Inhaltsverzeichnis für June 2018 in go!

It’s a privilege to travel, but it can also be the source of great strife in a marriage… I love a good map and I love a good back road, but I’m also incapable of asking for directions. These are three combustible characteristics in the wrong set of circumstances. A woman with a few married years under her belt will see trouble coming and rein her husband in when he starts acting like a headstrong horse that wants to deviate from the standard course. But Ronel and I were newly wedded when we tackled our first big road trip from Cape Town through the old Transkei to Umdloti in KZN. She had no idea what I was capable of when we hitched our small pop-up caravan (basically a double bed…

Stinky but stylish Q PAT KING from Craighall Park writes: Friends and I were travelling along the S90 gravel road to Satara in the Kruger Park when we saw these about-to-fledge secretarybirds in a large nest in a thorn tree, all three shouting their heads off. We paused to take pictures. An adult appeared and walked towards the tree carrying a lump of dried elephant dung in its beak. The adult stopped and picked up an even bigger clump of dried grass or dung and flew up to the nest, dumping the pile on the floor. The chicks investigated the grass and dung briefly before insistently begging for food. With that, the adult started to regurgitate lunch and suddenly all hell broke loose. The scramble was so hectic that soon…

If you’re planning a visit to the Kruger Park before the end of the year, why not contribute to a research project on yellow-billed oxpeckers? Take a photo and send it to the researchers and you could win a voucher for photography equipment worth R10 000. What are they researching? In South Africa, the yellow-billed oxpecker is only found in the Kruger Park and surrounding reserves. It was actually declared extinct in South Africa at the end of the 19th century, but re-appeared near the Shingwedzi area in 1979. The current research team, led by Guy Hausler from SANParks Veterinary Wildlife Services in Skukuza, wants to determine how the species is doing in terms of their distribution, how and where they’re nesting and which host species they prefer. “For example,…

Did you know you can see an asteroid using binoculars? This month, look for the brightest asteroid of all, called Vesta, making its way across the night sky. Asteroids are relatively small celestial bodies made up of rock, which mainly orbit the sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. Vesta is the second biggest object in this asteroid belt, with a diameter of 525 km. The biggest asteroid by far is Ceres, which has a diameter of 945 km, and in third place is Pallas, diameter 512 km. Although Vesta and Pallas are of similar size, Vesta is made of much denser material and is thus much heavier – it makes up 9 % of the total mass of the asteroid belt! Vesta is also the brightest of all…

Ask most South Africans about St Helena and they might tell you that it’s home to a volcano and that prisoners were sent there during the Anglo-Boer War. Very few people will consider it a holiday destination. After all, until recently the only way to get there was aboard the RMS St Helena , which took five days there and five days back. So why should you visit the island? After spending a week on St Helena, I can give a long list of reasons! It’s only a flight away South African Airways is the only airline in the world that offers a weekly flight to St Helena from Johannesburg. You can board the plane on a Saturday morning and be in Jamestown by lunchtime. It’s not…

After tying it on, I sniffed the fly before wetting it. The sniffing was for memory. The wetting was to get rid of any air bubbles that might affect its buoyancy before casting it out. I’m a fly-fisherman and while we’re generally a bit strange and prone to getting lost in the details of what we do, sniffing a fly is not usually part of the ritual. But this was a special fly. It could have been wishful thinking of the olfactory sort, but the scent of the materials on that fly brought back a Pavlovian pot-pourri of things I associated with my grandmother Stella: Bosomy hugs that smelt of mothballs and Chanel No 5; perfectly coiffed hair right into her 90s; Peppermint Crisp greetings; creamed sweetcorn in the Kruger…

For the first two kilometres of the Boesmanskloof Hiking Trail between Greyton and McGregor, you walk along level terrain. You start in Greyton before making your way through the Greyton Nature Reserve and across the Gobos River (not much more than a trickling stream in late summer). But then the easy part ends… A jeep track snakes its way up the steep mountain slopes. I’m thankful for the cool, overcast weather. It’s true that you don’t have to be super fit to manage a two-day hike, but a hill is a hill and soon my legs and lungs are burning. When my alarm went off way too early this morning, I had serious misgivings about what a “fun weekend” meant to the group of eight hikers I’m with. But I’ve…

