Sommaire pour February 2015 de go!

Spend a few hours in the Maun airport and you’ll see group after group of international tourists decked out in khaki, here for their once-in-a-lifetime African safari. This is a holiday that many of them have been dreaming about for years, maybe decades, and they’ve spent a fortune to get here. They walk out into the heat and dust with huge smiles and sparkling eyes. This is the Africa of Hemingway and Livingstone and National Geographic documentaries. It’s epic. Now consider this: You can drive to Maun tomorrow. In your Honda Jazz. Living in South Africa, we often forget how close we are to the Okavango Delta and its feeder network of rivers. It’s actually a crime if you don’t make a plan to go and see the miracle for…

8 The number of pangolin species in existence. Four of those live in Africa. The ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) is the most widespread, found in an area spanning from just south of the Sahara to the Northern Cape. 20 The estimated lifespan, in years, of a pangolin in the wild. 40 The length in centimetres that a pangolin’s tongue can extend from its mouth – to catch insects, which is what the pangolin feeds on. The tongue retracts back into a special cavity in the creature’s abdomen. 73 The number of reported pangolin sightings in the Kruger Park – over a 20-year period! Pangolins are shy, inconspicuous creatures, making data gathering quite difficult. 1 000 The weight in kilograms of pangolin scales seized in June 2014. The shipment was one…

Emotion vs reality “Endangered”is a word that we are often confronted with, usually accompanied by an emotional image of a lion cub or baby elephant, urging us to donate money to some or other cause. But the situation isn’t that simple. The leopard, for example, is often cited as an endangered species. It’s actually an incredibly versatile and widespread animal that can survive well outside of protected areas, sometimes even making its home adjacent to populated areas in Asia and Africa. Although there are significant threats to some leopard subspecies, leopards in general do pretty well if left alone. And that’s where the problem comes in. Humans can’t seem to leave animals alone. Encroachment on habitat and animal-people conflict are the major reasons for decreasing numbers. Elephants, for example, occur…

Durban Curry – So much of flavour  by Erica Platter & Clinton Friedman Paw Paw, R295 This wonderful cookery book is important because the many curry dishes that are so unique to Durban have never been compiled together before. Like Platter and Friedman’s previous award-winning East Coast Tables, this book also takes a documentary approach. The photographs are of real, unstyled food that you just want to eat straight from the page, and the recipes themselves are all contributed by Durbanites. Many are from legendary Durban institutions, family-run restaurants or from prominent foodie personalities. The recipes are easy to follow and for the most part the ingredients can be found in your local supermarket. – Aletta Lintvelt The Search for the Rarest Bird in the World  by Vernon L Head…

WakaWaka Power This little solar charger, slightly bigger and thicker than a cellphone and not much heavier, kept my phone charged. You can use it to charge a smartphone or any other small electronic device – all from the power of the sun. It’s great for hiking because you can strap it to your pack and let it charge while you walk. R800 in2brands.co.za First Ascent Amplify 1800 sleeping bag The Amplify range of bags have stretchiness around the knee and hip area to minimise heat loss and to make it easier for you to move around. I tested a “three-season” version, which is rated to –5° C. It doesn’t weigh much for such a snug bag (1,9 kg) and it doesn’t require any origami moves to get…

• There are no direct flights from South Africa to South Korea. Fly from OR Tambo to Hong Kong and from there to the Incheon International Airport in Seoul. The cheapest one-way ticket costs about R7 800. • To get from Seoul to Hwacheon via public transport takes about four hours and costs about R175 per person. • If you haven’t booked accommodation in Hwacheon, go to the information centre next to the bus stop for assistance. Christo and Danelle paid R600 for two people for two nights. • Hwacheon Sancheoneo takes place in January. It’s extremely cold so pack your warmest scarf, beanie and gloves. Buy a goose-down jacket when you get to Korea. Snow-proof shoes and warm wool socks are a must. • Visit english.visitkorea . or.kr…

