4th July 2007, Page 14 - Edition 196

The Midlands Herald

Page 14 — 4th July 2007

Merrivale KwikSpar Scrap and be Merri upgrades into full Spar Below: Merrivale KwikSpar’s upgrade, which will continue into April next year, will include the creation of underground parking and giving a more uniform look to the whole shopping centre.

Above: Trish and Neil Akal at The Merri Scrapper in the Merrivale KwikSpar Centre .

Work has started on Merrivale KwikSpar’s major upgrading to a full Spar supermarket. The renovations, which will include the creation of underground parking and a more uniform look to the whole shopping centre, will continue into April next year. When finished, the supermarket will be double the size and will have eight new line shops as well as offices, with a lift up from the underground parking — a first for Howick ! Not only will the parking be convenient and safe, but it is free as well. By the end of November, the new Merrivale Spar and renovations to the shops on the same level will be ready — “just in time for Christmas,” smiled Nelson Parau, one of the two partners, with his brother Ricardo. “We’re also trying to secure a financial institution here,” Ricardo added. “Anyone interested can ‘phone me on 082-894 9837.”

The line of shops and offices below the Spar should be complete by the end of April. As to the future tenants, the brothers — whose family has run the store for about 25 years — are hoping to secure a pharmacy and a hardware shop. “We’ve been here for a while, so we know what people are looking for,” said Nelson Parau. An interesting aspect of the renovation is the fact that the supermarket will be built in such a way that it will be large enough for conversion in the years ahead into a SuperSpar. For the moment, there is a procedure that is to be followed, as Ricardo explained. “Before a Spar can become a SuperSpar, it has first to be a KwikSpar and then a Spar”. Telephone 033-330 4092.

In the constantly growing business world of Merrivale and Howick, The Merri Scrapper is the latest, and brightest, addition to the market. Situated at the Merrivale Spar centre, where the chemist used to be, The Merri Scrapper is a bold and colourful shop that attracts the attention of those who walk past. The shop is conveniently open from 8.30 to 4.30 pm during the week, and on Saturdays from 8.30 to 12.30 pm. For Neil and Trish Akal, this is their latest business adventure, having previously owned Kingdom Weavers and Bellevigne Estate. Although there was a scrapbooking corner at the old shop, the new shop is entirely dedicated to all things to do with scrapbooking. “Scrapping is my passion, and I just wanted to be able to pass it on to everyone”, says Trish. The shop sells the latest brand names in

scrapbooking, a few of them being; Making Memories, Doodle Bugs and Basic Grey, and has a vast selection of papers, stickers, embellishments and albums. In the gift corner, Zanner pottery, woodcraft and rugs are for sale, while the little coffee shop is the perfect place to reflect on your scrapping experience, a cappuccino in one hand, and a fairy cake in the other. There are scrapping lessons from Tuesday to Friday every week, as well as one night class a week where the shop will stay open until 8 pm. There are scrapping timetables available at the shop for more information on lessons. According to Trish, “You don’t have to be an artist to scrap. Scrapping is the preservation of photographs, and then turning them into a story for generations to come, while having fun and making new friends.” Telephone 033-330 8126.

At the Karkloof Canopy Tour and in its forests There’s something very special about spending an afternoon at Karkloof Canopy Tours, gliding along steel cables between eight platforms high within the indigenous forest. Even before I had set off with my group, in the gents’ restroom I had spotted a small spider doing exactly the same —building a thin cable of its own between the basin taps. I spent an afterLeft: Bryce Perrett, noon there with Kevin Schmidt and Pablo three schoolmasters Pussell of Hilton College and 75 boys of pause beside a waterfall Hilton College’s on one of the platforms on the Canopy Tour. Form 4 or Grade 11 class. “Part of the syllabus includes ecology and com-paring ecosystems,” teacher John Roff told me. e instr uction b y • Saf Safe instruction by “The boys come for the day and we qualif ied instr ucqualified instrucgive them a worktor s tors sheet intended to get them to think about to Ridg e Airf ield • Ca Cato Ridge Airfield and investigate the forest and grassland el: 072-117 5130 •T Tel: ecosystems. “The forest itself is special: it’s very

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Right: John Roff of Hilton College explains forest ecosystems to Form 4 boys.

diverse and easily accessible and the boys respond very well to being here.” But before that lesson, the boys do the canopy tour itself. I found them in the main fearless — although a few of the seven that went with me initially expressed some reservation — and there were no mishaps as we individually left each platform and glided in our strong harness down to the next. From above you have a spectacular, unforgettable view of Karkloof’s spectacular forest, which at 11 kilometres is one of the longest stretches of indigenous bush in KwaZulu-Natal. But it was afterwards, when the teachers sat in clumps with the boys and their worksheets, that it came alive. “There are amazing stories in the forest; that’s what I love,” John told his charges. “For example, there’s a small purple flower that mimics another flower.” He pointed to one that was growing out

of a crack on the side of a small rock, and then to another almost identical plant nearby with very different leaves. “The reason is the nectar. The common one produces nectar, which rewards the pollinating fly. “The mimic, which is a rare plant, does not produce nectar but looks sufficiently like it to foil the pollinator. So it too is pollinated, and reproduces. But if it became too common, the deception would no longer work. “The forest is full of stories like that. It is not just the sum of its parts — it’s a living declaration of God’s creativity and attention to detail.” If you would like to arrange a school tour or learn more yourself, e-mail [email protected], view www.karkloofcanopytour.co.za or simply telephone 033-330 3415. Russell Barnes