Sommaire pour June 2015 de go!

Unwell eagle Q NEELS BOTHMA from Kaapsehoop writes: In July 2012, my wife Ria and I did a back-road trip from Nelspruit to Swakopmund. Near Aus, we saw this martial eagle on the edge of the road. We turned around to see whether it was injured. When we approached, it didn’t fly off but stayed very still and close to the ground, as if it was trying to hide. It was so sluggish that it only turned its head when Ria touched it. We tried to coax it up with a piece of biltong, at which point it flew up to the nearest telephone pole. A Ornithologist ADRIAN CRAIG responds: This is very unusual behaviour. I suspect the bird was ill or had been poisoned. Poisoning is a big problem:…

The Fenix LD60 outdoor flashlight provides unmatched performance and flexibility, satisfying all your lighting needs – outdoors or indoors. Thanks to the separate circuit design, the LD60 works well even when one or two LEDs are not powered. Using three Cree XM-L2 LEDs, the LD60 produces a maximum output of 2 800 lumens with an impressive beam distance of 460 metres. The battery runs for a maximum of 150 hours. The LD60 is also shock-resistant. (Drop tests were conducted from a height of 1 metre.) All Fenix products have a 2½-year warranty – terms and conditions apply. Available at specialist retailers countrywide. HIDE & SEEK Competition THIS MONTH: HOW TO ENTER Find the picture (it will be small!) and SMS your name, e-mail address followed by the page number to…

If you’re planning a trip to the Augrabies Falls, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park or the Richtersveld, Kathu Inn is the perfect Northern Cape stopover. It’s located between Upington and Vryburg, and Kimberley is a mere three-hour drive away. The newly built Kathu Inn has rooms with either a double bed or twin single beds. Each room has an en suite bathroom, DStv, tea- and coffee-making facilities and air conditioning. There’s safe on-site parking available. Included in the price: Two nights’ accommodation for two people. Excluded: Meals, drinks and transport to and from Kathu Inn. How to enter: SMS your name and the word “Kathu” to 35691. SMSes cost R1,50. Free SMSes don’t apply. Terms and conditions apply. Read them at go-southernafrica.com For more information on Kathu Inn call 061 667…

This shrew is no mouse Although they superficially resemble mice, elephant shrews belong to a totally different mammalian order to rodents. Similar environmental circumstances have resulted in the two species evolving to look alike, but that’s where the similarities end. Mice eat mostly vegetable matter while all elephant shrews are carnivorous, seeking out their insect prey by sight or by scent using their long and mobile snouts – the reason for their name. Shrews are also active during the day while mice are mostly nocturnal. Three new species of elephant shrew have been found during the past decade. This is remarkable, considering that 98 % of all mammals are thought to be discovered already! The most recent was in Namibia in 2014, discovered by researchers from the California Academy of…

The Otter Trail had started well for us. The first three days had been hot and we’d taken every opportunity to swim. In the heat, the hike had sorted us out into two halves: a peloton of chattering, photo-taking strollers, and two front-runners, whom we’d dubbed Heavyweight and Columbus. Heavyweight had earned his nickname by bringing a whopping 28kg of gear – everything from beach bats to several litres of custard. Columbus, first name Chris, was our explorer. So it was with glee that I rounded a bend to see the explorer and the weightlifter ahead. “We caught you!” I said. But Columbus gave me a mournful look and pointed at what lay ahead. The Otter Trail, which “only” averages 8km each day, is made respectable by two things: the…

William Faulds, soldier and hero of Delville Wood. Pioneer author Olive Schreiner. Political activist Matthew Goniwe. Vlam Michau, the burly middle-order batsman for Eastern Province. That Cawood guy who won the second Big Brother. My great-grandfather. His father. My father. And me. We’re all from Cradock. Cradock is a platteland town in the Eastern Cape, situated on the banks of the Great Fish River, amidst koppies where the red flames of aloe flowers punctuate late winter, and where the short-lived fury of a summer thunderstorm makes all the town’s corrugated iron roofs steam and hiss. In my memory, Cradock is a place of smells: water, dust, freshly mown lucerne, pine cones… Let me tell you why I love the place so much. What is a home town? In a world…

