The Intrepid Explorer magazine - Spring 2013 by The Intrepid Explorer

Explorer The Intrepid

www.intrepidexplorer.co.za • Spring 2013

Live the life of Adventure

CONQUERING MOUNTAINS

Mike Horn’s climbing philosophy

THE BOYES BROTHERS Fighting for the

IN GOD’S COUNTRY

Okavango Delta

CROUCH, PAUSE, COOK

Traversing Namibia

OUR TOP

PLACES TO DIVE FOR & FLY-FISHING HOT SPOTS

Springboks in the kitchen

A TALE OF TERROIR

AJ Calitz vs the Gorges du Verdon

PAUL MYBURGH Living with The Last of The First People

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS with Peter Delaney • WIN! A luxurious stay at Cliﬀtop Exclusive Safari Hideaway worth R13 300 • LAST PARADISE OF THE PACIFIC – Lord Howe Island • UP THE RIVER WITH A PADDLE – Canoeing the Zambezi • THE MAYHEM OF BANGKOK – Ben Trovato strikes again • LEWIS MANGABA – Zimbabwe’s own David Attenborough

Explore The official Cape Union Mart magazine

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Or WIN one set of double tickets to SOUTH AFRICA HEARTS OF GOLD A Tribute to the Bravest Men We Know A dinner event hosted by Robbie Stammers, Editor of The Intrepid Explorer magazine, on the 29th of

October 2013 at Katy’s Palace Bar in Joburg. You’ll get to rub shoulders with SA sports legends and hear some of our country’s boldest adventurers, such as Braam Malherbe, tell tales of their astonishing journeys.

To enter dial *120*1516*# For terms and conditions turn to page 98

Explorer The Intrepid

Live the life of Adventure

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In association with:

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Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18

contents 04

10 FOREWORD Andre Labuschaigne, Cape Union Mart CEO

EDITOR’S NOTE Spring has sprung, and the festive season is nigh

COMPETITION Win a trip worth R13 300 with The Intrepid Explorer and Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway

LET FLY

BROTHERS IN ARMS

IN GOD’S COUNTRY

GET THE SHOT

Nick Dall’s top 10 fly-fishing spots in SA

THE LAST OF THE

FIRST PEOPLE

Paul Myburgh recalls his time with the /Gwikwe of the Kalahari

Chris and Steve Boyes are fighting for the Okavango

Robbie Stammers is awed by the wonders of nature in Namibia

Photography pointers from Jacques Marais

SITES TO DIVE FOR Fiona McIntosh dips into southern Africa’s top scuba destinations

BACK TO THE ROOTS A new series on the origins of essential outdoor accessories, by Johan Lambrechts

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C on ten ts

52 70

LAST PARADISE OF

THE PACIFIC

Graham Howe visits his eponymous island between Australia and New Zealand

CROUCH… PAUSE

COOK!

Legendary Springboks share their favourite recipes

FEELING ON TOP OF

KOH CHANG! BLESS YOU

Ben Trovato beats the bedlam of Bangkok

ON THE WILD SIDE

News from the outdoors

100

H IT THE ROAD, JACK The Big 5 – catch a sighting of the latest motor vehicles

104

LIFE THROUGH

THE LENS

In this edition, we feature the photographic masterpieces of Peter Delaney

100

MIKE AND THE

BORN IN THE SUN Anton Crone spends time with well-respected wildlife guide, Lewis Mangaba

THE WORLD

Shan Routledge kits you out for a weekend hike on Table Mountain

UP THE RIVER WITH

A PADDLE

A hippo and croc-dodging canoe trip for Laurianne Claase

MOUNTAIN

Legendary explorer Mike Horn speaks to Angus Begg about his climbing philosophy

A TALE OF TERROIR AJ Calitz overcame one hurdle after the other in the Verdon Canyon Challenge

104 110

CAPE UNION MART

STORE LISTINGS

111

LAST LAUGH Graham Howe walks with wombats in the wild

112

THE LAST WORD What’s cooking with MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan?

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Explorer The Intrepid

Live the life of Adventure

Publishing Editor ROBBIE STAMMERS robbie@intrepidexplorer.co.za Advertising Sales Director KEITH HILL keith@intrepidexplorer.co.za Art Director STACEY STORBECK NEL indiodesign@mweb.co.za Chief Sub-Editor TANIA GRIFFIN Staff Writer and Social Media Liaison SHAN ROUTLEDGE Editorial Contributors Graham Howe, Gary Mehigan, Fiona McIntosh, Nick Dall, Anton Crone, Johan Lambrechts, Mike Horn, Ben Trovato, AJ Calitz, Angus Begg, Jacques Marais, Laurianne Claase, Paul Myburgh Photography Cover – Paul Myburgh photo and Getty Images, designed by Stacey Storbeck Nel

foreword Andre Labuschaigne

pring greetings! The mountain is starting to buzz as South Africans emerge from their winter hibernation to capitalise on the increasing temperatures and the sunny weather. For those of you who regularly braved the cold season’s worst to spend time outdoors, I salute you! So much is happening at Cape Union Mart: Our K-Way athlete AJ Calitz just finished third at the Otter African Trail Run; Kingsley Holgate has departed on yet another expedition (some people have all the luck!); the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour – the amazing selection of inspirational outdoor films – will be in Ster-Kinekor theatres from 25 October. Phew! As spring starts, so does the countdown to Christmas. We may be two months away, but those months will fly past! Make your gift shopping a little easier by spending time at one of our stores. We pride ourselves on offering South Africa’s widest variety of gifts, and have numerous excellent stocking fillers and ‘Secret Santa’ gift options. But before the rush descends upon you, drink your fill of this latest copy of The Intrepid Explorer. It may just make you rethink your holiday plans... I wish you a safe and happy Christmas period – filled, hopefully, with a ton of outdoor moments to treasure. Yours in adventure,

Andre Labuschaigne Chief Executive Officer Cape Union Mart

P.S. Don’t forget to download your digital version of The Intrepid Explorer on the official website: www.intrepidexplorer.co.za.

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Graham Howe, Peter Delaney, Anton Crone, Laurianne Claase, Neil Gelinas / Wild Bird Trust, Fiona McIntosh, Getty/Gallo Images Back Office Support and Accounts Solutions BOSS (PTY) Ltd Managing Director: Rita Sookdeo Account Managers: Lucindi Coetzer, Ohna Nel Cape Union Mart www.capeunionmart.co.za Group Marketing Manager: Evan Torrence Marketing Manager: Nick Bennett Printer Creda Communications Distribution Universal Mail Link Special thanks to: Greg James and the entire Sagitta Group team, Sabrina Hill, Jenneth Pillay, Tony Diekmann PUBLISHED BY

Managing Director: Robbie Stammers Physical Address: Block K, Steenberg Office Park 1 Silvermoon Close, Tokai, Cape Town 7945 Telephone: +27 (0) 21 702 7880 Postal Address: PO Box 20, Constantia 7848 Web Address: www.intrepidexplorer.co.za

No article or any part of any article may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the publisher. The information provided and opinions expressed in this publication are provided in good faith, but do not necessarily represent the opinions of Cape Union Mart (PTY) Ltd, Insights Publishing or the editor. Neither this magazine, the publisher or Cape Union Mart can be held legally liable in any way for damages of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from any facts or information provided or omitted in these pages, or from any statements made or withheld by this publication.

Explore

Our Intrepid Explorer

contributors

Paul John Myburgh has had a lifelong commitment to Africa that transcends the boundaries of politics and idealogy. His life preoccupation has been to understand the human journey between heaven and earth. Apart from many years shared with the Bushmen, he has spent the last 16 years working on the story of the excavation of the Little Foot fossil apeman skeleton in the Cradle of Humankind. He has talked by invitation, extensively, and given workshops on the nature of African spirituality at the Goetheanum in Switzerland, and had endless conversation with many groups of thinking humans. Nick Dall is a freelance writer who has lived and fished all over the world. Recent postings include Italy, Argentina, Bolivia and Vietnam but he is currently back in Cape Town rediscovering the trout streams and dams of his youth. His one-yearold daughter and his mortgage also suggest that he is finally settling down. Jacques Marais is a pro photographer/author who regularly contributes to a wide selection of premium adventure, travel and outdoor magazines, both in SA and abroad. He has shot and authored numerous outdoor titles and is currently working on An Adrenalin Guide to Southern Africa. His short stories feature in an adventure anthology and during the acclaimed Red Bull Illume Image Quest sports photography awards, Jacques was honoured as a TOP 50 finalist from a field of well over 20 000 international shooters. Most recent honours include both a Gold and Silver Award in the respected SONY Profoto Awards. Johan Lambrechts is an award-winning travel writer from Belgium. He loves travelling, but he also likes camping in archives to bring forgotten great explorers back to life. His series about the roots of outdoor equipment is published in magazines in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and now in South Africa. His other passion is Antarctica. He visited the Antarctic Peninsula several times, published two books and gives lectures about the coldest continent on Earth, both for adults and for kids. One of his topics is the first polar journey of Roald Amundsen on the ship Belgica in 1897.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Peter Delaney has travelled the forests of Bwindi to the peaks of Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya, to the shores of Lake Malawi and the red dunes of the Kalahari. His wildlife and landscape photography has been published worldwide and has featured in magazines such as National Geographic, GEO French edition, GEO German edition, Africa Geographic and Muy Interesante. Peter has won numerous awards including the 2011 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Nature in Black and White. Laurie A. Claase is a freelance writer and editor based in Cape Town. After having travelled around the world, working on a dive boat in the Red Sea, on a ferry between the Greek Islands, in a Scottish country hotel and teaching English in Taiwan where she met her American husband, she finally made Cape Town her home base in 1997. From here she has made forays into southern Africa and has published accounts of her travels in a range of national and international publications. She is also the author of Caught Out: Cricket Match-fixing Investigated, which was long-listed for the Alan Paton Award in 2008, as well as several guidebooks and coffee-table books on Cape Town and Robben Island. Fiona McIntosh, a freelance photojournalist, and the editor of Nightjar Travel magazine has an enviable life of travelling and adventuring all in the name of work. When not at her desk, she can be found out on Table Mountain hiking, rock climbing or enjoying a sundowner. She’s skied to the North and South Pole, stomped up a few continental peaks and dived the world’s most iconic dive sites. McIntosh is the author of numerous books on the Indian Ocean Islands, hiking, scuba diving, mountain biking and other adventures. Ben Trovato is working on many things, but mainly on a way to spend winters in Durban and summers in Cape Town. A print journalist and television producer by trade, he has travelled to hundreds of countries, slept with thousands of women and written millions of words. Currently skating on thin ice as a Sunday Times columnist, he can often be found surfing instead of meeting his deadlines. He has written 10 books, although you wouldn’t think so if you had to see his living conditions. Trovato lives alone with two regrets and a hangover.

