Innehållsförteckning för September 2020 från go!

I recently had to pick up some of my personal belongings at our offices in the Media24 building in Cape Town. These offices have been closed since before lockdown started, way back in March, and I had to follow a rigorous protocol before I could enter the building. Eventually, accompanied by a security guard, I could go up to the 19th floor. Five months ago, this space had been humming with the creative energy of editorial teams from more than 10 magazines. Now it was post-apocalyptic, devoid of life, slightly spooky. But it turned out the only monster lurking in the shadows was the sandwich I’d forgotten in my top drawer! I had thought that I’d be overwhelmed by the melancholy of it all, but instead – as I collected…

Your mask should cover your nose! We live in Mbombela and we go to the Kruger Park often – it was music to our ears when the lockdown regulations were changed to allow day visitors into reserves. We set off for the Kruger as soon as possible. It was just as scenic as before, but felt even more tranquil somehow. This comical scene awaited us on the H4-1 between Skukuza and Lower Sabie – it looks like the buffalo cow is wearing a mask! LOUISETTE LE ROUX, Mbombela Wildlife expert LD VAN ESSEN says: The buffalo had probably been grazing in the vegetation on the banks of the Sabie River. Her headdress is a vine that must have snagged on her horns and nose. The vines don’t appear to be…

It is essential to take out any outdated medical and first aid books in your home and dispose of them. Quickly! Medical science is constantly evolving and improving. The way we did things ten years ago is quite different from how we do them today, and the same can be said for how we treat snakebites. The first books about the snakes of southern Africa started emerging in the early 1900s. At that stage, they had no idea how to treat snakebites. Arterial tourniquets were applied high up on arms and legs, cuts were made into the affected area, and it was believed that sucking out venom could reduce symptoms. In later years, it was thought that Condy’s crystals (potassium permanganate) did the trick – cuts were made and the…

Where? The trail starts at St Fort Country House, which is on the R711 about 6 km south of Clarens (about 300 km from Joburg and 380 km from Durban). How much? R5 000 per person sharing for a group of four people. The rate includes accommodation, all meals, transport of your luggage, permits and a guide. Difficulty? The total distance is 41 km over three days, and the hiking is straightforward, mostly along clear paths and farm roads. There are a few grassy traverses and some steep ascents and descents, but nothing that a moderately fit walker won’t manage. Best time to go? The trail is offered from September to May; it’s too cold in winter. While spring, summer and autumn each has its own attractions, the wild flowers…

ANDRIES JANSE VAN RENSBURG Canon EOS 5D Mark III Canon 300 mm lens with a 2x converter ANDRIES WRITES: I used to live in Newcastle in northern KZN. One afternoon I drove to the Chelmsford Nature Reserve outside town. I was very lucky and came across a Cape fox and four pups playing in the veld. The sun was setting and I captured these two chasing each other. TOAST SAYS: Nature is unpredictable and always has a surprise waiting. Somewhere, sometime, you’ll see something special. You might visit a reserve like Chelmsford many times and never see a Cape fox, and then one day you get lucky… That’s what happened to Andries: He had his camera ready, with the right lens fitted, and the conditions were favourable. The golden afternoon…

Spatchcock chicken Serves 6 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 35 – 40 minutes You need • 1 large chicken (1,6 kg) • 100 g butter • 5 big cloves of garlic, sliced • 2 red chillies, chopped • 1 sprig of rosemary, needles stripped and chopped • juice and grated peel of 1 lemon • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 2 tablespoons olive oil Here’s how 1 To spatchcock the chicken, use sharp scissors to remove the backbone. Put the chicken on a chopping board with the breast facing up. Press down on the breastbone with your hand until it breaks, flattening the bird. 2 Use a sharp knife and make two cuts into each thigh and one into each drumstick. 3 Mix the butter, garlic,…

TENTED ACCOMMODATION Explore Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the great rivers of the Zambezi Region (the old Caprivi Strip), and mighty Victoria Falls, while our experts make sure you’re safe well fed and comfortable at all times. This self-drive tour is one of the most popular on the Bhejane itinerary, for good reason: It allows you to have a true African adventure at a reasonable price, and you don’t need any technical off-road driving skills. Travel from the vast Makgadikgadi Pans around the Okavango Delta and up the Panhandle, pausing at the mysterious Tsodilo Hills, which is a world-renowned rock art site. You’ll travel east through the Caprivi in Namibia, and back to Kasane in Botswana via the ever-impressive Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. The tour ends with a cruise on the Chobe…