JACKIE BADENHORST Canon 5D Mark III Canon 500 mm lens JACKIE WRITES: I was driving in the south of the Kruger Park when I came across this rhino bull. I spent just over an hour with him, with no other cars. It was a special sighting and I felt a little sad driving off. My shutter speed was 1/2 000 second, aperture f4 and ISO 400. I used Photoshop to convert the photo to black and white. I love black-and-white photos. When you remove colour, textures are enhanced and clutter is removed. Of all the pics I took, I like this one best because the white of his eye is visible. It’s emotive. TOAST SAYS: Jackie’s photo is spot on: an animal portrait with emotional impact. It makes you wonder…

ASK US ABOUT OUR ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS Whether you want to create an impressive Facebook gallery or decorate your lounge with eye-popping prints, join us for a weekend of all things camera-related. We keep the groups small so you’ll receive plenty of individual attention. We’ll also help you get to know your camera better – whether it’s a point-and-shoot or a D-SLR. DATES Tulbagh | 18 – 20 September 2015; 2 – 4 October 2015; 19 – 21 February 2016 Dullstroom | 21 – 23 August 2015; 9 – 11 October 2015 Drakensberg | Coming soon TIME The workshops start at 4 pm on a Friday and end at noon on a Sunday. COST R2690 per person including hands-on tuition, comprehensive course notes and dinner. Partners are welcome. For an additional…

There comes a time in your life when you look at a car and think: “How practical is it?” This is also a time when you’re probably not sleeping very well and you have a gobby Nik Nak stuck in your hair. Yes, when you become a bus driver for your children, you need a car that is big and bulletproof. The Ford Tourneo Custom is the biggest, most bulletproof car I’ve ever driven. I just wish it would fit in my garage… What’s it like to drive? Surprisingly pleasant. From the outside it seems as big as a Putco bus, but once you’re behind the wheel it’s as nimble as an SUV. The driving position is high, the steering is light, the parking sensors beep when you get close…

THE SPRINGBOK EXPERIENCE, CAPE TOWN Like the name suggests, this rugby emporium at the V&A Waterfront is more than a history museum. With its own rugby field, flagship merchandise store and plenty of interactive displays, it’s a green-and-gold daydream for adults and children, where all your Bok fantasies come true. Walk through the door and you’re plunged into Springbok heaven. The sound of a cheering crowd fills your ears and big screens play never-ending highlights. You’ll also be able to see famous kit like Francois Pienaar’s number 6 jersey and Joel Stransky’s 1995 World Cup boots, relics and life-size statues of rugby legends – all of which tell the story of South Africa’s rugby evolution since 1861 in a way that embodies the pride and passion of the sport. Whether…

CapeNature has upgraded the facilities in the Bird Island Nature Reserve – the island is about 100 m offshore from the town of Lambert’s Bay. The Bone Box – a new exhibition centre – features skeletons of local marine life, including the only Cuvier’s beaked whale display in South Africa (pictured above right). The main building now also has a penguin pool, touch pools and interactive touch screens. Bird Island is one of only six Cape gannet breeding sites in the world and the only one easily accessible to the public. Opening hours: 7.30 am – 6 pm (winter). More info: 071 657 5651; 082 336 5936; capenature.co.za New hotel on Saint Helena Construction on a new, four-star hotel on Saint Helena Island will begin this month. The remote island…

48000 Amount in tonnes of macadamia nuts produced in South Africa. We’re the top producer of these nuts, beating Australia, where macadamias originate. 1924 The year a 2,5-million-year-old fossilized skull, which came to be known as the Taung Child, was dug up in a quarry in Gauteng. The skull was recognised as a “missing link” between humans and apes by Wits University anatomist Raymond Dart. This discovery would establish South Africa as the Cradle of Humankind. 948 Estimated height in metres of the Tugela Falls in the Drakensberg, the second-tallest waterfall on earth. Angel Falls in Venezuela is the tallest, although its claimed 979 m height is debated. Many believe Tugela should be top of the list. 300 Width in kilometres of the Vredefort Dome, a meteorite impact crater that…

Addo Elephant National Park is a patchwork reserve split into five separate sections: Woody Cape, Colchester and Main Camp, Zuurberg, Kabouga and Darlington. You can plan your trip around one or a combination of several sections. To experience the whole park, it makes the most sense to start in Woody Cape, the easternmost section, and drive in a north-westerly direction through Colchester and Main Camp, Zuurberg and Kabouga to Darlington, the northernmost section. From Darlington, you can continue north along the R75 to Graaff-Reinet, or south through Uitenhage to Port Elizabeth and the N2. This is what you can expect… WOODY CAPE SECTION Get lost in the dunes I’m on a lonely gravel road at five minutes to midnight. The murky blur of milkwoods is pooling into a deeper dark.…

