IWC Schaffhausen, the official timekeeper for the ocean yacht race sponsoring team Abu Dhabi, gave us a glimpse into the pain, pleasure and prestige of this remarkable sailing event. By Jacqueline Cochrane

Given its extreme nature, the physical and mental strength it requires from participants and the technology and money involved in making it happen, it’s easy to see why so many people draw parallels between the Volvo Ocean Race and Formula 1. But upon meeting two-time British Olympic medallist Ian Walker, skipper of the Abu Dhabi entry, I am reminded less of Michael Schumacher and more of British landscape painter, JMW Turner (1775 – 1851).

See, Turner was fascinated by the violence of the ocean. Many other artists and wordsmiths have been inspired by nature, but where the likes of Wordsworth would wax lyrical about a field of daffodils, for Turner nature was something sublimely powerful, a force of profound rawness expressed in phenomena such as storms, snow and fire. Above all, it was the ocean that fascinated him; its unconquerable vastness and brutal apathy to the mortals who try traversing inspired him to create works such as “Slave Ship” and “Fishermen at Sea”. Turner was known to be an eccentric man; an introvert prone to bouts of depression, and a controversial fellow in his day. But for all his social awkwardness and intensely private lifestyle, I have a feeling that he’d have felt right at home in the company of Walker and the other sailors who participate in the Volvo Ocean Race. Like Turner, these men respond to the ocean’s lure in a way that, to the rest of us, often seems downright insane.

“It’s the only extreme team sport there is,” explains David Hassett, Commercial Director at Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. It is a fine, bright afternoon at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, and Hassett is showing me and a handful of other journalists around the Azzam; a gleaming black racing yacht and arguably the most breathtaking of the six competing boats. These vessels arrived in Cape Town not long before our visit, after almost three weeks at sea. They’d covered 6 500 nautical miles from the Spanish port city of Alicante, through the Straits of Gibraltar, into the Atlantic, southwest toward the equator and the infamous Doldrums belt, picking up the trade winds near the Brazilian coast and then eastwards again and straight to the Mother City. It was gruelling, and two yachts suffered snapped masts, but that was only the first of nine legs of this race. With the globe’s oceans as its vast racing track, this mammoth competition will only come to end in July this year.

Each of the six vessels has an 11-strong crew, made up of a skipper, navigator, two teams of four who take turns sleeping for four hours and then working for four, and a media crew member whose duties include sending real-time audio, video and written updates via sophisticated satellite technology.

This is the first time Abu Dhabi entered a team. Watching their boat, the Azzam, peacefully moored at the V&A Waterfront is like looking at a racehorse grazing in a paddock – it’s all power, just waiting to be unleashed. The state-of-the-art yacht was developed by Farr Yacht Design in the USA, and required an impressive 49 000 construction hours. The result is a 14-tonne, carbon-fibre masterpiece capable of reaching a top speed of around 70km/h.

“You’re going to spend anywhere between US$5 million and US$8 million to build one of these things,” Hassett tells us. “But the amount of stories they generate in the period while they’re in the water is absolutely amazing. It’s a live show going around the world.”

Everything about the Azzam impresses; but there’s nothing here that spells comfort.

On board, what most of us think of as necessities are deemed excesses, and these are trimmed to a point that ordinary people struggle to fathom. There are no beds, as such. There is no bathroom. One sink caters for cooking, rinsing things, brushing teeth, and a water-maker that desalinates sea water is where the crew gets their supply of precious H20 from. It is as Hassett takes us downstairs to peek into the belly of this boat that we literally bump into Walker… bumping into things seems to be inevitable in these cramped spaces.

“We divide the space by the number of people, and we get about two square metres each,” Walker, a legend in sailing circles, explains. “But the travesty of the whole thing is we don’t actually get to use much of the space, we only ever live in half the boat,” he adds, explaining that everything in the boat is usually moved to one side of the vessel. “We spend half our time carting gear around.” Stern but chipper, he tells us about their diet of freeze-dried food, which could ultimately be described as flavoured mush.

“The biggest thing about freeze-dried food is you can eat it all through a straw – it’s good to have things like biltong and stuff, where you can use your teeth.”

The relationship between the Abu Dhabi entry and its official sponsor, IWC Schaffhausen, seems a natural fit – and not only because IWC Schaffhausen is the Official Timekeeper of the Volvo Ocean Race. “IWC Schaffhausen and the Volvo Ocean Race share the same spirit: unique brands, known for inventiveness, technical excellence, outstanding craftsmanship, masculinity and adventure,” says Georges Kern, CEO IWC Schaffhausen. In celebration of the event and with a clear nod to the pioneering spirit and courage of the crews who are participating in it, IWC has unveiled the special edition Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition. A highly reliable and elegant sports watch made of titanium, it has all the precision of nautical instruments in its make-up.

Portuguese Yacht Club Edition

Lifestyle back Portuguese Yacht Club Edition

IWC

Photographer - AINHOA SANCHEZ

Yachts in competition

Photographer - DAVE KNEALE

Yacht close up view

Photographer - AINHOA SANCHEZ

Yacht helicopter view

Photographer - AINHOA SANCHEZ

Team in action

Photographer - NICK DANA

13_ADOR-and-IWC_CREDIT_NICK-DANA

Photographer - NICK DANA

Visit www.iwc.com for more information or witness the action via www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com

The dinner show has pitched its elaborate tent at the popular casino complex in Johannesburg for an exciting new season.

