Índex per October - November 2021 a go!

Few things changed modern society as much as the motorcar. It jump-started economies, accelerated urbanisation and altered the landscapes of continents. Best of all, it made the road trip possible. That was true in the 20th century and it’s even more relevant in these strange times. What’s the best way to flee your locked-down existence? Get in your car and drive! Right now, flying is for the birds and the only way you’re going on an ocean cruise is if you haul nets on a trawler. You can walk, run or cycle but you won’t get very far… So, you drive, and as you’ll read in this issue, people are driving to places in droves! You don’t have to pawn grandma’s bone china tea set on Gumtree to afford a…

Mole snakes are common and widespread in southern Africa. They even occur on Robben Island! Most average about a metre in length, but individuals in the Western Cape have been known to become quite bulky and can exceed two metres in length. Across the majority of its range, the mole snake is seldom detected. That’s because it spends much of its life in rodent burrows, where it hunts. Their most common prey is mole rats, accounting for the name, but mole snakes also feed on other small rodents, which they grab with their sharp teeth and constrict. Snakes vary in colour from dark grey or shiny black to various shades of brown. Juveniles are brightly marked with patterns down their back. They’re muscular snakes, with a small pointed head that…

Shaping Addo – The story of a South African national park by Mitch Reardon, Struik Nature R320 in bookstores Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about South Africa’s third biggest game reserve is covered in this comprehensive book. Following the success of its predecessor, Shaping Kruger (2012), Shaping Addo takes a deep dive into every aspect of the park: its origin, history, geology, vegetation and wildlife. An entire chapter is dedicated to Addo’s best-known inhabitants. The park was proclaimed in 1931 to protect the last 16 free-ranging elephants in the Cape. These days it’s home to more than 650! Besides terrestrial animals and birds, Reardon also turns his attention to the sea life found on and around the six islands that make up the marine protected area of the park.…

AEROPRESS GO The original Aeropress was patented by Alan Adler, a professor at Stanford University in the USA, who incidentally also invented the record-breaking Aerobie Pro Frisbee. The Aeropress has been around for more than 15 years and it has built up a cult following among coffee lovers, some of whom claim it makes better coffee than expensive Italian coffee machines… My Aeropress gets packed whenever I travel, even if I’m just overnighting in a hotel. It’s light, makes an excellent cup of coffee in less than a minute and it’s ridiculously easy to clean. The new Go is aimed specifically at hikers and campers. The Aeropress and all its accessories fit neatly into a compact drinking cup. The whole thing weighs just 326 g and includes 350 small round…

Our northern Botswana tour begins at the community-based Khama Rhino Sanctuary in central Botswana, where we spend our first night before moving on to the spectacular Kubu Island, a granite rock outcrop on the Makgadikgadi Pans, for a night under the stars. The next morning, after enjoying coffee and rusks against the backdrop of the iconic baobabs, we head north along the edge of the empty salt pans, testing our 4x4 driving on the sandy terrain. We have a light picnic lunch en route to our next campsite. We spend two days on the banks of the Boteti River, 30 km from Maun. There will be an opportunity to do a flight over the Okavango Delta (own expense), explore the local markets or simply chill in camp before a late…

Napier is an artsy town in the Overberg. If you’re planning on making it your next weekend escape – and so you should – the Grootberg Hiking Trail is an excellent way to view the region from a high vantage point and get your steps in for the day. Besides the obvious workout, this hike is about two things: saucer-sized king proteas and magnificent views… It starts at a radio tower 8 km south-east of town. It’s here where I find myself one frosty morning in late July, preparing to tackle the trail with two pals, Laubscher Barnard and Divan van Zyl. (Pro tip: Always keep outdoorsy friends handy for work-related hiking assignments.) A board to the left of the parking area shows us where to begin and we set…

