Vakansie in die see, son, sand en branders
OESTERBAAI
Die skilderagtige dorpie, Oesterbaai, is aangelê op ‘n gedeelte van die plaas Ou Werf, wat aan Mnr Henry Potgieter behoort het.
Die gedeelte van die plaas waarop Oesterbaai aangelê is, grens aan die see.
Mnr en Mev Carel van Tonder het die inisiatief aan die dag gelê en mnr Potgieter in 1956 genader om die betrokke deel van sy plaas aan hulle te verkoop. Hy het ingewillig en die Van Tonders het dit begin ontwikkel in ‘n vakansieoord.
Die naam Oesterbaai is waarskynlik te danke aan die baie Oesters wat destyds op die strand te vinde was.
BEKENDMAKING VAN ‘N GOEDGEKEURDE DORP SOOS IN DIE AMPTELIKE KOERANT VAN 1961
Hierdeur word bekend gemaak dat ondergenoemde dorp ‘n goedgekeurde dorp is kragtens artikel 20(6) van Ordonnansie no 33 van 1934.
Naam van Dorp Ligging Afdeling
Oesterbaai Humansdorp Humansdorp
Algemene Plan TP 1776
AANLEG
Aanvanklik is daar 134 persele afgemeet. Nadat ‘n gedeelte 10 van Langefontein ook aangekoop is, het die dorp uitgebrei. Tans (2006) bestaan Oesterbaai uit 410 erwe, waarvan 187 bebou is.
Interesting facts on the natural history of Oyster Bay
by T G Bornman
The western part of the Eastern Cape, in which Oyster Bay is situated, has an extremely large coastal and marine biological diversity. The coastline is a transition zone between winter and summer climates and cold and warm sea currents. Consequently there is a wider range of ecological niches occupied by a greater variety of coastal flora and fauna than is found along similar lengths of coast elsewhere in Southern Africa.
This area contains several unique ecological and archaeological processes / sites, of which four will be discussed here.
They are –
O the wind-rift dune ridges
O the dune fynbos
O high sandy beach productivity
O the rich cultural historic past
Parallel wind-rift dune ridges
The largest and the most spectacular wind-rift dunes are the perched fields between the Tsitsikamma- and Klipdrif (Slangbaai) Rivers. The two parallel ridges at Oyster Bay are 12km long and rising to 177m at the highest point. This makes it the highest vegetated wind-rift dune ridge in the subcontinent. These dunes formed between 5 000 and 13 000 years ago (last Ice Age) as unidirectional parabolic dunes. During these glacial periods, strong cyclonic Westerly and Easterly winds used all the sediment from the exposed continental shelf to form these moving dunes. With the increase in sea level most were submerged. The two ridges at the Point used to extend through Slangbaai and Oyster Bay, the eastern most remnants still visible as vegetated ridges on the eastern edge of the town. A decrease in sediment transport and wind velocities allowed these ridges to be vegetated with Dune Fynbos. These ridges have been declared a national priority dune area that requires protection.
Dune Fynbos
The wind-rift dune ridges at Oyster Bay are vegetated by coastal thicket at the base of the dunes and the rest is covered with Dune Fynbos. The conservation status of the Dune Fynbos is considered critical and contains 24 threatened plant species. This particular site at Oyster Bay contains several endemic species (plant species that grow on these ridges and nowhere else in the world). The Dune Fynbos at Oyster Bay is still in a conservable condition, although the situation is deteriorating rapidly, mostly due to too frequent runaway veld fires.
High sandy beach productivity
A large quantity of relatively fresh ground water enters the surf-zone just below the swash line along the entire beach. This water is extremely rich in nutrients that are essential for the growth and survival of major phytoplankton species, like the surf-zone diatom Anaulus australis. The conglomeration of this microalgae can sometimes be seen as brown foam in the surf. The microalgae forms the basis of the surf-zone food chain, without which very few fish would enter the bay. No studies have as yet been done on the impact of water abstraction for the town of Oyster Bay on the highly productive and essential surf-zone ecosystem.
