Innehållsförteckning för May 2015 från go!

Affies celebrates National Milk Tart Day These 78 koshuisbrakke from Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool devoured 14 milk tarts on 27 February. Tradition has never tasted so sweet. LIESL DE BEER, Pretoria National Milk Tart Day gains momentum At the Business and Technology Solutions division of the Momentum head office in Centurion, we celebrated National Milk Tart Day with great fanfare. We decorated the office, bought 100 milk tarts and took some photos. Our milk tart party almost had the same vibe as a lekker braai. We had a British visitor that day. We explained what a milk tart was and he took a tiny bite. Once he realised how delicious it was, he wolfed down the rest! KAREL BEZUIDENHOUT, Pretoria…

I’m watching you… Q KATHERINE JAMIESON from Joburg writes: I saw this little guy at our holiday house in Nature’s Valley. Do you know what kind of spider it is? A Entomologist DUNCAN MACFADYEN responds: This is a jumping spider from the Salticidae family. This group is characterized by their protruding, soulful eyes. They have the best vision of all the hunting spiders, to the point that you can actually feel them looking at you. It’s an active hunter, feeding on the ground or on branches of trees, where it jumps and catches flies and other small insects. Leaves or moths? Q FANIE VAN DER WALT from Lichtenburg writes: I found this camouflaged pair of moths on a wall. What are they? A Entomologist DUNCAN MACFADYEN responds: This is a…

What did you want to be when you were a child? I grew up in Durban and I always wanted to be an entertainer. I started off learning magic at the age of seven and I was doing my first paid shows by the time I was 13. How did you find your way onto a ship? After working in hotels for about six years, I decided to pursue my entertainment dream full time. One year later, I was working on a cruise ship. That was 17 years ago. Right now you’re the cruise director. What does that mean? I look after all the entertainment on board: shows, games, activities and bands for adults and children. I manage a team of about 60 entertainers. But I do other stuff too,…

How to find the true Southern Cross Finding the true Southern Cross is not as easy as you think. During May, if you look towards the south about 60 degrees above the horizon, you’ll see three crosses – and all will be facing roughly the same way. If you compare the three, you’ll notice that the False Cross is slightly bigger than the true Southern Cross. The False Cross is also somewhat “skew”. The Diamond Cross is diamond shaped and not kite shaped like the others. Have a look through your binoculars and you’ll see that the top “star” of the Diamond Cross is actually a cluster of stars called the Southern Pleiades. The true Southern Cross is slightly smaller than the other two and has a dim, fifth star.…

Tour details Date: 22 – 30 November 2015 How long is the tour? Nine days, eight nights Departure point: Ulundi, KwaZulu Natal End point: Ithala Game Reserve Rates: R15 550 per person. Single supplement additional 30 %. The rate includes What to bring SPACE IS LIMITED, SO BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT ! To reserve your place, call 044 535 0065; e-mail info@mpafa.com  or visit mpafa.com…

HIGHLIGHTS Montagu Barrydale Ladismith Seweweekspoort Calitzdorp Gamkaberg Oudtshoorn Cango Caves Swartberg Pass Prince Albert Meiringspoort DAY 1 MONTAGU Your classic road trip through the Little Karoo runs from west to east and starts in Montagu. To get there, take the R60 from the N1 via Worcester and Robertson, or from the N2 via Swellendam. The two branches of the R60 meet in Ashton and become the R62. From Ashton, the R62 goes through Cogmans Kloof Pass and through a tunnel. Look up: There’s a stone fort up there, built by the British in 1899 when the first shots of the Anglo-Boer War were fired. Drive through the tunnel and park on the right of the road. The climb up to the fort is steep but short and won’t take longer…

If you drew an imaginary triangle in the Northern Cape between Calvinia, Loeriesfontein and Brandvlei, the farm Klipwerf would be roughly in the middle. The district in which it falls, about 60km north-west of Calvinia, is known as the Agter-Hantam. The Hantam Mountains stand guard on the western horizon, with the plains of Bushmanland to the north. It’s a rugged landscape, but it’s also beautiful; isolated but not lonely. The skaapbos, Bushman grass, Christmas berry and gannabos make for good sheep grazing. In the city we fear burglars. Here, jackals and drought keep the farmers up at night. It recently rained for the first time since 2011. In a clearing between the koppies, next to a windmill and a water tank, you’ll find a modest hall. It was built in…

