Table of contents for October 2022 in Getaway

WAYWARD ADVENTURES On 4 October 1957, Sputnik I jetted out of Earth's atmosphere and kickstarted space travel; today, Earth is orbited by the International Space Station – testament to human ingenuity, imagination and explorer spirit. History is filled with inspiring – and frequently absurd – tales of those who wanted to know, ‘what's behind that next bend’. Here are some of them… Ibn Battuta set off from Morocco in 1325 on his Hajj. He returned 29 years and 120 000km later In 1912, Henry Bowers, Apsley Cherry-Garrard and Bill Wilson collected emperor penguin eggs in Antarctica. For 35 days, they navigated by candlelight in the dark winter, and returned with 3 eggs David Livingstone was the first European to cross southern Africa by following the ZAMBEZI RIVER from the Indian Ocean…

Masses were among the first plants to make landfall – at least 400 million years ago. They sequestered so much carbon dioxide, they caused the first Ice Age and gave Earth its first breath of fresh, clean air. Soft and absorbent, the first sponges, baby nappies and bandages were made of moss. The oldest gunpowder in the West was made from moss spores. Sphagnum palustre is found throughout the northern hemisphere, but the moss in Hawaii appears to reproduce only through cloning, which it seems to have done for the past 50 000 years. Moss is ubiquitous, useful, and even edible; it's most famously served at Noma, the Danish restaurant often hailed as the world's best. And then there's Gert van Tonder, designer and builder of Japanese-style moss gardens, who…

I might not be a rocket scientist, or somebody who's very scientifically inclined or sales driven to make the most money, but I still want to be the best at what I do. Being a ranger is not just a holiday job, or something to do after university. I'm going to be doing this till I'm old and grey and too rickety to walk. That's why I've taken the time to do all the additional courses, the extra qualifications. You can absolutely get a job with just a level one FGASA (Field Guides Association South Africa) qualification, but this is my career. And it's a lifelong passion. I started off working in the Sabi Sands, and then I worked at Tswalu in the Kalahari for three years. I've tried not…

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‘South African bread consciousness is certainly growing. But has the change been meaningful? I don't know.’ Markus Färbinger – fourth generation Austrian baker, and for many, the man who introduced the “real bread” movement in SA – started baking in the family village bakery when he was 10. ‘Even then I wesn't interested in the pre-mixes thet were delivered post-Wsr in tanks. But when I moved to America there was fresh enthusiasm for making bread by hand, a new approach te the discipline.’ After an eightyear stint teaching baking at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, Färbinger and partner Liezie Mulder opened Tie de pain – “island of bread” – on Thesen Island, Knysna, in 2002. Not only was Färbinger baking a bread unlike anything most South Africans had ever…

Aligning travellers’ holidays with local values. Pushing tourism that enhances rather than diminishes the lives of people in the places being travelled to. These are, according to the New York Times, among the principles underscoring “regenerative” travel – an approach to tourism that restores and improves quality of life and the environment. Regenerative travel is in part a response to the climate crisis; it is an attempt to shift human behaviour by encouraging people to travel more mindfully. Unlike “sustainable travel”, the idea is not only to have a low footprint but to have a positive impact environmentally and socially. In the case of Farmhouse, this means taking care to reduce the carbon cost of everything from food to toiletries, and to be proactive about regenerating the land. And there…

NYAMI NYAMI Whether you believe in it or not, the river god embodies the majestic spirit of this watery wonderland. It's hard to grasp what the feeling is, but you'll know it the moment you arrive. WALKING WILD The diverse landscape, with its undulating grass plains, river gullies and forested highlands, is wonderful to explore on foot with trained guides. Expect fresh scenery and wildlife encounters around every corner. “ADVENTURE” FISHING Tossing a line in the water here is never boring. Even if the fish aren't biting (highly unlikely) you'll be entertained by elephants on the lake side and hippos and crocs in the water. ZIMBABWEANS The people you encounter, whether they're guides, fishermen, local holiday makers, boat drivers, waiters – the lot – are among the friendliest and most…

TRAVEL Richmond *Bedonnerd translates loosely (and politely) as mad An armed robbery at one of their upmarket guest houses in Gauteng and a property ad for an old hotel drove Lionel Millard and Aubrey Williams into the welcoming arms of Richmond. The fading Masonic Hotel was transformed into The Richmond Karoo Small Hotel and all was going according to plan when Covid came along and iced tourism, hitting them like a financial sledgehammer. ‘But it was a blessing,’ said Aubrey. ‘We both had hospitality burnout and there was no money left anyway. However, we had a plan for another business.’ Aubrey's granny had taught him to sew. He started small, with a little Empisal sewing machine on a piece of Masonite in their kitchen, their dog Sir Knuckles always at…