Dirkie Saad isn’t in his office in Cradock, but I get his personal number from someone working in his shop and call him. No worries, says Dirkie after he hears that I want to come see the new lodge he has built on his farm. I drive the magazine’s trusty Renault Duster over the Fish River, turn left at the Cradock train station and follow the tar road south past irrigation farms. At what’s left of Halesowen’s station buildings, gravel takes over. When I was seven years old and still going to school in Cradock, our class once took the train to Halesowen and from there we visited a nearby dairy farm, owned by the Copemans. Just past this childhood flashback I see the turn-off to Buffelshoek Dirosie Lodge on…

TONY CRONJÉ Canon EOS 650D Canon 75 – 300 mm lens TONY WRITES: I took this photo at the Gwarriepan waterhole in Addo Elephant National Park. It was a hot day in January and there were elephants of different ages all cooling off in the water. I watched these three romp around for about half an hour, hoping that a good photo opportunity would present itself. Eventually I got what I was waiting for. This scene reminds me of the games we used to play as children, like bok-bok . Although I live relatively nearby in Morgan Bay, I don’t visit Addo often enough. The elephants there are more docile than in the Kruger Park or Etosha, for example, especially when there are small calves around. It’s…

I grew up in an age of one-litre brandy, two-litre Coke and three-litre Ford. Four cylinders were for sissies. Six cylinders were okay, but you knew you’d arrived when you turned the key, tickled the accelerator pedal and heard the gurgle of eight cylinders. People believed Elvis Presley when he said, “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine”. The most desirable V8 of them all was a metallic green Ford Mustang GT350, like the one Steve McQueen drove through the streets of San Francisco in the movie Bullitt . Sadly, that Mustang never made it to our shores because the Americans couldn’t be bothered to put the steering wheel on the other side. The closest we ever came to getting this automotive…

ST JOHANN, AUSTRIA St Johann is the perfect ski destination for beginners. It’s a traditional Austrian ski resort, only 2,5 hours from the Munich airport. The resort has about 40 restaurants and bars, and facilities where a beginner can practise until you get your “snow legs”. Accommodation is in a hotel 100 m from the ski lift. St Johann offers great value for money. COST From R31 358 per person sharing.* TOUR INCLUDES • Flights to and from Munich via OR Tambo International Airport, plus transport to and from the ski resort • Seven nights’ stay in a standard double room at the Panorama Hotel (breakfast included) • Five three-course dinners at restaurants in the resort • Six-day ski pass • Ski equipment hire for six days (boots, skis and…

TRENNERYS HOTEL & CAMPING, QOLORHA MOUTH Once you’ve crossed the Kei River by pont, you’re officially on the Wild Coast. From here, the landscape only gets more rugged the further north you go. The gravel roads are potholed, the hills are higher and the valleys deeper, and on the beaches you’ll see more cattle than people. At Trennerys Hotel, about 16 km on the other side of that pont, you’ll find everything you need for happy families. The hotel – an Eastern Cape institution – is on a hill between the mouth of the Qolorha River and a long strip of pristine beach. It’s wild, but not so wild that you have to worry about poor road conditions, food (you can buy groceries at the SaveMor in Kei Mouth), electricity,…

There’s a good reason why people from Cape Town don’t head to the Drakensberg or to the beaches of KZN in droves every summer. Not only do they have their own beaches and mountains back home, it’s also a very long drive! If you want to travel along the N2 from Cape Town to Margate, it’s more than 1 500 km – 18,5 hours behind the wheel. (Even Windhoek and Gaborone are closer.) The most difficult section is the 400 km between East London and Kokstad in the old Transkei. The roads are in a poor condition and the journey will take a minimum of six hours. But if you drive the back roads via Graaff-Reinet, Cradock, Queenstown and small towns like Lady Frere, Cala, Elliot, Ugie, Maclear, Mount Fletcher…