KIRSTEN FROST On my bedside table: My university Ecology textbook. I’m graduating soon! Playlist: Anything by Coldplay. To see more of Kirsten’s work, visit nature  photography.co.za “I remember drawing a picture of myself as a game ranger with my father for a project in primary school” Kirsten says. “I must have been in grade 3. The drawing didn’t win any awards, but it was something that stuck with me. My love for nature is what got me into photography.” Kirsten is from Table View in Cape Town. He might only be 22, but he’s fast becoming an old hand. In 2009, when he was just 17, we published a portfolio of his photographs and it was clear back then that he was on his way to becoming one…

Peaches, strawberries, plums, nectarines, mangoes… Summer is here! For me, the best time to eat fruit is at breakfast, when my brain is still too groggy to think about bacon and eggs, a chocolate croissant or a cheesy omelette. You can keep things simple with a banana and some yoghurt, or a handful of berries in your smoothie, but you’ll probably still be dreaming of pork sausages. To banish all thoughts of a fry-up, you have to do a bit more. For a healthy (and delicious) breakfast, I like to pulse fresh fruit in a food processor until I have a thick sauce. I’ll store the sauce in the fridge and use it with pap, flapjacks and yoghurt, instead of honey or jam. Yum! If you like smoothies, dice various…

Be kind. Bake a milk tart or three and drop them off at your local old-age home or orphanage, or hand them out to friends or strangers on the street. Send us pictures! Be silly. Where’s the craziest place to eat a slice of milk tart? Send us a video of you bungee-jumping and munching, abseiling, scuba-diving… then nominate a friend to do something equally ridiculous. Be social. Join the National Milk Tart Day pages on Twitter and Facebook and share your milk tart recipes, pictures and parties with us. Be different. Visit go-southernafrica.com gosouthernafrica.com and try a brand-new recipe. Make a milk tart jaffle, milk tart ice cream, milk tart shooters… facebook.com/  gomagazineSA @gomagSA…

Khomeesdrif, Riviersonderend This campsite on the banks of the Riviersonderend River is a place where you can get back to basics. After you’ve set up camp in the shade, move your camp chair down to the water’s edge and spend the rest of the day watching clouds scud across the sky. If you really have to be active, you can explore the river in a canoe, an inner tube or in the small boat moored to the bank – you can go about 1 km downstream. Or try your luck with a fishing rod (catch and release). In summer, the kids can play in the shallows and there’s a playground with a sandpit. The campsite also has enough space for a game of cricket. Facilities: 30 stands with braai facilities…

Ever seen a smear of fur or feathers on the tarmac and thought, “What a waste”? Now you can help to reduce road kill by contributing to a project that collects roadkill data for the Endangered Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Bridgestone. The data will assist in establishing road-kill patterns, allowing for mitigation strategies to be implemented in hot spots. To participate, send the sighting, location and photos to roads@ ewt.org.za . Or download the EWT Road Watch South Africa app (for Apple and Android). The historical Drosty Hotel in Graaff-Reinet has been restored. Designed by French architect Louis Thibault in 1805, the Drosty is one of over 220 heritage sites in the Karoo town. Uses for the structure have included an official building, a…

11 – 16 FEBRUARY Rhodes Stoepsitfees This festival celebrates the age-old customs of sitting on a stoep and lekker-kuier. Receive a “Rhodes passport” on entry and have it stamped along the way as you visit and participate in various events. Cost: R225 for a festival passport; R60 for a day passport. More info: Dave Walker 045 974 9290; contact@rhodestourism.co.za 14 FEBRUARY The Galileo Open Air Cinema, Cape Town Put an old-school spin on Valentine’s Day this year and treat your partner to a movie under the stars. (The actual movie to be screened is a secret.) Where? Groot Constantia. Cost: Standard ticket R70; R95 including a blanket and a backrest. More info: thegalileo.co.za ; 071 471 8728 14 – 15 FEBRUARY Magoebaskloof Berry Festival, Haenertsburg…