Madame Zingara is never static and therefore new elements have been added to the tent, the acts and even the menu. The audiences at the theatre show can anticipate an exciting line-up of impressive local and international artists performing daring new acts, to complement the popular, decadent four-course feast.

What most guests won’t notice is the army of employees behind the scenes that it takes to make sure this intricate production goes off without a hitch – and a big element of this is the troupe of kitchen staff working to get 420 dishes prepared and sent out four times a night, in limited windows between the acts. We catch up with Executive Chef Grethel Ferreira to hear about this extraordinary feat.

What does your job entail?

As the executive chef at Madame Zingara I am in charge of everything that happens in the restaurant and the kitchen — from placing orders and consolidating costs to managing staff and ensuring that they deliver the highest level of service to customers.

What is your background?

I decided to become a chef when I was in Matric. I enrolled in the Elsa van der Nest Culinary Academy, which is where I got my diploma and then I started my career in 2002 as an intern in banqueting at GrandWest Casino. Then I worked at 5 Flies restaurant in the CBD, where I learnt the pressures of al a carte dining. Three years later, I was approached by one of my clients to run their restaurant at the Sea Point Gardens Restaurant and Hotel, an offer I grabbed with both hands as it allowed me to be more involved in the management of all aspects of the restaurant. After that I joined Madame Zingara’s first restaurant in Loop Street and now I am the Executive Chef for the Theatre of Dreams.

Describe a typical day.

Being an Executive Chef means that your day begins before everyone else’s and carries on long after they have left. I generally start the day placing orders (we place orders every day to make sure that all the produce is fresh). This takes about two to three hours. I then do a formal briefing with staff, review the previous night and resolve any issues that may have occurred, and discuss the agenda for the day. By this time the orders have started arriving, so we have to check each and every order to make sure that the quality and quantity of the food prepared is correct. Once this is done, I consolidate all the special requests from customers for the day so that we know what to prepare. Then it is off to the kitchen to administer all the preparations and assist with the meals. Service time only begins eight hours after starting work.

At Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams things are different from a normal restaurant; food is sent out in between acts and we only have a 15 minute gap to deliver food to 420 hungry guests. I have to systematically manage and keep a sharp eye on the presentation, the waiters and waitresses, and also make sure the food remains hot. This is probably the most gruelling part of the job, but the most fun too.

What are the biggest challenges that face you at work?

One of the biggest challenges is constantly ensuring that you not only maintain the same level of service excellence that Madame Zingara is known for, but better it. People come to the show for an extraordinary experience – the food and service are as much a part of that as the performances. But these challenges are easier to overcome if you have the support of your staff members; instilling a sense of pride in what they do means that they too will want to deliver service of the highest order.

What are your major rewards?

Receiving positive feedback from customers is right up there on the list. Working in an environment like The Theatre of Dreams means you are surrounded by enthusiastic creative people who have become like family, which is a definitely plus.

What do you need to succeed in to be a chef?

You must be able to work under pressure and accept criticism (use this to improve your skills) – not all customers will be as kind as your mom. Creativity is also a huge part of being a chef. You need to develop a keen interest in creating meals that will make your customers come back for more. Being an executive chef means developing strong interpersonal and leadership skills. When there is a crisis, the staff will look to you. You must be level-headed in times of a crisis – be a leader for your team. As the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

Most importantly you must make sure you love what you do and the rest will fall into place.

Cuisine

Grethel Ferreira

Grethel Ferreira

Tent panoramic

Cathy Specific

For Johannesburg bookings at Montecasino, Fourways , contact the Madame Zingara box office by calling 0861 623 263 or email boxoffice@madamezingara.com For more information about the show, visit www.madamezingara.com

Rich in natural resources, Nigeria is set to become a big economic player on the world stage. Big business interest naturally follows economic booming regions which foster the demand for private air travel and private aircraft charters.

Between 2004 and 2008 the private aviation industry in South Africa saw impressive annual growth. Then came the 2009 global recession, when the very existence of the industry was fundamentally threatened. Kevin Taylor discovers a recovering Nigerian niche market where the sky is no longer the limit for South African entrepreneurs

It is no secret the global economic collapse of financial markets and subsequent worldwide recession hit the luxury market where it hurts. Nearly three years since the start of the meltdown, thousands of jobs have been cut and billions of dollars lost. The once thriving industry of private aviation in Africa, along with the rest of the world, descended into oblivion amidst the worldwide economic meltdown. Orders for new, private planes not only slowed down but were cancelled in perpetuity as the industry saw a two-year global shrinkage on a monumental scale.

However, in 2011 things began to change, with African countries seeming more resilient to the financial crisis and ricocheting from their slump surprisingly quicker than their Western counterparts. Rich in natural resources and largely commercially untapped, Nigeria is set to become a big economic player on the world’s stage… and where there is black gold, investment follows – bringing direct foreign investment, and lots of it. Where money flows, South Africa has learned to reap the rewards of playing a mass-scale middleman between the First and Third World. Big business interest naturally follows economic booming regions, which when combined with a bureaucratic state ultimately fosters the demand for private, convenient and exclusive air travel.

