What is comminution?

We arrived in Cape Town yesterday and the first thing on the agenda was a meeting with the staff of the Vineyard Hotel and our Cape Town agent Rene Simpson. One of the staff asked me "what is comminution?" An easy one, but the next question was not so easy- "how can you spend 4 days talking about breaking rocks?"

The weather here is superb and we have been making use of the Vineyard's pool and gardens. By the pool we met up today with John and Donna Starkey, who had a very long journey from Vancouver.

Conference delegates should find the time to explore the beautiful river walk in the hotel grounds, and look out for the famous Vineyard giant man-eating tortoises! But don't expect to soak up the sun after a long afternoon conference session. Although sunset is at 6.30 in Cape Town at this time of year, it is a very abrupt 5pm at the Vineyard, as the sun suddenly sinks below the highest point of Table Mountain.

In the evening we dined with our old friends from UCT, Cyril and Nanette O'Connor and our flotation consultant J-P Franzidis and his wife Rose in the Vineyard's excellent 'The Square'.