Graham Howe is one of South Africa’s most experienced lifestyle journalists; he has contributed hundreds of food, wine and travel features to South African and British publications over the last 25 years. When not exploring the Cape Winelands, this adventurous globetrotter reports on exotic destinations around the world as a travel correspondent – and for the weekly travel show on SAfm. Angus Begg likes to giggle, but he is serious about his craft. A CNN award-winning television producer, he was the first South African broadcast journalist to report from the chaos of Somalia in 1992. It was these episodes in Somalia and Rwanda that took Begg the roundabout route to the fields of travel and environment, in which he now writes, produces and photographs. He has gone on to cover every aspect of travel – whether rural communities clashing with wildlife, tracking the Serengeti migration, hiking Table Mountain or searching for that perfect sauvignon blanc. Andre “AJ” Calitz is a trail runner who has made his mark on the SA trail running scene, setting course records at almost every race. He came to trail running in 2011 with a strong pedigree and has been a multiple All Africa Triathlon Champion, South African Duathlon and Triathlon Champion and South African Cycling Champion. He also holds silver medals for Two Oceans and Comrades finishes. As of 2013, he is a full-time athlete. AJ is a K-Way ambassador. Anton Crone is a freelance writer and photographer who has been widely published across a range of top travel and outdoor adventure magazines. Some of his most recent excursions include driving from Cape Town to the Serengeti and back in a Smart car, a journey through southern Africa in a 1967 Land Rover on the Put Foot Rally and travelling by motorcycle from the Cape to Rubondo Island on Lake Victoria and back.

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editor’s note

Spring has sprung, and the festive season is nigh

here has this year gone? It seems we have only just started, and it is almost over. It is also staggering for us to realise that we now have been publishing The Intrepid Explorer for a full year. It was a mere 12 months ago that we took the plunge and began working on the first edition, and here we are at number four – and there’s no stopping us! The feedback and support has been overwhelming and much appreciated. This spring edition welcomes some great new contributors into The Intrepid fold and, along with all our regular contributors, I must thank Peter Delaney, Nick Dall, AJ ‘The Ginger Ninja’ Calitz and Mike Horn; a special word of gratitude goes to Paul Myburgh for his moving cover story. I hope you all enjoy the cover image of this edition; we wanted to capture the essence of Paul’s seven years living with the Bushmen. He was basically considered one of their clan and is indeed part-bushman – and always will be – after his incredible time spent with them. While you are reading this last edition of 2013, we – along with Klipdrift Gold – will be busy hosting our first event for 100 people in Johannesburg. In addition we will eagerly be awaiting the PICA Awards, which take place in mid-November – the local equivalent of the Oscars in our magazine industry. Here’s to The Intrepid Explorer team walking away with a few accolades; it certainly would make our year! Next year has some exciting new developments on the cards for our publication. We are proud to announce that the magazine will now be available in a host of other retail outlets at R29.90. Of course, it will still be available at all Cape Union Mart stores nationwide. We can also let you in on a secret: our first cover celebrity of 2014 will be none other than Prince Harry. His Royal Highness is part of the Walking With The Wounded United Kingdom team who will be competing against a host of other countries in November’s gruelling 208-mile race to the South Pole. We will be covering his intrepid journey in temperatures of -35°C, with wind speeds of 45 miles per hour. Please LIKE us on Facebook: simply type in The Intrepid Explorer and you will find us there. There will be several competitions over the course of the next few months. I also would like to urge you to download the full digital versions of our magazine at www.intrepidexplorer.co.za. Even if you have this printed edition, the digital version has loads of extra footage, with video clips galore (plus it is FREE!). Congratulations to Jaco Bezuidenhout from Johannesburg, who was the lucky winner of our getaway to !Xaus Lodge worth R20 000. We had heaps of entries, and I urge you all to enter once more for this edition’s giveaway – a getaway to Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway. There are also quite a number of books to be won; he who hesitates, loses out! Last but by no means least, a BIG thank-you to our partners at Cape Union Mart; our loyal and faithful advertisers, without whom this magazine would not be possible; and to the Insights Publishing team of Keith, Stacey, Shan and Tania in particular. You guys rock! So enjoy the sun, get outdoors, savour a taste of Nature’s bountiful goodness, and remember: if you are not barefoot, you’re overdressed.

Winning letter Dear Sir

Being an avid reader of The Intrepid Explorer, I was recently reminded of how much your magazine was enjoyed on an expedition we undertook earlier this year. In May, I accompanied seven other divers on the first ever rebreather expedition to Bassas da India. Bassas is an atoll situated in the middle of the Mozambique Channel and is accessible only by boat (two days either way by catamaran). Obviously, such an expedition requires months of planning and training but, inevitably, something always gets left behind. The fact that you are 500 kilometres offshore means you cannot simply pop down to the shop for spares – thankfully, we brought all the correct gear for nine days of uninterrupted diving. But one fails to consider that, living on a 47-inch boat with seven other rugged blokes, one often seeks a bit of solace from time to time. Thankfully, I remembered to pack my reading material (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) and the net on the front of the cat made a great ‘hammock’ – a great way to unwind between dives. Oh and the diving was spectacular too: pristine corals, new undiscovered wrecks, and two to three hours underwater per dive meant it was a trip of a lifetime. Look forward to your next edition. Best regards, Patrick G

Editor: Thanks very much, Patrick, for your kind words. And sounds like your diving trip was incredible! Hopefully you can use this R500 Cape Union Mart voucher to get some great goodies for your next adventure at sea.

See you in 2014, and continue living the life of adventure!

Robbie Stammers Publishing Editor

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

win

a trip worth R13 300!

The Intrepid Explorer and Extraordinary have teamed up to offer two lucky readers a two-night getaway at the

luxurious Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway, which is a mere three-hour drive from Joburg.

he prize includes accommodation in the safari lodge, meals and two game drives daily – all to the value of R13 300. It excludes transport to the lodge, gate entry fees, beverages and items of a personal nature. The prize is valid for a Sunday-to-Thursday night stay only, subject to availability and not valid over long weekends or peak periods. This prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Situated in the malaria-free Welgevonden Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg Mountains, Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway is a special place where service is understood and luxury is elegantly understated. The Welgevonden Private Game Reserve is the result of a pioneering project begun in 1987 to return farmland to its original natural state. As a result thereof, it has grown to become one of South Africa’s premier privately held reserves. Ambitious game relocation efforts and careful ecological management have resulted in a reserve today that is home to lion, leopard, elephant, white rhino, cheetah, brown hyena, 15 different types of buck, as well as 30 other mammal species. Eight luxury suites overlooking the flowing Sterkstroom River each enjoy their own private deck and plunge pool perched on the cliff, allowing guests the opportunity to view game from the privacy of their suites. The lodge offers a

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

dramatic fusion of African and Western cuisine, far surpassing expectations of even the most discerning diner, with the addition of an extensive wine cellar that any connoisseur would appreciate. Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway is a place where one can retreat to an intimate oasis of relaxation inspired by an awareness of well-being. To enter, all you need to do is answer this simple question and send it along with your personal details and contact number to The Intrepid Explorer editor at robbie@ intrepidexplorer.co.za, with the subject line: Clifftop Lodge competition. The competition closes on 16 December 2013 and the winner will be notified by the editor. Good luck! Question: Where is the Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway located? For reservations, telephone 011 516 4367 or e-mail res@extraordinary.co.za. South African resident specials are from R1 860 per person sharing per night for a Sunday-to-Thursday night stay, inclusive of accommodation, meals and game drives. Rates are valid until 30 April 2014, excluding peak periods. Visit www.clifftoplodge.com for more information.

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Pa ul M ybur gh

Paul Myburgh recalls his time with the /Gwikwe of the Kalahari

last first The

of the

people

It begins always in my blood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a faint stirring at first, and then a quickening as the recalling of that time comes out of the life body of the Earth and into my being, my feelings and thinking. And so the memories come to consciousness: first the sounds, the voices and then the words as our story comes slowly to life.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

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Pa ul M ybur gh

It was late afternoon in the Autumn when I returned to the Kalahari. I had walked for many days. One soul coming to understand more of the reason for being human.

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

or seven years, I lived with the First People, they who come from the ancient race. Four of those years were lived with different tribes – //Xo/xei, Jun/uase, /Aiekwe – and three with the last band of wild /Gwikwe on the Great Sand Face, #Guam/tge, the Earth, immersed in the lifestream in which we lived as humans. It is now 28 years later; four cycles of seven have passed, and I know more than ever that I must bring forward, in a right way, the story of that which was before us. From this impulse, I have written my book: The Bushman Winter Has Come – and it is just the beginning. As a gift, I remember that time with the Bushmen, the /Gwikwe. /Gwi in their language means “bush”, and kwe means “people” – and so this is the name by which they call themselves. I am asked to remember what stands out as significant in my memory of this time, and I can think of nothing that was more important than anything else; no moment that was greater than any other. Perhaps this is how it should be. There were the men, hunters, leanlimbed and silent. I remember how we lived in the world together: bound one to the other by the thoughts within us, and

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

bound to the world around us as a living Being who offered all that we needed; ours was to seek, and find. We hunted long days and many miles across the Great Sand Face of our Kalahari world: we and the animals, joined by threads of destiny that would unravel through our days. Animals that would die so that we could live, and all preordained to be this way because this is how the Great God has made it. I remember the endless miles walked through heat and dryness, some hunts as far as 60 miles away, and the silence of knowing that this was life – our life – and so there was no wanting for what was not there, only the sharing of what was given. It is difficult for the disconnected human of today to see it this way. One must look within to see how one stands in relation to the world: to see what is given as yours, and to know that it is enough. Through those years, we lived within the kingdoms of nature: the mineral, the plant, the animal and the human – each in sacrifice to the other, and redeemed only by our knowledge and reverence of that truth. We lived, impelled by forces of both Heaven and Earth. Modern humanity has forgotten to remember how completely we are part of the world, natural and spiritual, and the tragedy of this separation weighs heavily

on our souls; somewhere within we still know this must surely change if we are to continue. And so we men lived and hunted in the world ‘out there’, and in this way, too, in the world within ourselves. And the women – the gatherers – I remember well. Mothers to the children, they brought a softness and joy into our lives in the way that women do. I remember always their voices, lilting, up and down, soft in the space between the shelters, soft in our hearts, and then punctuated with exclamations, shrieks and laughter at the simple joy of life lived in freedom. Theirs is a world of feeling and touch, of spontaneous laughter and love given into the lives of the children and so returned to life.