Did you get special permission to ride on the pans? No official permission was required. We did pay to camp at Kubu Island (about R120 per person per night). It was relatively easy to ride on the salt pans and we tried to follow tracks left by others. We used a GPS to keep track of our progress. How much fuel did you take along? A scooter generally doesn’t guzzle fuel – we took about 160 litres. We converted a jet-ski trailer and used it to transport tents, other camping gear and fuel. A Kawasaki Brute Force quad bike towed the trailer. What did you do for food? We carried two cool boxes on the trailer. We used Evakool boxes and they passed the test with flying colours. The key…

Sani Pass is not as wild as it once was. Time has smoothed out the roughest edges, but this soaring road will still make your heart beat faster. Tackling the pass is not just about testing your driving skills. It’s about the views, the fresh air, the waterfalls, the possibility of snow and a glass of red wine at Sani Mountain Lodge on top. The road becomes tar on the Lesotho side, but for now the South African side is still gravel. Drive it soon, before the graders arrive……

Stormsvlei Farm Stall & Restaurant, R317 near Riviersonderend Some places just ooze a sense of history, like the Stormsvlei Farm Stall & Restaurant. The town has been a popular pit stop for about 200 years! First, walk through the farm stall and browse the shelves stocked with wine, dried fruit, and local Wildebraam products like jams, chilli sauces (watch out for the Rattlesnake Bite), sundried tomato mustard and liqueurs like honey, rooibos and chilli chocolate. Best of all? You can taste most products before you buy. Two double doors lead into the living room. You’ll feel like you’ve wandered onto the set of a 1970s film: old leather couches, slate floors, knotty-pine ceiling and an old-school bar with a dark-wood countertop. Stormsvlei used to be an overnight stop on the…

Agrass strip as wide as a pavement separates my tent from the Touw River in the well-known Ebb & Flow rest camp. If that strip were any narrower, I’d be in danger of stumbling into the water. It’s early morning. Steam is rising from my coffee mug and from the surface of the river. A kingfisher is perched in the reeds and keeps a wary eye on its surroundings. An Egyptian goose family waddles into the shallows. On the opposite bank, indigenous trees cling to a steep cliff. The sea is only about a kilometre downstream; upstream, the river snakes its way deeper into the forest. Somewhere up there, the Serpentine River splits off the Touw and feeds Island Lake, Bo-Langvlei, Rondevlei and Swartvlei. These lakes are connected by narrow…

The 4th Underwater Photographer of the Year competition was once again a roaring success. The grand prize went to German photographer Tobias Friedrich for his technically brilliant panoramic stitch of British World War II military vehicles and Norton motorbikes in the hold of the Thistlegorm wreck in the Red Sea. (Visit underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com to see Tobias’s winning pic, and the other finalists from the 11 categories.) We’ve chosen to do something different this year and feature some of the black-and-white winners and finalists. It’s amazing what happens when you take away the blue of the ocean: The underwater world comes alive in contrast and texture and your eye is drawn to smaller details that might otherwise be lost in the vibrancy of a colour scene. Enjoy! Crocodile reflections Borut Furlan (Slovenia)…

Winter camping is the best – during the cold months you can explore places that are almost too hot to handle in summer. Head for the wide open spaces of Namibia, the Kalahari or the Karoo, where the days are sunny and the evenings crisp – perfect for gazing at the Milky Way sparkling above before retreating to the warmth of the campfire. Another great winter destination is a game reserve in the Bushveld, like Madikwe or the Kruger. The sparse winter vegetation means the animals will be easier to spot. And few things bring you closer to the raw power of nature than lying in your tent while you listen to the roar of a lion at night. If you’re a hiker, head to the foothills of the Drakensberg…

