MariusMR

Thank you!

AMAZING airport and incredible work! Well done!

Roselle, affectionately known as "Little Italy", is a taste of foreign in the heart of the breadbasket of the North Coast District Municipality, located on the southern outskirts of Tamworth and west of Melrose. The North Coast District Municipality is truly a breadbasket of the region, as the table below shows. A significant 155.9ha is under cultivation, of which most is dedicated to vegetables, grains and fruit - no small part due to the heavy taxation on non-food produce. The very little viticulture and alcohol production that does take place is located, mainly, in Little Italy. In a bid to encourage tourism in the area, the hamlet of Roselle and surrounds has escaped the heavy tax burden. Little Italy is an experimental venture by distant immigrant relatives of the Frescobaldi family, notable Tuscan winemakers. The end result is Roselle, a (faux) Tuscan tourist trap known for its local wines, a fresh produce market, and a favourite wedding destination. Click for the massive 8.5MB Original (2968 x 2028px). Do it... Viticulture is aided by both the cool coastal air from the east and the proximity to the river in the south. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) The Roselle Market, next to the Chapel of Roselle, is frequented by locals from Tamworth and tourists alike, showcasing and selling the best fresh produce from the area. Click for Original (1366 x 1073px) Even at night the market attracts, albeit much younger, crowds sampling the local wine and rum (more about that later)... Click for Original (1366 x 1134px) The above-mentioned relatives of the Frescobaldi family reside in Villa Ottavia, an unmistakable landmark in an otherwise rural setting... an even more recent intrusion makes the home hard to miss... Not one to miss out on a business opportunity, Wayne Ross Industries struck a deal with the Frescobaldis and bought a sizeable stretch of land within the boundaries of Roselle. Milking the area's attractiveness to tourists - and handsome tax breaks - Congressman Ross funded a permanent fair ground for the farmers in the North Coast District Municipality. Click for Original (1366 x 1041px) Wayne Ross Industries also set up a sugar mill and rum distillery - under the guise of a type of theme park development, known as Blackbeard's Den. This unsavoury pocket of Little Italy has earned it the nickname Covo di Peccatori, which we non-Italian speakers assume means "Den of Sinners". Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Beyond Roselle, farming continues much like it does in most parts of the world. Click for Original (2135 x 1262px) And to the east of the town, a commercial area has developed where farmers in the region can purchase all sorts of agricultural equipment, products, vehicles and machinery. A vet has also set up shop for the growing livestock industry. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) The vast rural stretch of the North Coast District Municipality makes way for the outskirts of Tamworth to the north... Click for Original (1366 x 2452px) But more about that next time. First, we are getting some shut eye at the Villa Bastide Click for Original (1366 x 984px)

Today we're heading further north from Benhurst towards Melrose, which is a small town en route to Tamworth. Melrose is a quintessential railway town, built at the beginning of the previous century by the provincial government to house the growing number of railway workers needed to keep the trains running safely, on time and on track! Click for original (1366 x 1203px The small town of Melrose is also responsible for ensuring that the main freight railway hub is staffed and that the produce and livestock of the region make their way across the country. Click for original (1366 x 952px Because of the resolution granting significant tax breaks to produce and livestock used for food, the area surrounding Melrose mirrors the vast tracts of agricultural land in the North Coast District Municipality. Click for original (1366 x 2108px Cattle ranches like these also dominate the rural scene in the area: Click for original (1366 x 768px This area is unfortunately not untouched by the seemingly omnipresent hand of Congressman Wayne Ross. Ross Industries have bought a small patch of land around this grain elevator / silo for an experimental project: trying to grow bananas in this temperate region... Click for original (1366 x 768px Naturally, this has the local environmental lobby up in arms as allegations have been flying around about genetically modified food and three eyed frogs. Some farmers have found less innocuous ways of earning more money by experimenting with other exotic foodstuffs, like these mushrooms here: Click for original (1366 x 2108px There we also get a little glimpse of Little Italy, but more about that next time! Ciao for now!