Do This Down Loop Street, the massive Modern Art Projects South Africa (Mapsa) gallery is also where a team of Richmond community women produce works of ert in book form, using Japanese paper craft techniques to bind pages into books, covered in recycled flour, maize and sugar bags. If it seems closed, call George Willemse on 073 436 4413. The Bookbinders are right next door. map-southafrica.org Richmond Horse Museum, one of only two horse museums in the world, is open on most days. Donations welcome 072 629 0742 wilnatolken@gmail.com When in a bookish town, buy a book. Some of the best can be found in John Donaldson's Richmond Backs and Prints. 081 270 8827 booktownrichmond@hotmail.com Vetmuis Plaaskombuis on Loop Street is part restaurant, part home industries store, and part gift…

Much, Much More There's always more when it comes to free-spirit and photographer Obie Oberholzer. This surreal (but real) scene was captured in Namibia's remote northern Kaokoland. ‘Back then, dusty and dirty but much younger,’ he writes, ‘I stopped my bakkie at this single sign that was erected in the middle of nowhere, I just stood there, visually smashed, mesmerised by this strange and humoristic sight. From somewhere out of the vast stillness, from the edge of our planet, a voice floated down and said, “F*kken snaaks, né?’ In the plains of endless vastness, it was a sight I will remember till I reach-my final landscape.’ The picture is part of Obie's latest tome of photos and happy-sad stories, Happysadland, of which there are more on page 56.…

Obie Oberholzer PRETTY ROUSH EDSES (P 56) Since his early years of art study at Stellenbosch and photography in Munich, Obie has chased image-making with relentless enthusiasm and energy – his approach is a form of Sturm und Drang mixed with photographic passion. His fascination with images and curiosity about the world combines with a single-minded pursuit of excellence, something that at times haunts him awake at night. A pictorial storyteller, he says he shoots what he loves and couldn't give a hoot about the art. Anton Crone LAKE OF LEGEND (P 76) Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Anton's holidays were often spent on the shores of that country's inland ocean, Kariba. Earlier this year, our former editor returned to the vast lake, the largest volume of water ever collected…

3 October 1983 Germany is reunified after the country was split at the end of World War II. 4 October 1970 Singer Janis Joplin dies from an accidental heroin overdose. 6 October 1927 The Jazz Singer, the world's first sound film or “talkie”, premieres, heralding the end of silent movies. 6 October 1993 Micheal Jordan retires from professional basket-ball, saying: ‘I don't have anything else to prove.’ He returns in March 1995. 8 October 1967 Revolutionary leader Che Guevara is killed by the Bolivian Army. Before a secret burial his hands are cut off so his fingerprints can prove his identity. 13 October 1884 Greenwich is established as the universal time from which standard times are calculated around the world. 15 October 1990 South Africa's Separate Amenities Act, which segregated public…

1 | 25L Rogue Carry Cooler R2 999, rogueicecoolers.com Ice rating: Excellent Based on a 1940s classic design, this cooler has all the serious insulation features of the Rogue brand – which bills itself as the maker of the most solid and indestructible coolers on the market. Like the Wild Cooler, the container is rotomoulded, which means it's a single piece mould with no joins or weak paints, and is virtually indestructible. It's then filled with eco-foam for quality insulation. The lid seals closed with a clip-over stainless steel handle. It comes with a three-year warranty and can fit a Champagne bottle, wine bottle and one-litre bottle standing upright. 2 | Natural Instincts 25L Thermo Electric Cooler R1 999, outdoorwarehouse.co.za Ice rating: Good Thermo electric? Sounds fancy. And it is…

TOP GLUTEN-FREE SEED BREAD? You will find Hannam & Co loaves, shells and pizza bases in all Wellness Warehouse freezers, as well as at selected Checkers, Spars and delis. For a full stockist list, visit hannam.co.za or send your requests to hello@hannam.co.za TRUTH OR DARE? Sourdough is traditional fermentation-based bread, and it's been around for more than 7 000 years. Kelly Mukendi at Cape Town's Truth Coffee (za.truth.coffee) knows his stuff, taking two days to make his sourdough. No additives, no preservatives, 100% natural. His bread is a city favourite, and it sells out fast. THE BEST FLOURS? Look for stoneground flour from Eureka, Champagne Valley, Gideon, Golden Reef (Bio-Wheat) and Lowland (distributor lists on each website). Note that stoneground flour is more “alive” and a bit trickier to work…