Closely following South Africa as the continent’s biggest market for both business jet sales and charter frequency, Nigeria has a total of 70 private aircraft operating within its borders with numbers increasing steadily, and very cleverly, this is the pinnacle on which South Africa has capitalised.

Olumide Ohunayo, Head of Research and Statistics for Nigerian based Zenith Travel says: “With so much red tape attached to the registering of private aircraft in Nigeria, many businesses and individuals have made the decision to register and maintain their aircraft in South Africa to bypass the laborious Nigerian process.” This directly translates into an injection into South Africa’s coffers for Nigeria’s booming aviation industry. “Private jet owners in Nigeria are spending on average $52.3 million annually on maintenance of aircraft, expatriate pilots and technical crew,” claims CEO for Belujane Konzult, Chris Aligbe. “Currently, approximately 443 expatriate pilots and engineers are working on private jets in Nigeria, and with the majority of these resources coming from the southern tip of Africa, South Africa is lucratively piggybacking on Nigeria’s quick economic recovery.”

Whether or not Nigeria is set to overtake South Africa as holding the largest market capitalisation on the continent will determine just how big and how fast the oil-rich nation grows, and whether such growth will be sustainable to facilitate the need for an even bigger private aviation industry. With the positive direction in which West Africa is heading at the moment, it certainly looks like it will be an industry set to enjoy positive growth for the foreseeable future.

It is the only dedicated single grain whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which can be considered on the same level as most modern whisky-making locations across the globe. Natalie Hilleli from LIVEOUTLOUD went to have a look.

I feel that maybe I should begin with a fair warning to all visiting the beautiful Cape and wanting to head to Wellington – it’s hot, exceptionally hot! It’s a good few degrees hotter than the city of Cape Town. Having left Johannesburg at dawn in the unwelcome mist and chill of an early summer morning, I was dressed for what I thought was going to be the usual ‘four seasons in one day’ Cape Town. We were heading to Wellington to visit the magnificently beautiful James Sedgwick Distillery. Needless to say by 10:00am, breathing in whisky fumes in 40 degree weather had me seeking shade in the postcard-perfect, stylish ‘barn’ where we were invited to enjoy whisky cocktails and a decadent food and whisky pairing affair in celebration of the distillery’s 125th anniversary. Overlooking a beautiful body of water, with birds flying overhead, the charm of this barn and the entire estate makes it understandable why master distiller Andy Watts and his team look so happy. Watts at the same time celebrated his own accomplishment – 20 years at the helm of the facility.

The James Sedgwick Distillery, dating back 125 years to 1886, is situated near the foothills of the Bain’s Kloof Pass in Wellington, in the heart of the Boland. It is the only dedicated whisky distillery in all of Africa and one which can be considered on the same level as most modern whisky-making locations across the globe. Named after the 19th Century sea captain James Sedgwick, who became one of the pioneers of the South African liquor industry, it is home to the popular, proudly South African Three Ships Whisky and Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky.

Sedgwick settled in Cape Town in 1850 and proved himself to be quite the wise businessman. In 1859 he established the firm of J Sedgwick & Company, suppliers of quality liquor, tobacco and cigars. When he passed away in 1872, two of his sons, Charles and Alfred, took over the running of the thriving business, which grew greatly under their management. In 1886 the company set up (some sources say bought) a distillery in Wellington.

The facility, originally a brandy distillery, started being used as a whisky distillery 20 years ago when production of the Three Ships brand was relocated there. At the same time Andy Watts, a past professional cricketer who had learnt the art of whisky making in Scotland, was appointed as the distillery’s manager.

The last 20 years have been a time of major change and accomplishments for the James Sedgwick Distillery. A strong focus was placed on ensuring the distillery would function in a sustainable, environmentally-sensitive manner and substantial renovations were made to ensure only the best, world-class quality whisky would be produced – including commissioning Forsyth’s of Scotland to produce copper pot stills for the distillery. To ensure access to a reliable water supply, a marshland next to the distillery was turned into a dam. The result is a lovely aesthetic feature to the distillery.

“The investment made in upgrading the facility has resulted in the capability to take the range of whiskies we are able to produce to the next level,” Watts said. “It has given us the confidence to compete – and today very successfully – in the international arena. Our latest Three Ships 10 Year Old single malt this year alone garnered gold medals at both the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the International Wine and Spirit Competition.”

“The whisky industry in South Africa, as opposed to the established producers like Scotland, is still in its relative infancy. However, we are constantly developing our range to underscore the country’s ability to produce world-class whiskies. Receiving recognition from these international competitions, judged by some of the world’s leading experts, is humbling and a sign that we are moving in the right direction,” explains Watts with great passion. The 100 percent single grain whisky, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky, came back for the second consecutive year with a gold medal from the 2011 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of the Bain’s Kloof Pass, Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is South Africa’s first single grain whisky and is made from the finest South African grain. Its double-maturation imparts flavour and complexity, resulting in an exceptionally smooth and distinctive whisky.