A quick update to commemorate a very significant development! The New Frontier bumped up to the top spot on Ben's Top Ten at SimCity 4 Devotion! Thank you very much to everyone for your continued comments and support, and for reading and viewing my MD! I really appreciate it! Now, on to the quick update... _______________________________ Our journey north from Bradley takes us through the farm country, the proverbial bread basket of the region. But before we explore this area in great depth, we must make a pit stop in Benthurst, where a swim in the dam is a must for anyone passing through. The village of Benhurst, and the dam that carries this name, is named after Benedict, a great statistician who was among the first settlers in the area. Click for Original (1180 × 1193) Benhurst Dam is to the south of Benhurst Village, which is located along the important regional route and railway through the area. Click for Original (1238 × 768) Here we see one of the freight trains heading to Bradley: Click for Original (1366 × 768) We'll spend the evening and the next day in Benhurst and surrounding area, but first, let's pull over and go swimming! Click for Original (1366 x 1794) _______________________________ Until next time! M

Okay! It's official! My name was on the list handed over to the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa today of individuals to be sworn in as Members of Parliament's National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures across the country on Wednesday, 21 May! The list is available here, and I'm on page 13. Next week I will solemnly affirm in the presence of the Chief Justice (as opposed to swearing an oath, which is religious) my allegiance to the Republic, its Constitution and laws and to perform my duties as a Member of the National Assembly of Parliament to the best of my abilities. Until then, back to Benhurst as the plot thickens... As you can see, Benhurst is north of Bradley and located in the "breadbasket" of the region: A stretch of the north coast predominantly dedicated to producing the region's food. But more about that later. After the dip in the dam, we're off to spend the night at the home of Mr Gordon Plumstead, the manager of the North Coast Nature Nature Reserve, who lives in Benhurst. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) We pull up in the drive way of Gordon's home at the end of Lilac Street, keeping our opinions of the faux Tudor style exterior to ourselves... Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Gordon lives on the eastern end of the little village that is Benhurst, close to the freeway to Bradley and the Benhurst train station that also links the neighbouring town by rail. Benhurst, despite its rather unimpressive stature, has a local clinic, a primary school, and a modest chapel used by various denominations and religious groups for services and the town-at-large for public meetings. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) The conversation at the dinner table drags on way into the night, especially after the mention of the name of Congressman Ross piqued Gordon's interest. Gordon had not only heard the name before, but was well acquainted with the dealings of Double Cross Ross. Armed with another bottle of Chardonnay, Gordon reveals a web of lies, deceit and manipulation. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) The North Coast Nature Reserve was declared a federal conservation area by Congress in the late 1970s. The Reserve covers the area east of the R74 and up to 5km off the north coast. The area may not be developed or permanently settled in anyway, in order to preserve the local fauna and flora. Ocean View, the Wayne Ross development in which we were asked to invest, completely ignored this and this was never properly investigated. We add this to our to-do list as we set out to save the world... Click for Original (1366 x 1384px) However, it doesn't just end there... the next morning Gordon takes us on a tour of the surrounding farmland west of Benhurst. Click for Original (1366 x 3239px) This agricultural heartland of the region has also remained the breadbasket because of a resolution dating back to the founding days which specified that produce grown for food will not be taxed, while non-foodstuff will be taxed heavily. This includes, for example, grain used for whiskey or beer, grapes used for wine, tobacco or flowers. Congress has upheld this resolution and this applies to all produce grown in the North Coast District Municipality even if it is exported elsewhere for any purpose other than food consumption. But Gordon takes us south to two grape farms along the river... Click for Original (1271 x 2769px) It is alleged that the grapes produced on these two farms end up in the wine bottles of a company in which Congressman Ross is the majority shareholder... tax free. Our to-do list grows... Fortunately Benhurst and surrounds is not just known for dodgy dealings and questionable transactions. Gordon shows us why the area is known as the breadbasket of the region as he takes us on a tour of the not-so-dodgy farms and cattle kraals. Click for Original (1366 x 1591px) Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Click for Original (1366 x 1182px) Click for Original (1366 x 1663px) What a beautiful stretch of countryside! Click for Original (1366 x 1091px) We bid farewell to Gordon at the Benhurst Station, where he catches the train to Bradley for some business in town. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Click for Original (1366 x 768px) With Benhurst behind us we head further north - Tamworth bound - armed with new information and an even greater cause.

  Thank you very  much! :D

  Thanks :)       Thank you very much! :D We're very happy with our electoral performance, obviously it could have been better, but we've made massive gains overall :)       Indeed! :) And I'm super excited! It is really cool, and well, years of hard work finally paying off! :D       Maybe there are others around these parts who are still in the closet? :P hehe       Thank you very much! :D       Thanks! And I was indeed! Thank you :)         Thank you very  much! :) And thanks for the comments and congratulations everyone! :)   The new update is up if you'd like to take a look at the farmlands of Benhurst :)   Thanks again! :thumb:

I apologise for the lack of updates - or interaction - but that is mainly due to our recent general (national and provincial) elections here in South Africa which have kept me a little busy and... I will accordingly be sworn in as a Member of the National Assembly of the Fifth Democratic Parliament of the Republic of South Africa on 21 May, representing the Democratic Alliance (DA)! It is on this note that I would like to introduce you to the politics and government of the City Journal / Mayor's Diary, starting with the vertical division of power between the three spheres of government: As you can see from the image above, there are three spheres of government: national, regional and municipal or local. The Federal Government has authority over the national level, a provincial government over the regional level, and a district (more rural) or metropolitan (densely urban) council governs over the local or municipal level. We will explore the national and provincial sphere of government in greater depth at a later stage. Let's look at the local level of government, and locate Bradley and Benhurst in the grand (albeit local) scheme of things. Bradley and Benhurst fall under the North Coast District Municipality. Where feasible, or necessary, district or metropolitan municipal councils can be or are divided into local or sub-councils. In the case of the North Coast District Municipality - which includes Bradley - there are three sub-councils: Bradley, Addington and Tamworth (which includes Benhurst). The North Coast District Municipal Council is made up of 25 Councillors, of which 12 are directly elected (first past the post) to represent a ward (a demarcated geographical area covering roughly 5 700 people) and 13 are PR councillors allocated to parties based on their share of the votes received in the District Municipality overall (using a closed party list proportional representation system). The current composition of the North Coast District Municipality is as follows, with the Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) holding 14 seats and the Free Democrats (FD) holding 11 (more about these political party groupings at a later stage): A District or Metropolitan Council has an Executive Mayor and a mayoral committee to assist the mayor in his or her executive duties. Metropolitan and district councils are responsible for a number of localised matters, including: Building regulations Electricity and gas reticulation Firefighting services Local tourism development and promotion Municipal health services (clinics) Municipal airports, roads, public transport, pontoons, ferries, jetties, piers and harbours; Stormwater management systems in built-up areas Trading regulations, markets and street trading Water and sanitation services Beaches and amusement facilities Billboards and the display of advertisements in public places Cemeteries, funeral parlours and crematoria Control of public nuisances Control of undertakings that sell liquor to the public Licensing and control of undertakings that sell food to the public Municipal parks and recreation, amenities and sport facilities Street lighting, traffic control and parking These functions can be delegated to a sub- or local council. Sub- or Local Councils consist of the ward councillors in the area and one PR councillor for every ward councillor. These sub- or local councils are chaired by a local PR or ward councillor. The North Coast District Council meets at the Addington Town Hall (below), while the Bradley Sub-Council meets at the Bradley Town Hall on Bradley Square. In the spirit of all things parliamentary, Addington is named after the first Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth. We will explore Addington in greater detail at a later stage - as we make our way to Parliament to deal with the issue of Congressman Ross and his unsavoury and questionable ways. While the Addington Town Hall dates back to days marked by simpler living, the monstrosity next to it was recently built to house the ever increasing bureaucracy to meet the administrative needs of the District. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) Apart from being the meeting place of the District Council, the Town Hall also functions as a public meeting place and houses the Magistrate's Court for the North Coast District Municipality. Other civic and municipal services are administered next door at the head office of the North Coast District Municipality. The Town Hall and District Municipal Offices are located in the heart of old town Addington, to which we will return at a later stage. Click for Original (1366 x 768px) For now, we'll head back to Benhurst, from where we will continue our journey to Parliament!

Looking forward to seeing this develop! I personally avoid mountainous terrain, so I might even learn a thing or two!

This is really awesome! Well done! :D

Wow! Grungy! :D I like it! Great job!

    Thank you! :D       Thanks! :)       I live to please! :P hehe Glad you like it! :thumb:

Great job! The base reminds me of this building in downtown Johannesburg. The Gauteng Community Safety Department Building at 78 Fox Street.

    Thank you to both of you! Be sure to join in on the fun in Benhurst Dam ;)

Let me start off with by wishing you all a Happy May Day! (Okay, it's a day late, but it's a public holiday here in South Africa, so I was busy with political activity ahead of our elections next week!) When we last saw Bradley we were saying goodbye, but where are we heading, and what will we be doing on our way there, and when we eventually get there? And more importantly, where exactly were we? Well, now you know! Okay, what I mean is, now you have a better idea of where Bradley is and what surrounds it... more or less... A full update in due course, and possibly only after our elections on Wednesday! Be sure to check out the previous update in the mean time and find out why we were leaving Bradley in such a rush!

I usually start with a town centre, which would typically have a railway station and civic buildings as well as a commercial centre. Around this I develop residential areas. This would later become the "old town" as the city expands. In general major residential areas have a commercial district or section which would be home to grocers, etc. Sometimes, if the customer base or infrastructure (such as railway stations) are conducive to it these would become higher density commercial districts. I've only really used this model on smaller towns with populations of 50 000 people or fewer. I have yet to develop a skyscraper intensive high density residential and commercial city.