What’s great about travelling on back roads? By avoiding crowds, I am able to relax. People are generally the source of all vexation so it’s good to escape them from time to time! Instead of zoning out on a monotonous highway, you discover new places. I had never driven the Rooinek Pass before, just south of Laingsburg on the R323. It’s short, but it’s a scenic gateway to the Little Karoo – the landscape reminded me of Tunisia or Jordan. It felt like I’d gone through the looking glass. Did you travel alone? Yes, I love travelling by myself. You can ponder things for hours. I was also able to listen to my favourite podcast – Making Sense by Sam Harris – in which the presenter dives deep into topics…

The new neighbours are noisy! Q HANSJA THERON from Die Wilgers writes: Black-cheeked lovebirds naturally occur in the Zambezi Region of Namibia and in northern Botswana, but now they’ve also made the palm trees in eastern Pretoria their home. They have been spotted among flocks of rosy-faced lovebirds and rose-ringed parakeets. How did they end up here? A Bird expert LUKAS NIEMAND says: The lovebirds are definitely the descendants of birds that escaped captivity. The escapees have established wild populations in the Pretoria area, and in other urban parts of Gauteng. It’s difficult to identify the birds as a specific species. Not only has hybridisation occurred among the different lovebird species, but aviculturists have also bred the birds to have different colour variations. It does, however, appear that the Pretoria…

September is a good month to spot the International Space Station (ISS) flying over your house. It will be making nightly flyovers in the first week of the month, and morning flyovers a week later. Spotting it is great fun, but why not take it a step further like Johan le Roux did, who managed to capture the full arc of the ISS as it flew above his house in De Kelders, Western Cape. Of course, this level of photography is quite technical, but let’s give it our best shot. You can even use a camera phone if your goal is simply to capture the satellite. Planning is key. Visit heavens-above. com to find out where in your area the ISS will be passing over, and at what time. Consider things…

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 material.…

Waterbuck Braai Grid The most critical tool when you’re braaiing is a decent grid. This one is made of high-quality stainless steel and it’s big enough for a long invite list and an even longer braai evening – wherever you are. Combine it with a  multi-height grid stand for best results. R250 tentco.co.za Oztrail Jaffle Iron If you’re a newbie to this campfire cult favourite, here’s a primer: A jaffle iron takes toasted sarmies to a higher level by increasing the heat, sealing the edges, and adding some smoky flavour. This one is made from high-density iron cookware so it will outlast you, and the long grip and deep, even cooking base make it super easy to use and clean. Bottom line: It gives you yet another valid excuse to…

FATHERHOOD LESSONS FROM AN AFRICAN JACANA Last year my wife visited a friend in the UK and left me to look after our two boys Christian and Owen, who were 7 and 5 at the time. Arguably the longest six days of my life! Despite being sworn to secrecy, the kids still occasionally let slip some of the incidents that occurred: pasta stuck to the roof, a four-man camping tent erected in the living room, being woken up at midnight to look for rain frogs in a downpour… Being a single father, albeit temporarily, gave me newfound respect for the male African jacana. This vociferous and attractive lily-trotter is known for its ability to walk on floating vegetation – a jacana walking among lilies on a tranquil dam is a…

Approximate daily budget? Peru’s costs are mid-range, similar to South Africa. Our average expenses were about R1 450 per day, which included, food, accommodation, diesel and car services, and entrance fees to tourist attractions (of which there were many). It is not easy to camp wild in Peru, but we could sleep in our rooftop tent most of the time. We only stayed in formal accommodation when we had no other option, like in Manu National Park, and the island on Lake Titicaca. Getting around? Peru has internal flights to most destinations, and bus transport is well priced and of a high standard. We enjoy travelling in the front row on the top deck for a panoramic view of the passing countryside. Camping? Camping as we know it in South…

FULL MOON: 2 SEPTEMBER SPRING TIDE: 3 SEPTEMBER HIGH TIDE: 3.53 AM & 4.11 PM LAST QUARTER: 10 SEPTEMBER NEAP TIDE: 11 SEPTEMBER HIGH TIDE: 9.43 AM & 10.28 PM NEW MOON: 17 SEPTEMBER SPRING TIDE: 18 SEPTEMBER HIGH TIDE: 3.42 AM & 3.58 PM FIRST QUARTER: 24 SEPTEMBER NEAP TIDE: 25 SEPTEMBER HIGH TIDE: 10.49 AM & 11.25 PM These are the high tide times for Cape Town. For other places, add or subtract minutes: Saldanha: +5; Hermanus: -4; Port Elizabeth: +19; Durban: +26 Tide information reproduced with permission from the Hydrographer, SA Navy. The Hydrographer is not responsible for any transcription errors.sanho.co.za…

