7-16th June 2013.

This year marks the addition of a new festival to the Hermanus calendar. This event is planned to run annually, joining the ranks of the Kalfiefees and the Two Oceans Whale Festival.

The festival is perfectly timed to welcome the first of the Southern Right Whales arrival into the Walker bay. Annually, from roughly the beginning of June to December, Hermanus is known as a mecca for whale watching, with the Southern Right Whale’s choosing the area as home.

The southern right whale travels in excess of 2000km from their feeding ground, the sub-Antarctic, to the South African shoreline. Here is where they come to mate and give birth. They start appearing one by one as early as May and normally leave toward the end of November while the females with calves born late, can still be seen in January.

This premier celebration of South African arts, the Hermanus FynArts festival is 10-days of activities aimed at everyone who values visual and creative stimulation and a vibrant social buzz.

All the visual arts will be represented: Painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, film, jewellery, literature, music (orchestral, classical, jazz and opera), and award-winning wine and food.

There will be exhibitions, discussions, recitals, and a range of courses offered by accomplished presenters; an intricately woven fusion of a Winter School and an Arts Festival.

Daily tours will take place along the Hemel & Aarde Wine Route, botanical tours in Fernkloof Nature Reserve, and hop on/hop off tuk-tuks will provide free transport to the central art galleries, bookshops and restaurants. Hermanus Tourism is offering several highly affordable accommodation and activity packages; all based on winter tariffs, as well as daily Fynarts passes to fringe activities. Visit the festivals website for bookings & updates www.hermanusfynarts.co.za