You park your car at Nirox and are shuttled to the cluster of restored and converted, handsomely rusticated, farm buildings by game viewer. And while game drives are a possibility in the Cradle of Humankind, that's not why you're here. This non-hotel (and the 58 property on which it's set) has been fashioned as an escape for the soul, a place to wallow in nature, hear water falling, maybe catch a glimpse of harmless wild animals. Its 22 rooms are quiet, minimalist spaces, chic but unfettered, contemporary but almost places you'd imagine retreating for monastic prayers. Spaces done out in natural colours and raw materials, a plump mattress on a concrete plinth and a simple bathroom where you're reminded how few your needs, in fact, are. The rooms help to…

‘I am an awkward scholar of sight,’ writes Obie Oberholzer, ‘a follower of roads and dreams, just a connector of all kinds of lines, trying to find life's essence in the linear connectedness of things and places and people. I hope that my moments and coincidences will last a little longer than passing incidents. My work is simply a conglomerate of moments.’ Happysadland, Obie's 15th book, captures some of these moments, with his artful wit and critical eye, underscored by a visual pathos that conveys empathy, curiosity, fascination and a distinctive surrealism. ‘Living with the happy sadness of these great southern lands, I learnt, after my first few horizons, that when travelling through Africa, your best partner is a sense of humour,’ he says. His way is to convert the…

GETTING THERE From Harare, it's about 350km, four or five hours by car. Take the road to Chirundu and turn off at the Kariba signpost just before Makuti Garage and Hotel. Carry on until you see the Marineland sign, where you can take a boat transfer. The road is potholed in places and is well used by trucks. To get to the islends, you'll need a beat transfer. Avoca Marine & Transfers (+263 712 209 631, marineland.co.zw) provides passenger services from Marineland Harbour to all camps and islands along the Kariba Eastern Basin. $100 (R1 620) per adult, $60 (R970) per child return to Spurwing Island. Children under two travel for free on a parent's lap. You can also fly thare, which is much quicker (and less bumpy), of course.…

While in Richmond, look out for a familiar face with a great backstory. Nearly 20 years age, Max Ndamane realised he was flat broke. Unless he made something of himself, it would be the end of his road. But Max is really good with his hands, and blessed with a mechanical mind. So he set about repairing everyone's washing machines, irons, hairdryers and stoves (what a blessing in a small town on a limited budget) with an eye to building up his cash reserves. He used that money to buy gardening tools and a small trailer he could attach to his bicycle. Max put the word out and within weeks he was up and running as a oneman gardening service. When draught hit and his client list withered, Max pivoted…

GETTING THERE Stay Here AMAGI ARIA HOTEL In Negombo, overlooking the lagoon near the fishing community. From R984 pps pn B&B +94 312 238 385 amagihotels.com AMAYA LAKE HOTEL An eco-resort on the shore Df Lake Kandalama in Dambulla. From R4 209 pps pn B&B +94 664 461 500 amayaresorts.com AMAYA HILLS HOTEL A five-star hillside retreat in Kandy's cultural triangle. From R2 038 pps pn B&B +94 814 474 022 amayaresorts.com ARALIYA RED HOTEL A great choice in the tea-growing highlands. From R919 pps pn B&B +94 522 229 000 araliyaresorts.com CHAARIYA RESORT AND SPA A lush green resort with garden chalets and an Ayurveda spa. From R625 pps pn B&B +94 472 237 143 chandrikahotel.com FAIRWAY A trendy downtown hotel in Colombo's historic Fort district. From R693 pps…

BACK TO THE CITY FESTIVAL 1 October Africa's biggest hip-hop festival returns to Joburg with live music, street art, break-dancing, film screenings, street fashion, gaming and panel discussions. Head to Newtown's Mary Fitzgerald Square, let loose and fully immerse yourself in a vibrant Jozi subculture. Tickets from R250 backtothecityfestival.com SALDANHA BAY AIR SHOW 1 October The inaugural show takes place at the Saldanha/Vredenburg Airport with all manner of aircraft speeding across the blue West Coast skies. It's about the performers, planes, speed and, of course, sound. There are also drone demonstrations, model planes, drag and drone racing. Tickets from R100 WestCoastSaldanhaBayAirShow UNPLUGGED62 FESTIVAL 7-9 October Music, food and outdoor magic in Barrydale – Nomadic Orchestra, Sunset Sweatshop, Majozi and Matthew Mole perform at Joubert-Tradauw Vineyards & Cellar, and the new…