ABOVE: Run to exhaustion, the kudu stands as if in a trance while Gening!u cautiously retrieves his spear and then from close range pushes it through the kudu’s ribs into the heart OPPOSITE PAGE: The joy, innocence and the uninhibited beauty that flows from these children is a reminder of truth for all of us

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Many days we walked together, gathering from this place and that – so many slow, wandering conversations we shared as we wound our way through miles of Kalahari in search of what the Earth would offer as sustenance. Sisters and mothers they were for me, granting me an access to the world of women, which I will not forget. Bearing the weight of carry bags filled with what the Earth had given, we would go back to the shelters, from where the voices of family and friends would reach out to guide us home before dark. And a thousand nights around fires that burnt light in the darkness filled with stars and moon, a constellation of cosmic bodies in movement which had everything to do with our lives of stories and songs sung with voices that reached beyond what we could see into that place of dreams and revelations. The Spirit world always so close, we lived on the threshold between the physical and the spiritual. For us there was no separation – it was one world, which included that which we did not know and could not see. There was a child, little Seka, who chose to fall asleep with me whenever he could. His mother was very close to me and I to her. It was a love shared only in the world of spirit, and never consecrated in the flesh; because of his closeness to his

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mother, little Seka responded to me with the same love. His mother told me that when I went away, he would stand every morning upon a little rise of sand and, looking to the south, he would ask: “Mah Paulau?” “Where is Paul? When is he coming?” When I am reminded of how all things are joined in this way, I see many other

Earth. And I remember how it was with the old man, joined with the archetypal memory of the ancient race that came before us – a memory that sleeps in the modern human, a memory we must take forward in wide-awake consciousness. And I remember standing upon a living mineral earth, choreographed in space with other celestial beings called Sun and

We hunted long days and many miles across the

great sand face of our Kalahari world: we and the animals, joined by threads of destiny that would unravel through our days. Animals that

would die so that we could live. things that have come and gone in my life, so many things that might have been more if I had known them then – but that is the way of things with all of us. I think always of the old man, Dzero O, and my journeys into the invisible world to understand that what you cannot see is also true. In all the years since that time, I have endeavoured to see into this etheric world, and so to read the life body of the

Moon and the inner planets, each with the forces it brings to life in this cosmos we call home. And were it not for this Earth and all that lives upon its body, we would not be here – and this we forget. I remember my animal brothers and sisters. They were always there as sounds in the air, filling our lives with their song-voices. They were there as footprints in the sand, telling the story of all their

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Pa ul M ybur gh

The /Gwi women are extremely able plant ecologists, an old knowledge carried in their blood

doings. We heard their whispered conversations in the night and their shouted voices in the day. And how do you ever forget the powerful animal countenance of a big male lion standing before you on the sand, and you alone, with only the strength of your Soul-Spirit and your respect for that creature? You look into that animal Soul and he into you before you both turn away, each to his own path. I can never lose the reverence I have for those moments, those encounters with a world now relegated to fenced, controlled enclosures; relegated to an outside place of fear in so many humans. We must never forget: to our animal brethren we are also joined, one to the other, to all. Above all, I remember the human-ness of these people. I remain immersed in the simple expression of their lives in this world: the anxieties, the fears and the faith of innocence yet to be faced with what the world would bring. I am still a part of that conversation, and it is this that I would bring back into this world of separated humans – a way that once was. It is difficult for the separated human. We have become so disconnected from the world in which we live. I think it is this way for all of us, when we notice. For this ancient race, a journey ends. What they were tasked to bring through

Win!

About Paul earth existence into the stream of human spiritual evolution, they have done. It is for us to take it forward, in knowledge. They have never asked that we save them, only that we know them – and in that knowing, redeem their sacrifice. Our guilt is our failure to remember the Spirit of what was before us. This will change. And all of this I remember, and my place in the middle of that fundamental existence, where only the truth of my Self could survive, for what was inside was bared to the outside for scrutiny and test. The spirit world watches and waits for what we do with our time on this Earth, and for all of us it matters more than anything that we do more than we have done – and I am only just beginning…

2 lucky readers will win a copy of The Bushman Winter Has Come. To stand a chance to win, answer this question and send your answer and contact details to robbie@intrepidexplorer.co.za. Question: How long did Paul Myburgh live with the Bushmen? Winners will be notified by email or telephone.

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Paul Myburgh, filmmaker, photographer and author, spent seven years “physically and spiritually immersed” with the Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert. His book, The Bushman Winter Has Come, “imagines a continuing journey towards a place where we may, once again, know who we are in the context of our life on this Earth”. Myburgh himself needs no introduction to the world of palaeoanthropology; he has spent 20 years working in this field, 16 of those documenting the excavation of Little Foot, a fossil hominid skeleton found in the cave system of Sterkfontein. The Bushman Winter Has Come is a true story of Exodus, the inevitable journey of the last of the First People, as they leave the Great Sand Face and head for the modern world and cultural oblivion. When the /Gwikwe Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert greet each other, they say: “Tsamkwa/tge?” – Are your eyes nicely open? Perhaps one day, we can answer the /Gwikwe greeting with a confident, “Yes”! The Bushman Winter Has Come is more than an intriguing coffee-table centrepiece; its content should be at the centre of human dialogue. (Published by Penguin) Copies are available at Exclusive Books nationwide, and from Amazon.com, Kalahari.com and Kobo.

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1THREAD_5730_INT

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Nic k Da ll

fly

let

From trout to tigerfish and kingfish to kob, there really is something for everyone in our own backyard, writes Nick Dall

Thirty years ago, fly-fishing was about trout, salmon and nothing else. These days, if you tried hard enough, you could catch just about anything on a fly. It started off with game fish such as bass, tigerfish, tarpon, bonefish; species that would respond aggressively to imitations of their usual prey. But fly-anglers became more adventurous and ambitious, and coarse fish were targeted as well.

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ÂŠ Jan Hakan Dahlstrom / Getty Images/ Gallo Images

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Nic k Da ll

‘ve cast dry flies directly into the mouths of surfaceskimming carp and I’ve even targeted galjoen with red-bait imitations. This means that wherever you are on the globe, you’re never far away from a fly-fishing destination – but it also makes choosing a top 10 list such as this even harder. South Africa is blessed with a huge variety of fishing in some spectacular locations, and I had a tough time whittling my favourites down to a mere 10.

Du Toitskloof, Western Cape

I learnt to cast a fly in the three rivers that run through this valley, and I will continue returning to them for as long as my knees can take it. Each river has its own personality, but they all feature sparkling water the colour of Scotch and feisty wild populations of rainbow trout that will rise to a well-presented dry fly all day long. The Smalblaar, which runs alongside the N2, is the biggest of the three rivers, and its lower reaches harbour the biggest fish. The Elandspad – my favourite – is mountainous and wild, and although its fish may be smaller, they are just as wily. The Holsloot is out of the main valley near Rawsonville and is great for late summer fishing because the Stettynskloof Dam upriver ensures a constant flow. Contact: Cape Piscatorial Society, www.piscator.co.za

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Rhodes, Eastern Cape

This tiny town in the mountainous Northeastern Cape is South Africa’s trout fishing mecca. Rhodes’ countless rivers and streams are fed by snowmelt, and they boast incredibly rich food chains. Abundant nymphs, larvae and other goggas mean fat, healthy fish. The area holds the record for the biggest wild trout in the country (a whopping 10-pounder!) and four- and five-pounders are caught regularly. With over 150 kilometres of streams from which to choose, and some top-class stillwaters as well, you’ll really be spoilt for choice. Unless you know the area well, it makes sense to hire a guide for the first couple of days, as this will really improve your chances. Contact: Wild Trout Association, www.wildtrout.co.za

Lakenvlei Dam, Western Cape

This dam near Ceres is owned by the government but managed by the Cape Piscatorial Society. It’s a big expanse of water, in a remote and rugged location, and access is via a few heavily padlocked gates. This all adds up to the most exclusive stillwater fishing in the Cape. The dam is so big that a float-tube is advisable, but bank fishing also yields success. You’ll really have to work to catch the big boys, which makes landing a lunker all the more rewarding. ‘Lakies’ is deep enough to be an all-year-round fishery, but

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AJ Ca litz OPPOSITE PAGE: The author fishes a small Western Cape stillwater on a perfect winter’s day ABOVE: The author casts to a rainbow on his favourite stretch of the Elandspad

catches are better during winter. Just be warned: it can get frigid up here; anglers have been snowed in and forced to sleep in the rudimentary hut for longer than intended. Contact: Cape Piscatorial Society, www.piscator.co.za

Dullstroom, Mpumalanga

No list of South African fly-fishing destinations would be complete without mention of Mpumalanga’s trout triangle. Many hotels in the area have their own dams, most shops sell fishing equipment, and all restaurants serve trout. The great thing about Dullstroom is that there really is something for every kind of fisher: from ‘put-and-take’ dams full of stockies, to proper trophy waters with well-defined ecosystems and wily leviathans. There are rivers in the area as well, but these aren’t as wild as those in other parts of the country. Contact: Mavungana Flyfishing, www.flyfishing.co.za

Underberg and Himeville, KwaZulu-Natal

It’s no surprise that South Africa’s highest mountains harbour some of its biggest trout. Although there’s great fishing throughout the region, nowhere lives and breathes trout more

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than in these two tiny towns in the Southern ’Berg. The Underberg-Himeville Trout Fishing Club has been stocking dams and rivers for almost 50 years, and it currently has 16 dams and 60km of river fishing on the poetic Umzimkulu and Pholela rivers. The dams vary in productivity, but none could be considered ‘easy’. If that’s what you’re after, try one of the many private facilities in the area. Contact: Underberg-Himeville Trout Fishing Club, www.uhtfc.co.za

De Mond, Western Cape

South Africa is blessed with excellent estuary fishing all along its coastline. De Mond doesn’t have the biggest leervis (garrick) in the country, but it’s perfect for fly-fishers because it’s a manageable size and no boats of any description are allowed. Apart from ‘leeries’, you can also hook into well-sized grunter, mullet and kob in a truly pristine environment. As with all Western Cape estuaries, the fishing is best in warmer months. De Mond is open to day visitors from 07h00 to 16h00, and there is one charming self-catering cottage for overnighters. Contact: CapeNature, www.capenature.co.za

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Nic k Da ll LEFT: A seven-hour hike made catching this Andean brown trout all the more satisfying RIGHT: Working the pocket water on another small stream in the High Andes

Kosi Bay, KZN

Serious saltwater fly-fishers will be up in arms that they get only two mentions on this list, particularly considering one of them is a piddly Western Cape estuary. But there will be no complaints about the inclusion of Kosi Bay. Kosi is most famous for its giant kingfish – the biggest, meanest things you could catch without a boat. These square slabs of muscle can be found throughout KZN, but all the biggest specimens have been caught off the beach at Kosi Bay. There are plenty of other species in the warm subtropical waters. Contact: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, www.kznwildlife.com

Zambezi River, Zambia and Zimbabwe

The tigerfish may just be the most formidable freshwater fish on the planet. Not only does it have razor-sharp teeth and a BMI that is the envy of the Springbok back row, but it also has the black, white and orange battle plumage to back this up. Nothing beats a tiger leaping high into the air with your fly in its mouth. Tigers are found throughout the tropical regions of Africa, and although they can be caught at Pongola in KZN, it’s worth travelling to Zambia or Zimbabwe for world-class fishing. Zambezi tigers can weigh as much as 15 kilogrammes, but you’d have to be darned lucky to actually bring one of these to the boat. Contact: Upstream Flyfishing, www.upstreamflyfishing.co.za

Vaal River – Gauteng, Free State, North West

Yellowfish are big, strong fighting fish that are built tough for local conditions. Over the past 20 years, fly-fishers have discovered that they eat pretty much the same insects as trout do, and can be caught using traditional nymphing techniques. Their soft mouths and extreme muscularity mean they put up an incredible fight; many former trout fishers have switched to targeting yellows exclusively. The Vaal River offers fantastic fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth varieties, within an hour’s drive of Joburg. Contact: Wag-’n-Bietjie Ekoplaas, www.wagnbietjie.net

Orange River, Northern Cape

If you think catching yellowfish in the Vaal is epic, then you haven’t tried the Orange. Not only is the river wider, stronger and deeper, but the remote landscapes are untouched and the fishing is out of this world. Largemouths run to 15kg and hard-fighting smallies get as big as 8kg.