MEET THE AUTHOR How far will a conservationist go to prove a link between southern Africa and the trade in rhino horn in Vietnam? Ask Grant Fowlds, who once “smuggled” rhino horn back to South Africa… His book Saving the Last Rhinos, written with Graham Spence, tells of his formative years in the Eastern Cape and the extensive conservation work he’s done in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent. Before we talk about rhinos, tell us about goats. I love goats! Growing up in the Eastern Cape, goats were my link between humans and animals. Like rhinos, each goat has a unique personality. I learnt a lot about Xhosa culture and traditions from my playmates, including respect for nature and wildlife. Xhosa was the first language I could speak.…

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.…

Little is known about the origins of the wild horses of the Overberg, which roam the wetlands between the Bot River Lagoon and the town of Kleinmond near Hermanus. Some say the horses are descended from animals that served in the Anglo-Boer War; others believe they swam ashore from the HMS Birkenhead, a British troopship that sank off Danger Point on the other side of Walker Bay in 1852. Photographer Bruce Boyd first heard of them while visiting family in Betty’s Bay. “I knew I had to investigate,” he says. “I visited Rooisand Nature Reserve on the lagoon and stumbled across the entire herd almost immediately. From that moment on, I was hooked.” Bruce decided to move to Betty’s Bay for the next four months, so he could track and…

ADVENTURE ITINERARY DAY 1 Our adventure starts in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands town of Himeville, where we meet at the Stone House Café. For the rest of the day we do the awe-inspiring drive up Sani Pass. After clearing customs on the South African side, we have a picnic lunch and then make our way up the pass, with more than enough time to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. Our accommodation for the night is the cosy Sani Mountain Lodge. It feels like you’re literally on top of the world at this lodge, which is built on the edge of the Drakensberg and affords breathtaking views into KwaZulu-Natal. DAY 2 Our route to Katse Dam takes us along the highest roads in southern Africa. We cross the Senqu River, which…

Distance: 10 km there and back. It doesn’t sound like much, but the climbs are steep and there are lots of entertaining technical sections. You need to be fit and adventurous. It takes four to five hours to reach the campsite. How to get there? Loskop Adventures is in Mpumalanga, about 220 km north-east of Joburg and 175 km from Pretoria. Download detailed directions from the website. Water? You can drink the water from the Hels River. Cost: There are different options: a day hike without a guide costs from R200 per person; overnight hike from R550 per person. The price per person varies depending on whether you would like a guide, the size of your group, whether you plan to camp for the night (max eight people if you…

80 000 The estimated number of insect species in southern Africa. Insects form the biggest group of all living beings on earth! Here’s how their numbers compare to other organisms: WHAT IS AN INSECT? An insect is an arthropod – a creature that has an exoskeleton (a hard shell on the outside), a body made up of segments, and jointed legs. All insects are arthropods, but not all arthropods are insects. Spiders, centipedes, crabs and crayfish are also arthropods. But the word “insect” only refers to arthropods that live on land with: WHAT DOES AN INSECT’S BODY LOOK LIKE? • An insect’s body is the opposite of a human’s. We have a skeleton inside; insects have a hard skeleton, like a tube or sheath, on the outside. • The human heart pumps…

“We farm with avocados, macadamias and guavas. When I’m out in nature, I usually have my camera with me – and my camera flash, tripod and extra lenses just in case! “These days I use a Nikon D4 with a Nikon 500 mm lens for wildlife photography. (I bought my first SLR camera 44 years ago when I was 21 – it still works!) I’ve loved the bush since high school and I like to fish and hunt. We live close to the Kruger Park and visit regularly. “I put my camera away for 15 years in the late 1990s and early 2000s – I was busy at work and felt it was too expensive to develop and print photos. When I bought my first digital camera in 2007, it…

Who are Vivian and Hanlie? In their previous lives, Hanlie was a biology teacher and Vivian was a consulting engineer. Over the years they travelled with their three children through southern Africa. When they retired in 2016, they looked for new adventures and decided on South America. In October 2016 they shipped their Land Rover Defender to Montevideo in Uruguay and went overlanding through Patagonia (see go! #150). Since then, they’ve been back four times. Each trip lasts about three to four months. They’ve driven more than 55 000 km in total and they’ve crossed international borders 38 times. How much planning and preparation go into the trips? We read about the country we want to visit in Lonely Planet guidebooks, and we scour the web, then we map a…

y compulsion to organise the world M around me has become untethered from reason. It’s the start of the third month of lockdown as I write this, and that compulsion is beginning to show… The grocery cupboard, once haphazardly stacked with tins of lentils and various open packets of pasta, is now an ode to order, and the mighty Ziploc bag. It’s got to the point where the peanut butter even has its own designated spot – three jars from the right, second shelf from the bottom – as my partner Chris discovered when he made the unfortunate mistake of replacing it with the salt shaker. The mundanity of staying at home is punctuated by regular visits from Gus, the cat from next door. Gus is a feisty little thing…