go!August 2017的目錄

Giant’s Castle is truly special My friend Hennie Storm and I are keen birdwatchers and amateur photographers. Recently, we spent time in the vulture hide at Giant’s Castle in the Drakensberg (inset). We had to book six months in advance! Giant’s Castle is home to a population of the rare and endangered bearded vulture, which is one of the main reasons the hide is so booked up. We also saw jackal buzzards, Cape vultures and a couple of opportunistic black-backed jackals. The highlight for me was managing to photograph these two bearded vultures in flight. We spent three nights in the Giant’s Castle rest camp – also great. This experience is right at the top of my list of special moments in nature. ZIES VAN ZYL, Vanderbijlpark WRITE TO US…

Rent a tent for your next trip There’s a new company in Cape Town that’s hiring out camping gear and other outdoor equipment. Maybe you want to camp while you’re on holiday in the Mother City, but you don’t want to fly with all your gear. Or maybe you want to try rock climbing and you don’t want to shell out for expensive ropes and harnesses before you’ve actually decided if you like the sport. The company is called Scuttle ( scuttle.co.za ) and MD Jacques de Villiers came up with the idea during a year spent travelling the world. He wanted to camp in Yosemite National Park in the US, but he couldn’t fly with all the necessary gear, so he found a rental company and…

If you drive past Pot ’n Plow late on a winter’s day and the door is closed, pull over anyway. The fireplace is probably burning inside and the doors are closed to keep the heat in. Choose a table close to the fire and watch as local residents and tourists arrive – before long it will look like a scene from Cheers. The Pot ’n Plow is a no-frills restaurant and pub. I visited on a quiet afternoon and the service was fast and friendly, but it looks like the kind of place where you might have to wait for your food on a busy night. Oh well, just order another Limpopo Lager from nearby Zwakala Brewery and nibble on the free snacks on the bar counter, made from leftover…

Where does your love for the outdoors come from? I grew up in Australia, one of those great sunburnt countries, where most kids grow up playing outside in the fresh air. I spent my summers at the beach. Growing up in such an environment – much like South Africa – gives you a healthy love and appreciation for the outdoors. Home is not just the four walls of your house, but what exists in your entire immediate environment. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been concerned about conservation. Take deforestation: I couldn’t understand why humans tear down forests – the very things that give us oxygen to breathe. Or why we put rubbish into a pristine body of water. It just didn’t make sense to me. Have you…

It’s always exciting to explore a place for the first time. The landscape you’ve only ever seen in photos takes shape in front of your eyes. Sometimes it’s better in real life; other times you’d like to sue for false advertising… Pilanesberg is a bit of both. I arrive at Manyane rest camp and it seems like the North West Parks Board has forgotten that their premier game reserve even exists. The buildings are run-down and you could lose a toddler in the weeds. But the staff members I meet at reception are friendly and soon I’m off to look for a camping stand for the weekend. I pitch my tent under a cluster of thorn trees and have a look around. Yup, the campsite has enough trees to ensure…

FOR WOMEN 1 First Ascent Essence pullover The great thing about this micro-fleece top is it’s so downy you can wear it directly on your skin without the need for a vest. The thermally efficient material wicks moisture away and keeps body heat in. And how can you not love hot pink? R400 at Outdoor Warehouse and firstascent.co.za 2 K-Way Willow full-zip fleece top The high collar with a drawcord will keep the chill off your neck and the padded chest and shoulder panels provide an extra layer of insulation. The form-fitting cut keeps you as snug as a bug while still allowing free movement. R1000 at Cape Union Mart 3 K-Way Elsa down jacket This windproof, water-shedding jacket is stuffed with pure goose down that will keep…

SWALLOW’S NEST, PRINGLE BAY Pringle Bay might only be 85 km from Cape Town, but there’s very little of the big city here. Most of the roads are gravel and fynbos grows between the houses. Life moves at a slow pace. Whatever you’re doing – whether it’s walking on the beach or building sandcastles with your kids – you only have to turn your head north for a view of the Kogelberg mountains that tower over the village. The Buffels River rises deep in those mountains and empties into the sea at Pringle Bay’s main beach. Give the kids some boogie boards and they’ll splash around in the shallow water of the lagoon for hours. Dogs are also welcome. After a morning on the beach, visit Kogelberg Nature Reserve about…