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Although you can do this kind of trip on your own, it makes sense to go on an organised tour if you’re unfamiliar with the territory and the specifics of the fishing. One specialised tour operator runs drift boat adventures, which allow you to reach waters that shore anglers could never get to. Contact: Catfish Joe’s Fly Fishing South Africa, www.flyfishingsouthafrica.com

Top 10 international spots This list was even harder to compile than the local one. But with representatives from every continent, at least it’s democratic. Scotland and England: The history of rivers such as the Test and the Itchen puts them right at the top of many a fly-angler’s wish list. Alaska: Enormous trout and salmon in one of the last great wildernesses. Watch out for the bears! New Zealand: Sight fish such as 5kg brown and rainbow trout in gin-clear mountain streams – the purist’s Shangri-la. Patagonia: From the picturesque Lake District to windblown Tierra del Fuego, trout and steelhead fishing doesn’t get better than this. Northern Russia: If money’s no object, charter a helicopter all the way up to the Arctic Circle for the best salmon fishing in the world. Kashmir, India: The Brits didn’t only take cricket to India – for real high-altitude trout fishing, there’s nowhere quite like the Himalayas. Mongolia: The taimen, the world’s largest trout species, lives in the pristine streams of the Mongolian wilds – a real bucket-list catch. Lake Turkana, Kenya: The Cradle of Mankind is probably the harshest place I’ve ever been, but the prehistoric Nile perch can reach 50kg! Sierra Leone: Enormous and acrobatic, tarpon are the holy grail of saltwater fly-fishing – and Bonthe Island has the world’s largest. Alphonse Island, Seychelles: Bonefish are the trout of the ocean – skittish feeders that have to be outwitted through stealth. No location has better bonefishing than Ile Alphonse.

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Explore

The Bush Boyes fight for the Okavango Delta

brothers in arms

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Bus h B oyes Robbie Stammers met up with brothers Chris and Steve Boyes to learn about their efforts to ensure the Okavango Delta is here for generations to come and to reiterate the incredibly important role it plays in the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecosystem.

ÂŠ Neil Gelinas / Wild Bird Trust

or thousands of years, ancestors of the Bayei (River Bushmen) have faced the seasonal challenges of life in the Okavango, the largest delta in the world with a labyrinth of lagoons, hidden channels and lakes covering an area of 16 000 square kilometres. They took on treacherous journeys in their mokoros (traditional wooden boats), riding the seasonal floods from Seronga in the northwest to Maun in the south, crossing the entire Delta; even now this journey is still only possible by poling 248km across a wilderness teeming with crocodiles, hippos and other very real dangers. So this is what Dr Steve Boyes and his brother, Chris, decided to do as well. On this occasion, they organised that a Cooked In Africa Films camera crew follow behind them. Their mission? To give people a unique glimpse into the Delta; from wildlife to small groups of families still living on papyrus rafts and tribesmen who still depend on the seasonal floods and live in co-existence with wild Africa; to survey the distribution and abundance of wetland birds and to advocate for Unesco World Heritage Site status.

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Bus h B oyes

abundance, and breeding activity of wetland birds along the 250km transect route. Six years ago, younger brother Chris joined him for three months on Vundumtiki Island in the Okavango Delta, where he helped Steve set up a research camp in order to study the breeding ecology of the Meyer’s parrot. It could be said that during these three months in the bush with his brother, walking every day with just spears in hand, the true deep feelings of the sense of pure wilderness were being formulated and understood. Chris then completed his master’s

Site status for the region so that it can be protected. “The Okavango is Africa’s last remaining wetland wilderness, a true haven for biodiversity in the region. The Delta provides vast areas of critical habitat for bird and mammal migrations and the world’s largest remaining population of elephants, buffalo and hippopotami,” Steve explains. “Africa is changing rapidly, affecting the ecological integrity of the land. Mineral rights are being sold; gas and oil exploration is under way; plans for dams and hydroelectric plants are imminent; road

could not resist the opportunity to move to the Okavango Delta to work as a safari guide and camp manager. Shortly after arriving in Botswana, he set up the Meyer’s Parrot Project and began data collection for his PhD on these parrots in the Okavango Delta, which he completed in 2009 with no corrections. Steve has been leading expeditions into Africa’s wild places for more than 10 years and is now a well-published ornithologist from the University of Cape Town’s Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. He has committed himself to undertaking nine annual trans-Okavango expeditions to survey the distribution,

thesis at Stellenbosch University on, “The nesting ecology of the leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles along the Maputaland coastline of Zululand”. Visiting and studying an extensive list of wilderness regions around the world has added to the Boyes brothers’ deeper understanding of the value and rarity of true wilderness and the various socioeconomic issues threatening and affecting these areas. It was with their intense love of the Okavango that they have immersed themselves in the area, from planting trees together with local communities, trying to save the Meyer’s parrot population and, most importantly, gaining World Heritage

networks are expanding, and water is becoming continuously scarcer due to population growth and climate change. With oil revenue pouring into Angola, the accelerated development of the Okavango River is a real possibility and conservation measures will be needed to mitigate the effects of this change downstream. “In Namibia, there are talks of pump stations to provide water to surrounding communities as well as a hydroelectric weir at Popa Falls. Although only a short section of the Okavango River lies in Namibia, this would have a massive impact on the seasonal passage of water and sediment into the delta system, both

The Boyes brothers are originally from Cape Town, but moved up to Johannesburg while they were still young boys. It was from their regular trips to the Kruger Park that they both fell in love with all the wonders that nature could offer them. Following school, Steve obtained a master’s degree in Environmental Development (Protected Areas Management) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His passion has always been the wilderness. As a result, the call of the bush was too strong and, after a few years working as a biodiversity consultant, he

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Bus h B oyes

previous page: The Bush Boyes in front of their expedition Land Rover after a gruelling research trip to Vundumtiki Island in the Okavango Delta (Botswana) opposite: Dr Steve Boyes training for the brothers’ first unassisted crossing of the Okavango Delta in 2012 Below: Steve and Chris being chased by a thunderstorm near Vundumtiki Island in the remote northeastern corner of the Okavango Delta

and requires a lot of skill in balancing when you go through waters teaming with hippos and crocs.” The Boyes brothers were completely unassisted; even though they were being filmed and had five mokoros behind them with a production crew, they camped in separate places. “We don’t take many supplies with us at all,” Steve says. “We eat rice and beans and then supplement that with fish, water lily bulbs and seeds, and other food from the Delta. We only had two mokoros; I poled one with my wife, Kirsten, (who

the world and people realise this pristine paradise is not yet protected under Unesco World Heritage Site status. “On our expeditions, GB often speaks of the Okavango Delta surrounding us as the ‘mother of his people’: giving them shelter, feeding them, providing boats, wine and everything else. He shared concerns about the future of the Bayei, should the Okavango Delta be threatened by developments upstream,” Steve explains in all seriousness. “We need to be his voice out there with the help of Cooked In Africa Films and with talks we have given

about this primordial place and collaborate with leading scientists by gathering samples and data for them from impossibly remote wilderness areas in the Delta,” Steve explains passionately. This year they dedicated the mokoro expedition to the declaration of the Okavango Delta as a World Heritage Site. “This last trip was filmed by Cooked In Africa Films, and although we have done the trip many times, this one was always going to be extremely tough,” Chris explains. “It took us three months of training to get to the point where we could do 200 miles in 18 days. It is extremely painful on your hands and feet,

holds a BSc honours degree in Zoology and Archaeology and is a big part of the team) while Chris poled with Gobonamang Kgetho (‘GB’), a local river bushman and a Bihe man with a bush sense second to none.” The production crew was obviously not as familiar with the terrain as the Boyes were, so the expedition was delayed in many ways – they had to do the last 100km in only two days. “It was a huge undertaking – an epic journey. And at the end I was so tired and dehydrated that I could not see,” Chris admits. But in the end, hopefully it will all be worth it when Okavango is shown all over

at places such as Berkeley, Colorado, Oxford and Cambridge and all over South Africa, so that we can create awareness of the seriousness of the situation.” Steve explains that the Botswana Government has been very lackadaisical about making the Okavango a World Heritage Site: “They recently discovered massive iron ore deposits just to the west of the Delta, and right on the Delta they have found shale gas so they could do fracking there as well. All of these things are impossible if you have World Heritage Site status. You basically sign a contract with the world, saying you will never develop the site.

of which are essential for the system to function,” he adds. This year saw the brothers’ fourth trans-Okavango mokoro expedition as part of the nine-year Okavango Wetland Bird Survey, which uses the relationship between wetland birds and annual flood as an indicator of significant change. “These birds will choose with their wings, or die. They survey their chosen feeding and nesting habitat from the air, making decisions based on water flow, vegetation and proximity to fish, flood levels etc. Every expedition we learn more

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Bus h B oyes left: Chris directing Steve as he drives through rainwater en route to Vundumtiki Island. They drove for 22 hours that day and were humbled by the remote wilderness RIGHT: Dr Steve Boyes studying the behaviour of a nearby heronry filled with cormorants, storks, ibis and fish eagles

“In Botswana, you also have two million people living in a country that does not have much water, but the Delta has too much water, in fact, so they also look at the Okavango as some form of ‘water security’,” Steve explains. “So although there was a dossier presented to Unesco two years ago on making it a World Heritage Site, the government is intentionally not pushing anything forward. Since they found the largest subsurface resource of coal and iron ore in Africa, they see more opportunity there than they do with tourism and protection of the Delta region.” In the same breath, though, the Boyes brothers are very proud of the fact that hunting now has been completely banned in Botswana. “They do care about the wildlife and they are a forward-thinking government with regard to tourism, ecotourism and wildlife management, but no more than they are about mining and other development opportunities – so they will not take the lead on the Okavango area being fully protected.” That is why the Boyes have produced this film with Cooked In Africa Films; they want a massive public relations campaign to start from this and eventually for it to place pressure on the government to make things happen. What is next on the cards for the Boyes brothers? “Next year we are doing the entire length of the Okavango River, which is 1700km – so that will require a lot of preparation. Chris is designing a project right where we are going to walk from the Congo to the other side of Gabon, which