Andy Watts, master distiller at James Sedgwick distillery

James-Sedgwick-Distillery

James Sedgewick Distillery

James Sedgwick Distillery

For further information about the whiskies produced at the James Sedgwick Distillery visit www.bainscapemountainwhisky.co.za or www.threeshipswhisky.co.za

Jonathan Snashall spent his December holiday sampling the wines of Victoria and South Australia and discovers Australian wine entering a new age

The days of shipping wine to Europe before they had orders are long gone. Yet at its peak Australia displaced France in the UK market – one of the biggest and toughest – and, with just four percent of total world wine production, is the fourth largest exporter of wine by volume behind traditional wine-producing giants Italy, France and Spain.

The French, understandably, have not taken this very well and are busy clawing their way back. It reminds me of a hilarious scene in Jancis Robinson’s 1990s BBC wine series where she sneaks a bottle of Australian Chardonnay into a Burgundian’s production cellar and he chose – while taking himself very seriously – to walk outside to spit the wine.

It’s hard to dismiss Australia’s influence, not only on wine production but marketing as well – if Australians didn’t invent wine branding they certainly came near to perfecting it.

More recent times have been a lot tougher. After oversupply, drought, fires, vine-pulling schemes, consolidation and rationalisation, a new lean Australian wine industry has emerged, with cool climate regions like Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, and Yarra Valley, and more recently Tasmania, making elegant wines a far cry from the blockbuster Barossa Shiraz on which they built much of their reputation.

Wine is made in every state and Victoria, with Melbourne as the capital, has a growing reputation for classic cool climate varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – though they just couldn’t stop themselves from planting some Shiraz. Despite their exporting success, many of Australia’s finest wines are not exported. You really need to go there to discover the true depth and range on offer.

One of the consequences and ironies of the New World’s reverse colonisation of the Old World is that to some extent the one is making and labelling wine like the other. While you could argue that Australia is doing it with more intense flavours, they are certainly making more finer structured and lighter bodied wines than ever before. A good example of this is labelling Shiraz Syrah, often when lighter bodied and spicier.

However, the leading edge of Australia’s age of elegance is Chardonnay. Earlier picking to achieve lower alcohols (12.5 to 13.5 percent) has not resulted in compromising flavours, and with judicious use of oak has seen the emergence of more finesse. Although part of an international trend, it also fits better with Australia’s diverse cuisine and its food and wine matching competitions.

Picking red grapes earlier to reduce alcohol in red wine can result in under-ripe flavours but lower alcohols have been achieved in the vineyard through vine canopy management for example, while biodynamic producers have reported ripeness at lower sugar levels.

Australia’s “we-can-do-anything-better-than-you” attitude is exemplified in Peter Lehmann winemaker Andrew Wigan’s achievement with quintessential cool climate variety Riesling from the Barossa, although from higher altitude Eden Valley. He has garnered all manner of local and international awards to no doubt get up some European noses. South Africa might be able to draw some encouragement from last year’s much-improved 5 Nations results (previously 3 Nations, now with Argentina and Chile) where Australia won country of the show. Although I am not sure how widely it is entered, South Africa won wine of the show (Nederburg Eminence), white wine of the show (Paul Cluver Chardonnay), aromatic wine trophy (Jordan Riesling), white blends trophy (Tokara Director’s Reserve) other white varieties trophy (Bellingham Roussanne), Shiraz trophy (Eagle’s Nest) plus a raft of double gold.

SOME OF MY FAVOURITES FROM MY AUSTRALIAN WINELANDS EXPEDITION

• Peter Lehmann (Glen Carlou’s sister estate) The Wigan 2006 Riesling
• Seppelt St Peters Grampian Shiraz 2008
• Kooyong Meres (Port Phillip Estate) Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
• Kooyong Faultline Single Vineyard Selection Chardonnay 2009
• Seville Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2010
• Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1 2008
• Oakridge Limited Release Yarra Valley Fume (Sauv/Sem) 2010
• Main Ridge Pinot Noir 09 (both the Half Acre and Acre)
• Sparkling Brut Shiraz – was a great accompaniment to traditional Christmas lunch on a hot day.

Port Phillip Wine Estate

Port Phillip Wine Estate

Port Phillip Wine Estate Entrance

For information on local importers visit both www.winecellar.co.za and www.reciprocal.co.za

When faced with the daunting task of where to invest your hard-earned money, your options can be nearly as frightening as your first dance party. Standing across the room waiting for the courage to ask someone to dance with you – will she look as good when I get across the dance floor, is she suited to me, can I afford her and can I make it through the dating phase to the “pay off” stage?

How risky can you go with your portfolio choices and how much volatility can your blood pressure stand? Do you look at ‘sexy’ shares, flexible unit trusts, ‘plain Jane’ endowments, preferential shares, ‘exotic’ foreign currencies, property? The list just goes on and on.

So where do you start? The last place you would tend to think – yourself, your life i.e. by protecting the source of your investment and the assets that you have already accumulated and by making sure your estate can afford the costs involved when tying up an estate. Be it your salary, a property you rent out, your home, even an inheritance or your lottery winnings. Like any worthwhile plan you need a good foundation to build on because even the best planned recurring investments will crumble and be of very little help if your income comes to an end or dries up for an extended period due to ill health or accident, while the estate duties on your huge lump sum investment could diminish the value considerably and leave a massive shortfall in your estate planning.