GO HERE Julius Gordon Africana Centre/ Versfeld House One of the best rural museums I’ve seen in years. The whole family will enjoy the exhibits. Where? 29 Long Street Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. If you want to visit on a Saturday, make prior arrangements with curator Louise du Plessis. Entry fee: Make a donation. Contact: 066 117 7621 (Louise); louiseriversdal@gmail.com Muiskraal olive farm To get to this farm, you’ll drive over Garcia’s Pass – pull over to look at the historical Old Toll House, built circa 1879. Muiskraal olives and olive oils make great gifts at reasonable prices: 1 litre of olives cost R67 and 1,5 litre of oil costs R170. Where? 20 km north of town. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from…

EAGLE KLAPS BABOON, TULI BLOCK I first visited the Tuli Block in Botswana in 2013 and absolutely fell in love with the area. The scenery is spectacular, especially along the Limpopo River where large mashatu (nyala) trees grow, and the birding is top drawer. I usually travel with a few old varsity mates, who are also all into birding and wildlife photography. We always stay at Mohave Bush Camp, run by Stuart Quinn from Tuli Wilderness. On our most recent visit, Stuart took us on a morning bush walk to a place called Eagle Rock. We headed upstream along the bank of the Motloutse River, which flows into the Limpopo. Eagle Rock is about 5 km from the confluence – it’s a breeding site for a pair of Verreaux’s eagles.…

Why us? My dad Gavin has been a fan for years. Through him, I also started to read the magazine. It’s so much fun to travel to all the corners of the country through the writers’ and readers’ eyes. What’s the online audience like? They’re a close-knit community. When I share a letter or reader story on Facebook, there’s always someone who tags the reader to say,“I know that person!”Our readers also seem to have a sweet tooth… Dessert and biscuit recipes are always a hit. Holiday highlights? Weekends away with my school friends. Yes, we’re still friends after nearly 15 years! We play board games, braai, talk until the early hours and sleep on a Christmas bed in the living area. If you have the right people with you,…

Tour de Venus! Venus has reigned over the western horizon as the Evening Star since mid-2021. In the first week of November, it will reach its highest turning point above the horizon, and in early December it will be at its very brightest. Since Venus is an “inner planet” – between the earth and the sun – its orbit never sees it surpassing a 47° angle from the sun as seen from earth. During the same period, we on earth are undergoing our annual revolution around the sun, causing the constellations to gradually shift across our night sky. These relatively small movements become more pronounced as you watch Venus, night after night, as it moves against bright constellations. In October, Venus will take a tour through Scorpio and in November…

Live in Cape Town by Guy Buttery & Derek Gripper US$7 from bandcamp.com Two of South Africa’s finest guitarists team up on this dreamy, transformative album. Tracks are long, meandering and exploratory. The nine songs are the perfect soundtrack for a drive along dusty dirt roads somewhere in our hinterland, destination TBC. Derek Gripper often provides the melodic notes – as clear and fragrant as cracked-open walnuts – while Guy Buttery (who also plays the sitar and mbira) is all texture, all finger-run along rusty wire, peeling bark off a giant old gum tree near Jansenville. Derek packs the biscuits for this picnic; Guy’s got the biltong. When the dial hits dusk, put this on at home and close your eyes. You’ll escape somewhere, grow wings, sparkle like a comet…

Gough Island is a breeding site for more than 8 million seabirds. Despite its isolation, the birds are not immune to the negative effects of humankind. Sealers who visited in the 19th century inadvertently introduced mice to the island, which developed a taste for defenceless chicks, nibbling them to death right on their nests. Nearly 2 million chicks were killed this way each year. One of the aims of the Gough Island Restoration Programme is to eradicate the mice. In the winter of 2020, experienced pilots spread bait pellets containing a rodenticide across the island. Rodent eradication is a complex issue and it will take a few years of observation before the programme is deemed a success. One pregnant female mouse left on the island could make the entire multi-million-pound…

We ask the boffins at Truth Coffee in Cape Town, recently voted as one of the best coffee shops in the world, what the secret is to making good coffee on your next camping trip. “As a rule of thumb, use two heaped tablespoons of ground coffee (it should be a similar texture to table salt) for every cup of water. Speaking of water, since it makes up about 95 % of your final cup, it’s more important than you think. You can use bottled water or even better, water from a clean stream high in the mountains, but having the right temperature is a little trickier. “If you’re camping and all you have is water bubbling on a stove, pour room-temperature water over your ground coffee first, to create…

