in the long and hazardous maritime history of this southernmost tip of Africa across more than four centuries.
The diverse populations of Gansbaai and the legacy of a divided past are still a central issue in establishing an equitable future for all. It is equally difficult to ignore the role played by the multi-million irregular trade in perlemoen (abalone) and drugs and their social, economic and legal onsequences.
All things considered, the Gansbaai book, with an authoritative text and strikingly beautiful colour pictures, wants to be a priceless record and keepsake of this fascinating corner of Africa when it appears.
We will track its progress here and give you regular updates and previews of what to expect.
JHF