Any financial planner worth their salt will start with your risk planning and help you determine if you have enough life cover in place, if your income protection is adequate and the correct type of cover for your needs. They will ensure your medical bills and critical illness expenses will be taken care of if they occur before they grab your investment money and “run”.

After a lot of searching I have still not been able to find a crystal ball that works and while we all know that we will suffer one of life’s unforeseen tragedies, we don’t know which it will be and more importantly when it will occur. In comparison this makes investing look easy — we know the date we want to start investing, we have the investment horizons before we start and we have a good idea what we want the money for one day.

Before meeting with your “advisor” take a little time and give some serious thought to your current situation. What is the total sum of your debt and how much of it can your spouse or partner afford without you? What is the bare minimum you can survive on every month if you are unable to work and your sick leave comes to an end? How much of your income do your family still need to support their lifestyle if you were to pass away? Are there any special plans you need to save for? If there is one time in your life you need to be brutally honest with yourself, this is it. Your future lifestyle and that of your family will be directly related to how you answer these questions should anything happen to you.

When meeting with your financial advisor, the more they probe and question you the better the job they are doing, much like your dentist poking around in your mouth with that sharp metal spike till they find something wrong and you practically take off out of the chair. Only once you find the problem can it be addressed and solved.

Before you start to worry about the bulls and bears, prime interest rates and bond prices, get yourself the peace of mind that, should you fall foul of ill health or physical injury, you will still earn an income and your family can continue the lifestyle they are accustomed to without having to dip into your investments or retirement plan.

Peter Ceruti is an accredited Momentum Financial Planner. For further details feel free to contact him at peter.ceruti@momentum.co.za

From a career as a racing driver, Ben Collins now includes the title of international bestselling author to his repertoire. Kevin Taylor spoke to this stunt-driving phenomenon about every man’s dream job to becoming one of the 21st Century’s most credible motoring authorities

The first time I met Ben Collins was in 2011 during an event that our sister company LIVEOUTLOUD Events was hosting. They had brought him to South Africa to endorse a new luxury vehicle launch and speak at four elaborate gala dinners about his life as a racing prodigy. I got the chance to travel with Ben across South Africa, and spending time with him on the road it struck me what a genuine person he is. Although reserved in demeanour, his ability to converse about anything and everything struck me as something very impressive and it was this approachability of his nature that in my opinion completely overshadowed his celebrity status.

Ben Collins was born in Bristol in the United Kingdom but lived in California during his early childhood. After school he studied law and served in the British Army for four years, with a significant part of this term devoted to working as a Special Forces driving instructor. It is here, Ben tells me, where his love for both cars and driving grew – ultimately leading him to become the stunt driver he is today.

In amongst an impressive career on the racetrack beginning in 1994, including racing in Formula Three, test driving Formula One cars and racing in the gruelling 24-hour Le Mans Series, finishing fourth in the 2010 Hungaroring 1 000km race, Ben was approached by the BBC to appear as The White Stig on a fast-growing motoring series called Top Gear. The concept was unoriginal, as the producers were essentially working off a model used in previous seasons with an elusive character called The Black Stig setting various lap times in a reasonably priced car. However, on Ben’s acceptance of the role, The White Stig would become more of an all-encompassing part of the show, featuring in many of the quirky off-track segments which ultimately led to an overall increase in the popularity of the character and the show itself. The identity of The Stig became so fiercely protected, Ben was shrouded most of the time in either his signature white helmet or a balaclava to avoid identification on set.

The evolution of the show, Ben says, enabled him to travel Europe and the rest of the globe extensively as The Stig, from touring the French Alps to racing exotic sports cars around the Nürburgring in Germany. Not only this, Ben featured as a stunt driver in the American blockbuster National Treasure: Book of Secrets and in James Bond films Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. His television career continued throughout his alternate racing career, and the BBC and producers of Top Gear managed very successfully to keep the identity of The Stig a secret. Then came January 2009, when the elusive reputation of Top Gear’s most enigmatic characters was threatened by the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. PR and spin-doctors went into overdrive, vehemently denying Ben was the man behind the mask claiming seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher to be the ‘scapegoat Stig’. Straight off the mark, Ben tells me, the media did not buy the BBC’s attempt at masking The Stig’s true identity, and Schumacher’s poor lap time on the track around which Ben broke record after record solidified their disbelief.

At the same time Ben had been working on a draft copy of an autobiography, a tell-all tale about his life, from young adulthood through to present time, and in the process revealing himself to the reader as The Stig. His decision to go ahead with publishing was made when the very crux of his book was threatened to be exposed before it had even been released. On discovering Ben was in negotiations with publisher HarperCollins, the BBC brought an immediate injunction against Ben and the publisher for releasing the book, which they eventually lost. In September 2010, his exposé called The Man in the White Suit was released across the United Kingdom and met with accusations of betrayal and self preservation from the BBC and Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. The Stig had finally been confirmed as Ben Collins and thousands of Top Gear fans were not impressed. Neither was the BBC who ultimately fired Ben from the show, with a dismissal akin to a dishonourable military discharge. It seemed Ben’s television career had come to a screeching halt as later attempts to feature on season 18 of Top Gear’s competitor show Fifth Gear never gained momentum and came to an end after only one season.

