Innehållsförteckning för July 2018 från go!

Hippo squad to the rescue? Q JOHAN HAMMAN from Middelburg writes: My wife Marita and I spent an hour watching this scene unfold at the low-water bridge near Lower Sabie in the Kruger. When we arrived, the zebra was floating in the water and a few hippos were gathered around the carcass. Other visitors told us that a crocodile had caught the zebra and drowned it. Two of the hippos pushed the zebra to shallower water and tried to lift it up by grabbing its neck and hind legs. They didn’t bite down or damage the zebra’s skin. The hippos gave up after a while and returned to deeper water, leaving the carcass. As soon as they were gone, barbel started nibbling at the zebra’s hindquarters and the croc sneaked…

305510 The total number of visitors between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018 – a 15 % increase on the previous year. 82 The percentage of tourists that entered the park as day visitors. 158162 The number of visitors (52 %) that were international tourists. The rest were from South Africa (146 091) and SADC countries (1 257). Of those international visitors, 87 146 (55 %) came from Germany. Other countries that featured prominently were the Netherlands (10%) and the UK (5 %). 101374 The number of South African visitors that hail from the Eastern Cape (69 %). The Western Cape came second with 30 448 (21 %). Source: sanparks.org…

If there’s one Friday night this year that you should stay in, it’s 27 July. Get your camping chair and watch a total eclipse of the moon. We haven’t had a decent view of a lunar eclipse from South Africa for a while now. This one should make up for it. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves through the earth’s shadow. This only happens during a full moon, when the sun, earth and moon are perfectly aligned. The July eclipse will take place in the early evening so you won’t even have to worry about missing your Saturday brunch to catch up on sleep. The visible part of the eclipse will start at 8.24 pm (see table) and will end after midnight. The maximum eclipse is at 10.22…

The charm of St Helena isn’t obvious. When you see the volcanic island from the aeroplane for the first time, you do a double take. Where are the people, the beaches, the coast lined with hotels? That’s because St Helena isn’t your average island. There are no deck chairs or waiters serving cocktails; no bikini-clad tourists riding jet skis or calypso music in the background. St Helena is different. It has a raw beauty that makes it so attractive. For five centuries, Portugal, the British East India Company, the British Royal Navy and the Netherlands were locked in a tug of war over the island. In the early 1800s it had a large Chinese workforce. Half a century later, when slavery was abolished, many slaves from Africa, Madagascar, Malaysia and…

Patagonia is the “tail” of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile – a landscape of mountains, glaciers, windswept pampas and beaches washed by cold ocean currents. It’s nearly 2 000 km further south than Cape Town – the closest continental landmass to Antarctica – and an Eden for photographer Hougaard Malan. “The extreme latitude offers sunsets and sunrises that last more than an hour,” he says. “The beech trees put on one of earth’s most colourful autumn displays and the waterfalls, lakes and rivers are blue thanks to all the glacial silt.” Hougaard is one of South Africa’s best landscape photographers. When he’s not away collecting international awards, he leads photographic trips to destinations in southern Africa and abroad. He has taken two groups to Patagonia so far and…

STORAGE & TRANSPORTATION 1 Coghlan’s Bota Bag A bota bag is a traditional Spanish receptacle used to carry liquid, and the inspiration behind all modern water bags. Whereas the original ones were made from leather and lined with a goat bladder, this modern version (thankfully) has a plastic lining and an easy pouring nozzle. Here’s another thing: A bota carries wine just as well as water… This bag might not be your best hydration option for the Otter Trail but it works a treat for sundowners on top of a koppie. R198 at takealot.com 2 GSI 1ℓ Infinity DukJug A good water bottle is non-negotiable when you’re hiking. You don’t want something that will crack if you drop it or perish in the sun. This bottle is made…

Bring your friends and spend a few days stargazing and unwinding. You’ll stay in a luxury tent and we’ll take care of everything. You can look forward to great-tasting breakfasts and dinners, informative evenings at Sterland and a tour of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). During the day you can explore the Karoo area on foot or on your bicycle. WHEN? 12 – 13 July 2018 13 – 14 July 2018 14 – 15 July 2018 15 – 16 July 2018 HOW MUCH? R1 585 per adult per night – minimum two nights. Single supplement additional 30 %. Kids under 12 pay half-price. There’s a maximum of 16 people per night (which can increase if kids share with parents). WHAT DOES THE RATE INCLUDE? · Accommodation in a luxury tent,…

ROSEMARY HILL, PRETORIA Nothing beats sipping freshly brewed coffee on a stoep with a view, while someone cooks you breakfast. The coffee shop at Rosemary Hill organic farm has the perfect stoep to do just that, and in winter you can head inside and warm up in front of the fireplace. Rosemary Hill is the kind of place where you can eat and drink with a clean conscience. The farm reuses and recycles where possible (you don’t get a straw with your drink) and some of the fresh produce on the menu is grown on the farm. It also features 33 kilometres’ worth of cycling, running and hiking trails. With this in mind, the item on the menu called The Original BBB (R36) makes sense! (It stands for “Bikers Breakfast…