UPFRONT | The Thread Don't look behind you.’ The instruction came from the Australian traveller up front, first of our little trio. Between us sat the Londoner on his gap year; I was at the back. We were three on one of those little motorbikes rented out in Greece in the summer, pootling around Paros. We'd been at a beach party on the other side of the island, and they were giving me a lift back to town, where I worked at what was then the only hotel on Paros, a drop in the blue Aegean Sea. My shift started at 4.30am with pressing the sheets for the daily linen change. It was not a bad summer job for a backpacker; I finished at noon and had the rest of…

UPFRONT | The Bread Revolution Maybe it's all those years of white bread peanut butter sandwiches – a sad indictment of my mother's culinary skills – but I never much liked bread. Besides, if you cared about calories – and boy did you ever in the era of leg warmers (thank you Jane Fonda) – bread was neither filling, nor slimming. Just gooey stuff that stuck to your teeth. The rejection was instinctive – literally a gut feel, unaware as I was that our daily staple had been radically altered a few years before I was born. After three millennia of baking dense breads – made with just three or four ingredients, naturally fermented for 24 hours – the 1961 Chorleywood Bread Process (CBP) produced a soft and yielding loaf,…

DESPATCHES Pause in the Cradle ‘A beautiful hello! Hello, friends!’ What strange world was this? This guy, in his slick black tights and Nike trail shoes, his larger-than-life beard and friendly eyes, was talking to a herd of wildebeest grazing just outside The Lapa, an open-air restaurant-cum-lounge-cum-bar where breakfast had been served. Already understood was that this was no ordinary hike, but who'd have imagined bumping into wildish animals round the back of the hotel? I'd met Lesego Mapeka over coffee, identified him (by his energy as much as the tights) as the resident fitness guru and within minutes he'd suggested we hike. I'd been in Gauteng less than an hour – Lanseria Airport is a short drive away – and we were traipsing into purest countryside on a beaut of…

Nyami Nyami, the Zambezi river god, has a head resembling a tiger fish and a serpent-like body that symbolises the river, curling from the Angolan highlands to the Indian Ocean. Many of the river folk, the Tonga, believed Nyami Nyami took vengeance on the people building the dam by conjuring the two immense floods, in 1956 and 1958, that took the lives of many construction workers. Overall, 86 people died building the dam. Before flooding the valley, more than 50 000 Tonga were relocated from the river sides to settlements on higher land. As the wall was built, animals were overtaken by the rising water and Operation Noah was initiated in 1958 to rescue wildlife. Led by game warden Rupert Fothergill, more than 6 000 animals were relocated to dry…

Most days of the week, about 200 Richmond children come to the Hope Centre on the edge of town for a meal. They line up while plates are dished up, pray briefly and then rush off with their food to find a quiet place to eat. The Hope Centre, funded by the American Rotary organisation, sources ingredients from Food Forward, which collects food that is about to expire. The centre also cultivates its own vegetable plot. ‘Schools can't always provide meals. But we want to nourish the children, not just give them food,’ says Kevin McKey, one of the trustees. Richmond's youth deal with the issues prevalent in most poor platteland towns, says McKey. There is alcoholism and drugs among parents and people in authority. It's a constant battle against…

UNDERSTATED LUXURY IN THE GREATER KRUGER The first of its kind in the Sabi Sands, Umkumbe Bush Lodge is understated yet luxurious. A down-to-earth tented camp under a canopy of indigenous trees in the southern stretches of a reserve that's known for its unrivalled animal sightings – particularly of notoriously shy leopards – Umkumbe offers all the comforts of home for an experience akin to luxury glamping. Elevated on a wooden deck, each tented suite has its own private balcony and is fully equipped for a comfortable safari retreat. This scenic part of the Sabi Sands reserve has a beautiful mix of environments, from winding riverbeds and woodland to open savanna and riverine thickets. There are two daily game drives included in a safari stay at Umkumbe Bush Lodge. The…