TECH SPECS 24.3 MP FX format CMOS sensor EXPEED 4 Image processor (very fast) 51 -point autofocus (how many more points do you need?) Video: 1080 HD at 60 frames per second (move over, Clint Eastwood…) ISO: Up to 12 800 safely, but you can push it to 51 200 Rapid fire: 6.5 frames per second I’ve been using Nikon cameras ever since a family friend who worked for SAA brought me my first F401 from Hong Kong in 1992. I’ve used several models: their first digital SLR, the D1; the hardworking D70; the D7000, which we also use at the magazine; and even the D3100, an oldish entrylevel model, which I used for the Smithfield feature in go! #105. The D750 is a whole new digital ball game. It…

1 Leisure Quip 2,5l stainless steel kettle This kettle has a folding handle for easy storage and it works on gas, an open fire or an induction cooker. It whistles really loudly and because it’s made from thin stainless steel, it weighs next to nothing. It probably won’t last forever, but at a price like this it’s an absolute steal. Or is that steel? R120 at retailers like Pick n Pay, Game and Makro 011 822 4150 2 Volcano non-stick wok Back in go! #76 we featured the impressive Volcano frying pan. This wok is more of the same. Made from thick aluminium and featuring a durable, high quality, non stick coating, it can be used on gas, open fires and an electric plate (it won’t work on an induction…

I can’t remember the exact criteria, but her ability to pekaai so effortlessly counted in the winner’s favour. (Pekaai? Read the feature on page 54. – Ed.) There’s no shortage of beautiful women in the Hantam, but it was a bashful Christél Conradie, a physiotherapist in Calvinia, who walked away with the Miss Klipwerf crown at the Klipwerf op Klipwerf festival. My langarm skills are a bit shaky, but the music lured me onto the dance floor a few times – I couldn’t hide behind my camera all night! I even asked Miss Klipwerf for a dance and my confidence grew with each turn. Yes, I wore ear plugs. Nothing against the Klipwerf Orkes, but countless music festivals over the years have done their damage. The big heart of the…

How rude! We recently had a bad experience in the Kruger. The park was overrun with speeding vehicles with little regard for the animals or other people. In this particular case, the vehicles drove into the middle of the herd, separating the elephants into two groups. They kept driving for about 500 m to take pictures, forcing the panicked cows and calves along. RIA VAN ZYL, Nelspruit Rock on! This beautiful scene presented itself on the road between Skukuza and Malelane. Luckily I had my camera close by… PETRIE MOUTON, Pretoria Seeing double I took this picture between Skukuza and Lower Sabie in March. I thought the number plate in the background was quite fitting. RASSIE BOTHA, Centurion Hitching a ride We were very excited to find this puff adder…

This rope, called a “slack line”, is 2,5 cm wide and extends 91 m across the Victoria Falls Gorge. A hundred metres below, the Zambezi River thunders against black rocks. On the very narrow rope is Austrian Reinhard Kleindl. He and his German counterpart Lukas Irmler made history in 2014 by being the first men to cross the face of Vic Falls by tightrope. “The first step is always the most difficult,” said Lukas after he too successfully completed the crossing. “And it was hard to see in all the swirling mist and water.”…

60 000 This is the amount in rand that a sungazer can fetch on the black market. They’re highly valued as pets and can live for up to 20 years in captivity. 1844 The year in which the lizard was first described – by Scottish naturalist Dr Alan Smith. In 2011, it was given a new scientific name: Smaug giganteus, after JRR Tolkien’s literary dragon. (It was previously known as Cordylus giganteus.) It’s also sometimes called a giant girdled lizard. 38 The size in centimetres of an adult sungazer, from head to tail. 1–2 The number of offspring a sungazer will produce every second year. This slow breeding rate has contributed to their dwindling numbers. If you know of any colonies of sungazers or you have a tip-off that will…

This Fenix LED lighting tool is a no-nonsense torch. Outwardly it may look simple and compact, but it’s a high-performance, highly capable and exceptionally well-crafted illuminating tool. The cross-cut knurls on the aircraft-grade aluminium body gives a secure grip without abrading your fingers or the palm of your hand. Combined with the ridge detail in the head, the premium type III hard-anodized finish and the intuitive single-press button, it feels tough and reliable enough to accompany you on any adventure. Three Cree XM-L2 LEDs, each with a lifespan of 50 000 hours, are powered by three 18650 rechargeable Li-ion cells or six 3 V No problem. The Fenix LD60 will run on as little as two CR123A cells or a single 18650 cell thanks to its unique separate circuit design…