The Garden Route is already one of South Africa’s best holiday spots. Now, with hundreds of kilometres of pristine trails for hiking and cycling, it is becoming an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. For adventure-seekers and lovers of fresh air, the Bitou Valley Eco Camp offers a unique camping experience. On the banks of the Bitou River, this 12-bed eco camp provides off-grid glamping and delicious local cuisine (potjies, braaivleis, roosterkoek…) enjoyed around the campfire each night. Stayovers at Bitou Valley include two meals a day, unlimited access to activities like kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding on the river, and amazing birding and swimming. For the 2021/22 holiday season, guests are also eligible for 50 % off a guided self-drive exploration into the Diepwalle section of the Knysna Forest. * All Trail…

The walls of my office are decorated with paintings by some of the world’s foremost avian artists. One wall in particular is reserved for my absolute favourite series – works outshining all the others. The paintings on this wall are in mixed media: crayons, colouring pencils, glitter, pasted pieces of macaroni… Yup, like any dad, I can’t bear to part with a single sheet of unframed A4 paper, each of which is loving inscribed to me and signed by the artist. A shared feature in every one of my son’s pictures is a misshapen but still instantly recognisable little bird: long, flappy tail; bright orange body; blue triangle for a head. You guessed it – African paradise-flycatcher! It’s hardly surprising that this species is a firm favourite in my son’s…

Instagram: @stevewimberley “In the Tuli, Stuart Quinn and his team always make our stay very special. We book out his lodge exclusively and we plan each day’s activities with him. Depending on the weather and where the animals are, we might go for a guided walk or a game drive. “Stuart usually organises a camp-out in the bush one night. He sets up our beds in a circle around the fire and brings us supper. We draw straws to keep watch at night and keep the fire going. Listening to the night sounds and gazing up into the beautiful, star-filled sky while your mates snore away is an experience that is hard to beat!”…

Cloudy with a chance of leopards My husband Christo and I visited the Kruger Park in September last year. The landscape was parched and bare. It started to rain on our second day, and while we were happy for nature’s sake, we did worry that we wouldn’t see as many animals… Yet it seems leopards like the cool, rainy weather: We saw 11 in just six days! One afternoon, when the sun broke through the drizzle, we found this beautiful male next to the Shingwedzi River on the S134 road. He was our third leopard of the day and we watched him loll around for about an hour. I spy with my little eye... The East Fort hike is a dog-friendly, gentle walk above Hout Bay in Cape Town, which…

SANParks implements a cashless system SANParks is pursuing a strategy that will see all their parks becoming totally cashless by the end of 2023. Twelve of the 19 parks (see below) switched over on 1 September 2021, the rest will follow during the course of 2022 and 2023. Visitors to these parks will either have to pay prior to their visit via sanparks.org/ bookings, or make use of the speed payment points being installed in the parks. In other words, remember your bank card! This extends to all trade and tourism activities within the park, so hang on to your slips as proof of payment for each transaction. The objective of the new system is to minimise risk associated with keeping large amounts of cash on site. SANParks is confident…

Vaalwater’s “drab”name is misleading – the past decade or so has seen it step into its role as headquarters of the Waterberg with aplomb. Thanks to a district packed with great guest farms and private game reserves, plus the fact that much of the tourism traffic heading to the Botswana border passes through here, it has had no shortage of visitors. Vaalwater Hotel dates from 1955, but stood idle for a while until new owners revamped it in 2020. They’ve clearly brought in the feet, because a phalanx of white bakkies greets me as I arrive. Strolling in here wearing a Hurley T-shirt and blue Salomons might make you a touch wary, because you know (and you’re not wrong) that khaki is worn in this establishment. But relax, this is…

What is your book about? A small Karoo town with a big heart, and all the great and small adventures that Prince Albert has to offer: hikes, trail runs, bike rides, guided adventures, sunrise walks… It’s about connecting with nature and with your inner adventurer – and having loads of fun! It’s also about travel as an act of empathy and respect. The Karoo teaches us that nature is the foundation of our lives and our livelihoods. Respect for each other, respect for where we live and the places we visit, respect for the environment and all its plant and animal life… Respect is essential to the survival of future generations. Why Prince Albert? I wanted to give something back to the place that I’m fortunate to call home. Because…