Whether you’d like to update your holiday photo album or make your Facebook gallery the envy of your friends, join professional photographer Sam Reinders and journalist Sophia van Taak on Blesfontein Guest Farm just outside Sutherland for a (chilly!) weekend of all things camera-related… and we’ll throw in some fun for good measure! Through hands-on tuition and comprehensive course notes, and by using the Karoo (and Blesfontein’s wacky collection of pets) as our canvas, we’ll cover the basics of composition, exposure, framing and light. Come armed with either a point-and-shoot or a D-SLR. We’re keeping the group small (there are only nine cottages). This means we will be able to deal with your questions one-on-one and help you get to know all the dials and buttons on your camera. BOOK…

Bring yourself and your friends for a camping weekend of stargazing and unwinding. You’ll stay in a luxury tent and we’ll take care of everything. You can look forward to great-tasting breakfasts and dinners, informative evenings at Sterland and a tour of SALT. During the day you can explore the Karoo area on foot or on your bicycle. WHEN? 12 – 13 July 2018 13 – 14 July 2018 14 – 15 July 2018 15 – 16 July 2018 HOW MUCH? R1 585 per adult per night – minimum two nights. Single supplement additional 30 %. Kids under 12 pay half-price. There’s a maximum of 16 people per night (which can increase if kids share with parents). WHAT DOES THE RATE INCLUDE? · Accommodation in a luxury tent, including beds, electric…

THE BLUE MOON RESTAURANT, SUTHERLAND The sandstone building that houses The Blue Moon might be nearly 100 years old, but owners Jannie and Roelien Degenaar have dressed the old lady up in a red roof, colourful decor and a lush garden. The house will catch your eye when you drive down Primrose Street and you’ll be lured through the front gate. On a cold morning, the stoep is just the place to have breakfast and thaw in the sun after a chilly Karoo night. The menu has a wide variety of options for every degree of hunger. Breakfast is served all day (the omelette is great) or you can order a light meal like soup, melkkos , sweet and savoury pancakes, pizzas, waffles and sosaties. Also check…

Mom warthog fights back While in Addo recently, I watched as four black-backed jackals tried to outmanoeuvre a warthog to get to her baby. But she was having none of it and fended off every attack. Eventually she decided that enough was enough and she stormed one of the jackals. It fled, followed by the other three. Afterwards, the mom warthog and her baby just carried on grazing as if nothing had happened. Nature really is wonderful! AMANDA VAN WYK, Durbanville Now you see me now you don’t! I took this photo near Malelane gate in the Kruger Park a few months ago. I was following a pack of wild dogs and at first I drove right past this impala without seeing it. It’s only when I looked back that…

There’s always something new to see in the Kruger Park – now you can add freshwater jellyfish to your list. That’s right: This particular species has been recorded in other parts of the country, but never in the park. The jellyfish were found in stagnant pools in potholes at a place called Red Rocks in the Shingwedzi River, about 20 km west of the rest camp. They’re disc-shaped and about 1 – 2 cm in diameter, with multiple tentacles of different lengths. The DNA collected still has to be analysed, but the species is most likely Limnocnida tanganjicae , which is more common in lakes further north in Africa. Dr Izak Smit (pictured), a science manager in the park, first came upon the jellyfish in October 2016.…

Bats must be some of the most maligned animals out there. Most people view them with revolt and even fear, thinking erroneously that they’re looking to feast on warm mammal blood. But there are no African bat species that suck blood. Also, their navigation system is too well developed for them to fly into your hair and they don’t transport parasites to humans. All these myths are rooted in misguided folklore. On the contrary, these creatures have an enormous role to play in nature. Bats are numerous in both species and numbers – there are an estimated 1 200 species worldwide and a single colony can host tens of thousands of individuals. You can imagine the effect that such a colony has on malaria-carrying mosquitoes and crop-destroying insects! The smallest…

Eat out All the accommodation options in the park are self-catering, but you’re a stone’s throw from “the village” (as Wilderness locals call the CBD), where you’ll find a variety of restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. Visit the Milkwood Evening Market in Beacon Road on a Friday from 4 pm to 9 pm and browse the stalls selling handmade jewellery, curios and tie-dye shirts. You can also grab something to eat. On Saturday mornings, the Wild Oats Market in Sedgefield is worth a visit ( 082 376 5020; wildoatsmarket.co.za ). It’s a big market where you can buy fresh fruit and veggies, meat, pancakes, bread and handmade products straight from the farm. Sit for a while on a hay bale and listen to live music. If you…

