GREAT WHITE CAUGHT OF MOSSEL BAY

A great White caught of Mossel Bay..in South Africa.What a monster!

JOHANNESBURG-2010 WORLD CUP VENUE

WOZA SA 2010 WOZA


HOST CITY: JOHANNESBURG

Johannesburg or Joburg as it is more commonly known is known as the City of Gold due to 40% of the World Gold coming from here. In fact Johannesburg was founded back in the 19th century due to the vast amounts of Gold found in the area.

Joburg is the Capital of the Gauteng Province and the business hub and gateway of South Africa. It is South Africa’s most populated and culturally diverse city.

Joburg has a wealth of historical attractions including Constitutional Hill & the Apartheid Museum.

“Soweto”, part of Johannesburg, is an attraction area on its own. Soweto is a place filled with history and culture. The Soweto Tour includes visits to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (The Largest in Southern Africa), Cooling Towers, Oppenheimer Tower, Nelson Mandela’s Home as well as a stop for Lunch at the very well known Wandie’s Place.

Although Joburg is a business hub and may be known as the “Concrete Jungle” it also has many parks & greenery making it an Urban Forest and not only purely a concrete city. The Botanical Gardens, Melville Kopies and Various Large Parks & Lakes such as Zoo Lake & Emmarentia Dam can be found in and around the city.

Entertainment in the city of Johannesburg includes a number of shopping malls such as Sandton City as well as many nightlife entertainment areas such as Melrose Arch as well as many night clubs and restaurants. Gold Reef City Theme Park & Casino provides fun & entertainment for both Adults &Children.

The Nelson Mandel Bridge is one of the city’s finest modern construction developments.

Johannesburg also has many attractions a small drive away from the city including other host cities such as Rustenburg & Pretoria both within 2 hours drive from Joburg. Other attractions close to the city include the Magaliesburg Mountains, Vaal River & Dam and the Warmbaths Resort.


The city of Johannesburg is host to 2 of the biggest football clubs in South Africa. Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates have the biggest support following as football clubs in South Africa. The rivalry and history of these 2 Soweto based clubs is intense and huge. These 2 footballing giants are the core of Domestic Football in South Africa.

Johannesburg will play host to a total of 15 games at the FIFA World Cup over 2 stadiums, Ellis Park & Soccer City. The latter will play host to both the Opening Cermeony and the World Cup final itself.


2010 PROJECTS


SOCCER CITY
Soccer City will be South Africa’s biggest stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It will play host to a total of 8 games including 4 Group Games, 1 2nd Round game, 1 Quarterfinal the Opening Ceremony as well as the World Cup final. The Soccer City Stadium has been rebuilt to increase the capacity of the stadium to 95 000. The design of the new stadium is inspired by an African calabash, a traditional African Cooking Pot.
The improvements and construction of the stadium is expected to cost about 1.5 billion Rands.

Furthermore to the stadium itself over 100 million Rand is being spent on the Stadium Precinct around Soccer City Stadium. SAFA House & The Nasrec Expo Centre which will house International Broadcast Centre will be upgraded. Transport including a Rail Station as well as the BRT on the Soweto Highway is also being upgraded to allow for 25 000 passengers per hour to be catered for.

ELLIS PARK STADIUM
Ellis Park is the 2nd Stadium for the city of Johannesburg. It will play host to 5 Group Games, 1 2nd Round game and 1 Quarterfinal. The Upgrades and Improvements made to the Ellis Park Stadium were all completed in time for the FIFA Confederations Cup held in June of this year as Ellis Park was one of the stadiums used for the tournament including the final match. A total of 250 million Rand was spent in upgrading Ellis Park Stadium to c capacity of 62000.

Furthermore a total of 2 billion rand is being spent on the Precinct in and around Ellis Park.

TRAINING VENUES


The Official Training Venues for the City of Johannesburg are the following Stadiums:


Rand Stadium – The Rand Stadium is being revamped to seat 25 000 spectators. The cost of the project is budgeted at R76 Million.
Dobsonville Stadium – Is Undergoing Refurbishments budgeted to 69 million Rand. The stadium will seat 24000 spectators.
Orlando Stadium – Has been completely rebuilt from scratch for the 2010 World Cup.
The cost for the project of the new Stadium is close on R300 Million. It is expected to seat a total of 40 000 spectators.