Chakalaka chicken nachos Serves 4 Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes You need • 3 chicken breast fillets, in bite-sized pieces • salt and pepper, to taste • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 tin (400 g) mild chakalaka • 1 tin (400 g) red kidney beans, drained • handful fresh spinach, chopped • ¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped • 250 g tortilla chips • 1 cup grated mozzarella • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced • 1 big ripe avocado, in cubes Here’s how 1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the oil to an ovenproof pan and fry the chicken until golden brown. Add the chakalaka, beans and spinach and cook until the mixture is heated through. Add the coriander and remove the pan from the heat. 2 Preheat the oven’s grill element. Arrange the…

Maybe it’s the big, welcoming shadows cast by die jacaranda trees, but when I arrive at Waterberg Cottages I experience a sense of déjà vu: Have I been here before, in another life, with friends or family? It has a sense of place, its location in perfect harmony with its surroundings and its past. The last stretch of jeep track runs through mopane, marula and silver cluster-leaf trees before the bushveld opens up to reveal the farmstead. The late afternoon sun catches a horse kicking up a hoof of dust. I linger and feel it again: Something here speaks to me. Waterberg Cottages offer a farm and nature experience on the Waterberg plateau. Butterfly Cottage is built from stone and has a thatched roof. Anthony Baber, Waterberg pioneer and the…

Andy Lawerlot Manager, Suid-Kaap Verf “I’ve lived in Riversdale my whole life. It’s a place where you can walk around freely without looking over your shoulder the whole time.” Johanna Swarts Retired “I was born in Oakdale in 1941. I worked on the farms for many years and these days I miss them. I also worked at the hostel of the Oakdale Agricultural School – I prepared food for the children.” Pieter & Natasha Steyn Owner, De Doornkraal Vinotel “I believe in tradition. That’s why I came back to Riversdale in 2003 and bought the house I was born in. My grandfather was a wine farmer and my wife Natasha and I decided to do the same. My great-grandfather owned the farm Doornkraal and sold it in 1838 when Riversdale…

Why are frogs endangered? Frogs absorb water and oxygen through their skin. When the water they live in is polluted or poisoned, the frogs die. When frog numbers start to go down in an ecosystem, you should know that something is wrong. Their habitat shrinks as towns and cities expand. The ozone layer around the earth is getting thinner and more ultraviolet radiation is being let through, which damages frog eggs. Vehicles often run frogs over. HOW YOU CAN HELP Join inaturalist.org – there are three frog groups to which you can upload photos of endangered species you have seen and share information about where you saw them. These are the groups: • Leopard Toads of the Overberg • Herps of southern Africa • AfriHerps See if you can spot these endangered frogs…

When we crossed the border from Greece into Turkey, winter finally caught up with us. It was December and snow had started to fall. Midday temperatures barely reached 10° C and sank to -4° C overnight. We had two sleeping bags each, plus beanies and scarves – Marie even wrapped herself in a few plastic bags to keep out the cold! The evenings were bearable; it’s the mornings that were bitter. Camping in a rooftop tent has its challenges: We had to wipe down interior condensation before folding up the frozen tent, then we had to get Kukuza started. Our beloved 2001 Hilux has a 3-litre diesel engine that struggles to get going in the cold. We’d fire up the car’s heater and wait for water to boil on a…

Suther Peak is a high point on the Karbonkelberg massif – the mountain that looms over Hout Bay’s harbour. It’s a moderate climb to the top, with beautiful ocean and mountain views, a cool wooded area, and diverse plant species. There’s also an interesting cave along the way, which is a perfect breakfast spot. I took this picture from the entrance to the cave, looking north along the spine of the Cape Peninsula. It was great to look at Lion’s Head in the far distance, Grootkop in the middle distance (both of which I have conquered) and Little Lion’s Head closest to the camera. I feel blessed that I am still healthy and strong enough to enjoy all the beauty hiking in South Africa has to offer.…