READER STORY WILBRIE FOURIE Home town: Pretoria Occupation: Business developer My friends and I have always wanted to do a motorcycle tour, but there was one problem: None of us owned a motorcycle. Plan B? We’d ride scooters, and we’d ride around the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. Our plan was to ride 275km around Sua Pan – the biggest pan in the Makgadikgadi network – over the course of six days. Each of us had to sort out our own ride. Some bought a scooter; others borrowed one. Come D-day, we were ready: Albert van der Merwe on a Suzuki, Francois Bester on a BMW C1, Bennie Fourie on a Fong Kong Blade, Leon-Fritz Riekert on a Vuka, Hano Swart on a Kawasaki Brute Force quad bike and me on…

TRANS-BOTSWANA Discover true African wilderness at these iconic destinations: Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta, Tsodilo Hills, Zambezi Region, Bwabwata National Park, Mahango Game Reserve, Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park. WHEN? 6 – 16 August 2018 15 – 25 September 2018 19 – 29 April 2019 28 June – 8 July 2019 6 – 16 August 2019 15 – 25 September 2019 HOW LONG IS THE TOUR? 11 days, 10 nights COST R25 650 per adult. Single supplement additional 30 %. GARDEN ROUTE, BAVIAANS & ADDO NATIONAL PARK Join us for an unforgettable tour through the Knysna Forest, over the mountains into the Baviaanskloof and on to Addo Elephant National Park. WHEN? 6 – 12 February 2019 HOW LONG IS THE TOUR? 7 days, 6 nights COST R14 089 per adult.…

How does it work? This is slackpacking at its best over four days and four nights in the company of Venture Beyond’s expert guides. Group sizes are restricted to a maximum of 14 people – just bring your hiking gear, a walking stick, your camera, binoculars and a daypack. Everything else is covered: accommodation, three meals a day, entrance fees to the various parks and reserves as well as transport from one trail to the next. We also offer a shuttle to and from Plett and George airports to make your whole experience hassle-free! Where do I stay?  There are two accommodation options: Stay in three- and four-star-graded lodges in Plett or camp in style. We provide fully kitted-out dome tents with stretchers, mattresses, bed linen and bath towels. Our…

3 hiking trails MACHU PICCHU The Inca Trail in Peru, which takes you to the citadel above the Urubamba River, is the most popular hiking route in South America and is considered one of the top five trails in the world. You may no longer hike the trail without a guide, which forces you to make a booking using pricey travel agencies. The trail is 43 km long and is usually hiked in four days, but you can also do a shorter section. Budget for about $600 per person for four days. The best time to go is between April and October. HADRIAN’S WALL If the thought of climbing Everest or Kilimanjaro makes your heart flutter, consider an easier route like Hadrian’s Wall Path in England. The wall is about…

NAMIBIA, 1964 FERDI SCHOEMAN from Pretoria writes: In the summer of 1964, when I was doing my honours in botany at the University of the Orange Free State (now the University of the Free State), we went on a field trip to South West Africa (now Namibia) in a Taunus kombi, travelling 5 000 km in 14 days. There were three undergraduate students also on the tour, and we were chaperoned by our professor, Dr EM van Zinderen Bakker. The purpose of the trip was to collect botanical specimens for the department’s herbarium and to find suitable sites to take soil cores for palynological research. Our route took us from Bloemfontein via Prieska to Augrabies Falls. I remember the intense heat and how the hot sand burnt the heck out…

These sheep look bewildered in the snow near the village of Rhodes in the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. Rhodes is close to Tiffindell – South Africa’s only ski resort – and regularly receives snowfall in winter. Early one morning in August, after one such overnight dumping, Brendan ventured out to photograph the spoils. He came upon these poor animals, which had obviously been caught off guard by the sudden change in landscape. Brendan says: “They seemed eager to pose in the hope that I might come to their rescue!”…