The travelling Super Ouma Jermanneke Havemann from Swakopmund often contributes to go! magazine. She was born in the Netherlands and met her husband Oubaas in Namibia. Since Oubaas retired, they’ve been travelling the world. How do you travel? We used to camp a lot. We had a 4x4 and a tent on a trailer. My husband always said that I was trying to pack the whole house – I had everything and the kitchen sink! We would camp in one place for a long time and I wanted to be comfortable. It was wonderful. We would sometimes travel for weeks on end. But unfortunately we can no longer camp. My husband is 80 years old and I am 75. He doesn’t want to pitch a tent any more. These days…

My husband Tobie and I spent our last night in the Kruger in a safari tent at Punda Maria. At many of the bushveld camps we had stayed at earlier in the trip, vervet monkeys and baboons had caused all sorts of problems. Look away for a second and they’re off with an avo or a loaf of bread. (This happened twice.) In Punda Maria, however, the thief was someone new… Late in the afternoon, a thick-tailed bushbaby approached the deck of our unit with a John Travolta swagger. He looked at us with an expression that said “Oh, you’re here, too” then he slunk off. That night we braaied steak and I made a mushroom sauce. We were too lazy to wash up so we left the dishes in…

Now you can ride the Cape Town Cycle Tour with your friends and at your own pace. The Western Cape government, through an initiative called Cape Cycle Routes Network, recently launched the Cycle Tour 364, which follows a similar route to the big race. The 123 km route begins at the V&A Waterfront and goes through Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay, over Chapman’s Peak and through Simon’s Town to the Cape Point section of Table Mountain National Park. Then you turn and go through the coastal villages of Scarborough and Kommetjie. At Noordhoek you follow the same route back to the Waterfront. Just like on the Cape Town Cycle Tour proper, you’ll also have to slog up Suikerbossie! The name of the route refers to how many days…

I’m an Engelbrecht from the Sandveld – a potato-farming region up the West Coast – and this is a story from half a century ago, when I was a small child. It was only a few years after my Ouma Leentjie had passed away. My family, along with my aunt Anna’s family, were visiting Oupa Johnnie on the farm Witwater, which is about 12km along a sandy jeep track from the sea. Early one morning, Oupa and Pa got beach fever. Those who know us Engelbrechts will know: We love going to the beach and when the time comes, nothing will stand in our way to get there. (Apparently we have some ocean blood in our veins – the first Engelbrecht to set foot on African soil at Lambert’s Bay…

The Free State was once South Africa’s version of the Serengeti, where large herds of antelope grazed on the plains. Of course, the bountiful game eventually attracted hunters who shot the animals and sold the meat and hides. The hides were cut into thongs (rieme in Afrikaans), which led to the region being called the Riemland. The hunting industry boomed in the north-eastern parts of the province. In 1866, one company in Kroonstad exported nearly 150000 blesbok and wildebeest hides… Some say the Riemland is the area between the N1, N3 and N5, including towns like Heilbron, Frankfort and Petrus Steyn. Others say it goes all the way to the Vaal and Klip rivers – and the Drakensberg. There’s not much free-ranging game left in the Riemland, but it’s still…

MICHAEL KOLBÉ @mkphotographysa Canon 5D Mark III Canon 70 – 200 mm lens MICHAEL WRITES: It was a scorcher of a day in Etosha National Park in Namibia and this elephant was applying “sunscreen”. I took plenty of shots during the encounter, but this one stood out for me. The white dust contrasts with the pale blue sky and creates an almost surreal look and feel. My settings were: aperture f6.3; shutter speed 1/1 600 second; ISO 160. Although I’m a big fan of the rule of thirds, I decided to put the elephant in the centre of the frame to draw immediate attention to the action. TOAST SAYS: Sometimes it’s good to break the rules. I agree with Michael: The central composition gives the elephant a more imposing presence…

PLASTIC BIRDS As I swung the beam of my headlamp around the cramped, dusty attic, it sparkled off hundreds of pieces of plastic. I was cleaning out debris from a common myna nest, and I spent the next few hours analysing the birds’nesting material. They clearly had a preference for plastic: This particular pair had “recycled” 560 pieces. How about that? Mynas are good for something after all! Birders also use the term “plastic”to refer to birds that have escaped from captivity or have been deliberately introduced by man. It’s a form of globalization that we can identify with. Just as populations of South Africans have been established worldwide – from Paris to Perthfontein – so too have many birds become global residents. Mynas originally hail from Asia, but can…

IN SEARCH OF THE AFRICAN PITTA, ZIMBABWE Every keen birdwatcher has looked at the African pitta in a bird guide and dreamt of seeing it in the flesh. The colouration of the pitta is almost unreal: bright red, green, and the most beautiful shade of blue. But it’s not just the bird’s appearance that makes it such a special sighting – it’s also notoriously elusive. My friend and fellow birdwatcher Niel Cillié contacted me in November 2017 with an urgent message: “There’s a pitta calling near Vic Falls. Let’s go!” Usually, African pittas only call for a few weeks a year. When they’re quiet, it’s nearly impossible to find them in the dense vegetation they call home. The pitta in question had been heard at Lukosi Safari Camp next to…