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is about 800km over 10 weeks. The beach erosion and oil spills there are detrimental to the leatherback turtles. “But for now we just want the film and TV series on the Okavango to get people talking. It is the most spiritual place you will ever visit and we want people fired up about keeping it that way,” Steve adds. “What I am going to do at the moment is to focus on the Cape parrots and African grey parrots. I am going to focus on the unifying factor for me, what motivates me – preservation of the wilderness. The idea that in the next 10 to 15 years there will be no more wilderness areas left on Earth and the fact that we would have managed to change something to it to alter its nature. “That is why I work on the Cape Parrot Project (Eastern Cape) and the expeditions in the Okavango. It is a nine-year project and we are in the 10th year now. It is the beginning of a project that will see us cross the Bangweulu Swamps – that has already been set up. The Zambezi Delta, the Sudd Swamp, the Niger Delta. The whole idea is for us to cross the five big deltas of Africa to advocate for better order and management, better catchment management and preservation of wilderness,” he says. “In parallel to that, we look at African forests; I believe the last true wilderness areas in Africa reside inside the great wetlands and the great forests of Africa. The true wilderness areas in the Okavango are unbelievable. We throw away our daily counting sheets for counting the birds because we see so many. You will see 5 000 Egyptian geese and none of them can fly as they are moulting; prides of lions

and elephants – a true, living, breathing wilderness area. “It now takes us a full eight days to get there. In 1980, if you took the dirt track to Maun and jumped on a boat, an hour and a half later you would have been in a similar place.” Steve concludes, “We have now crept into the last of the wildernesses. The Zambezi Delta, Sudd and all these places have pristine paradises within their centres which people cannot get to. The same applies to the great forests. If we do not do something, in 10 years’ time it will all be gone.” To find out more about the Okavango film and to follow the Boyes brothers, go to https://www.facebook.com/bushboyes

Support the Meyer’s parrots and the forests The Boyes brothers have, along with the local communities, planted 25 000 yellowwood trees to try and resurrect the forests, and aid the dwindling population of the Meyer’s parrot – there are only 1 000 left, and they need your help! If you would like to get involved, you can visit www.wildbirdtrust.com, where you can sponsor either a tree or a nest box. You will be given a GPS point and a certificate and, in years to come, you can visit your trees and parrots and tell your kids you made a small but mighty difference.

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conserving a vanishing way of life

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The Butter Tree, one of the Big 5 trees in Namibia, seen here at Etendeka Mountain Camp

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country

Robbie Stammers road-trips across Namibia and realises there is indeed a God – who else could have created such a remarkably breathtaking and diverse country?

They say God rested on the seventh day.

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God’s IN

Well, I beg to differ, although this ‘work’ must certainly have counted as some sort of relaxation, as I am very much under the impression He created Namibia on that seventh day.

e sat with his easel and paints and created one picturesque valley after the other. One valley of ochre reds as far as the eye could see, and then He would rip that off and move on to the next valley that bloomed heavy shades of green, to the next one being a semi-arid desert, to the next valley sparkling of crystal mountain ranges. What fun He (or She!) must have had! This was honestly how I felt as I went from one kilometre to the next over the dusty gravel ‘highways’ of Namibia as we traversed this spectacular place for the first time. “Virgin Nam visitors?” the locals asked proudly when we arrived at each destination; it was obviously as plain as the dust on my vehicle that we were entranced and captivated by this country. And who could blame them? They lived there. They knew the secret. We had flown from Cape Town to Windhoek with the compliments of Air Namibia and were greeted by Budget Car Rental with a Nissan Navara that was to be our four-wheeled chariot across 2 200 kilometres over the next 10 days. Now, this trip was about experiencing the gorgeous locations and lodges that the Naturally Namibia group had to offer, but it was also a trip of retracing my family roots, as my grandfather used to work on the mines of Grootfontein and my father was born here. The Naturally Namibia group brings together the country’s leading safari families to provide a collection of unforgettable experiences. They are

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Na tur a lly Na m ibia ABOVE: The deck at Olive Exclusive where we ate the most delectable food imaginable BELOW: Our exquisite Otavi Suite at Olive Exclusive OPPOSITE: One of the luxury tents at Erongo Wilderness Lodge

a collective of Namibia’s most characterfilled, independent lodges. Owner-run and original – just how we like it. The idea behind Naturally Namibia is simple: While the individual properties are as diverse as the beautiful regions in which they are hidden, when combined they provide a perfectly encompassing trip around Namibia. The partners at Naturally Namibia are also often your hosts. They love where they live and they love sharing it with other people – something we were going to experience in abundance. Our first stop was The Olive Exclusive All-Suite Hotel, an upmarket boutique establishment situated in the leafy suburbs of Windhoek. It is owned and run by Roger Fussell and Lindy van den Bosch, a hands-on couple who exudes buckets of warmth, fun and enthusiasm.

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The Olive Exclusive is the first ultra-luxurious sanctuary of its kind in the Namibian capital. It is cool, contemporary and stylish but with a warm heart and authentic African soul. Its sleek, modern lines are complemented by organic textures, natural furnishings, an eco-friendly approach and dedicated personal service. Simple elegance is key: from the organic rough-hewn wooden benches and side tables, through the sculpted chunk of granite that serves as a coffee

table in the guest lounge, to walls clad in abstract Namibian landscapes by well-known South African designer and photographer, Micky Hoyle. The seven suites are individually decorated, so each reflects a different region in Namibia, and each has its own lounge area with fireplace and dining room for private dining. Wide glass doors open onto spacious decks where you can relax on a shady daybed. Such are the creature comforts, that you may find it hard to leave – I know we certainly did.

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heart and that I would never get it

would claim a piece of my back, but I was only just

starting to understand what they had meant.”

I must have taken hundreds of photos of the magnificent décor and design in our room alone, with the promise that I would try to reproduce the same look and feel in our own home. (I wish.) The Olive Exclusive has a quality restaurant featuring a seasonal menu, with inventive signature dishes. We were absolutely blown away by the food and insisted on asking the chefs to come out so we could congratulate them in person. This is the perfect luxury base from which to explore Windhoek and its surrounds before heading off on a Namibian road trip. In fact, it would also have been the ideal place to end our Namibian trip before heading off to fly out of Windhoek – especially as the hotel has a wellness spa in which one can have a Swedish massage after having driven all day! From The Olive Exclusive, we headed off in the direction of the Erongo

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Mountains, with our next destination being Erongo Wilderness Lodge, situated three hours from Windhoek near the town of Omaruru. This is really when Namibia climbs into your heart and stakes a big marker; it is also why I highly recommend the self-drive option. The landscapes stretch further than the naked eye can envisage, and the vast expanses in front of you are so diverse and huge that they are difficult to fathom – even for someone like me, who has been blessed to travel extensively within and around South Africa and our other neighbouring countries. People had told me that Namibia would claim a piece of my heart and that I would never get it back, but I was only just starting to understand what they had meant. Originally, the signposts warning us of elephant, kudu and warthog seemed to be mere quaint photo opportunities,

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“People had told me that Namibia

but we soon realised they should be taken seriously as there was wildlife teeming on either side of the roads, so you need to be aware. I do highly rate you only do a self-drive in a capable 2x4 or 4x4 vehicle, and don’t speed. Between the kudu and your car, you will lose. Roger and Lindy from The Olive Exclusive are also the owners of Erongo Wilderness Lodge and we were blessed to have them join us for this next leg of our intrepid journey. We caught ourselves sighing out loud as we arrived at the lodge. There is a special wilderness area, encircled by the Erongo Mountains, where the desert, mountain and bushveld ecosystems combine. Here, in a secluded valley, you will find 10 luxury tented chalets in a dramatic setting of granite boulders and breathtaking views. Raised wooden walkways and natural stone steps connect the chalets to the

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main area where the restaurant, lounge, swimming pool and sundowner deck invite you to relax and fully unwind. The open-plan lounge and restaurant overlooks a floodlit waterhole and is warmed by a central fireplace in the winter. We were gobsmacked by our ‘tent’ which, to our surprise, happened to be the honeymoon suite. The chalets are raised on stilts and nestled in the giant granite rocks around you. They have huge shaded decks, indulgent bathrooms and every comfort you could want plus more (which, in our case, included a plunge pool). We

refreshed and headed back down to the main lodge to head off on a game drive and visit the nearby Bushman rock art site. The Erongo Mountain Lodge is absolutely spectacular, and if you are one to enjoy walking and hiking, this is the secluded paradise to rush off to. We spent the next few days doing the most incredible hikes while the guides pointed out the fauna and flora and the medicinal use of the latter, so much of which are used by the locals; spotting genet, Africa wild cat, black mongoose, porcupines, rock dassies – here they hang in trees as

well as on the rocks) and antelope. If you are a twitcher (a major bird enthusiast, for those not in the know), then look no further. One guest was so enthralled with the number of rare birds she got to tick off in her bird book in one fell (should read ‘fowl’ for this!) swoop, that she was beside herself. The sunrises and sunsets were the most spectacular I have ever witnessed, and that had nothing to do with the copious quantities of gin and tonic we had imbibed or the impressive wine list that had been on hand in the wonderful company of Roger and Lindy. I highly recommend that a two-night minimum stay is in order at Erongo Wilderness Lodge. Our next destination was going to be quite a burly expedition, as it was a long

ABOVE: Making a mountain out of a ‘molehill’ – A regal cheetah at Okonjima LEFT: Hikes in the Erongo Mountains are spectacular

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Na tur a lly Na m ibia

LEFT: Our eco-friendly tent at Etendeka Mountain Camp BELOW: The view from Crystal Mountain at Etendeka Mountain Camp

drive to Etendeka Mountain Camp. Roger pointed out the mountain range in the distance and it did not seem that far away, but it proved to be a bit of a trek. However, I was learning fast that a trek in Namibia was really an absolute pleasure, as the terrain kept changing over every valley we climbed as if someone upstairs were continually shouting for a set change in this Theatre of Nature. The surrounds teemed with vibrant animal and bird life, interspersed with intimate rural villages that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere – which they were, really. A word of warning when on a self-drive: remember that there are long periods between small towns and if you do not keep a beady eye on that petrol gauge, you could be in for a heap of trouble. We were almost caught out but managed to make it to a tiny village, with the car running on fumes. The request for petrol was met with directions to the ‘petrol station’, where we were approached by one very jolly fellow who pulled out a big barrel of petrol, stuck a hosepipe into the petrol tank, sucked on it and then proceeded to siphon the fuel from the barrel into our car. We left smiling, with another reason to love Namibia.