Cultural historic sites
(Note that all archaeological, paleaontological and shipwreck sites are protected by the National Monuments Act (Act 28 of 1969), and may not be disturbed.)
Archaeology
The immediate coastline and adjacent dune systems in the area are very rich in archaeological and paleaontological sites, and constitute one of the densest areas of such material in the Eastern Cape. Evidence from caves (Klasies River caves) a few kilometres west of Oyster Bay has revealed archaeological deposits that represent the earliest subsistence exploitation of the intertidal zone (area between high and low tide) in Africa and possibly the world. These deposits date back to between 125 000 and 30 000 years ago. Similarly aged archaeological and paleaontological remains can be found in the dunes between Oyster Bay and St. Francis Bay, and include the remains of many large mammal species which became extinct about 10 000 years ago due to environmental changes at the end of the last Glacial period. Some of the grazing species that became extinct include the giant buffalo, giant hartebees, giant Cape horse and several types of springbok. Cultural evidence of early man can be found in the form of large hand axes and cleavers in the headland bypass dune field in the vicinity of Oyster Bay and Thys Bay, and may date between 1 000 000 and 200 000 years ago.
The most evident pre-historic sites in and around Oyster Bay are the numerous shell middens and fish traps. Fish traps, consisting of artificial tidal pools, constructed of boulders and used to catch fish stranded in them by the ebbing tide, are found in the low tide zone of the rocky shores. They are probably not more than 2 000 years old, in the light of the evidence for a Holocene marine transgression (drop in sea level due to glaciation), which reached its maximum about 6 500 years ago (the seashore was then 65km further south than present) with a return to the present sea level about 2 000 years ago. The largest and most obvious of these traps can be seen at Klippepunt, Thyspunt (Doorskraal) and Tony’s Bay (Klipbaai). These are all Late Stone Age fish traps, built by either the Khoisan (“Strandlopers”) or Khoi pastoralists. Several Middle to Late Stone Age midden complexes can be found between Klippepunt and Thyspunt. These middens contain mostly shellfish and stone artifacts (arrow- and ax heads) with a fair sprinkling of pottery and animal remains.
Shipwrecks
The Oyster Bay area can be considered as one of the “corners” of South Africa, where ships have to alter course. It is for this reason that the ships tend to come close inshore to save tune. In this respect it should be noted that the 100m bathymeter (depth contour) around South Africa is the closest to the shore at Cape St Francis, lying less than 2km out. Five ships are known to have run aground just west of Klippepunt and in Slang Bay itself. They are the Nederlandschevlag (1869), Suffolk (1900), Noord (1690), British Duke (1888) and the Niagara (1870). The Noord was returning to Cape Town from Natal, on a mission to purchase the Bay of Natal and surrounding areas when the ship hit a reef at Klippepunt on 16 January 1690. None of the crew of 18 was lost during the accident, but only four of them arrived back in Cape Town, having walked the distance. The Suffolk carried a cargo of 900 horses, to be used by the British cavalry in the Boer War. Only 2 horses reached land alive, one of which survived and was sold in Humansdorp. Several other ships have been wrecked in the vicinity of Oyster Bay, which have either not yet been located or which are at this stage still unidentified.
MEER OOR OESTERBAAI
SKOOLMEISIE SE DAPPER DAAD
Sandra Bornman, ‘n 17-jarige leerling aan die Hoërskool Diamantveld in Kimberley, se dapper optrede tydens die 1976 Desember vakansie, het twee swemmers van ‘n gewisse verdrinking gered.
Sandra, dogter van wyle mnr Borrie en mev Una Bornman, tans ‘n inwoner van Oesterbaai, was op dié spesifieke dag saam met twee maats by ‘n swembad sowat 700m van die see af.