Bronwyn Maree (31) is the Erin Brockovich of the South African fishing industry, but you wouldn’t say so. For starters, she doesn’t prance around on stilettos like her Hollywood counterpart. Quietly spoken with eyes the colour of the Atlantic and light brown hair that falls around her shoulders, she’s the kind of hero we seldom hear about in the commercial press, but her will is made of iron. Her cause? Saving seabirds from extinction by infiltrating local and international fisheries: a hard, male-dominated world ruled by wild weather, salty seadogs and big money. Yes, like most other wildlife, our seabirds are threatened too – but this is a rare good-news story. So much so that earlier this year Bronwyn beat applications from 58 countries to win €50 000 from the…

GENERAL PURPOSE 1 Timex Ironman T5K417 This entry-level watch is waterproof to 100 m and you won’t have to take it off before you work in the garden. With an oversized face, the display is easy to read and the night-light function means you can check the time without waking the wife. It has a lap counter and an alarm clock with weekday and weekend settings – just remember to change it the night before a public holiday! Its basic functionality is actually one of its biggest assets because you don’t need to read the manual before you put it on. Who would want one? Outdoorsy types on a limited budget. R1 000 timexshop.co.za 2 Casio G-Shock Mudman G9000-1V G-shock watches are built to withstand a lot more…

If you’re looking for a softer alternative to sparkling wine, try a moscato. This style of wine is taking the US and the UK by storm. It’s semi-sweet, low alcohol, lightly frothy and a great pairing option for a fruity brunch. Try the new 9 % alcohol De Krans Moscato Perlé 2014 (R40), which has notes of sweet grapes and ripe stone fruit – perfect with peach flapjacks. An even more unusual choice is a sparkling red wine – the Australians claim that nothing goes better with bacon! There’s no denying that the savoury notes of the Nitida Matriarch in Red MCC 2012 (R115) make for some interesting pairing opportunities. It’s made from shiraz and has lots of sweet, barbecue-sauce flavours, although the wine itself is dry. Add a side…

1 Tina Laurens by Toast Coetzer Tina Laurens (88) lives on the top floor of a four-storey block of flats called Golden City Heights in Benoni. Her balcony overlooks a leafy street corner where Indian mynahs burble. You’d think that someone who has lived in the same space for a quarter of a century would’ve been hoarding all sorts of things, but not Tina. What’s in here is all she needs, and the place is spotless. The same applies to the kitchen, in which she now operates with an economy of movement that belies years of practice. Practice is the wrong word; it’s more like an automated ritual, this making of milk tart. The front door opens and the friendly voice of neighbour Stavroula Rockas calls out. “You know, this…

Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, Pretoria You’d think that an urban bird sanctuary would struggle to rival its wilder counterparts in the bush. But the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary is up there with the best of them. This 11,8 ha green lung in Muckleneuk, named after one of South Africa’s best-known ornithologists, boasts amazing biodiversity. Bring your binos and settle down in the bird hide – I saw more than 20 species in 20 minutes. You can also book a guided tour. Phillip Kgatle, one of the guides, says that 87 bird species were recorded in Austin Roberts last year. More things to do? Have breakfast at the Blue Crane Restaurant next to the sanctuary. We can recommend The Kingfisher – a croissant with scrambled egg, cottage cheese, spring onion and…

TripHobo Tired of planning your family trips on an Excel spreadsheet – or not planning your trips at all? TripHobo, an iOS app, lets users customise their holiday itineraries on their cellphones. Pick your destination, select from a range of attractions (or choose your own) and watch while TripHobo optimises your itinerary. You can also scroll through more than 50 000 pre-existing trips made by other users and customise them to suit your travel needs. Sharing your trips with friends is simple via social media. Free from triphobo.com  or the Apple App Store…

What goes through your mind while you run? I absorb and feed off what’s happening around me. I never run with music so I stay in touch with my senses and try to black out the pain I’m going through. In India I felt and smelled so much, sometimes I just ran with my eyes closed and visualised the terrain. Were you ever afraid? Although I had an amazing back-up crew of four guys, I was often alone and yes, I sat in tears sometimes, scared and lost in the middle of nowhere. Fear is the reality of how life is unfolding in front of you. You face it everywhere, you don’t know what’s going to happen around the next corner or hill. The most important thing is that you…

