Table of contents for February - March 2021 in go!

I am a man of spectacularly few talents, but many passions. I do lots of things badly but with great enthusiasm. One of those things is cycling. In his book Need for the Bike, the French poet and philosopher Paul Fournel writes: “I ride to rest and to tire myself out; I ride to dream; I ride to do myself good and to do myself harm. I ride to be alone and to share the road with my friends; most often I ride for the sake of riding.” In my case it would be all of the above, but I would add: I ride to be in nature. My regular mountain-bike trails around Stellenbosch are far removed from Big Five country, but there’s not a ride that goes by without…

Who ate my lettuce? LOURAINE LOUW from Kenhardt writes: This porcupine had a feast in our vegetable garden. We caught it and set it free in the veld. Why is the porcupine white and how do we keep it out of the garden? Wildlife expert LD VAN ESSEN says: Even though all animals have colour variations, this Cape porcupine is probably leucistic – a condition caused by a lack of melanin, most likely because of a genetic mutation. There’s no scientific evidence that leucistic animals have a lower chance of survival in the wild, and it certainly won’t have an effect on a porcupine since they mostly move around at night. A chicken-wire fence is the only way to keep porcupines out of your garden. You have to bury the…

Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald, Grove Press R395 (hardback) in bookstores In the introduction to this collection of essays, English writer Helen Macdonald likens Vesper Flights to a “Wunderkammer”, a cabinet of curiosities that was popular in Europe in the 16th century. This is her first book since her award-winning memoir H is for Hawk, published in 2014; she combines previously published pieces with some new work, covering an eclectic range of subjects meant to inspire wonder about the natural world. Macdonald is a keen observer and the 41 essays brim with insight. Her musings on our relationship with our environment are underpinned by her many adventures – she attends a swan census on the River Thames, watches the seasonal night flight of migrating birds from the top of the…

1 Hear the dunes roar When you arrive at the roaring sands, don’t go rushing up the big dune at the parking area – first look for a part of the dune where visitors haven’t left any footprints yet. If the sand is hot, dry and clean, it will make a rumbling sound when you walk on it. Sometimes you can also hear the dunes roaring at night when the wind picks up – the sound can be heard up to 400 m away. Timing is everything: The sand only roars in the hot months, from September to April, and only when it’s dry. Go around 1 pm if you can. Also visit the info centre at the reception office to learn more about the dunes. 2 Watch birds The…

The adventure begins at Punda Maria rest camp in the Kruger Park and ends at the Giriyondo border post, just north of Letaba. In between, we’ll travel east out of the park, across the Limpopo River and through belts of savannah and woodland to the subtropical coastline at Inhassoro, a small fishing village opposite the northern tip of the Bazaruto Archipelago. There, we’ll laze on the beach, snorkel in the clear, warm water and do a day trip to the islands. Bazaruto is indeed spectacular, boasting various endemic butterflies, as well as samango monkeys and suni antelope. The protected reefs are also home to dolphins, endangered dugong, game fish, sea turtles and the largest fish in the world, the whale shark. Birdlife includes Madagascar squacco heron, narina trogon, Nyasa seedcracker,…

Smita Waghmarae, architect “From the location of our private camp in the bush and trees, to the open-air showers and the enthusiasm of the owners, I have never been to a place better designed for campers than Matamba.” Deon Pienaar, Limpopo local and founder of Love Limpopo “Limpopo is an outdoor lover’s dream destination. One of my favourite new escapes is the Crimea Conservancy, a private 4x4 bush camp tucked into the folds of the Western Soutpansberg ( 079 582 1023). The landowners have created a conservancy area to protect the biodiversity; their plans include multi-day hiking trails that will eventually traverse the entire mountain range.”…

1 Go wine tasting Stettyn Family Vineyards is a winery in the Klein Drakenstein Mountains on the R43 about 15 km north of Villiersdorp. A white wine tasting costs R20 for four wines, red tasting R30 for five wines, or R45 for all nine if you’re feeling brave. Their generous sharing platters (R210) will fill your belly, and with a spectacular view over the surrounding farmlands, this is a spot where you could easily spend an afternoon. 023 340 4220; stettyncellar.co.za Or visit the Villiersdorp Winery in town (De Villiers Street) for some well-priced bottles to take home. A case of the Slow wine range costs between R210 and R480 depending on the year and variety. 028 840 0083; villiersdorpwinery.co.za 2 Take a drive Villiersdorp is accessible by way of…

MASTERS OF LOCKDOWN Remember those first few weeks after President Ramaphosa announced the lockdown? The hushed, fearful quiet that descended over the world? How foreign it all felt the first time you braved an outing to the grocery store? And how entombed you felt in the confines of your house? For hornbills, those iconic and comical citizens of the savannah, lockdown is nothing new. For them, it’s an annual chapter in their lives, and something they’ve perfected to a fine art. Phase one involves selecting the perfect nest site. For most hornbill species, this is a natural tree cavity, although the desert-dwelling Monteiro’s hornbill usually breeds in cliffs or among piled rocks. Yellow-billed hornbills might use a cavity as low as 75 cm above the ground, or as high as…