Iemand het alarm gemaak dat 4 mense deur die branders die see ingetrek is. Sy en haar maats het dadelik na die strand gehardloop. Die lewensredders, wat tydens die vakansie seisoen diens gedoen het op die strand, het Oesterbaai toe alreeds verlaat.
Terwyl Sandra se vriendin met die reddingstou in die see in is, het sy en ‘n vriend, Pikkie Ellis, agterna gegaan. Die tou was te kort en haar vriendin moes omdraai. Sandra en Pikkie moes baie ver inswem voordat hulle die mense kon sien. Terwyl Pikkie gesukkel het om met ‘n man uit te swem, het Sandra ‘n 10-jarige seuntjie en ‘n 23-jarige meisie te hulp gesnel. Sandra, wat ‘n brons medalje in lewensredding verwerf het, het die twee gelyktydig tot op die strand gebring. Die ander twee mense is deur Pikkie en ‘n duiker gered en hulle is op die strand deur ‘n dokter behandel.
Terwyl dié drama afgespeel het, was Sandra se pa besig om aas bymekaar te maak, onbewus van sy dogter se dapper optrede. Hy is self van die rotse afgespoel deur ‘n brander en moes na die hospitaal geneem word om steke aan sy been, wat erg gesny was, te ontvang.
Daar is selfs haaie opgemerk tydens die vakansie seisoen, maar Sandra het gesê dat sy nie aan haaie gedink het toe sy in die water ingeduik het om die drenkelinge te help nie.
TJOKKA-VANGSTE
Het jy al gesmul aan ‘n lekker bord Calamari? Weet jy waar dit vandaan kom, hoe dit lyk en les bes, hoe dit geoes word?
JAN STEYNBERG vertel:
Ek het 17 jaar gelede met een skiboot, die “Blue Marlin”, kommersieel begin visvang. Ons het in die karavaanpark in ‘n karavaan gewoon. Soggens met dagbreek het ek self my boot see toe geneem, smiddae teruggekom, die vis skoongemaak en dit by ‘n boer op sy plaas naby die Kromrivier in ‘n groot vrieskas geplaas, totdat daar ‘n bakkie vrag was. My vrou, Louise, het dit dan na ‘n fabriek in Port Elizabeth geneem. Ons het soms laat teruggekom by die karavaan, min geslaap en weer die volgende dag teen dagbreek begin. Na ‘n tyd het die wonde aan my hande van die harde werk septies geword en was ek siek met koors. Ek was verplig om ‘n skipper met my boot see toe te stuur. Op daardie stadium het ek verblyf vir my mense by Hennie Kritzinger op sy plaas gehuur, want niemand van ons het baie welkom gevoel in Oesterbaai nie. Ons is beskou as indringers en sommige mense het ons hier probeer verdryf.
Rudolph Gerber, ‘n boer van ‘n nabygeleë plaas in die distrik van Humansdorp, het ook ‘n kommersiële vissersboot, die “Maryke”, op Oesterbaai bedryf. Hy het vir my gesê dat my boot gedurende Oktober en November in die middae as hy vanaf die viswaters terugkeer, ‘n draai in Oesterbaai se baai moet maak, want dit is gedurende dié tyd van die jaar dat sy boot tjokka daar gekry het. Ek het toe my skipper gevra om daarvoor uit te kyk, maar hulle was heel skepties, want hulle het nie geweet waarvan ons praat nie.
Op die dag van 12 November 1984 het die mis toegemaak op die see en my boot moes voor Oesterbaai lê en wag vir die mis om oop te maak. Terwyl hulle gewag het, het ek hulle weer gevra om met hul tjokka-lyne en dollies te probeer kyk of hulle nie tjokka kry nie. Na ‘n tyd het my skipper my oor die radio geroep en gesê, “Ons kry nou daardie goete wat julle van praat.” Later, toe ek weer met hom praat om te hoor hoe dit gaan, was sy woorde, “Die goed is soos miere – as jy die een vang, is die ander een weer daar.” Dit was die begin van baie goeie, maar ook baie harde en swaar dae.
