Table of contents for December 2014 in go!

On 6 October, my wife Jess gave birth to our second son. We called him Francis. Less than a month previously, I was deep in the Richtersveld for the feature about the Desert Knights mountain bike tour (p 36). A lot can happen in the final stages of a pregnancy. If Francis arrived early, I had this naïve notion that I’d be able to zoom back home to Cape Town at a moment’s notice. After all, I would be participating in a professionally organised event. Someone would surely be able to get me to Sendelingsdrif, where I’d pick up my car and barrel down the N7. Wrong. There’s very little cellphone reception in the Richtersveld. And once I was there, I realised that there was certainly no way I’d be…

28 – 29 NOVEMBER Klipwerf op Klipwerf, Northern Cape Pitch a tent in the school ground of the Klipwerf settlement for a festival hosted by the Calvinia-Hantam Dutch Reformed Church. Participate in boeresport, a strongman competition and a jukskei tournament, and when the sun sets, boogie to the tunes of the Klipwerf Orkes. Where? About 60 km outside Calvinia. Cost: R40 per adult; R20 per child under 18. Camping R200 per stand (maximum four people). Tickets to the dance R100 per person. Contact: 084 9411 596 (Allewyn); ngkhantam@hantam.co.za 2 – 7 DECEMBER Kamers vol Geskenke, Gauteng Browse a vast collection of toys stationery, ceramics, jewellery, arts and crafts, clothes, kitchenware and delicious food. You’ll find gifts for the whole family. Where? The Open Window School of Visual Communication,…

GoPro Hero4 Three new GoPro cameras were recently announced. The entry-level Hero comes at a decent price and can film impressive HD video. Stills performance isn’t that great, and it’s not very versatile, but still. The more expensive Hero4 Silver shoots even more impressive 4 K HD video and has a touch screen on the back. The Hero4 Black is the most versatile camera in the range, with great stills performance and lots of video options. Price: R2 000 (Hero); R6 000 (Hero4 Silver); R7 500 (Hero4 Black) More info: gopro.com Trackimo This GPS transmitter is smaller than a matchbox. Pop it into your child’s school bag, stick it to your mountain bike or car, or pack it with your luggage on an international flight. With the free…

The geography of Madiba’s early life (and where he was finally laid to rest) is easily accessible. The Eastern Cape south of Mthatha where he spent his formative years is a palimpsest of past and present. You’ll find everything from Xhosa tribal villages to international youth leadership centres and mission schools. The stops featured follow Madiba’s childhood from birth to university. Mvezo, Qunu, Mqhekezweni and Clarkebury are close to each other south of Mthatha; Healdtown and Fort Hare are about 300km south-west, around the town of Fort Beaufort. You can visit all the sites, or pick a few that interest you. It’s not the V&A Waterfront. Besides the visitor centre at Qunu, there are no glitzy museums, fun rides or themed restaurants. These are real places that have been mostly…

Grab your camera, your camping chairs and your sense of adventure and join the go! team 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. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO DURATION? 11 days, 10 nights WHEN & WHERE? 20 – 30 March 2015 • Departure point: Nata Lodge, Botswana ACCOMMODATION • Comfortable tented accommodation. HOW MUCH? • R11 450 per adult WHAT ELSE DO I GET FOR…

Too strange. That was once how most French vehicles could be described. Just think of those Citroëns in the 1970s that crawled around on their haunches. But modern French cars are not bad at all. Earlier this year the new C4 Picasso was launched: a big family vehicle that drives like a dream despite some eccentricities like a handbrake on the dash. Fiat keeps quite a low profile in South Africa, but the Italians have a nice collection of family vehicles – from the small Qubo to the big Doblo, road tested here. Forget that old acronym for FIAT – “Fix it again, Tony” – the new models have the latest technology and they’re built to last. The Renault Koleos is a bit like those old French cars – it’s…