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We arrived at Etendeka just as the sun was setting and a cold beer was calling out to me, but the wildlife had decided it was not yet time for that indulgence. Within minutes, we had elephant, zebra, kudu and oryx all around us, followed by jackal – and then, to our delight, four aardwolf, which I had never seen before in all my time in the bush. We watched the aardwolf for some time before we realised we had best head on to camp. In the foothills of the Grootberg massif, in stunning scenery set amid the ancient Etendeka lava flows of northern Damaraland, you will find Etendeka Mountain Camp. Here the ancient basalt has been slowly eroded over millennia, leaving scattered boulders lying upon dramatic flat-topped mountains. The emphasis here is on Mother Nature, and this eco-friendly camp bears testimony to her many riches. Accommodation is in 10 en-suite meru tents, which are connected by pathways to the main dining tent. Extensive use is made of solar power throughout: in the kitchen and the guest bathrooms, as well as for general electricity requirements. Necessary comforts have not been overlooked, though, and these include flush toilets, hot-and-cold running water and the stunning open-air ‘bucket’ shower. The shower is indeed a highlight and I

never would have thought one could actually have a long and pleasing shower all from one bucket of water; it just goes to show. The man behind Etendeka is Dennis Liebenberg, who is manager and co-owner of the camp and has been running it for 20 years. He is an absolute legend in Namibia and knows the area like the back of his hand. The camp has recently had an entirely new dining area rebuilt and a swimming pool was being constructed while we were there, which I am sure will be very welcome in the scorching months later in the year. Under Dennis’ watch, Etendeka has been awarded one of only two of Namibia’s highest eco-awards. There is a strong focus on walking activities at Etendeka and I was blown away by the magnificent trees littering the mountains, where we were taught about another Big 5 – the Big 5 of the tree world in Namibia (the butter, bottle, maringa, chestnut and sesame trees). Couple this with the incredible sightings of a pride of 10 lion, leopard, huge herds of elephant and a host more game, the place was an absolute treat. For me, however, the best was saved for last when we walked upon Crystal Mountain. Due to the fact that this was once a volcanic area, the mountain is

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

are not enough words “JolieThere and Brad Pitt recently rented the villa, – serious perfection.”

peppered with massive crystal deposits. There are huge chunks of purple amethyst and pink and white quartz everywhere, some of them larger than rugby balls. It truly was a sight to behold. We were kindly asked not to remove anything from the mountain which, to crystal lovers like me, was akin to asking a pyromaniac not to light matches in a fireworks factory! I did restrain myself, though, and we later bought some from a stall after leaving Etendeka – thereby at least helping the local community. The other incredible part of the Crystal Mountain hike was witnessing the ‘mountain elephants’. Our guide was in the process of explaining one particular tree when he stopped mid-sentence and almost bellowed as he pointed to the mountains in the distance. Right at the top was a herd of about 20 elephants. He had seen this only once in his 17 years at Etendeka, so we were very blessed indeed. We spent a wonderful three days at Etendeka and, although it is not as private or secluded as some people would like (you dine together with all the other visiting guests), we really enjoyed the company of a host of foreigners, and left with many new friends and contact details.

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to describe this place. Angelina and one can see why

From Etendeka, we headed up to the Holy Grail of Etosha, of which I had heard so much for so many years. We were amped! We headed up to the gate at Ongava and were to overnight at the wilderness safari camp there. Andersson’s Camp is a family camp with a sensational waterhole, providing a good chance of spotting some of Ongava’s famous white and black rhino – among a variety of other game.

The camp is named after Charles Andersson, the Swedish explorer who first ‘discovered’ the Etosha Pan with Sir Francis Galton in 1851. Set against the backdrop of the low Ondundozonanandana Mountains, Andersson’s Camp is surrounded by scrub-covered plains and white calcrete soils. This former farmstead has been tastefully rebuilt to modern-day standards. The old farmhouse now forms the main

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area of Andersson’s Camp, with 20 tents (16 twin-bedded and two family units) radiating outward into the secluded mopane woodlands typical of the region. Tents are a clever mix of calcrete stone cladding, canvas and wood, with double-door entrances and a small veranda that is an extension of the elevated wooden decks on which the tents are constructed. We arrived at the camp quite late after

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a long drive; we settled in at the waterhole and had an early night so that we could really enjoy driving through Etosha the next day. At almost the size of Switzerland, Etosha certainly was beckoning. As morning broke, we headed into the park and our expectations were more than met. Zebra and springbok were scattered across the endless horizon, while the many waterholes let us tick off black rhinoceros, lion, elephant and large

Na tur a lly Na m ibia

BELOW: The Okonjima Villa is absolutely breathtaking. Okonjima also has a number of other camps including a bush camp and main camp and also has the AfriCat Foundation for rehabilitating Africa’s cats LEFT: Mountain elephants – a sight to behold RIGHT: Traffic jam in Etosha on our guided game tour from Mushara Lodge

numbers of oryx. There were so many springbok that it got me thinking our national rugby team should really be called The Impalas and the Namibian team, The Springboks! We also spotted a wonderful array of bird life. Etosha means ‘place of dry water’ and encloses a huge, flat calcrete depression (or pan) of about 5 000 square kilometres. The ‘Pan’ provides a great parched, silver-white backdrop of shimmering mirages to an area of semi-arid savannah grassland and thorn scrub. It was truly mesmerising. The San (Bushmen) tell a rather gripping legend about the formation of Etosha Pan: In a raid on a village, all the men and children were murdered while only the women were spared. One of them was so distraught about the death of her family that she cried and cried until her tears had formed a massive lake. When the lake dried up, nothing was left apart from a huge white pan. We immensely enjoyed the day driving through the park and exited via the Von Lindequist Gate. Our next destination was a mere 8km from that gate – Mushara Lodge, which is also part of the Naturally Namibia group. The name Mushara is derived from the purple-pod terminalia

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Na tur a lly Na m ibia

TOP: The amazing lounge area of Mushara Lodge BELOW LEFT: Driving our Budget-mobile BELOW RIGHT: Sundowners with Roger Fussell, a great all-round chap and one of the founding members of the Naturally Namibia group

tree, which grows in abundance in the lodge grounds and the surrounding area. Mushara Lodge is owned and run by Marc and Mariza Pampe, and the staff were incredible. One could truly see they all loved their place of employment. The lodge consists of 10 spacious chalets, one family unit, a triple room and two single rooms. Great attention has been paid to the décor, which is an eclectic blend of traditional African and modern works of art mixed with original older paintings. Our chalet was extremely spacious and well-equipped, and the food was absolutely out of this world. We spent the next two days in Etosha, witnessing the most glorious wildlife imaginable. Next stop: Okonjima. But before that, I needed to go past Grootfontein, where my grandfather had been the secretary of the mine and where my father had been born. My sister had done the same pilgrimage years before, but I had no idea where my grandfather’s house was located. After a few hours of asking many locals, I was ready to throw in the towel. Thankfully my partner, Sabrina, suggested I enquire at the local church. Without great expectations, I entered the local Dutch Reformed church and asked a lovely lady there if she might have known Alan Stammers and where he might have lived – a ‘mere’ 20 years ago. She called an old timer in the area and, just like that, he said he had known my granddad well and directed us to his house which, ironically, was just one block from the church! I spent the next hour being shown around my “Pompa’s” house by a bubbly woman, initially from the Eastern Cape, who now owned the house. She walked and talked me through everything my grandfather had built many moons ago. It was a very special detour indeed. From there it was on to Okonjima Lodge – our last outpost in Nam.

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After many hours on the road and many a warthog dodged, we finally arrived at the Grand African Villa at Okonjima. What does one feel upon entering such a place? Awe? Wonder? Excitement, certainly. This place was heaven on earth! An exclusive-use, four-bedroom villa, this accommodation is beautifully decorated in subtle, earthy tones and incorporates traditional African artefacts and artworks. It is a luxurious and private haven, ideal for a group of friends or large family. Your personal host will help you plan your activities and ensure you have everything you need. A private chef will keep you well-fed while use of a personal guide and vehicle allows you to set your own schedule – and there is plenty to see and do here. And we did! There are not enough words to describe this place. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recently rented the villa, and one can see why – serious perfection. Frankly, I have never before sojourned in such opulence. I would honestly need a full feature article to describe the experience. The next two days we spent tracking cheetah (closer than I had hoped) and watching 12 giraffe drink at the waterhole right in front of the villa. We had the most

incredible game sightings and returned to the ultimate haven. We spent our two nights there dining with Tristan Boehme, co-owner of Okonjima Lodge and a wonderful guy. In the morning before we left, we also got to have breakfast with Wayne, Donna and Rosalea Hanssen who co-own and also live on the property. Sadly, 10 days later we were headed back to Hosea Kutako International Airport, but with a great sense of happiness in our hearts. If you ever yearn for an unforgettable adventure in southern Africa, look no further than Namibia, and contact Naturally Namibia via www.naturallynamibia.com. A special word of thanks also to Air Namibia for sponsoring the flights: www.airnamibia.aero and to Budget Rentals for the vehicle: www.budget.co.za

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Photo courtesy of: Paul van Schalkwyk

Namibia. The adventure starts here.

Adrenaline-pumping excitement in its most rugged form. The thrill of a lifetime just waiting for you.

NAMIBIA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Head offi ce Channel Life Building, 1st floor Post Street Mall Private Bag 13244, Windhoek Tel: +264 61 2906 000 Fax: +264 61 254 848 Email: info@namibiatourism.com.na www.namibiatourism.com.na

SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Ground floor, The Pinnacle Burg Street, P O. Box 739 Tel: +27 21 4223 298 Fax: +27 21 422 5132 Email: namibia@saol.com

www.namibiatourism.com.na

G et th e s h ot

Talking photography with Jacques Marais

shot

Get the THE IMAGE: Kevin Evans absolutely demolishes the field as he blasts past me during the Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour MTB Challenge. Evans, who rates as one of South Africa's leading mountain bikers, dominated during the pedal-powered events held at this year's Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival

GETTING THE SHOT: As I am currently using the in-camera Wireless Flash settings on the A99-SLT body, I am unable to use high-speed sync for off-camera flash. (This will change as soon as my PHOTTIX Odin radio transceivers arrive next week, so happy days ahead). In order to combine ambient light with off-camera flash, I can therefore not go higher than 1/250th of a second, and hence need to adjust the aperture and ISO accordingly. Overcast weather and gloomy forest light meant I could shoot at 160thsec and f4, with the ISO pegged right down to 50, while underexposing for the background by one stop. I positioned myself at a small kicker at the bottom of a sweeping downhill, where I knew there was potential for some air from the riders. It also meant that they came past me at around 60km/h, and I had to do some extreme speed panning with the 16mm fish-eye to capture them at a distance of less than half a metre. An on-camera HVL-F60M flash unit triggered another flash to the front of the rider to help freeze the action. In-camera settings pushed the sharpness, contrast and saturation, as there was limited time to process in Adobe Lightroom before going out to the press, except for general adjustments, cropping and lens profile application.