Aangesien tjokka in die verlede net vir aas gebruik is, het Lusitania ons 80c / kg daarvoor aangebied, maar was minstens bereid om dit te koop. Rudolph Gerber het vir my gesê ons moet maar vang, want hulle het die tjokka net so vir 1 maand gevang. Die volgende dag was visvang uit en het my “Blue Marlin”, Rudolph se “Maryke” en Tiens van Vuuren se “Sanette” see toe gegaan en baie goeie tjokka-vangste gehad. Die prys het vir ‘n lang tyd 80c/kg gebly en later geklim na R1/kg.
Op hierdie stadium het ons ‘n huis in Oesterbaai gehuur. Die paar van ons wat bote hier bedryf het, het Tiens van Vuuren se vragmotor gehuur en beurte gemaak om die tjokka na Port Elizabeth te vervoer. Ek onthou dat ons baie keer eers na donker vanaf Oesterbaai vertrek het, om dan soms eers teen 1 uur of 2 uur in die nag terug te kom. Die volgende dag se bemanning moes dan weer teen 3 uur of 4 uur wakker gemaak word en met bakkies punt toe geneem word sodat die bote weer vir die dag see toe kan gaan. Ek het binne ‘n jaar 6 skibote gehad wat elke dag see toe moes gaan.
Oesterbaai het toe nog nie elektrisiteit gehad nie en ons moes elke dag die bote se petrol, wat ons by die winkel aangekoop het, met ‘n handpomp in die kanne pomp. Ons het die kratte tjokka op die bak van die vragmotor uitgegooi en in Port Elizabeth het die fabriek dit met grawe afgelaai. Hierna het ander instansies soos Christie’s en I&J ook begin belangstel en het die prys mettertyd begin styg en die bedryf begin floreer.
Wanneer die tjokka ophou byt op een plek, het die boere aangegaan met hul normale boerdery aktiwiteite, maar ek het maar aanhou soek, wat soms weke geduur het. Sodra die tjokka gekry is, het die toestroming begin. Meer bote het begin bykom. Groter vissersbote van fabrieke het ook begin vang, sodat ons later die tjokka naby die punt vir 2 maande aanmekaar op een plek gevang het.
Die uitvoermark het sy kop uitgesteek en so het die bedryf begin ontwikkel en groter geword. Die tjokka is later op meer plekke langs die kus gevang. Tjokka word met ‘n vislyn en ‘n dollie gevang. Daar is verskillende soorte dollies. Sommige word van verskillende kleure plastiek gemaak. Dan is daar ook sommige van geverfde lood en sommige soos ‘n vissie. Dit is langwerpig met ‘n ogie aan die een kant waar die vislyn vaskom, en weerhakies aan die anderkant. Die tjokka val die dollie aan. Sy voelers haak aan die weerhakies vas en dit word dan so gevang.
Daar is verskillende maniere om tjokka gaar te maak, maar ek glo die mees algemene manier is die volgende:
Sny die klaar skoongemaakte tjokka in ringetjies.
Druk dit goed droog met ‘n droë doek en strooi ‘n bietjie vleis versag-middel oor.
Laat staan dan vir sowat ‘n uur in die yskas om sag te word.
Gooi visspeserye, Aromat, knoffelvlokkies en meel in ‘n plastiese sakkie en meng goed.
Gooi die tjokka bietjie vir bietjie in die meel-mengsel en skud goed.
Gooi dan in geklitste eier en bak vir ‘n kort rukkie in matige warm olie.
Skep uit op kombuispapier om die ergste olie te absorbeer.
Dit is die lekkerste om dit dadelik te eet terwyl dit gebak word.
I
Mnr. Tony Auret. Hy het saam met Carel & Febè van Tonder Oesterbaai help ontwikkel.