B IS FOR BARGAIN • More 4 Less Who doesn’t love a bargain? At More 4 Less you can buy anything from second-hand furniture to retro crockery, flower pots, books and LPs. If the Smithsonian, the Louvre and the British Museum all go up in flames we’d be able to salvage enough cultural artefacts from More 4 Less to assemble a new civilisation. Where? 6 Church Street When? Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm; Saturday 8 am to 12.30 pm. Contact: 048 881 1048; moreforless@cradock.co.za VISIT • Schreiner House Cradock has a town museum, but Schreiner House is probably the best place for a quick overview of Cradock’s history, even though the bulk of the displays focus on the writer Olive Schreiner – she wrote her…

Action cameras are made for playing outside. I’m not one for mountain biking or skateboarding, but I got the opportunity to sail on the Durbanville Hills Vulcan yacht in Table Bay. (Hylton Hale and his Vulcan team won the South African championships last year.) I took along the suction cup mount (sold separately for R450), but I ended up shooting mostly by hand. You can download an app for your cellphone, which allows you to operate the camera remotely, or you can buy a two-way Wi-Fi remote for R595. The Stealth 2 is designed for rain, snow, mud and dust, although you shouldn’t go scuba-diving without a waterproof case (sold separately for R459). The sea spray on the yacht did no damage. One thing that sets it apart from a…

Photographing seabirds is one of the most challenging things you can do with a camera. You’re often on a boat, which is constantly moving, and the birds themselves don’t stay still for very long either. Then there’s the autofocus difficulties and the compositional elements to take care of. These factors make the photos in this portfolio even more special. All are previous winners of the Oceans of Life Photographic Competition, a BirdLife South Africa Celebrate Our Seas initiative to create awareness around the plight of our seabirds. This year the competition is running for the seventh time and entries are already piling up. For good reason: The first prize is a trip to Antarctica! It’s not just about the birds – photographers can enter anything that depicts marine biodiversity from…

THABELA THABENG, VREDEFORT DOME The name means “to be happy in the mountains” and you’ll certainly be happy at this resort about 100 km from Joburg. It’s on the Vaal River and has several accommodation options, from a chalet with a private rock pool to an affordable youth hostel 1 that would be great for a school group. If you like fishing (or fly-fishing), book one of the units on the banks of the river. The chalets with the best views are situated in a kloof – book Plumbago, Chacma or Dassie. Activities: Walk one of the short trails to the lookout where this picture was taken for an early-morning view of the Vaal 2 . One of the trails is wheelchair-friendly and runs through a game camp3 next to the river.…

Feline roadblock We toured the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with three other families in March this year. Late one afternoon, on Marie se Draai near the Marie se Gat waterhole, we found a pride of 19 lions dozing on the side of the road. They were so lazy that the vehicles had to take care not to drive over their tails! All the tourists were respectful and gave the lions – and each other – lots of space. Everyone got a chance to take photos. This seemed to be the norm wherever we went in the park. Thank you! KOBUS VAN WYK, Ermelo WINNING LETTER Kobus wins two Mawu Aquasacs worth R195 each. The Aquasac is based on the ancient water skin and is designed to fit the shape of your…

Vital Protection This handy insect repellent won’t leave you sticky or smelling like mothballs. In fact, you don’t even need to apply it to your skin! Vital Protection is a Deet-free fabric treatment that helps protect against malaria and tick-bite fever. A 20 ml Soak and Dry sachet treats up to 1 kg of clothing, while a handy spray can be stashed in your backpack and used on hats and hiking socks. Cost: Prices range from R60 for a 20 ml Soak and Dry sachet to R600 for a 1-litre spray. More info: vitalprotection.co.za ParkSpotter: Table Mountain National Park ParkSpotter is an app for Apple devices that helps you explore national parks in South Africa and Namibia. Previously, it only worked in the Kruger, Etosha, the Kgalagadi and Addo.…