THE SPECS: Body: A99-SLT Lens: f2.8 fish-eye Focal Length: 16mm Aperture: f4 Shutter: 1/160sec ISO: 50 Lighting: Wireless flash with 2x HVL-F60M units Post-processing: Adobe Lightroom 5 More info: www.sony.co.za or www.jacquesmarais.co.za

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Fion a M c I n tos h

sites to dive for

Fiona McIntosh dips into southern Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 10 scuba destinations

This summer, take the plunge at one of these top diving sites that have something for everyone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from corals and crabs to rays and wrecks. Photographs Fiona McIntosh, Shaen Adey, Barry Coleman and Michelle van Aardt

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Fion a M c I n tos h

ith habitats ranging from coral reefs to kelp forests, diverse marine life and well-preserved wrecks, southern Africa offers some of the most spectacular diving in the world. Add professional, well-priced dive schools and a host of nearby bush and beach activities for non-divers, and you have the perfect dive holiday. With so much diversity, it’s difficult to choose – but the following should definitely be on your bucket list.

Sodwana Bay

Mecca for South African divers, Sodwana Bay is part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site. ‘Sordies’ has something for everyone: you can spend hours checking out the little critters on Stringer, the beautiful table corals and shoals of flame goatfish at Coral Gardens, and the wonderful rock and coral topography of Arches. Pregnant ragged-tooth sharks congregate on Quarter Mile Reef in the summer months, cruising overhead as you sit on the sand. The coral is even better on the distant sites such as 7-Mile and 9-Mile Reef: watch for dolphins surfing in the backline and occasional sightings of whale sharks and manta rays on the way.

Aliwal Shoal

Rated as one of the top 10 dive sites of the world by DIVER Magazine, Aliwal Shoal, just south of Durban, offers an incredible variety of marine life as well as dramatic topography. There are two wrecks (the Produce and the Nebo), vast brindle bass, magnificent rays, turtles, great shoals of pelagic fish and some rare sightings such as Harlequin goldies and tiger angelfish – but these are often overlooked by divers who come in the hope of seeing Aliwal’s famous seasonal visitors, the ragged-tooth sharks that congregate on the Shoal to mate between June and November. Tiger and hammerhead sharks are often sighted in the summer months, so if getting up close and personal with apex predators is your dream then this is the place.

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Protea Banks

A little further south, Protea Banks is acknowledged as one of the best places in the world to dive with sharks and is an absolute must for adrenalin junkies. Some 7.5 kilometres offshore and swept by currents, it’s for advanced divers only. The main drawcard is the variety of shark and other big pelagic species that include Zambezi (bull), hammerhead, ragged-tooth, dusky, thresher, tiger and blacktip sharks; the occasional great white and mako shark; bronze whaler shark as well as large numbers of rays and game fish.

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Cape Peninsula

Most people shiver at the thought of diving around the peninsula – and yes, the water is cold so a dry suit or thick wetsuit is mandatory. But don’t let that put you off; the waters support an astonishing range of marine life including small sharks, colourful sponges and anemones, sea fans (gorgonians), crayfish and a host of delicate little crabs hiding in the kelp. Star Walls and Coral Gardens are among the best sites on the Atlantic Coast while Castle Rocks/Pyramid and the famous Smit’s Wrecks are star attractions of False Bay. The peninsula is heaven for wreck divers; there are some 500 wrecks within an hour’s drive of Cape Town, ranging from shallow dives accessible from the shore to deep, technical sites.

Port Elizabeth

Algoa Bay is the transition zone between the nutrient-rich cold waters of the Cape and the warm waters brought down the east coast by the Agulhas Current, so this makes for a diverse marine life. Top sites include the vibrant pinnacles and drop-offs of Riy Banks, a remote, advanced dive site 20km from shore which is home to big shoals of pelagic fish, sharks and rays; and the shallow, colourful protected Bell Bouy reef which, with its profusion of reef fish, is a great site for novices. PE is also the jumping-off point for two exciting seasonal dive adventures: the Sardine Run, which happens along the Wild Coast and KwaZulu-Natal South Coast in late June and July; and chokka diving, a less-publicised predation of the chokka (squid) egg beds, which takes place around PE and Cape St Francis during late October/November.

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Northern Maputaland

The reefs off northern Maputaland are rarely dived, hence their pristine condition. There are only two dive concessions – Thonga Beach Lodge at Mabibi and Rocktail Bay Dive Centre near Island Rock – so this is boutique diving at its very best. Most of the sites are shallow and the fish seem very unfazed by divers. Some 1 200 species are found on the local reefs; turtles and rays are regularly seen; and in the summer months, pregnant ragged-tooth sharks are often found resting in the caves. Top sites include Gogo’s, a very large reef with beautiful formations and exceptional hard and soft corals, named after the large numbers of old-woman angelfish that love to play in the divers’ bubbles; and Elusive, known for its diversity and friendly potato bass as well as sightings of game fish and turtles.

Southern Mozambique

For sheer variety of dive experiences, the southernmost section of Mozambique – from Ponta do Ouro just over the border from Kosi Bay to Ponta Mamoli – is hard to beat. A long-time favourite of South African self-drive divers, Ponta do Ouro has sites to suit all sorts, with awesome topography, beautiful corals, abundant fish life, unusual invertebrates, adrenalin-pumping deep dives, and good opportunities to view sharks and other big pelagics. The sites between Ponta do Ouro and Ponta Malongane are generally shallow, while advanced divers will have their eyes on the deeper reefs further north: home to sites such as Pinnacles, where shark and ray sightings are almost guaranteed; and Bass City, named for its curious potato bass.

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Fion a M c I n tos h

Manta Coast, Inhambane

I’ll never forget my first dive on Manta Reef. As we dropped down, a manta cruised over our heads – then we almost had to push shoaling snapper and big-eyes out of the way to get to the reef dwellers on the coral-encrusted pinnacles. Approaching the first cleaning station was like stumbling onto an airport runway: huge rays, with a wingspan of two metres, swooped down so close that we could see inside their gills. We clung to the edge of a canyon, watching the graceful rays cruising back and forth. It was one of the most exhilarating dives of my life. Manta rays, whale sharks and humpback whales are the big drawcards, but the variety and abundance of tropical fish, corals and macro-life is amazing. Other top sites include Amazon, famed for its shark sightings; and the shallow Barra Lagoon, a top ‘muck diving’ spot where sea horses, pipefish and frogfish are often sighted.

Quirimbas Archipelago, northern Mozambique

If you have the bucks, head to the picture-perfect tropical islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago. The diving is out of this world, and Medjumbe and Azura at Quilalea Private Island are the ultimate in barefoot luxury. World-class sites include The Lighthouse off the fascinating historic island of Ibo and the spectacular wall dives, The Edge of Reason and Sambi Sambi, off Medjumbe. Quilalea has the best house reef on the planet (the friendly turtles are particularly enthralling) as well as The Canyon, where you hook onto the reef and ‘sky-dive’ in the current as big pelagics eye you from the point. All the destinations are relaxed, with friendly staff who kit you up and take care of your gear on your return while you head off to enjoy the glorious beach, cold 2M beers and fabulous Mozambican seafood. Quite simply, diving in paradise.

Bazaruto Archipelago

One of the largest marine parks in Africa, the Bazaruto Archipelago offers amazing displays of colourful corals, diverse tropical fish and big pelagics such as manta rays.

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Top sites include shallow Aquarium, a natural basin that is popular with snorkellers and divers; Ray Alley, in which you’re sure to spot devil rays and stingrays; and The Corner, in the narrow channel between Bazaruto and Benguerra – home to a wonderful array of little paperfish (leaf scorpionfish), frogfish and other tiny critters as well as vast schools of reef fish. Keep your eyes peeled and you may even spot an elusive dugong.

Inhaca Island

The tiny island of Inhaca in Maputo Bay is a quick and easy island escape from Gauteng. A 10-minute flight or short boat ride from Maputo and you’re on the verge of the tropics, among palm trees and golden beaches. On a good day, the diving at Baixo Danae, a 45-minute boat ride away, is world-class. The 7km-long reef is pristine with magnificent hard corals, wonderful overhangs as

well as swim-through caves and gullies to explore. Top dives include Raggie, known for the seasonal proliferation of ragged-tooth sharks; and two wrecks, imaginatively called The Wreck and The Boiler. The reef life is stunning and you’ll often see turtles, dolphins, manta rays and, from August to October, whales.

Win!

ATLAS OF DIVE SITES! Fiona McIntosh and Map Studio have put together an amazing book detailing the top 157 dive sites in South Africa and Mozambique. Two lucky readers stand a chance to win this book by emailing the answer to this question to the editor: How many dive sites are detailed in this book? Send your answer to robbie@intrepidexplorer.co.za and you will be notified if you are a winner! www.intrepidexplorer.co.za

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ÂŠ Dane Wirtzfeld / Getty Images/ Gallo Images

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J oh a n La m br ec h ts

J oh a n La m br ec h ts J oh a n La m br ec h ts

roots Back to the

of outdoor accessories

Johan Lambrechts shares the origins of five essentials that have changed travel forever In this new series, The Intrepid Explorer goes back to the heroic early days of travel, when people had to invent their own equipment and accessories as they went along. Many of today’s most essential items have surprising origins. In this issue: the khaki safari jacket, the flashlight, the tent, the sleeping bag and sunscreen.

hen you travel, there are certain things you want: you want to be warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s hot, dry when it’s wet; you want a good night’s sleep, and you don’t want to get sick. All these things go without saying today, but they couldn’t always be taken for granted. Fortunately, true adventurers are resourceful enough to create their own on-the-spot solutions to problems – which is how many of today’s most important outdoor accessories came into being.

The Khaki Safari Jacket – Thanks, Joe! Like polar bears in the Sahara – that was how British soldiers looked when the British Empire conquered India and their white uniforms made them stand out in the dusty landscapes. Sir Harry Burnett Lumsden, or ‘Joe’ to his friends, was a Scottish lieutenantgeneral in the British army who might well have vanished into the mists of history, had he not invented one vital piece of outdoor equipment that made him immortal.