Hierdie plan is so teen 1970 deur die destydse Volkskas eiendoms tak (TransOranje) gebruik om erwe op Oesterbaai te verkoop.
Gerrie en Mara Kemp. Skryfster van die boekie ‘Oesterbaai - Toe en Nou’
Fish traps are visible here at Tony’s Bay(Klipbaai) on the right hand side a little above the centre of the photo. Tony’s Bay is 4 km East of Oyster Bay. (Move cursor over picture to enlarge)
Move cursor over picture to enlarge
Carel & Febè van Tonder. Hulle het Oesterbaai ontwikkel toe dit nog plaasgrond was.
Norman & Gillian Fowler.
GILLIAN FOWLER TELLS A TALE OF OYSTER BAY...
n 1957 my parents, Dr. Giles and Constance Sheldon, bought 5 Brander Street. Carl and Febè van Tonder bought a section of Mr. Henry Potgieter’s farm (known today as Oyster Bay).
Carl built 30+ timber houses at the beachfront and ordered in grass to form the plots. He fully furnished the houses, which sometimes meant having to borrow furniture from other residents (who were not permanently living there at the time) in order to fill the needs of some other residents. If the owners returned unexpectedly, their borrowed furniture would be returned to them - that was the culture of Oyster Bay at the time. The Van Tonder’s also installed 20litre capacity paraffin fridges. The fridges were a necessity to the daily delivery of the fresh farm products. Mr Potgieter delivered milk to Oyster Bay in the mornings and evenings and was thus affectionately known as “melkboer”.
Ampie Meyer, another local farmer, sold fresh vegetables from a cart every Thursday. From nearby Tsitsikamma, the locals would sell the loveliest baskets, in all shapes and sizes. They also had bottles filled with an array of coloured sand.
On the beach front, almost opposite my parents’ house, Febè built a small kiosk. Sarie Potgieter worked there and usually opened for a few hours daily. Next to the kiosk, a small children’s play area was built. Grass was laid and swings, a see-saw and roundabout were added. The children loved it!
There were no white mussels in Oyster Bay, so Febè collected bucket loads from Bushmans River and planted them on the rocks herself.
The present shop in Oyster Bay was also later built by her. Farmers’ wives brought in home-made breads, rusks, jams, preserves and many knitted goodies. Every morning, a list was sent around to everyone’s house on which one could order goods from the shop. Some of the goods had to be fetched from Humansdorp, such as newspapers and addressed post. The goods were delivered at 5pm daily to your doorstep.
Electricity was provided by means of a generator, giving light to some streetlights and for the houses. Carl’s friend, Tony Auret, was in charge of running the generator. At 6:30pm to 10pm the lights would be switched on and off respectively. He would dip them a few times to signal to the residents to put off their lights as he would be putting off the generator soon. This was a fine system, unless Tony went on a drinking bout, which resulted in the lights suddenly going off at 8pm. On these occasions, everyone scurried for candles and when Tony finally woke at 2am, the town would be lit up again!
Carl and his bulldozer were in charge of the streets. If a stray dune happened in your way, Carl would flatten it in no time. There was a steep slope leading up to the shop, and people would often get stuck up that hill. A local worker, named Henry, would help the people out with his tractor. Later Carl’s father, Mr Van Tonder, built a concrete road up this tricky hill.
In 1962, Carl built our house at 14 Brander Street. It was the first brick house in the village. Later Carl and Febè built their big blue-roofed house on the hill, which Febè’s brother helped build and stayed near the Van Tonder's.
Sadly, Carl was involved in a nasty plane crash, which left him severely handicapped and in lots of pain. This left Febè to run Oyster Bay on her own for many years and when Carl died it was very hard for her.
Die volgende is `n uittreksel uit die boekie ;Oesterbaai—Toe en Nou—1956 tot 2002’ wat in 2003 deur Mev. Mara Kemp geskryf en gepubliseer is. Dit is op die oomblik uit druk.
Click here for larger picture of Koi San Fish traps