On a pelagic birding tour from Simon’s Town, you can see albatrosses and other seabirds. You’ll also encounter some fishing vessels and see Bronwyn’s bird-scaring ropes in action. Zest for Birds The Nkwaza can carry 12 people and there is always more than one pelagic bird expert on board. Duration: 7 am – 4 pm Cost: R1 700 (includes lunch) Contact: 082 780 0376 (Trevor Hardaker); zestforbirds.co.za Cape Town Pelagics Tours usually depart over weekends but can be arranged for private groups during the week. Duration: 7 am – 3.30 pm Cost: R1 695 per person (includes lunch and a pelagic guide on board) Contact: 083 270 7452 (Amanda Kropman); capetownpelagics.com…

Improve your photography with us! Sign up for one of our photography workshops in Prince Albert, Dullstroom or Clarens, led by picture editor Sam Reinders and other go! staff, and we’ll help you take better photos in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. E-mail donve.myburgh@media24.com  for more information. 1 Keep it simple Photo by Marcelle Aucamp This is easier said than done. Photography can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve just bought your first camera and you’re still trying to figure out concepts like shutter speed, aperture and ISO. While it’s important to master these technical aspects, it’s more important to actually enjoy your new hobby. Taking pictures is a personal pastime so choose subjects that you like. When you limit the elements included in your frame, your photo is easier…

My indestructible Casio Protrek I bought my Casio Protrek watch in 2008 after I saw it advertised in go! What a tough watch it has proved to be! I’d barely had it a week when I forgot it on the roof of my car. I pulled away and heard it slip off onto the tar. The vehicle behind me drove over it. It had some deep scratches, but it still worked. I was also in a quad-bike accident and I broke my wrist – the one wearing the watch. The watch survived. I’ve travelled rough through several African countries with it, and it has served me well in a Drakensberg storm and on a few scuba-dives. Recently, a car knocked me off my bike at 50 km/h. I fell onto…

Grab your camera, your camping chairs and your sense of adventure and join us for a trip of a lifetime. We are teaming up with Mpafa/Bhejane on an epic Botswana/Caprivi trip in March 2015. In addition to experiencing highlights like the Okavango Delta, the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Caprivi and Victoria Falls, picture editor Sam Reinders will be on hand to help you take your photographic skills to the next level. Under Sam’s personalised tuition and Mpafa and Bhejane’s experienced guidance we will show you the country in an unforgettable way. TOUR DETAILS Duration: 11 days, 10 nights When & where: 20 – 30 March 2015; departure point Nata Lodge, Botswana Accommmodation: Comfortable tented accommodation How much? R11 450 per adult What else do I get for my money?…

We all know the scenario: Drowsiness enters the office at 3pm and whispers sneakily in your ear: “It’s over, you might as well throw in the towel, your day is done.” Those with immense willpower manage to show him the door and continue working with renewed vigour, but for the rest of us poor wretches, there is only one cure: We stuff something in our mouths. Preferably sweet. Preferably soft. Preferably soothing. Preferably something that goes well with coffee. Preferably… milk tart! This is what the editorial team at go! discovered two years ago on a February afternoon. Wilson toffees, dried fruit and an entire Makro box of Nosh bars had to move aside. The winner was, and always will be, a slice of milk tart. The news was too…

1 Tina Laurens’s milk tart Makes 2 tarts | Preparation time 20 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes This recipe is quick and easy to make. We added raspberries, but Tina serves her milk tart with ground cinnamon. You need For the crust For the filling Here’s how 1 Preheat the oven to 180° C. Prepare the crust: Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg, vanilla essence and vinegar. Combine the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture. Mix. Divide the dough in two. Grease two tart dishes (or two loose-bottom cake tins) and line with the dough. Blind-bake the crust for 15 minutes. 2 Prepare the filling: Heat 1 L…