Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 från Getaway

Agig like this is a lifetime goal. You can imagine scores of exotic destinations; helicopter shuttles between assignments; the front seat of the safari vehicle; the edge of the infinity pool. But the reality is far from that, and it’s far further since the pandemic took hold. Pick n Pay is an exotic destination for me. My cat is the most remarkable creature I’ve seen in months. Our staff and contributors are predominantly at home on screens – we communicate in memes. But every now and then, someone escapes. And that’s when I get my thrills. Their stories flood my inbox. A sentence captures the scent of the sea crashing into a Greek isle; a paragraph transports me to the misty Midlands; an aerial photograph lifts me up until I’m…

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I was driving home through the crowded, claustrophobic city when I spotted a somewhat dishevelled fellow with an unkempt beard bobbing up and down and weaving between the busy traffic. His eyes had that manic look of the clinically insane (or recently woke) and his cardboard sandwich board sported the words “The End Is Nigh!” Clearly, he was a deranged fruitcake, but as I paused at the traffic lights, praying he wouldn’t see me, I noted the pavement pedestrians in their protective masks, I smelt the fumes from a thousand exhausts, and I listened to the newsreader’s voice on my car radio as she outlined the woes of the week. “Climate change. Population growth. Conspiracies. Bigotry. Viruses. Wars. Extinctions. Politicians. K-pop.” The list seemed endless. Perhaps the man was right.…

In preparation for a trip to Greece, instead of using the traditional approach of reading maps and guidebooks, my son Jack, 12, and I read the myths.We did apply ourselves to more practical planning methods but added ancient Greek wisdom to make things more entertaining. Jack said things like: ‘We shouldn’t fly when it is too hot nor at too high an altitude, and we must check the aeroplane’s wings are not made of wax. Think about what happened to Icarus.’ And: ‘Everyone must take along a ball of string in their hand luggage in case we get lost in a labyrinth.’ We used many sources to ensure we were well-informed: Homer, Ovid, Apuleius, Ted Hughes, Steven Fry, the collective unconscious, Wikipedia and the Percy Jackson movies. Each had conflicting…

I know these cheetahs. I have tracked them on foot several times, crouched down a mere 30 metres from Chilli, daughter of the legendary Sibella, and her cubs, utterly captivated. I also know what any reputable field guide will tell you: cheetahs are solitary cats, and while males might group together in coalitions – the collective noun for male cheetahs – the females roam alone except when raising cubs, which takes about 15 months. So, what is this talk of prides? Could this be a pride or are we prejudiced? The cheetahs at Samara Private Game Reserve in the Great Karoo have been closely monitored using very high frequency radio collars since 2004. In early April last year, Chilli had a litter of five cubs and in late April, Inara,…

There is a morning from the early 1990s that exists as clearly in my memory now, as it did when the moment unfolded on that early autumn day. It was 1 April – my mum’s birthday – and our yellow station wagon was pootling along the windy R103. I was 14, wearing a Madonna T-shirt, and I’d stuck my head out the open window. Eyes closed, I drank in the crisp air. I was exhilarated; a dreamy bundle of excitement because a) we were listening to Capital 604 and the DJ had just announced that Vanilla Ice was coming to Durban, and b) because we were “doing the Meander”. In essence, the KZN Midlands is a network of driving routes in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal linking arts and crafts outlets…

Jay Caboz THE WONDER OF TIDAL POOLS (P 46) As long as he can remember, Jay Caboz has been obsessed with pointing a camera at things and shooting them. He happened to carry that childhood fascination into a career travelling the beaten paths of Africa as a journalist. A chance move to Cape Town set him on a path towards photographing the frigid seascapes of the Atlantic. It wasn’t long before he stumbled upon Cape Town’s uniquely shaped tidal pools, each with its own picturesque identity. Years later, you can still find him out and about photographing them at ungodly hours. Lucy Corne KIMBERLEY (P 96) Originally from the UK, Lucy Corne did not grow up with clear skies or an abundance of vast open spaces so the first time…

Andile Mndende is a proud and enthusiastic young Xhosa man. Good-looking and articulate, his passion for his culture is infectious. When I met him at the Icamagu Heritage Institute outside Dutywa, he was wearing a striking black-and-red breastplate, made of thousands of tiny beads. I’d seen beaded Xhosa bracelets, necklaces, headbands and even knobkerries (walking sticks) before, but never such an elaborate ephod. Complimenting his garment, I asked Andile where he got it. Grinning with a smile that wouldn’t be out of place on Netflix, he said: ‘I made it.’ His breastplate prompted a recollection of playing with my mother’s beads on the carpeted bedroom floor as a young child. I’d run my fingers over the surface of each string. Some beads were smooth and round, others elongated with decorative…