Dealing with the fallout of revealing his identity has been part of the process, Ben tells me, however, he has never regretted writing the autobiography or coming out as Britain’s most famous anonymous character. The Man in the White Suit went to number one in several countries, opening several other opportunities, including guest speaking appearances on the back of his book’s success. Over and above this, Ben continues to be part of the racing world and his company Collins Autosport continues to be involved in television and cinema stunt driving. He lives in Bristol with his wife and three children while travelling extensively due to his international driving and presenting career.

Samantha Barnes asks these difficult questions for those wanting to make the switch from a city lifestyle to country living. With rising living costs and jobs scarcer, is investing in country property still a good long-term investment?

John Veschini, principal of Rocky Valley Country Properties, gives a qualified “yes”. John has worked in real estate for over 30 years. He also offers extensive experience in architecture and building, so can speak with authority on the matter. “Typically, a person who yearns for the smell of the country, the sense of place, the tranquility and the slower lifestyle, will invest in country living. Someone who has had enough of the density of the city and all that goes with it… to ‘escape’ to a new way of life.”

John believes that life in the country can be likened to a good wine. It has the maturity of the mountains, the wind sculptured cliffs on the sea shore, the woody scent of the trees and the fynbos, and the smoothness of the undulating fields. It must be slowly and delicately savored and appreciated.

Rocky Valley Country Properties hosts property portfolios of many estate agencies throughout South Africa on their website. John notes a trend in terms of demand. “Most enquiries appear to be for property in and around country and coastal villages of the Western Cape, followed by the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and areas where game is the main attraction, such as Limpopo, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZulu Natal. The enquiries tend mostly to come from Gauteng, Cape Town and KZN.”

Numerous enquiries come from expatriates seeking to return home. Foreign buyers are currently few and far between due to the Euro Crisis. Does it make sense for South Africans to invest in country properties? John believes that prevailing economic conditions are in the investor’s favour.

Country Property Bargains to be had

John advises: “Presently, due mainly to the depressed economic climate, all categories of property are selling at prices of 2007 or before and at least 15 to 20 percent lower than current municipal valuations, so there are bargains to be had. With the turnaround in the economy expected by end of this year, capital growth is assured.”

Wayne Rubidge, estate agent for Pam Golding Properties in Graaff Reinet, confirms: “With the continual increase in urban pressure in the cities the reasons why the country has become a popular investment will increase. Even during the economic slowdown the Karoo kept attracting frustrated urban residents longing for a life in the uncomplicated countryside. It is a great time to invest. Demand for rental homes is giving investors another option.”

“Pam Golding Properties is the only real estate company to have serviced the entire Karoo. Our involvement in many towns extends to managing information centres, being active in tourism of the town and the very important heritage of many of its buildings.”

Country hot spots to invest

John responds: “There is an increasing demand for property in the country ‘niche’ market and in the Western Cape where there are seldom land claims (an important factor when purchasing agricultural property). Agricultural property is showing strong demand.”

Country towns often achieve elite status through effective marketing by creative residents (think Pieter-Dirk Uys in Darling!). Less fashionable towns afford the investor a greater potential for capital growth. John Veschini recommends that first time investors choose lesser known towns such as Tulbagh in the Winelands, Redelinghuys on the West Coast and Sutherland in the Northern Cape. “Many other small towns and villages in the country fit into this category.”

Wayne Rubidge advises: “Murraysburg is a hotspot, also Graaff Reinet and Prince Albert. Towns like Willowmore have been bought into – witnessed by extensive renovations going on. The Gariep area along the Orange River is seeing increased interest. Callled the Karoo’s Riviera, Vanderkloof/Gariep and Oviston are poised to take off.”

Considerations before making the switch to country living

Selecting a town also depends on personal preferences. A buyer may prefer the climate of the highveld to the windswept vistas of the Western Cape. John Veschini recommends: “Travelling distance to a major airport, proximity to healthcare, shopping facilities, schooling, low levels of crime and climatic conditions are important requirements. The level of maintenance needed, especially a period home, must be considered.”

Wayne Rubidge advises selecting a well-managed town that is on the upturn. “Graaff Reinet is a classic example – voted town of the year in 2010. It attracts a different buyer than the smaller town which offers a unique country village lifestyle. Graaff Reinet has the services and facilities, good schools, medical facilties and is surounded by a national park.”

Demographic profile

John Veschini confirms: “More people in their 40s are buying property. In terms of agricultural property this is more apparent and sensible (it takes energy and years to learn the tricks of the trade to have a profitable farm). Modern technology plays an important role – people can do business via the internet.”

Wayne Rubidge adds: “Often, who is buying depends on what town. Prince Albert which is an elite country town, attracts many due to its proximity to Cape Town and attracts many high-end investors for early retirement or as a getaway destination.”