The water of the Okavango Delta is the colour of weak tea, reflecting a pale sky and scattered cirrus clouds. The air is crisp. I’m hiding from the sun beneath some shade netting as our aluminium boat cruises along a reed-lined canal. I’m a small dot somewhere in the Delta, which spills into the north-western corner of Botswana like knocked-over ink. In places the water is so clear I can see tiger fish and tilapia darting about in the depths. Along with family and friends, I’m here to experience the Delta like an explorer of old: camping beneath the trees on wild islands, surrounded by the sounds of the bush. The Okavango River Safaris brochure promises a little bit of luxury, but nothing on the scale of the fly-in lodges.…

These days anyone can drive from Cape Town to Cairo in a 4x4, but it wasn’t always so easy. In 1913, Captain Kelsey (33) decided that he wanted to be the first man to achieve the feat. Scottish motor company Argyll manufactured a special vehicle for the expedition free of charge, with an engine that could supposedly operate under water. A similar model was driven through a metre-deep section of Loch Lomond to make sure. The car was a gigantic hunk of metal, about 6m long and weighing close to five tonnes, with two steel shells that could be removed from the chassis and bolted together to form a small pont, which would hopefully assist the vehicle in crossing a river. (The pont sank during testing in England, but the…

Atorch emits a concentrated beam of light. Your eyes are forced to locus where the torch is pointed, causing unnecessary strain. Energizer’s Light Fusion technology makes for a much more efficient light source: Light is emitted from several LEDs spread evenly across hundreds of tiny “dots” called Light Fusion Elements. This means that you can comfortably prepare food in a well-lit camp kitchen using both your hands, without having to listen to the buzzing of a gas light, or without having to worry about someone accidentally knocking over a flammable paraffin lantern. There are two new Energizer® portable lights on offer: for camping, hiking or even for a braai under the stars at home. The 2 in 1 LED Standing Light is just the thing to replace that old torch.…

Cycle and sip The Cape Winelands are criss-crossed with jeep tracks through the vineyards and scenic connecting roads that make for fantastic mountain biking. Then there’s the wine: Around every bend is a different estate urging you to come in and taste. Bikes ‘n Wines hit upon a genius idea: Why not combine the two? They offer guided tours of varying distances (and various gradients) in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Wellington, Elgin, Hermanus and around the Cape Peninsula. You mostly stay off the tar, away from the traffic, so it’s okay to have a drink l just don’t overdo it unless you want to end up head first in a ditch! We tagged along on their 8 km family-friendly route in Stellenbosch. There were a couple of hills, but otherwise the cycling…

Snipes inverting the stereotype For most bird species, breeding responsibilities fall to either the breeding pair or the female. It is highly unusual that a female will have very little to do with the incubation of eggs or the rearing of the young. Most birds are polygynous or monogamous. A polygynous bird, like a weaver, will breed with more than one female. Monogamous birds pair up for life. Eagles are a good example. However, in some species, the female’s only role is to lay the egg. All incubation and parental duties are left to the male. This is known as polyandry and a clue as to whether a species employs this strategy is to look at their coloration. Usually the males are the ones with the elaborate plumage; in polyandrous…

Mohair Experience, Jansenville Did you know that South Africa produces about 60 % of the world’s mohair? Apparently it’s US First Lady Michelle Obama’s favourite fabric: She wore a mohair cardigan during the presidential inauguration. Most of South Africa’s mohair is produced in the Eastern Cape, particularly the Camdeboo region, where you’ll find this museum dedicated to the lustrous fibre shorn from the Angora goat. Museum manager Stephanie Albert will take you on a tour. There’s also a shop on site that sells mohair products at reasonable prices. Scarves range from R300 to R550 and cardigans and pullovers from R800 to R1 200. Or you could shell out R15 000 for a fetching mohair suit that would make James Bond look good… Where? 8 Bridge Street l look out for…

1 MAY Safari Half Marathon, Wellington The 28th Safari Half Marathon will take place this year and the whole family is welcome. If the 21,1 km route is too daunting, do the 5 km fun run. Cost: R30 l R145 depending on the event. Entries close 19 April. Where? Hugenote high school More info: 021 511 7130; safarihalfmarathon.co.za 1–2 MAY Green Kalahari Canoe Marathon, Northern Cape Three days, 101 km, big prizes! This awesome K1 event is for serious paddlers only, but anyone is welcome to watch along the banks of the Orange as the teams paddle from Upington to Augrabies. Cost: R850 (senior); R700 (junior). Register at gkcm.co.za Where? Upington Ski Club More info: 082 550 4664 (Gawie Nieuwoudt); info@khamkirri.co.za 23 MAY FNB Magalies Monster MTB Classic, North West…