The Birmingham bullies During a recent holiday to Manyeleti Game Reserve next to the Kruger Park, I once again realised how cruel nature can be. Three of the so-called Birmingham lions from Sabi Sand Nature Reserve – all males – had cornered a cub from one of the Manyeleti prides. (Much of these lions’territory is on a neighbouring game farm called Birmingham, which is how they got their name.) It was horrible to watch. The growls and snarls of the males were loud and terrifying but every time they approached, the cub fought back. It never gave up. Some of our fellow guests were quite emotional about what we were witnessing. Then, without warning, the Birmingham lions suddenly lost interest in the cub and walked away. It lived to fight…

Four hiking trails in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park recently earned Green Flag status: the Half-Collared Kingfisher Trail, the Cape Dune Molerat Trail, the Woodville Big Tree Trail and the Circles in the Forest Trail. If you’re looking for a well-marked hiking trail in a clean environment that’s well maintained, one of these is a good pick. The Hiking Organisation of Southern Africa (HOSA) awards Green Flag status to trails that meet certain criteria with regards to trail design, accommodation, facilities, service and the conservation of natural resources. There are currently 18 Green Flag trails in the Garden Route National Park. More info: 044 877 0046 (Wilderness section); sanparks.org ; greenflagtrails.co.za…

It’s a well-known fact that speed is a cheetah’s claim to fame. It’s the fastest land mammal on the planet and would leave Wayde van Niekerk in its dust. With a top speed of about 110 km/hour, a cheetah can outrun every other prey animal, but it can only sustain that speed for relatively short bursts of up to 400 m. ( Like Wayde – Ed .) This is mainly due to the animal’s build: long legs; a deep chest with an enlarged heart and lungs to pump more oxygen to the muscles; a small and streamlined head; and a long tail that acts to balance the animal in motion. Extreme speed does have its drawbacks: After a successful kill, an exhausted cheetah needs several minutes to regain…

THE POPULAR CAMP BIYAMITI BUSHVELD CAMP Biyamiti is like that guy at high school who was good at everything: rugby, cricket, athletics, chess – and he sold the most raffle tickets. There are so many things counting in this camp’s favour, it’s no wonder it’s fully booked for most of the year. “According to our records from April 2017 onwards, the camp was 98 % full – the second highest occupation rate in all national parks,”says Surprise Hlatshwayo, who has been the hospitality services manager at Biyamiti since 2017. Biyamiti is the only bushveld camp with access to 18 km of private road where there’s a chance of seeing every member of the Big Five. There’s even a viewpoint where you’re allowed to get out of…

TOUR DETAILS Dates: 31 May to 13 June 2019 Duration: 14 days, 13 nights Departure point: Lüderitz, Namibia Cost: R20 450 per person THE RATE INCLUDES • A tour leader and field guide • All accommodation • All park fees • Three meals a day • Two-way radios WHAT TO BRING • A 4x4 (fuel is for your own account) • Personal items, e.g. bedding and towels • A camera • Drinks and snacks Day 1 & 2 Lüderitz & Kolmanskop • Day 3 Lüderitz to Kanaän • Day 4 & 5 Sossusvlei • Day 6 & 7 Walvis Bay & Swakopmund • Day 8 Swakopmund to Spitzkoppe • Day 9 Madisa/Twyfelfontein • Day 10 Etosha National Park (Olifantsrus) • Day 11, 12 & 13 Etosha National Park (Halali) BUT I’M AN AMATEUR… Whether you have a big D-SLR or a point-and-shoot, irrespective of your…

How to get there? Marakele National Park is 12 km north-east of Thabazimbi, about 250 km from Joburg and 220 km from Pretoria. Take the R511 via Brits to Thabazimbi and follow the signs to the park gate. Gate times: 6 am to 6 pm from 1 September to 30 April; 6 am to 5.30 pm from 1 May to 31 August. Best time to visit? Go in winter or spring. It’s very hot from December to February and it’s also the rainy season. Cost: Daily conservation fee R49 per adult; R25 per child; free with a Wild card. Shopping? Thabazimbi has a big mall and chain stores where you can buy groceries. The park doesn’t have a restaurant or shop, so stock up. Also buy firewood in town. Fuel?…

Semonkong is a village in central Lesotho, north-west of Qacha’s Nek. The name means “place of smoke” and once you see the nearby Maletsunyane Falls, you’ll understand why… The river drops off a basalt ledge and tumbles 192 m down, causing billowing condensation that hangs suspended in the gorge. Annéne Maré visited the Mountain Kingdom for the first time in April, at the tail end of the rainy season. She was hiking with a friend when they heard a rumbling noise, like distant thunder. They decided to investigate further, rounded a bend and came upon Maletsunyane in spate, complete with puffs of “smoke”. “I still get goosebumps when I think of this moment,” she says.…