“The Karoo is seeing an upsurge in investment and interest in its abundant small country towns. Many towns are attracting early retirement investors due to prices. You sell your house in George, Cape Town or Johannesburg… relocate to the Karoo, buy a house for R450 000, and have a nice retirement nest egg. Another popular category is a Karoo historical home as a getaway place or a second home.”

Brendon McHugh and his wife gave up the corporate rat race in 2002. They moved to South Africa from the Netherlands to raise their young children and to run a wine and olive oil farm. A former IT manager for Shell Chemicals Europe, Brendon is happy they made the move. He says, “We have a fantastic lifestyle. There is no better place to bring up children than on a farm.” Although he cautions: “I would suggest doing plenty of research before buying, as certain rural areas are still plagued by crime.” Brendon regards lifestyle farms as a good investment.

Country Canola mountains

Garden Route property

Graaff Reinet

Graaff Reinet House

Tulbagh in winter

The latest vehicle range from Citroën’s is the DS range – a sporty and premium version of the C4 which has garnered a surprising level of popularity both in South Africa and abroad.

I hit the road in the all-new THP 200 1.6 Sport petrol version, and to my surprise, I had a blast. Having not been a huge Citroën fan in the past, I found myself to be even more critically observant with the DS4 but at the end of the day, I can’t deny the sum total of the positives of this car overshadow any negatives, so much so that it is clear that French motor engineering has come leaps and bounds.

Positioned to compete with other crossover models such as the Mini Countryman and Nissan Qashqai as well as various coupés such as VW’s Scirocco and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the Citroën DS range has done well to give this feisty car appeal across the spectrum.

From the outside the car is attractive and sleek. It definitely holds a French air about it with an aggressive front grille and a daring shorter rear, fitted with impressive oversized lights. I can’t help but imagine the car cruising through the South of France with Charles Trenet’s “La Mer” playing over the sound system, visiting châteaux on a sunny day. Don’t let this fool you though – there is a lot more to this car than meets the eye.

In keeping with classic Citroën design, the vehicle is stylishly rounded but it is the small, modernised attention to detail that captured my attention. Wing-mirrors, contour detailing, inside door panels and Citroën badges all clad in glossy chrome add elegance to the body, especially against the Perla Nera Black option I was driving for the week. The design of the rear door is quite distinctive, with a modern angular shape to it and a door handle disguised in the top peripheral of the protruding extremity. On getting into the rear seat however, the first thing I noticed was the fact that the rear windows do not open – which seemed rather bizarre and was a bit annoying for me. Having said this, space in the back is adequate even for an adult of over six feet. Getting into the car I was acutely aware of its solid stature. The fact that all models of the DS4 come with a five-star Euro N-cap rating is no surprise to me. With six airbags, ABS with EBD and EBA, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, park assist, front and rear sensors, blind spot monitoring and traction control as a standard, I felt very secure and almost cocooned from the outside environment, even with the magnificent panoramic Zenith Windscreen that provides a fish-bowl effect of floor to ceiling forward facing views. The daytime-running headlamps are also directional, making your visibility while turning corners at night so much more clear.

The car has boot space is aplenty at 385ℓ, with more than enough room for the golf equipment, kit bag and briefcase to be thrown in together and super comfortable leather seats and chrome detailing on what would be an original C4 dash give the DS4 a luxury feel. I was very impressed with the overall finish of the interior and easily forgave it for not being as pristine as some of its well-known competitors. At night, the driver has the choice of illuminating the speedometer in either bright white or electric blue, further reiterating the car’s sporty flair.

The significantly raised ride height gave me the feeling of on-the-road superiority, without losing any of the Citroen DS4’s coupé audaciousness. In the front, gadgets and gizmos are abundant with a full on-board trip computer that allows you to control everything from the radio and Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, to the speedometer’s illumination and climate control. Seat heating and a special massage function in both the driver and passenger seat came as a pleasant revelation after a long day in the office.

On the road, the DS4 handles very well, with little to no body roll around even the sharpest of corners. The suspension is a lot firmer than the C4, often coming as a stark contrast to the soft and comfortable interior and what seemed an almost foreign concept in a Citroën. However, this enabled me to gather a good knowledge of the texture of the road on which I was driving and for a sporty option anything but firm suspension would be a big concern. Steering is nimble and accurate without coming across as tedious or over-protective, and overall the drive is an exciting one. A clever safety feature for blind spot protection is a small light that comes on in your wing-mirror warning you of a car sitting in either of your blind spots – something very useful for city and motorway driving.

The four cylinder 1.6 litre THP version I was driving packed out 147kW and 275Nm of torque, and for its larger size the car is impressively zesty with plenty of power in the mid-gear range. Having that extra power to overtake quickly without dropping a gear is convenient and works incredibly well with the vehicle’s user-friendly cruise control system. Citroën claims this six-speed manual reaches a top speed of 235km/h with a 0-100km/h acceleration sitting at 7.9 seconds, and the engine sounds really gutsy in the lower gear ranges.

With the THP derivative coming in at over R300 000 and with all of its features and added extras I consider this car a steal as you are certainly getting a good bang for your buck. With this said, although there is plenty of power and economy offered, in my opinion it is not as exciting a drive as its baby brother, the DS3. The pull factor in this case is the fact that this mid-range sports hatch comes fully equipped with technology and luxury you would expect to find in only the highest-end vehicles or, as the trend seems to be, if you were prepared to dip into your ‘optional extras budget’. What Citroën may be lacking slightly in engine size department, it makes up for several times over with the little additions that make a big statement, and as a result I am happy to say that the DS4 has converted me to a fan of Citroën.