Discriminating against cyclists is very much like riding a bicycle – if you master it when you’re young, you’ve pretty much got it for life. Growing up on a farm, I quickly learnt to despise the tight-shorted tribe because they were forever cycling through my father’s land. A bit of light trespassing is fine, but we were plagued by an entitled breed of cyclists who would cut our fences to get their gravel fix. And while they had a good time speeding along the jeep tracks, my father’s mules had an even better time racing through the freshly sliced fences and running amok on the neighbouring farm. While we scoured the ground for hoof prints of fugitive mules, the cyclists sipped their post-ride frappuccinos and lubricated each others’ derailleurs. Or…

Tour details Dates: 6 – 16 August 2015 15 – 25 September 2015 19 – 29 April 2016 28 June – 8 July 2016 How long is the tour? 11 days, 10 nights Departure point: Nata, Botswana End point: Kasane, Botswana Accommodation: Formal accommodation Rates: R19 250 (2015) and R20 850 (2016) per adult. Single supplement additional 30 %. The tour in a nutshell Day 1 We meet at Nata Lodge and enjoy sunset at the famous Makgadikgadi Pans. Day 2 We explore Maun and surrounds, with an optional flight over the Okavango Delta. Day 3 Near Sepupa, motorboats will take us to a houseboat on the Okavango River, where we’ll spend two nights. Day 4 Enjoy a mokoro or motorboat cruise on the delta, or do some tigerfishing. Day…

NADINE MOTEL Canon EOS 600D Canon 85 mm lens NADINE WRITES: I photographed this elephant playing in a waterhole in Madikwe Game Reserve. It was around 5 pm. I decided to convert the photo to black and white to amplify the natural contrast between the sharp light and the wet body of the elephant. My shutter speed was 1/320 second, aperture f2.2 and ISO 100. TOAST SAYS: Nadine is right: This scene was made for black and white. Her shutter speed was just fast enough to freeze the action, although she could have used a higher ISO and pushed her shutter speed closer to 1/1 000 second to be safe. I like that the whole frame is filled with water drops – this ellie is splashing around like a toddler…

MARSEL VAN OOSTEN Marsel co-owns photographic tour company Squiver with his partner Daniella Sibbing. See squiver.com  for more info. “It’s hard to come up with a rational explanation for my rock arch fetish” says Dutch-born Marsel van Oosten, who divides his time between his native country and Cape Town. “Most of the natural world is rather random, but these rock arches-all shot in the Sahara-seem like they were designed. I’m fascinated by the geology; by the idea that they were shaped by millions of years of wind and erosion” Many landscape photographers shy away from using people in their images, but Marsel prefers to include a human figure to add a sense of adventure and, more importantly, to give some idea of the size of the rock formation.…

VITAL STATISTICS BMW X6 xDrive50i Engine: 5 V8 petrol Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power & torque: 330 kW; 650 Nm 0 – 100 km/h (claimed): 4,8 seconds Top speed (capped): 250 km/h Fuel consumption (claimed): 9,7 /100 km Tank size: 85 Range: 850 km Towing capacity: 2 700 kg (braked)/750 kg (unbraked) Ground clearance: 212 mm Approach/departure angles: 25/22 degrees Price: R1 163 000 (base) You know those drivers that prowl the parking lots of shopping malls, waiting to steal a bay closest to the entrance with a wink and a smile? They’re the same drivers you see tearing down the highway, flashing their lights at you to move out of the way. And many of them drive the BMW X6… What’s new? This second generation X6, built in Spartanburg in…

CERES ZIPSLIDE TOUR, WESTERN CAPE The slopes of the Skurweberg near the fruit farming town of Ceres echo with the excited shouts and nervous giggles of people flying down the mountain on a zipline tour. The 1,4 km tour consists of eight separate lines. The heights are dizzying and you might feel like chickening out, but the friendly guides will remind you that the 16 mm steel lines can carry up to 16 tonnes and are firmly anchored to the rocks… One, two, three and you’re off along the 130 m Suikerbekkie line. Your heart will race but you’ll smile from ear to ear. Soon enough you’ll learn how to control your speed using the braking system, and also how to let go and feel like you’re 12 years old…

When you stand on the stoep of The Rose Cottage Restaurant and watch the bustle of Dullstroom’s main road, it’s hard to imagine that, as recently as the 1980s, this town had a single petrol pump, a corner café and a hotel. That was it. Back then, only a few keen fly-fishermen tried their luck in the municipal dam or on the surrounding farms over weekends. “It all changed in 1989 when the Sunday Times ran their Finders Keepers competition,” says Anita Marais, owner of The Rose Cottage. The competition, with its prize of R1 million, had the whole country abuzz. When it was revealed that the loot was hidden behind a clock in The Dullstroom Inn, it put the town on the map. These days, Dullstroom’s main road is…