How does one describe Cape Town’s icy waters? Let me count the ways. For me, the water can be anything from a toe-numbing sensation to a steal-your-breath, freeze-your-bones ice blast. Despite this, you’re almost guaranteed to spot a motley crew of locals brave enough to take the plunge in one of Cape Town’s 24 tidal pools, often at dawn. These pools, and their swimrisers, have been subjects I’ve been drawn to photograph for more than three years. Having lived in landlocked Johannesburg for most of my life, the pools stood out as something special. One day, I decided to brave the icy waters and see why the locals love them so much. Despite the cold, I felt a connection. Perhaps it’s our primal human instinct, but I believe we are…

FINALIST Fishing at Sunset I spotted these fishermen from the other side of Kalk Bay harbour just before sunset. I headed to the southern side to capture this shot, as the sky was starting to show some nice colour. They were all huddled together, chatting away, and presumably trying to catch something for dinner. I captured a 30-second exposure for two reasons: one, to allow the water to blur and become mirror-like and the second to capture some movement of the fisherman on the pier. By Michael Kolbé, Cape Town Nikon D850; Nikon AFS 70-200mm F2.8 FL ED; ISO 80; f/4.5; 30s FINALIST The FinalMoment I woke early in the morning at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge with one thing on my mind… leopard! Graeme and Petro (my guide and spotter)…

‘The more subtle you are, the more you’re going to fit into this landscape.’ Did naked in the Luvuvhu River count as subtle? I wasn’t sure, but Lowveld Trails Company guideWayne te Brake, wasn’t around to ask. He’d given our group of eight loosely acquainted women this piece of advice as we set off on a primitive backpack trail through Makuya Nature Reserve, following the course of the river that flows like a lifeline through this 16 000ha provincial park in northern Limpopo. We’d left him at our campsite – a grassy patch a few hundred metres from the water, with twin baobab sentinels – and followed his colleague, guide Julie Bryden, down to the river. There, she’d found a shallow, hippo-and-croc-free pool, and we’d stripped off and bathed in…

WINNING LETTER Buy the 4×4! After living in Asia for three years as digital nomads, it’s been a joy to come home as a result of Covid and experience South Africa. Our goal has been to visit all the national parks in 2021, and squeeze a few trail races in between. After reading about the Lone Men of Kaokoland in your February issue (Eden by another name), it’s been placed high on our bucket list. So what’s stopping us? After not having a car for three years we rushed to get something when we got home. We contemplated a Jeep and the old Jimny model but we landed on a Hyundai Accent. It’s a great set of wheels but our lack of four-wheel drive has allowed us to laugh at…

Peering over the barrier into the depths of the hole, I try to shut out the chattering of fellow tourists. I squint to blur the buildings and cars in the background and attempt to imagine this enormous pit as it once was. Once upon a time, instead of being filled with 22 fathoms (41 metres deep) of opaque, jade green water, it would have been filled with hundreds of diggers in desperate search of diamonds. That was 150 years ago this July, when ground was first broken for Kimberley’s Big Hole. It wasn’t always a giant hole, of course. When diggings began in 1871, diamonds were being found fairly close to the surface. But with even the strongest squint and the best imagination, it is impossible to imagine that Kimberley’s…

How to enter Scan the QR code with your phone or fill in the entry form for Camp Ndlovu online at getaway.co.za/competitions. Entries close on 30 September 2021. THE PRIZE Two readers will each win a two-night stay for two at Camp Ndlovu, including meals, game drives, transfers to and from the main gate and soft drinks, worth R36 000 each. TERMS AND CONDITIONS The prize is valid from 1 October 2021 to 30 April 2022, subject to availability and excludes peak season (15 December to 15 January) and public holidays. The prize excludes transport, spa treatments, alcoholic beverages and gratuities. The voucher is not transferable, resaleable or refundable for cash. For further T&Cs, see getaway.co.za/competitions. Situated in the Big Five, malaria-free Welgevonden Game Reserve, Camp Ndlovu offers breathtaking views…

Subscribe to 12 months of Getaway magazine for a limited time and save 40% off the shelf price, paying only R323. To subscribe call 021 530 3300 or email subscriptions@hsm.co.za GRAND PRIZE MAGNIFICENT VIC FALLS Four readers could be flying to Victoria Falls courtesy of British Airways (operated by Comair) from Joburg, to stay at the legendary Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. The lodge is an easy fiveminute drive from the Falls and is ideally placed for lazy sundowner cruises on the Zambezi River. ba.com victoria-falls-safari-lodge.com WILD IN THE PILANESBERG Stay at Bakubung Bush Lodge, care of Legacy Hotels and Resorts on a two-night, weekend break for four. The lodge, within the Pilanesberg National Park, offers down-time by the pool or in the Legacy Spa as well as game drives, game…