Bright, brighter, brightest Venus has been the evening star in the west since the beginning of the year. On 6 June, it will reach the highest point of its orbit. Over the last few months, Jupiter has also been on the move, tracking in a westerly direction, closer to Venus. Early on the evening of 20 June, the sickle moon will be close to Venus and Jupiter, forming a near-perfect triangle. You’ll be able to see all three at the same time without moving your binoculars. It’s rare to see the three brightest heavenly bodies so close together. Venus is the brightest planet and Jupiter comes in second. (Of course, the moon is the brightest object in the night sky.) Over the course of the next 10 days, Jupiter and…

Your run was called “Expedition Imashi” – why? It was meant to pay tribute to an important part of South Africa’s history. While hiking along the Kei River in the Eastern Cape a while back, one of my friends told me about 7 000 migrant Zulu mineworkers and their families who became trapped in Johannesburg in 1899, at the start of the Anglo-Boer War. They had no way to get home so they walked from Joburg to Hattingspruit near Dundee – about 400 km away. The march is commemorated by two blue plaques outside Wits. One plaque is in English, the other in Zulu. The English one is titled “The Epic March (of the Zulu Mineworkers)”. The Zulu one reads “Imashi Enkulu”. What was the toughest part of your run?…

29 – 31 MAY Bicentenary of SS Arniston shipwreck, Western Cape The 200th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Arniston will be commemorated over three days in the seaside town of the same name, with events including a book launch about the ship, a hike to the wreck, a 4 km fun run, an open swim and a sea rescue demonstration by the NSRI. A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Arniston Hotel on Sunday 31 May. Picnic hampers can be ordered in advance from the Arniston Hotel for R65 per person. Ticket sales: 028 424 1240; swm@xsinet.co.za More info: 028 445 9000; arnistonhotel.com 4 & 5 JUNE Fine Brandy Fusion, Gauteng Rub shoulders with local schlebs at this showcase of South African brandies. Learn the history and…

Victoria Manor & Die Tuishuise This historical hotel and the 30 restored cottages in the same street are a South African cultural treasure – and all thanks to the vision of owner Sandra Antrobus more than 30 years ago. Back in the 1800s, many of the houses were inhabited by craftsmen such as ox-wagon builders. The street is at its prettiest early in spring when the pear trees blossom. A hotel room costs R830 per night for two people (B&B); a room in Die Tuishuise costs R500 for two people (B&B). Where? 36 Market Street Contact: 048 881 1650; info@tuishuise.co.za • Albert House This stately house was built in 1843 and has a large garden. There are seven en suite rooms. Bed and breakfast costs R350 per person…

READER STORY HELENE VAN NIEKERK Home town: Onrus Occupation: Retired Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps (4 897 m), surrounded by 400 smaller peaks and 40 glaciers. The Tour du Mont Blanc is a 170 km circular route through this part of the Alps, which runs through France, Italy and Switzerland. It’s one of the most popular multi-day hikes in Europe. How does it work? You choose the distance and the route you want to cover. I hiked with my friend Liesbet Malan – we did a circular route from the village resort Les Houches in France on a higher-altitude trail because we wanted big views and limited contact with civilisation. We varied the distance we hiked each day: Some days we did more than seven hours,…

Energizer’s new portable lights offer you the best of both worlds: for camping, hiking or even for a braai under the stars at home. The 2 in 1 LED Standing Light is just the thing to replace that old torch. It functions as a lantern or a torch and you can drop it from a metre without damaging it – great if there’s a toddler around. Fully charged, it will give you up to 20 hours of battery life – enough for a long weekend camping trip. The LED Folding Lantern is the Standing Light’s bigger brother. It has variable brightness control so you can use it for a romantic dinner or as an emergency light when you have to change a wheel at night in the bush. And with…

MODDERFONTEIN RESERVE, JOHANNESBURG You’d expect to find a grey or slightly murky lung in a big city, which is why this green one in the northeast of Johannesburg is such a pleasant surprise. At 275 hectares, Modderfontein is one of the biggest private reserves in Gauteng. Since its proclamation in 2012 it’s become a haven for walkers, trail runners, mountain bikers and birdwatchers. The property belongs to the chemical and explosives giant AECI, and was part of its much larger Modderfontein estate. Last year AECI sold the bulk of the land to Shanghai Zendai, a Chinese property conglomerate that plans to build a massive suburb here. Fortunately the reserve wasn’t included in the transaction, and it’s now managed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust with the help of the Modderfontein Conservation…