 

FAN PARKS


The main &; Official FIFA FAN PARK for the city of Johannesburg will be located at the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newton which is a very central location within the city.

Two other Official Public Viewing Areas are also being developed which are Innes-Free Park in Sandton just off the M1 Highway in the North of Johannesburg.


Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown is the designated public viewing area for the South of Johannesburg.

Furthermore to these main sites above other areas targeted include Indoor Venues as the World Cup is taking place during winter. The main indoor public viewing areas targeted are the Dome in Northgate and Gallagher Estate in Midrand.


PARK & RIDE


The Official Park & Ride Sites for the City of Johannesburg include the following:


Marks Park in Emmarentia
Wits University Wets Campus
Rand Stadium in Turffontein
Bezuidenhout Park
Monte Casino
The Dome in Northgate
Brightwater Commons
Westgate Shopping Mall
Wanderers


TRANSPORT PROJECTS
Over and above the 2 major Transport Projects discussed over the past 2 weeks being the Rwa Vaya and the Gautrain projects, the following are also projects undertaken by the City of Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup.


iTransie 2 Ellis Park – This Project was successfully use during the FIFA Confederations Cup and serves as the link between the Park & Ride Sites to the Ellis Park Stadium itself.
Oliver Tambo Airport – The main influx of spectators to the City of Johannesburg will most likely be by flight to the OR Tambo International Airport. Transport from the Airport includes a Shuttle Service, Metered Taxi or Car Rentals. The Gautrain Project from the Airport to Sandton will be ready as well by the 2010 World Cup.
Public Transport – Public Transport in and around the city obviously includes the 2 major projects of the Rea Vaya and the Gautrain. Existing Public Transport in and round the city include:
Johannesburg Metro Buses
Mini Bus Taxi’s – which is the Quickest method, but have no set timetable or routes, and safety may be a concern
MetroRail Trains with the Hub being Park Station in Braamfontein
Rental Cars which rely on you finding your own way around


ACCOMODATION
The majority of 4 and 5 star accommodation in Johannesburg is based in the North especially in Sandton and its surrounding areas. The 2010 World Cup will have an increase in demand for accommodation especially in Johannesburg due to a total of 15 games over 2 stadiums taking place in the city including the World Cup Final itself. The projected demand for accommodation for the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg is estimated in the table below.

From the above you will notice that Johannesburg has a shortfall of over 50 000 beds come 2010 World Cup.


Among the plans to accommodate the visitors of the 2010 World Cup, the City of Johannesburg is planning to establish a range of Fan Camps around the city as well as trying to obtain domestic homes and apartments from local residents.


Below is a graph map showing the accommodation available throughout the city of Johannesburg.

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GAUTRAIN AND 2010 STADIUMS

GAUTRAIN

The Gautrain is a New Transport Project undertaken by South Africa of a Rapid Rail System travelling between OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg & Tshwane (Pretoria). The New Rapid Rail is expected to reach maximum speeds of 160 to 180 km/h. It is being developed to decrease traffic congestion between Johannesburg and Pretoria on both the M1 and N1. The Gautrain is targeting existing motorists in Gauteng who travel between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is also targeting all passengers travelling to and from OR Tambo International.

 The two main routes planned for the Gautrain is the South-North Route starting from Park Station JHB going to Hatfield Station in Pretoria. The East-West Route will start in Sandton going via Marlboro towards the OR Tambo International Airport. The East West Route which runs from Oliver Tambo International Airport via Rhodesfield & Marlboro Stations to Sandton Station is expected to be ready for use by the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the full Gautrain Route is expected tgo be running by March 2011. (Route Map Below)

 KEY FEATURES


There are 10 stations covering an 80 km route. The Stations include


Park Station, Rosebank, Sandton, Marlboro, Midrand, Centurion & Hatfield on The South to North Line and Sandton, Marlboro, Rhodefield and Oliver Tambo International Airport on the East to West Line including an Express Non-Stop Service from Sandton to Oliver Tambo International Airport expected to be about 15 minutes. Marlboro will serve as the link station between the 2 different Gautrain Routes. The total time between Park Station and Hatfield on the North-South Route will be 42 minutes including all stops. (Artists Impression of OR Tambo International Airport Station)

There will be 24 separate 4-car trains. The 2 forward cars on the Airport Rail Service will have fewer seats but more space for baggage storage. After the initial phase trains will be increased to 8-car train sets. Trains will be operated every 12 minutes during peak periods at each station and will be stopped for 45 seconds at each station. There will be tight security to ensure a safe journey for all passengers.