A tight squeeze Q RIKUS SWANEPOEL from Pretoria writes: I saw this snake near the Kruger Park’s Phalaborwa gate. The snake – I think it’s a skaapsteker – was coiled around its prey. What animal has it caught, and is it common for this kind of snake to kill its prey by constriction? A Reptile expert JOHAN MARAIS says: This isn’t a skaapsteker, it’s a western yellow-bellied sand snake eating a common rough-scaled lizard. The snake is venomous and merely holding down its prey while it waits for the venom to take effect. Curious caterpillar Q STOFFEL DU TOIT from Hermanus writes: I photographed this caterpillar and butterfly on a Brazilian pepper tree (top and above right). What species is it? A Entomologist DUNCAN MACFADYEN says: The caterpillar is the…

The SA Agulhas II is an advanced research vessel that sails to Antarctica and remote islands in the Southern Ocean. The ship was built in 2012 to replace the original SA Agulhas, which was built in 1978. In September this year, the SA Agulhas II will depart on its next assignment to Gough Island. 1,3 billion The construction cost, in rands. 134,2 The length of the ship, in metres. 100 The total number of passengers the ship can carry, including 45 crew members. 30 The top speed of the ship, in km/h. 8 The number of permanent laboratories on board. 2 The number of helicopters the ship can carry. These are used to take researchers and equipment onto the Antarctic ice shelf, and onto volcanic islands like Marion and Gough…

TRANS-BOTSWANA Discover true African wilderness at these iconic destinations: Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta, Tsodilo Hills, Zambezi Region (previously Caprivi Strip), Bwabwata National Park, Mahango Game Reserve, Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park. WHEN? 1 9– 29 April 2018 28 June – 8 July 2018 6 – 16 August 2018 15 – 25 September 2018 HOW LONG IS THE TOUR? 11 days, 10 nights COST R23 950 per adult. Single supplement additional 30 %. GARDEN ROUTE, BAVIAANS & ADDO Join us for an unforgettable tour through the Knysna Forest, over the mountains into the Baviaanskloof and on to Addo Elephant National Park. WHEN? 15 – 21 February 2018 HOW LONG IS THE TOUR? 7 days, 6 nights COST R13 250 per adult. Single supplement additional 30 %. BERG TO BEACHES The…

CHELMSFORD NATURE RESERVE, NEAR NEWCASTLE Break your journey from Joburg to the coast with a stopover on the banks of the Ntshingwayo Dam in the midst of a swathe of grassveld. In that long grass, you might find the pride of Chelmsford: the oribi. The reserve is home to KZN’s largest population of the fawn-coloured, black-tailed bokkie. Things to do? Drive the Leokop Auto Trail – a well-marked route that takes you through the habitats of blesbok, oribi and zebra respectively, before meandering through a marshy wetland. The vlei is home to lots of birds – see how many of the 210 recorded species you can find (get a bird booklet at the reserve entrance). The trail is usually fine to drive in a family sedan, except if there has…

Joined at the horn I took this photo of two sable antelope on a stud farm called Castle de Wildt, near Modimolle. The photo is slightly out of focus, but I didn’t have time to correct my settings – the antelope moved a second later! BIANCA VAN ZYL, Modimolle Send my love to Paul Roux Willem van der Berg’s feature about Paul Roux in go! #131 made me long for my childhood. My maternal grandparents, Hennie and Christina Kriel, lived in the upper parts of town near the sandstone ridge. My parents Barend Schutte and Corrie Kriel married in Paul Roux in 1935 and I was born in Bethlehem a year later. Paul Roux didn’t have the necessary hospital facilities. My father was a policeman and often patrolled the area…

I almost got the same shot! I took this photo near the Malelane gate in the Kruger Park. Later, as I paged through your 2017 Kruger guide, I noticed that it was very similar to the “Kruger at its Best” shot. I bought another copy and covered the page in adhesive plastic for posterity! I’m not a professional photographer and took my photo using a cellphone – there wasn’t time to grab my proper camera. We couldn’t get accommodation inside the park, so we booked at a place outside. We arrived in the afternoon and dashed into the park for a quick afternoon game drive. That weekend yielded sightings of every member of the Big Five, plus cheetahs! And I got this shot… LINDA WISSEKERKE, Thabazimbi Smells like cheetah...  In…