After 14 hours on an overnight train, we arrived in the town of Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam early in the morning. You might have seen photos of the jungle-covered limestone hills – called karsts – that tower over rice fields and rivers in this part of the country. Ninh Binh offers affordable accommodation and a range of activities. It’s about 95 km south of the capital Hanoi and it’s right in the middle of karst country. From the railway station, we took a taxi for about 10 km to the smaller tourist town of Tam Coc. We planned to spend two days at a guesthouse called Tam Coc Bungalow, with our friends Wessel van Wyk and Shivani Ghai. It was tucked away behind trees next to a river and…

If you’re lucky and you’re the only person on the suspension bridge at Storms River in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park, pause in the middle, turn your back to the sea and look upriver into the gorge. The view will tickle all those nerve endings that have been cauterised by daily life in the suburbs. It’s like peering into a primordial past when humans hunted their dinner, dark streams carved through virgin forest and the calls of strange animals filled the air. My reverie was broken when these two happy paddlers entered the scene in their bright plastic boats, just as another group of tourists strode onto the wobbly bridge. But as I turned to leave, the growl of an invisible Knysna turaco called me back.…

Honey-and-mustard chicken wings Makes 12 wings Preparation time 5 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes You need • 12 chicken wings • 1 – 2 teaspoons of your favourite braai salt • skewers For the sauce • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard • ¼ cup honey • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar • pinch of chilli powder • 1 teaspoon soya sauce Here’s how 1 Cut off the tips of the chicken wings so they don’t get stuck in the grid. Soak skewers in water to prevent them catching fire. Thread the wings onto the skewers. Season the wings with braai salt. Braai them over medium-hot coals for about 10 minutes or until it looks like the flesh is cooked but the skin needs more browning. 2 Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce together. Dip…

Tiramisu trifle with doughnuts Serves 10 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes, plus time to cool down Your family will be talking about this trifle for years to come. Use strong, good quality coffee (freshly made espresso is even better) to balance out the sweetness. You need • 500 g mascarpone • ¾ cup castor sugar • ¼ cup Kahlúa liqueur • 2 tablespoons vanilla essence • 1 cup cream • 10 – 12 plain doughnuts • 1½ cup strong filter coffee, cooled For the coffee syrup • ¼ cup filter coffee • ¼ cup castor sugar Here’s how 1 Beat the mascarpone, ½ cup castor sugar, liqueur and vanilla essence until thick and creamy with no lumps. 2 In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the remaining ¼ cup castor…

How did you become an illustrator? I married my husband Mark in 2011 and made almost everything for the wedding myself. I folded hundreds of paper stars for confetti, made paper flowers, illustrated our wedding invites and made fun crafts as gifts for our guests to take home. I loved it! Soon afterwards, Mark booked a table at the Oude Libertas market in Stellenbosch and a lot of my stuff sold really well. Over time, people contacted me for custom portraits and merchandise for their own stores, and I got my first book deal in 2016 – doing the illustrations for Refiloe Moahloli’s children’s book, How Many Ways Can You Say Hello? I’ve just finished my fourth children’s book. What did you enjoy most about illustrating the travel diary? While…

The boomslang – as its name suggests – is a mostly arboreal snake, identified by its large eyes, sturdy head and strongly keeled body scales. (This means that its scales have a ridge down their centre, making the snake rough to the touch.) It varies in colour depending on where you are. In the Western and Eastern Cape, males are usually dark grey to black, with yellow, orange or green sides; while females are brown in colour. Elsewhere in southern Africa, males are sometimes bright green – often with black between the scales, which gives a chequered effect; while females are mostly brown. Juveniles shorter than 80 cm in length are never green, but rather a grey to grey-brown colour with big emerald eyes. The boomslang is hands down one…

Most people who visit Knysna only go to the waterfront and the Heads viewpoint, but that’s just a smidgen of the town’s appeal. For me and my husband Robert, the real drawcard is the magical forest that stretches all the way to the mountains on the other side of the N2. It’s a landscape jam-packed with history and stories, as told by Dalene Matthee in her iconic Knysna novels, Circles in a Forest, The Mulberry Forest and Fiela’s Child. There’s darkness – elephants hunted to extinction; woodcutters living in hardship – but also hope: the discovery of gold, modern conservation efforts and the promise of a better tomorrow. Many landmarks in the forest have remained preserved for hundreds of years. Rooted in Time is a self-drive route that consists of…

