There is arguably nothing more exciting than sitting strapped into your seat and moving at a pace over some of the most breathtaking natural scenery in the world. Scenic helicopter flips have become a popular means of getting an eyeful of the splendours and sprawl of Cape Town.
Get the full picture...and in a fraction of the time
Helicopter tours offer a very different view of the world; a view that takes in the minute detail of the landscapes and ocean vistas that stretch out as far as the eye can see – a bird’s eye view. It is the one rare opportunity for visitors to the magnificent Cape to get the complete picture.... and in a fraction of the time overland tours take.
There is a wide array of scenic flights in and around Cape Town that offer glimpses of all sorts of treasures, from majestic mountain peaks to the tumultuous oceans around Cape Point, an area once described by the Portuguese explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, as the ‘Cape of Storms’.
Superior whale watching
During the months of July through to November, whale watching from above has become a popular choice amongst tourists and locals. The sheer magnitude of the beast in the surrounding azure waters really hits home when viewed from on high and, if you’re really lucky and have eyes of the proverbial hawk, you may well be able to spot a rather more intimidating denizen of the deep - the ferocious and feared Great White shark!
The intensity of the Cape coast, particularly in winter, has claimed a flotilla of sea worthy victims in all shapes and sizes. Keep a glad eye out for the dozens of shipwrecks that litter the entire coastline and bear in mind that many of the maritime tragedies have happened in the modern era - yet another indication of the relentless energy of the surrounding seas.
No need for a designated driver
If your time in the Cape is limited to a couple of days, there are helicopter tours dedicated to the wine routes of the region. It is possible to pop into a number of the leading wine estates in the blink of an eye to enjoy the tastes of the locally crafted tipple. Top flight restaurants abound, so make sure you have a luncheon venue earmarked and be thankful you can taste with impunity as the long suffering helicopter pilot can only watch, not imbibe.
If you are looking to purchase a new camera phone, Motorola may have the handset for you! They have announced the soon to be released Motorola ZINE ZN5 also known as the MOTOZINE. This is an advanced camera phone which incorporates some very clever Kodak technology.
The MOTOZINE boasts a 5 mega pixel camera with auto focus, Xenon flash, low light capabilities, multi-shot picture and panoramic stitching. A number of other proprietary Kodak imaging enhancements ensure that the MOTOZINE delivers high quality imaging results. Video’s can be captured at a speed of 15 frames per second.
A nifty little feature allows you to upload pictures to the Kodak gallery (an online photo gallery) via the handsets data connection. The handset also supports Bluetooth printing to compatible devices.
The MOTOZINE also comes equip with FM radio, TV out port, WiFi, EDGE, USB, WAP, stereo Bluetooth and 350MB of internal memory which can be expanded by MicroSD card. It measures 118 x 50.5 x 12 – 16mm (the handset is wider at the top due to the camera) and weighs 114g.
Although the MOTOZINE is a good camera phone it doesn’t fair well against other similar phones on the market such as the N95 and N96, as the ZN5 doesn’t come with GPS and it isn’t a 3G handset. Without 3G the MOTOZINE is quite slow for a multimedia phone as it has to rely on GPRS and EDGE. The display screen is also smaller than the two Nokia handsets. Unless the price reflects the difference in features the MOTOZINE may find it hard to stand out in the market.
The MOTOZINE will be released by the end of the year in Europe. China will have the handset by July. It will come in one colour scheme which is grey.