Shadow play between earth and moon Watch the moon early on the evening of 7 August: a thin shadow will appear due to a partial lunar eclipse. Look at the phases of the moon listed below: The moon is full on 7 August. Is this a coincidence? Well, when the moon is full, the earth is positioned exactly between the sun and the moon. This means that the shadow of the earth can sometimes be seen on the moon, as is the case here. But why isn’t there a lunar eclipse during every full moon? Most times the earth’s shadow misses the moon. Twice a year, however, when the earth’s orbit around the sun intersects with the moon’s orbit around the earth, the two celestial bodies align in a way…

Eddie presses a button and “We Will Rock You” by Queen comes on. Babes responds immediately, stomping his feet like a gumboot dancer. He’s ready to party, unlike Boepie who seems to be here strictly for the rugby. It’s late on a Saturday afternoon when I arrive in Springbok, after having spent most of the day driving the back roads of Namaqualand. I head straight for the steakhouse as the street lights flicker in the dusk. It’s winter in 2015 and load-shedding is in full swing. The waitress at the door asks if she can seat me while I “wait for hubby”. “There ain’t no hubby coming, darling,” I feel like saying. But I let it go and head to the bar rather – better to hold up one end…

It’s early on a Friday morning in November 2016. A taxi picks me up outside my guesthouse in Gisenyi, Rwanda. Gisenyi is a border town – just on the other side is Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It takes minutes to get to the little border post and I join the queue. It’s easy to spot the other tourists – some seem to be Russian judging by their accents. Others in the queue work for NGOs in Goma – apparently it’s cheaper to rent a house in Gisenyi. One person is carrying an armful of flowers. Maybe it’s someone’s birthday in the office today? This isn’t just another border crossing for me. That’s because the Congo is on the other side, and the Congo isn’t just another…

WHERE & WHEN? • Dwarsberg Trout Hideaway, Rawsonville, Western Cape • 8 – 10 September 2017 HOW MUCH? Base rate: R950 per person for the full weekend. Book your spot and bring your own caravan or tent at no additional accommodation rate. Or choose one of these options: Cottage* Add R1 300 per person for the full weekend (various cottage options available – enquire when booking). Basic tent* Add R1 350 per tent (sleeps two) for the full weekend (includes two mattresses). Medium tent* Add R2 250 per tent (sleeps two) for the full weekend (includes two beds with linen, bedside table and two camp chairs). Premium tent* Add R4 950 per tent (sleeps two) for the full weekend (includes two beds with linen, bedside table, two camping chairs and a shower…

The Cederberg is a year-round destination, with various activities like hiking, mountain-biking and wine tasting on offer. But the area is also famous for its spring flowers. Kliphuis campsite is the perfect base from which to explore the back roads of the Cederberg to witness this phenomenon. WHEN? 18 – 26 August 2017 HOW MUCH? R1 250 per person per night (minimum two-night stay). Half-price for children under 10. THE RATE INCLUDES • A safari tent with beds and linen • Breakfast and dinner • An optional picnic lunch basket is available at an additional cost WHAT TO BRING? • Comfortable shoes for walking (There are lots of trails in the area.) • A mountain bike BOOK NOW! To book call 082 575 8499 or e-mail info@adventuresinafrica.co.za…

Karoo Passes & Poorts Ride the Swartberg Pass, the hills of the Little Karoo and the plains of the Great Karoo. Then swoop through Meiringspoort and fly down Montagu Pass. TOUR DETAILS  Dates: 7 – 11 September 2017; 9 – 13 November 2017 How long is the tour? Five days/four nights Average daily distance: 30 – 50 km Departure: Queens Hotel, Oudtshoorn Accommodation: Hotels, guesthouses and special Dryland campsites Rates: R8 495 per adult sharing; R4 250 per child under 12 sharing; R10 995 single supplement Garden Route Ramble Follow ancient elephant routes along the contours of the Outeniqua Mountains and down through indigenous forest to the sea. TOUR DETAILS  Dates: 12 – 16 September 2017; 14 – 18 November 2017 How long is the tour? Five days/four nights Average…