WHY? We publish a selection of reader pictures every month. Don’t be shy, haul out those shots you’ve been hoarding on your computer and send them to us! We like just about anything: wildlife, landscapes, portraits, holiday snaps or bugs in your garden. HOW? Send your best photos to takeyourpic@gomag.co.za Don’t send files bigger than 4 MB – if we need a bigger version, we’ll ask for it. Give the name, surname, home town and contact number of the photographer. Also include info about where and how the shot was taken, and what equipment was used. If you manipulated your photo in any way, tell us what you did. THE FINE PRINT We reserve the right to use your photos elsewhere in the magazine, on our digital platforms and marketing…

Creamy tomato chicken potjie Serves 6 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 1 hour 20 minutes You need • 6 chicken quarters • 1 tablespoon curry powder • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 1 tablespoon flour • 30 ml each olive oil and butter • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 8 big tomatoes, halved and seeded • 1 cup cream • ½ cup stock • 800 g mixed vegetables in bite-sized cubes (like pumpkin, sweet potato, small onions, sweet pepper, baby marrows and mushrooms) Here’s how 1 Use a sharp knife and make about five deep diagonal cuts into the skin of each piece of chicken – this helps the meat to absorb the flavours. Rub the curry powder, salt, pepper and flour into the chicken. 2 Heat the oil and butter in a potjie and…

To all the world, Villiersdorp might appear to be just another sleepy albeit picturesque farming town in the Overberg. As I drive over the wall of Theewaterskloof Dam one morning in late October, it occurs to me that this is exactly what its residents want the world to think. Paradise found is paradise lost, after all, and in the madness of today’s world, peace and quiet are certainly worth protecting. If you drew an oval linking Franschhoek, Grabouw, Caledon and Worcester, Villiersdorp would be roughly in the middle. The massive Theewaterskloof Dam, completed in 1979, has given the town a uniquely cool micro-climate similar to that of the Elgin Valley (which is closer to the sea), making it ideal for growing fruit. You realise this immediately if you enter town…

This is a breakdown for costs per town and activity. When the Tullekens travelled in 2019, the exchange rate was 1 533 VND = R1; the prices listed here are based on the exchange rate at the time. (The current rate is about 1 506 VND = R1.) TAM COC • Tam Coc Bungalow: 193 500 VND (R126) per person per night. The four of us shared an en suite room. It was basic but neat, with two double beds and air conditioning. The rate included breakfast and Wi-Fi. • Hang Múa Viewpoint: 100 000 VND (R65) per person. • Entry fee at Bai Dinh Pagoda: 60 000 VND (R40) per person. • Trang An boat ride: 200 000 VND (R130) per person. • Scooter hire: 130 000 VND (R85) per day. • Overnight bus from…

Filled baked potato Serves 4 Preparation time 60 minutes Baking time 15 minutes You can also use leftover braai spuds for this recipe. You need • 2 whole potatoes • 4 strips of bacon • 4 teaspoons cream cheese • 4 small eggs • 4 tablespoons grated cheddar • salt, to taste • ground black pepper, to taste Here’s how 1 Preheat the oven to 200° C. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake them for about 40 minutes until cooked. (You can also boil or cook them in the microwave.) Set the potatoes aside to cool. (Skip this step if you’re using jacket potatoes.) 2 Fry the bacon until cooked but not crisp. 3 Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and hollow out each potato, but make sure there’s enough flesh left…

Stuffed Picanha Serves 8 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 45 – 60 minutes This juicy cut is popular in Brazil and it’s becoming more common in local butcheries. The triangular piece of meat is cut from the top of the rump and you can either cook it whole or cut it into steaks. You need • about 1,2 kg Picanha roast • salt and freshly ground black pepper • 8 sundried tomato quarters in vinaigrette, chopped • ½ cup full-fat cream cheese • 250 g bacon strips, fried until crisp Here’s how 1 Light a fire in the kettle braai. 2 Put the Picanha on a clean chopping board with the fatty side facing up. Use a sharp knife to score the fat (don’t cut into the meat). Now make a deep cut…

If you find yourself in the Midlands this summer, meandering between Lions River and Nottingham Road, pay a visit to this trendy new farm stall in a renovated railhouse on the railway line between Gauteng and Durban. Many of the old railhouses or “ganger’s cottages” along this track were inhabited by employees of the Natal Government Railways in the 1800s when the track was first built; these were men who maintained and looked after the track. Today, the farm stall is owned and run by Joni and Wayne Warburton. Joni is quick to explain it’s actually an extended family effort: Between siblings and parents-in-law, Joni and Wayne are assured of a steady supply of biltong, sweet treats and pickled goods. From the outside, the thatched farm stall looks quaint and…