All stations will have Buses for feeder distribution linked to Gautrain times at each station for passengers to reach their exact destination. Park & Ride Facilities will also be provided at each station for up to 10000 cars. Gautrain’s Dedicated Bus Link with a fleet of 125 gold luxury buses will assist passengers using the Gautrain to enjoy a door to door service. The New Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit system will also work in collaboration with the Gautrain.


Electronic Smart Card tickets which are easily accessible at self help vending machines, will allow passengers to use for Train Trips, as well as Feeder Bus Services and Parking Bays. The pricing for using the Gautrain will be finalised by December 15 2009.

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2010 STADIUM UPDATE
I recieved an email from Ebie Kop End. Here are some pics on how the stadiums are shaping up

Soccer City near Soweto, Johannesburg

Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban

Green Point Stadium in Cape Town

Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane

Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth

Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit

REA VAYA

WOZA SA 2010 WOZA


REA VAYA

Rea Vaya is new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that is to be implemented in the City of Johannesburg. It is designed to alleviate the major traffic problems that Johannesburg is currently facing.

The BRT system has dedicated lanes created in the centre of the roads for all its routes throughout Johannesburg. Smaller feeder buses will bring people from outer areas not on the main trunk routes. Buses will run every 3 minutes during peak time and every 10 minutes in off peak times. The pricing for the Reya Vaya travel is as follows:


Yellow Ticket = R 8-00 per ticket – Full Trip any amount of transfers for up to 2 hours.


Red Ticket = R 5-00 per ticket for Trunk Routes Only


Blue Ticket = R 3-00 per ticket for an Inner-City Trip


The Reya Vaya is being developed in 3 phases:


Phase 1A to be completed in 2009 (Currently in Implementation)


Phase 1A which is currently in implementation has 20 Stations and currently spans 25.5 kms as shown below.

Bus times during Phase 1A currently in implementation are as follows:

Phase 1 B to completed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Phase 1B to be completed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will span 86.6 kms and have 102 stations.

Full Phase 1 to be completed in 2013
The Full Phase 1 Rea Vaya Bus Rapid System that will be developed by 2013 will have a total of 150 stations and span over 122kms.


FULL PHASE 1 ROUTES
The entire Phase 1 of the Reya Vaya will have 7 routes as displayed below.
Yellow Route: From Lenasia to Sunninghill
Grey Route: From Jabulani to Alexander
Red Route: From Baragwanath to Ellis Park
Maroon Route: From Orlando to Sandton
Green Route: From the CBD to Randburg
Blue Route: From Dobsonville to Eastgate
Orange Route: From Sandton to Alexander

The Reya Vaya stations being developed are for the ease of use of its passengers. Below is an artists impression of the station:

There will also terminals at the end of each route which will be the final station where buses can turn around and drivers can change shifts. Feeder services will also link terminals to other outer areas not on the trunk routes.


Depots are larger buildings for buses and drivers only and not for use to passengers. Depots will be used for parking for buses as well as maintenance.


There are 2 types of buses currently offered by Rea Vaya:


TRUNK BUSES

The Trunk Bus which has a capacity of 112 passengers which will travel on the dedicated lane trunk routes and have doors only on the right side as they will pick up passengers from the Rea Vaya Stations on the Trunk Route.


COMPLEMENTARY BUSES

Complementary Buses will be able to pick passengers on both the Trunk Route and Reya Vaya Stations as well as on the kerbside. The buses have a capacity of 75 passengers and will have doors on the left side in order to pick up passengers on the kerbside as well as Reya Vaya Stations.

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SKYDIVING IN SWAKOPMUND

TravelX's Faaiz Oz Skydyving in Namibia ...Swakopmund

HOST CITY-CAPE TOWN

WOZA SA 2010 WOZA

HOST CITY: CAPE TOWN


Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most beautiful & diverse cities. South Africa’s most iconic city is nestled between the Mountains and the Ocean making it one of the most scenic and beautiful cities in the world.

Cape Town is known as “The Mother City” and has an abundance of sites & entertainment. Undoubtedly one of South Africa’s greatest showcase host cities.

