19 December 2008
	PLACES TO BE - FREE OF CHARGE Fishing, walking, food sampling and jazz

Here is a selection of places that visitors to Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg could go to at no cost over the December holidays. Cape Town The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Saturday 9 am-2 pm. A weekly platform for organic farmers, fine-food merchants, wine & port makers, and young designers from fashion to ceramics. Browse the market, sample the oysters and champagne or tuck into a scrambled egg and farm-cured bacon roll - they smell heavenly. Go walking. Afro montane forest, indigenous plants, pristine fynbos - the beauty of Table Mountain and its surrounds is there for everyone. Try the walk to Tartarus Cave above Kalk Bay. It's a 3½-hour round trip and will take you through forests of milkwoods and yellowwoods and provides stunning views over Kalk Bay harbour and beyond. See www.hikecapetown.co.za. Fish at Kalk Bay, the small fishing harbour just south of Cape Town. Join the locals on the pier and throw out a fishing line - even if the fish aren't biting, the experience is worth it. And you can buy fresh yellowtail or snoek off one of the fishing boats anyway. Sasha Planting Durban The Natural Science Museum at the city hall in Smith Street is renowned for its habitat depictions, with thousands of invertebrate, bird and mammal species. Jazzy Rainbow. An upmarket jazz venue with über-chic African decor. Live shows on Saturday nights, Latino lounge on Fridays and jazz daily. Be warned: no under 25s and no more than 120 people allowed in. Daily from 9 pm, dress smart-casual. Address: 93 Goble Road, Morningside. Durban's golden beaches, of course, are obvious places to be. Soak up the sun, watch surfers at play, sand artists at work, fishermen on the pier. Early risers are sure to spot dolphins racing along the northern coastline. Free beach concerts take place throughout December. City centre, Umhlanga, Ballito. Zohra Mohamed Johannesburg Johannesburg Art Gallery. In addition to a fine collection, the gallery has two exhibitions, one in honour of resistance artists Thami Mnyele, another portraying city life by Themba Shibase. Jo'burg Street Carnival. If you're desperate for a New Year's eve party, the annual carnival starts in Kotze Street, Hillbrow, and ends with a street party on Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to usher in 2009. Jozi Food Market. Enjoy a variety of high-quality produce and food-related items; Saturdays at 7th Ave in Parktown North. Yum. Larry Claasen