How to get there? Witsand is about 200 km east of Upington in the Northern Cape. You can reach the reserve via the N14 between Upington and Olifantshoek, or via the N8 between Groblershoop and Griekwastad. Visit the website for detailed directions. You’ll have to drive 45 – 75 km on a dirt road depending on which route you choose. The dirt roads are usually in a traversable condition, but check when you book. You need a vehicle with high ground clearance. Gate times: 8 am to 6 pm year-round. Best time to visit? The dunes roar between September and April and the temperatures are more moderate in autumn and spring. The veld is usually greener in autumn, after the summer rains, but the area is currently experiencing a severe…

Have you been somewhere you think other go! readers would enjoy? Write about the experience and we might publish your story. Please keep it short (1 500 words maximum) and send us some sample photos. If we do decide to publish, we’ll need the original, high-resolution photos so make sure your camera is on the right setting. E-mail your story to editor@gomag.co.za. We reserve the right to edit and shorten your text, and use your photos elsewhere in the magazine, on our digital platforms and in our marketing material.…

DOWN UNDER Rip Curl Bondi Metallic We Saffers love to hate the Aussies, but when it comes to living the good life outdoors, we have a lot in common. Australian companies like Rip Curl have a reputation for producing quality beachwear and surf gear. This “thong”, as it’s known in Australia, is named after Bondi in Sydney, one of the most iconic surfing beaches in the world. Think of it as Clifton 4th, but with warm water. The Bondi ticks a trinity of boxes when looking for the perfect flip-flop: It’s comfortable thanks to a rubber-blend footbed; the thermo-compound strap is durable and will last more than just one season; and at R200 it’s more affordable than the ubiquitous Havaianas it’s competing with. Oh, and there’s a fourth tick:…

Matamba Bush Camp, Vaalwater Matamba is living proof that years of roughing it has its benefits. Sue and Alan Jarman are at the helm – Africa addicts and animal lovers, who are regular visitors to 4x4-only places like the Botswana Kgalagadi and Khaudum National Park in Namibia. About 10 years ago, they swapped the city lights of Joburg for the cicada song of Vaalwater, employing their travel expertise to design amazing bushveld campsites. Just a three-hour drive from Gauteng, Matamba is a hit with road-trippers on their way to neighbouring Botswana, and with people looking for a weekend away in the bush. The campsites are open and unfenced: Sable antelope roam freely, as do zebra and impala. Campers can book two options: the exclusive Mara’s Camp, or one of the…

MICHAEL KHANGALANI MAKENANA Groundsman at the Anglican church “I’ve been taking care of the church garden for more than six years. There are many churches in town and they’re all beautiful. Stop by and explore my garden!” MARELIZE VAN HEERDEN Teacher and artist “After we returned from Canada where my husband worked as a doctor, we fell in love with Villiersdorp because of its beauty and its people. We have the most wonderful friends in the world.” GUSTAV BESTER Fine artist “I bought my smallholding for a song and I’m still singing! Villiersdorp is a wonderful place for creatives.”…

The slender necks of seven young giraffes bend down in unison. Their lips make careful contact with the water and then they drink thirstily. Their front legs are anchored wide because drinking water is a complex operation for an animal built like a crane. They never drink long before something makes them jerk their heads up: a flock of doves taking off on whistling wings, or me here in the hide accidently bumping against something in the dark. The hide is called Buffelpan and it’s in Blouberg Nature Reserve near Vivo in Limpopo. The structure is sunk into the ground so you can look at the animals at eye-level. The waterhole itself is about 20 m from left to right, and maybe 10 m from this side to the other.…

Cheddar melt burgers Makes 4 Preparation time 40 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes You need • 1 red pepper • 2 big red chillies • 125 ml tinned tomato-and-onion mix • 2 tablespoons fresh coriander • salt and pepper, to taste • 500 g mince • 1 teaspoon braai spices • 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs • 8 slices salami • 4 thick slices cheddar • ½ red onion, finely chopped • 4 vetkoek or bread rolls • mayonnaise or mustard • 1 avocado, sliced • baby spinach Here’s how 1 Roast the red pepper and chillies directly over the flames until charred all over and tender. Put the whole pepper and chillies, tomato-and-onion mix, and coriander in a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse braai sauce. Add the sauce to a pot and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt…

Pumpkin roll Makes 1 Preparation time 25 minutes Cooking time about 30 minutes This dish has all the flavour of a pumpkin fritter, but requires less hands-on time. You need • ½ cup butter • 6 sage leaves • about 3 cups cooked pumpkin or butternut • ½ cup self-raising flour • 2 tablespoons sugar • 1 egg • 4 sheets of phyllo pastry Here’s how 1 Melt the butter with the sage leaves until the butter is light brown and the leaves are crisp. Set aside. (You can also just melt the butter if you don’t want it to brown.) 2 Use a fork to mash the cooked pumpkin. Add the flour, sugar and egg, and mix. 3 Put 2 sheets of phyllo pastry next to each other, with the short sides overlapping to form a…