Table Mountain is one of Cape Town’s main attractions rising to over 1000 metres above Sea Level, it is shaped in the form of a Table. A Cable Car Ride or hike up to the top of the mountain is well worth it to have a full view of the beautiful city.


Other major attractions in Cape Town include the very many scenic ocean drives including Chapmans Peak Drive as well as the V & A Waterfront, Hout Bay & Camps Bay all close to the city centre. Also the various sail boats and cruises around the oceans of Cape Town are spectacular.

A little longer drives from Cape Town include attractions such as Cape Point, Franschoek, Hermanus, Paarl & the Cape Winelands.



Within Cape Town there are many historic landmarks and other sites including the Bo-Kaap, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Shopping at the V & A Waterfront.



Robben Island is one of South Africa’s most historical and significant attractions. It was the prison that housed Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners. A Boat Ride across to the Island for a tour is a must.

Cape Town will play host to 8 games in total at the 2010 FIFA World Cup which include 5 Group Games, 1 Round of 16 Game, 1 Quarterfinal as well as a Semi-Final.

2010 PROJECTS

GREEN POINT STADIUM
The new Green Point Stadium being constructed for the City of Cape Town is expected to seat 68 000 spectators. It is very close to both the V & A Waterfront as well as the Cape Town Railway Station. The construction of the new stadium is expected to cost in the Region of 2.9 billion Rands.

FIFA FAN PARK, FAN MILE & PEDESTRIANISED CBD
The official FIFA Fan Park for Cape Town is to be located at the Grand Parade infront of City Hall in the Cape Town CBD.

It is planned for Cape Town to close an are of their CBD during World Cup Match-Days in the City to be an area solely for Pedestrians. The Fan Park and Pedestrianised CBD will be linked to the Green Point Stadium by the FAN Mile on Somerset Road. The FAN Mile is expected to cater for a further 5000 spectatotrs.

There are 3 further public viewing sites targeted for Cape Town at:
Sport Fields adjacent to Athlon Stadium
Bellville Velodrome
Swartklip

These public viewing areas are expected to cater for 10 000 – 35 000 spectators on any given match-day of the entire World Cup.

TRAINING VENUES
The targeted stadiums likely to be official 2010 Training Venues are:
Athlone Stadium
Phillipi Stadium
Bellville Stadium (Photo Below with Velodrome)


TRANSPORT PROJECTS

Cape Town’s existing Transport System is made up of the following systems:

Rail
Metropolitan Bus System
Minibus Taxi System
Road Network with Capacity of Private Cars
Long Distance Busses
Long Distance Mini Bus Taxi Services
Car Hire

The Cape Town International Airport will be the main hub for Spectators, Teams, Dignitaries etc. to arrive in the City of Cape Town.

Due to the lack of an efficient and effective transport system to handle the Demands of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, A Scheduled Event Transport Systems required to cater for the World Cup.

The system is based on a Park n Ride Network that consists of a number of networks connected via rail, bus or taxi routes. This is based on a classic hub-and-spoke system resulting in easier use and greater efficiency.

The 2 primary transport hubs around which the system is designed are the Cape Town International Airport & the CBD’s Main Transport Hub. The main services required to operate on this system are:
Airport Scheduled Services
Park n Ride Scheduled Services
Inner City Distribution
V&A Waterfront Shuttle Services
Green Point Stadium Shuttle Services


The major projects undertaken by Cape Town for the FIFA 2010 World Cup include the following:

Development of the BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM (BRT)
Upgrading of Roads and Lanes for the BRT
Improvements to Cape Town International Airports
Upgrading of Various Road linking Airport and the CBD – Airport City Link
Metro Bus Park n Ride Facilities
Upgrading of various roads and corridors on the N1 Highway
Upgrading of the Bus Depots within the CBD
Massive upgrade of Rail System & Fleet

The total expected cost for the Transport Upgrades planned for the City of Cape Town is close to 8 billion Rands, however the approved funding granted by the PTIS to the City of Cape Town is 1.6 billion Rands.

ACCOMMODATION
The majority of the available accommodation for the city of Cape Town for the 2010 FIFA World Cup is situated within a 60km radius of the Green Point Stadium. The majority of these are in and around the Cape Town CBD as well as along the Coast line. A total of 75% of the beds are concentrated in this area. Below is a diagram showing the available hotels, guest houses, cruise ships and university residence beds available for the City and surrounding areas.


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