Rachel Colenso

Survival and protection of your assets in any walk of life is as much about being proactive in planning and preparation as it is having quick reactions, and the judgement to make the right decisions when the time arises. Working to a plan as a team is more effective than working in isolation. Watching homes with all their possessions burn to the ground, should be enough to encourage any person living in an area at risk of fire to take precautions, yet not everyone knows how to prepare. Here are a few tips I received from our local wildfire Superintendent when he paid a visit to our property: 1.) Make sure all your important documents and items are stored in one easily accessible, safe place in case you need to leave quickly, ( passports, drivers licence, cards, car keys and any medications you may need, such as asthma pumps). 2.) Ensure you have an evacuation plan, and that you are prepared. 3.) Keep your vehicle in good running order and the tank full. 4.) Ensure the guttering on your...

Summer has finally hit the Western Cape. Over the passed week daily temperatures soared to nearly 40deg C. For some the 'holiday' week may have involved ferrying irritable kids in hot cars to overcrowded beaches with no parking. Here are a couple of Cape Town's beach alternatives; outdoor, family activities where you can enjoy being active and close to nature without overheating. Silvermine Nature Reserve Part of the Table Mountain National Park, Silvermine is a great family option for all ages. Get there early, to take advantage of the shady picnic sites and take swimming costumes for a dip in the dam. The water is normally cool and refreshing, without needing to don an Atlantic Ocean wetsuit. Mum, Dad or the keen and fit can increase the activity level with a circuit run to the top of Noordhoekpiek which overlooks Houtbay. Come back and report your findings down below to the rest of the family who might well be studying the variety of flora and fauna around the dam. A gen...