What is your connection to the Wild Coast? I moved there in 2006 to work at a tiny state hospital near Hole-in-the-Wall. I ended up staying for nearly five years, during which time I fixed wheelchairs, encouraged a lot of people to breastfeed and learnt to take “you’re getting fat!” as a compliment. Now that I’m home in Cape Town again, I keep inventing new reasons to go back. Why should we continue to celebrate Madiba? I’m wary of the tendency to turn him into a saint, but there are certain qualities he embodied that we should hold on to. Like his humility, his gentleness and – most importantly – his ability not to take himself too seriously. What was the most moving moment during your travels? When I met…

Reflection  by Heinrich van den Berg R980, hph publishing This is Heinrich’s biggest and most personal book yet – a daring departure from your standard wildlife photography tome. The book is well worth its hefty cover price: It’s filled with more than 170 amazing images printed on beautiful paper. Thoughts, reflections and other interesting bits of text accompany the visuals. For those of us who prefer a more traditional approach, the inside flaps list the images along with Heinrich’s camera settings. It’s not just pretty – you can learn, too! Heinrich is crowd-funding the project. Visit hphpublishing.co.za/reflection  for more info. – Sam Reinders Meteorites: a southern African Perspective  by Ronnie McKenzie R140, Struik Nature What are meteorites, and how do you tell the difference between ordinary lumps of…

Land Rover recently revealed the Discovery Sport, a compact SUV and the first addition to the Discovery family. There’s nothing babyish about Land Rover’s latest Discovery family member, which will be in South African dealerships from early next year, boasting a number of firsts for the brand. For example, in models equipped with the 5+2 seating arrangement, the second row of seats can slide. This means the luggage compartment can easily be configured to suit your load. If you’re travelling with the whole family or need to ferry schoolchildren around, you’ll appreciate the two extra seats in the back. The Discovery Sport’s compact size doesn’t in any way limit its versatility or capacity. To ensure its exceptional levels of reliability as well as on- and off-road capabilities, over 200 prototypes…

December is all about long, lazy lunches and dinners with friends and family. Most of you believe that hot coals and lamb chops are the best way to celebrate the holidays and, having grown up in the Hantam, I tend to agree. But poultry can be just as delicious – and it’s a bit easier on your pocket. Nothing tastes as good as the crisp skin of braaied chicken or duck. (I don’t understand why anyone would remove the skin; I’d rather skip dessert!) But braaiing poultry can be tricky. In your quest for crisp skin it’s easy to dry out the meat, and if you take the meat off the grid too soon, well, we all know about the side effects of under-cooked chicken. So how do you tell…

Witsand Nature Reserve, Northern Cape At this private reserve deep in the Kalahari, white dunes of up to 30 m tall are cradled by the more famous red dunes of the region. If this weren’t enough for your scenery-starved eyes, the Langberg range makes for a beautiful backdrop. Besides their colour, the white dunes are special because they “roar”. Seriously! It’s a mysterious natural phenomenon – probably caused by the combination of dry air, uniformly shaped sand grains and a lack of iron oxide. But whatever the reason, when you walk through the sand, air trapped between the grains is released and the dunes start to “roar”. Granted, it’s more of an eerie, ghostlike sound than the roar of a Kalahari lion, but you’ll be amazed nonetheless. Witsand is also…

Fly high over the Hottentots Holland The new Cape Canopy Tour is a high-flying zipline course in the Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve, about 12 km north of Grabouw on the R321. There are 11 ziplines (the longest is 320 m) and a suspension bridge that connect 13 wooden platforms built into the rocks, covering a total distance of about 3,5 km. Guides from the local community lead the way so there’s no chance of getting lost. How long? The tour takes about 4½ hours and includes a 4x4 ride to the starting point and back. Cost: R595 per person (including snacks, lunch and a R40 conservation fee). Wild card holders pay R555. Kids older than five are welcome as long as they can fit into the harness. Contact: 021 300…

Most popular phones How do you visit go-southernafrica.com ? Do travellers take photos when they’re not allowed to, like at border posts, museums and airports? 15% have taken pictures of prohibited areas. 18 – 24-year-olds are twice as likely to use their cellphone camera to take pictures in a prohibited area. Men take more pictures in banned areas than women do. How travellers pay for their phone use 25% purchase a local SIM card at their destination 21% use free Wi-Fi 21% use all services, irrespective of costs 19% use only SMS 7% turn off their phones How people use their phones 77% call home or the office 58 % take pictures 31 % use Facebook or Twitter 30 % navigate using map apps 11% look for…