Thank you very much! :) It takes a lot of time and patience, but I think the development is progressing well! See the region traffic view in the latest update for a better idea! :) Thank you! :) And very time consuming ;) But they say, practice makes perfect! :thumb: Thank you! Just the way I like it! Reminds me of my own town and country! :D Thanks for stopping by and for your comment and feedback! Much appreciated!

The beautiful view of the promenade and beach from Prestwich Manor made it very difficult to waste the spectacular sunset by staying indoors. A short stroll down the promenade led to the discovery of a campsite where a group of teenagers were spending their spring break. They came to Ocean View for the scuba diving and shark spotting, but couldn't really afford the luxurious accommodation offered on the promenade. New friends were soon made and dusk would soon turn into dawn if the the return journey to Prestwich Manor wasn't made soon! It was indeed a beautiful evening, and Ocean View and surrounds was definitely a place anyone could fall in love with. Click for original (2127 x 1959px) If there was any doubt about the beauty of Ocean View, the next morning cemented a growing love for this corner of Bradley. Click for original (1366 x 1571px) The ocean was teeming life just off shore and the corals were a sight to behold. Click for original (946 x 1122px) The shipwreck just off the coast was a favourite spot for divers. And, of course, the friendly sharks of Ocean View was one of the main attractions! Click for original (1122 x 972px) Given all these distractions it is not surprising that the business that brought us to Ocean View is almost forgotten! A brisk walk back up the promenade takes us there... Click for original (1336 x 3000px) ...but first, a quick brunch at Papa's on the Promenade! The green roofed icon at the bend of Reef Road is an icon, nay, an establishment of great repute in Ocean View (and an even greater and more interesting history). Click for original (1162 x 2094px) You have by now surely noticed the Main Road and Ocean View Central Business District, but also the brown monstrosity known as "The Projects" next to Papa's. The brown towers lining Reef Road were built during the post-war welfare state experiments as council flats to house the less fortunate. It seems very generous, but the reality is that Ocean View was a mosquito infested swampy morass before the big hearted Congressman Ross discovered it. The bulldozers and money of Wayne Ross Developments moved in, and with it came condos and skyrocketing land values. Well, almost skyrocketing land values. This was currently being, well, held back a little by the interesting characters of The Projects featuring on the Ocean View skyline. We think it adds a certain cosmopolitan charm to night-time skyline, but the moneyed class clearly disagrees... Click for Original (1366 x 1490px) This is where the business proposal of Congressman "Double Cross" Ross comes in... Mr Ross has found a way to make the towers magically disappear, and with it, the woes of aforementioned moneyed class. A committee of the House has been briefed on (imagined and invented) problems with the foundation and underlying rock formations of The Projects. With a committed investor, Mr Ross can set the process in motion and soon have an open piece of land on the Ocean View foreshore ripe for development - and for more genteel folk to move in. Naturally our conscience and concerns for residents of The Projects would never allow such an appalling proposal to go ahead, let alone would we buy into it. Unfortunately, Mr Ross is an influential man, and we can't just blow him off. We need time. Before we can commit, we tell the Congressman, we'd like to make doubly sure that Bradley is a sound investment. We take a quick tour of Bradley Industrial - east of Meyer's Pond - which, apart from the fish farm, is mainly a logistics and shipping centre catering for the growing consumer class in the former small coastal resort town. Click for original (1366 x 1622px) We also take a look at Bradley Heights north of Prestondale and Bradley Square. The green lungs of Bradley forms a buffer between farm country to the north and the commercial heart of the town. Click for original (2470 x 1425px) We conclude that Bradley is a real gem, a worthy investment, and a great place to be... Click for original (2194 x 1620px) Click for original (1366 x 768px) ... which is all the more reason to ensure that it is enjoyed by and preserved for people from all walks of life. How we will save The Projects without getting on the wrong side - or in the legendary Big Black Book - of Congressman Ross will be the main challenge... ________________________________ Replies to comments on the previous entry will be posted tomorrow. Thanks again for all the great comments and feedback! Thanks again for viewing - and reading - and for your continued support! Until next time! M

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The first country in which South Africans abroad voted today in our 2014 National Elections (Sorry, I just had to take this one lol ) France

A truly spectacular area! I love the mountains and trails, and the trees look just great! Also interesting to see that someone abandoned the exact same row boat in your CJ too!