The DS4 clearly marks a new age in French motoring, and as a result, I say vive le France!

The new Citroen DS4

The new Citroen DS4

The new Citroen DS4

The new Citroen DS4 interior

The new Citroen DS4 dashboard cluster

The new Citroen DS4

If you can imagine a world of magical mushroom-shaped rock towers and hobbit-like underground cities, then you have a picture of Turkey’s Cappadocia region. Marcus Brewster and photographer Mark Leach returned spellbound

Any traveller to Turkey who doesn’t visit the surreal landscape of Cappadocia in central Anatolia is missing out on something spectacular. Covering a small area (around 300km²), the topography of Cappadocia was created millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions depositing ash which solidified into a substance called tufa. Highly prone to erosion and the tunnelling capabilities of humankind, the extraordinary scenery that has borne witness to the past 30 million years is a result of wind, rain, rivers and the extremes of winter temperatures which have caused the rocks to contract, expand and ultimately disintegrate.

Chief among Cappadocia’s signature attractions are the “fairy chimneys”, natural columns reaching up to 40 metres, so named by the earliest inhabitants because they believed them to be the chimney stacks of fairies that lived beneath the ground. The idea of a subterraneous race of beings proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy since there are several troglodytic cities to explore in the region (some 36 exist but only a handful have been excavated).

Most impressive, most accessible and therefore most popular is the settlement of Derinkuyu. Extending to eight levels underground, Derinkuyu (meaning ‘deep well’) was home to some 20 000 people and contains stables, wine-presses, kitchens and churches – not to mention ventilation shafts. This multi-layered bunker was thought to have been linked by a 10km tunnel to a similar ant-hill city called Kaymakli.

Apart from marvelling at the ancient construction prowess of the two sites, you have to wonder what cataclysm – or threat thereof – motivated such an elaborate bolt hole. Was it a horde of marauding barbarians or an ice age that incentivised an entire city to tunnel for their lives? Interestingly, access to both settlements could be shut off by massive recessed millstones which rolled into place and which were engineered to only be opened from the inside to protect inhabitants from invaders. Fear of what evil could have made the good citizens of Derinkuyu take such elaborate precautions and implement such self-preservation strategies. This wasn’t a disaster of the order of the collapse of the euro, this was more like the sky falling on their heads.

These days, the only invaders of the region are awe-struck tourists and although staying in an underground city is not yet a hospitality option, staying in a cave certainly is. In fact, it’s almost impossible to find lodgings in Cappadocia that don’t offer a variation of the cell-like cave room carved out of the tufa outcrops.

In Urgup, a town now synonymous with the troglodyte cities hollowed out during the Byzantine era, there are a number of pensions offering between five to 12 rooms but almost nothing of any scale above. Thus it was with great pleasure that we sojourned at Urgup’s newest establishment, the MDC Hotel, the latest stellar addition to Urgup’s star-rated accommodation.

Built in a private valley overlooking a working farm (Urgup is renowned for its grapes), the MDC is significantly more in touch with the needs of luxury travellers than any other hotel in the region. Over 20 large rooms each with jacuzzis, restrained artisanal decor and an excellent restaurant distinguish the property. Make sure you try the incir tartlisi, a dessert of walnuts stuffed with figs, for a touch of indigenous culinary flavour.

The hotel’s capstone will be the construction of a swimming pool on the highest rock terrace behind the property in time for the 2012 season. Temperatures can soar in the summer months, as anyone who has ever travelled in the Mediterranean in July or August can testify, so this will give the MDC a further trump card in a winning hand.

Quite different in character is sister property, the Cappadocia Palace Hotel. Located next door to a monastery, the building retains a sense of its centuries past history when it originally served as lodgings for pilgrims visiting the adjacent seminary. Still fulfilling a hospitality function, the Cappadocia Palace has a monastic charm and is very conveniently located in striking distance of the village square.

Despite being in the heart of the region’s touring centre, Urgup has lost little of its old town appeal and still yields layers of Roman and Seljuk history to the patient traveller.

Urgup’s ancient name was Assiana and was later known as Bashisar under the Seljuks. There is plenty to see and do including the 13th Century remains of a Kadikalesi (castle); a museum containing ceramics, statuary, weapons, textiles, costumes and books; the Nukrettin mausoleum; the Altipali tomb and the Tasinaga library, named after a 19th Century village squire. However, these are amuse-bouches to the region’s banquet attraction – the Goreme Open-Air Museum.

To get the full impression of the area, every visitor must rise– literally – at dawn. That’s when great fleets of hot-air balloons lift off to drift across these weirdly wonderful landscapes. As one ascends and the magical enchantment of the valleys is touched by the softest pastel shades of breaking light, the human spirit glides upwards – to bear witness to the artistry of the devout and this spellbinding countryside which inspired them is enough to make one a believer. If not in God then at least in fairies!

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region

Turkey’s Cappadocia region