How does it work? The ride starts at Hobas in Namibia and ends at Sendelingsdrif in South Africa. You can park your car at either point – transfers are arranged at the start and the end. There are five camps along the way. At every camp, each person is allocated a tent with a mattress inside. You need to bring a sleeping bag, clothes, cycling gear and spares for your bike. All your stuff has to fit into a duffel bag (provided), which is transported from camp to camp. Some camps like Ai-Ais have brick-and-mortar ablution facilities; at others like Gamkab, be prepared for bucket showers and Portaloos. You’ll also need a valid passport. Special arrangements are made on the paddling day to cross the border back into South Africa…

Pink tide Steven Morrow Nikon D5000 Nikon 10 – 24 mm lens STEVEN WRITES: I took this shot at sunset on an Orange River paddling trip, upstream from Aussenkehr. The light was stunning every evening. I used a tripod and remote shutter release for the 1.3-second exposure. The next day, my camera was submerged for 20 minutes in an old ammo box after we capsized on the Sjambok rapid – luckily it survived. TOAST SAYS: Glad to hear your camera made it out alive, Steven! This dramatic shot proves a theory of mine: The rocky gorges along the Orange River between Augrabies and the Richtersveld are some of the best destinations in the country for landscape photography. If these gorges were more accessible, the area would be just as famous…

BEACH & RIVER Columbia PFG Airgill Chill Zero This shirt comes with a hefty price tag, but it’ll make the fisherman in your family very happy. The fabric reacts with your sweat to cool you down and the UPF 50+ protection keeps UV radiation off your lily-white shoulders. R1550 columbiasportswear.co.za Casio Gulfmaster GWN-1000B-1A This bombproof watch will alert you to approaching storms. It also provides a compass bearing and temperature, and it features a tide graph and moon-cycle function. Enough to make even the crustiest sea dog smile. R8700 jamesralph.com Reef Rodeo Flip This comfy, eco-friendly flop is made from biodegradable EVA. Its glue-free construction further reduces its (carbon) footprint. R400 031 312 8968 for stockists GoPole Evo GoPro selfies are all the rage, but they’re…

Whether you’re having a braai, a picnic or a simple supper for two, I’ve chosen some wines to complement any outdoor meal. To my mind, every summer-sipping occasion should begin with bubbles. I’ve been enjoying a recent release from Robertson called Paul René MCC (R140). Made from 100 % chardonnay and aged for 20 months, it’s savoury with creamy citrus notes. It’s the season to spoil yourself, so get hold of a bottle of Jordan Nine Yards chardonnay 2013 (R325), so-named because of the effort Gary and Kathy Jordan put into it. It’s rich and satisfying, with a freshness that will complement cold salmon, a chicken salad or braaied prawns. A great steak on the braai should always be accompanied by an equally great red wine – even in summer.…

When I was little, growing up in George, my dad often took us on a Sunday afternoon drive. My sister and I would always ask for “the forest road with all the little bridges”. We’d pile into our brown Toyota Cressida and head for the forest. Sometimes we’d even see a bushbuck. Only years later did I realise that our favourite route was part of the Seven Passes Road between George and Knysna: a 75km back road through the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains. You see-saw through the forest: One minute you’re under the canopy, the next you’re up on a sunny plateau as dairy farms fly past; then you dip back down into the forest. Along the way the road sends out shoots to Wilderness, Swartvlei, Sedgefield… It wasn’t…

GENERAL STUFF Where? Barberton is on the R40 about 45 km south of Nelspruit and about 43 km from the border into Swaziland. Best time to go? The famous Barberton daisies bloom in September and October – the best place to see them is at the old military cemetery in Gospel Street. Next time I’ll… be brave and go paragliding at Lone Tree Hill outside town. There are also some excellent mountain-biking trails in the hills around town. Campfire fact: The tallest rugby posts in South Africa – and the third tallest in the world – are in Barberton. You’ll find the 28,4 m-high posts on the field at the local rugby club. Apparently there are only two fields with higher posts: one in England and one in Zambia. More…