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

J oh a n La m br ec h ts

The Flashlight: A Gadget for Gentlemen

Lumsden couldn’t stand it any longer, seeing his men being slaughtered like cannon fodder because they were so easy to spot. So in 1848, he designed a uniform jacket in khaki. The word ‘khaki’ originally derives from the Persian khak, literally meaning ‘earth’, and the beige-brown uniforms blended in with the dusty Indian surroundings. Lumsden’s innovation proved revolutionary. It was not only good camouflage; he combined the colour with a lightweight cotton or silk, in order to make the army outfit more breathable. His soldiers sweated less and the uniform dried very fast when they became soaked. Before long, every British soldier in the world was wearing the khaki outfit. Later, many Western armies adopted an olive-green drab colour instead of the brownish version, but the two colours still both are known as ‘khaki’. It didn’t take long before the Europeans used the khaki outfit when they went big-game hunting in Africa. There, at the beginning of the 20th century, it became known as the ‘safari’ jacket, from the Swahili word for ‘travel’. The garment retained its similarities to an army uniform, complete with epaulettes, a leather waist strap to hold water bottles and, most importantly, big front pockets. Ideally, safari jackets were worn a few sizes too large, and the pockets could easily be used to store items such as maps, matches, a pocket knife, bottles and food. Soon, everyone was sporting a safari jacket. Although fabrics and materials have evolved today, the jacket looks as stylish as it always has. Thanks to the notorious writerhunter Ernest Hemingway, the safari jacket even became a glamorous celebrity accessory at the parties he organised in Sun Valley, Idaho and Hollywood. ‘Papa’ also designed one model himself for Willis & Geiger Outfitters in the United States – the Kilimanjaro safari hunting bush jacket without a belt, which is still produced today in New York. Handmade!

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What you saw was what you got: because the batteries on which it ran were so primitive, the first prototype of the hand-held light or ‘flashlight’ did not produce a beam of light, but only brief flashes – hence its name. In fact, only quite recently the flashlight has become a real outdoor product. Originally, it served as a gimmick for real gentlemen. After the electric light bulb invented by Thomas Edison saw the light in 1879, there were plenty of experiments to make portable light devices. But the zinc-carbon batteries of those days could not provide a steady electric current and required a periodic ‘rest’ to continue functioning. Some lights could function for only five hours before the battery was damaged completely and one had to throw it away. When the batteries improved, the number of inventions boomed and gentlemen were spoilt with gadgets. First, there was the walking stick with electric lighting. In the stick there were batteries, in the head of the cane a bulb and a lens. Then came the electric tiepin, which you could attach like a brooch in order to read a book in the dark. There was only one problem: you had to carry the batteries in a bag, and sometimes they leaked a dangerous acid. The dry cell battery, which used a paste electrolyte instead of a liquid, finally made the first real electric device possible. In 1899, the English inventor David Misell took a patent on his portable hand-held flashlight, with the batteries in a paper tube and the light bulb and a brass reflector at the end. The New York City Police were asked to test some of these flashlights, and the cops responded favourably to them. But for a long time, flashlights would remain luxury goods, richly decorated with pictures, encased in a leather holster and mainly used in the household. It was only after World War 1, when every soldier had one in his kit, that it became clear that most of the advantages – and the biggest future – lay in the outdoor world.

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The Tent: A Classic since Prehistoric Times All is change. Nothing stays the same for long, and outdoor equipment is no exception. And yet, like the yurt or ger in Mongolia, the basic design of the contemporary expedition tent has not changed for thousands of years! In prehistoric times, nomadic hunter-gatherers sometimes travelled hundreds of miles from home in search of food. This way, they were forced to build temporary overnight accommodation to protect themselves and survive. At first, they made do with what they found at their feet: branches, leaves, rocks, clay, earth. But then someone realised that dried animal hides provided even better protection against rain and wind. Eventually, these temporary shelters evolved into the portable nomadic tents we still see today, such as the tupiq of the Inuit, made from seal or caribou skin, or the Native American tipi, made from water-resistant bison hide. The fact that the tent is still in use after so many centuries – its basic form hardly having changed – says it all. It was a brilliant invention, an ingenious concept, providing rapid protection against the elements and easily dismantled when it was time to move on. The Greeks and Romans perfected the tent during their long years of war. The Greek army used small domed leather structures, while the Romans developed a canvas tent stretched between poles – hence its present-day name, derived from the Latin tendere, meaning ‘to stretch’. Canvas, a heavy-duty fabric woven from flax, hemp, jute, linen or cotton, would be in use for hundreds of years. It was very strong, but much more breathable than animal hides or leather. Only in the 1970s, with the invention of high-tech and lightweight fabrics such as nylon and polyester, was it replaced and finally stowed away.

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The Sleeping Bag: From the Congo to the South Pole

Whether you’re at a boy scouts camp or climbing Mount Everest, there is no more essential item of outdoor equipment than the sleeping bag. It is quite impossible to survive without it, as it covers one of our physiological needs: shelter. In 1876, Welsh entrepreneur Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones (real name) realised its potential. He patented the ‘Euklisia travel rug’ – an invention that served as a sleeping bag, blanket, floor covering and sewn-in inflatable pillow all in one. This multifunctionality made it a huge success. From the Welsh city of Newtown, 60 000 Euklisia rugs found their way to the Russian army, the Australian Outback and missionaries in the Belgian Congo. Unfortunately, of those 60 000, none has survived. It took a BBC programme, Wales & The History of The World, to find the original patent and fabricate a copy of the original design using Welsh wool, which now is in the permanent exhibition of the Newtown Textile Museum. However, there was one man who made the sleeping bag truly iconic: British polar explorer Captain Lawrence Oates, who took part in Robert Scott’s fateful 1911 expedition to the South Pole and whose sleeping bag became a national obsession. Oates’ sleeping bag was made from caribou fur, the same material used by Arctic peoples.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

J oh a n La m br ec h ts

During the terrible trek back from the geographical South Pole to their base camp in Cape Evans, Oates suffered severe frostbite in his toes. He asked his fellow travellers to leave him behind in his sleeping bag, but his companions refused. On 16 March 1912, a day before his 32nd birthday, the intrepid explorer walked out of his tent in a blizzard so that he would no longer be a burden. Every inch the gentleman, he uttered the legendary words: “I am just going outside, and may be some time.” Then he disappeared. Captain Oates’ body was never found – but his sleeping bag was. It is still on display at the museum of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, almost as a religious icon.

Sunscreen: It Began on a Mountain In the 19th century, there was no such thing as sunscreen. Anyone who could afford it would have no use for it, as having a tan was not a sign of luxury during this period. Quite the contrary! Before the Industrial Revolution, ordinary people would spend their days out of doors, in the fields and meadows; little wonder they were tanned to a deep brown colour. Anyone wishing to appear elegant would stay indoors in order to keep their skin pale, so that they would look as little as farmworkers as possible. The ancient Greeks and wealthy Romans even coloured their faces white using lead paint so that they would not resemble the common plebs! But all this changed when farmers became workers and flocked to the factories. All of a sudden, sunshine became chic. Anyone who had the money would travel and come back with a nice tan. At first, aristocrats did not worry about the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays; however, it did not stop them from

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

having to cope with frequent blisters after a few hours in the sun. This prompted a young businessman, Eugène Schueller, founder of L’Oréal, to develop a very early sort of sun protection in 1936. But also Swiss scientist Franz Greiter made a name for himself. As a chemistry student, in 1938 he became badly sunburnt while climbing Piz Buin, the highest peak (3 312 metres) in the Vorarlberg mountains, on the border of Switzerland and Austria. This accident prompted him to develop the first real cream that could combat sunburn. Greiter hid in his laboratory for several days, and appeared

with Gletscher Crème (Glacier Cream). This invention was both a protection for the skin, as well as a soothing balm for burns. Together with his wife and beautician, Margo, Greiter perfected the formula and created the very first genuine sun protection product. From 1946 onward, it was marketed by his company, Piz Buin – a cheeky homage to the mountain where it all began. In the 1960s, Greiter introduced the concept of a protection factor against UV rays: the SPF, or sun protection factor. This is still used all over the world as the standard for sunscreen effectiveness and is expressed as a factor, ranging from 1 to 50. The success story of Piz Buin had only just begun. Johan Lambrechts is an award-winning travel writer from Belgium. His series about the roots of outdoor equipment has been published in magazines in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and now South Africa. His other passion is Antarctica. He has visited the Antarctic Peninsula several times, has published two books and gives lectures about the coldest continent on Earth and about the first polar journey of Roald Amundsen on the ship Belgica in 1897.

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Detachable Red Lens For Animal Viewing

OUTDOOR

NIGHT GAME DRIVES

Ben Trovato drank and laughed and melted in the mayhem of Bangkok

Koh Chang! bless you M

y unspeakable loin-fruit, Clive, was beside himself with excitement. He asked me about prophylactics and I smacked him sharply across the head. “You rude little pig,” I said. “This is meant to be a family holiday, not a sleazy outing to the fleshpots of Bangkok.” He claimed he was talking about prophylactics to

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

prevent malaria, but I could see in his dirty little eyes that he was lying. Thailand’s capital felt like Durban in February – only hotter and more humid, with fewer Zulus and a different kind of Asian. The taxi we got into outside Suvarnabhumi Airport was like a temple on wheels. Gold and silver statues of Buddha were glued to every surface.

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Tr ippin g w ith Tr ova to Brenda was taking the family on holiday to the island of Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand. What a good idea: a vacation within spitting distance of the equator in the middle of monsoon season on a jungle-infested chunk of rock where no one can speak English and the air is thick with dengue fever. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, I kept my mouth shut and went off to pack.

Garlands dangled from the mirrors. Flags flew from the aerial. We had been awake for 30 hours and, judging by the way everyone was driving, we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only ones. The entire city appeared to be functioning on a rich mixture of heroin and the divine guidance of the elephant god, Ganesha. We were dropped off in Khaosan Road, once

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something of a mecca for hippies looking for spiritual enlightenment. From what I could make out, most of them were now looking for somewhere to get their hair braided or their willies massaged. The kilometre-long road is packed with bars and stalls. Kamikaze drivers on three-wheel tuk-tuks compete with electric-pink taxis, fruit vendors pushing

carts and a billion buzz bikes ridden hard and fast by tattooed kick-boxers, transgendered lady-boys and toothless old crones. The motorcycle cops wear skintight stretch pants and surgical masks. Pedestrians and dogs fill up the gaps. Tangles of thick, black cabling hold the bars and guesthouses together. After a few rounds of powerful Chang beer, Brenda

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Tr ippin g w ith Tr ova to 54

and I were also in need of something to hold ourselves together. Half-mad with jetlag, it was only the inspired anarchy of the street that kept us going. Switching to Singha beer, the waitress asked if I wanted grass. Right here? In the open? Brenda was watching me. “Fresh grass?” said the waitress impatiently. “Yes, please,” I said. Brenda gave me the Bangkok eye and said I would have to smoke it somewhere else. She needn’t have bothered because the waitress went away and came back with a fresh glass. Brenda laughed so much that she fell off her chair. Then the sky opened. Torrents of water sent the farangs (foreigners) scattering. The rain was warm. The air was hot. I sat

you long time.” I looked deeply into her inscrutable Thai eyes, but couldn’t make out whether she was promising to love me until the day I died or until 30 minutes were up. I never got a chance to find out because Brenda dragged me into a vibrating pink tuk-tuk. “Shanti guesthouse,” she barked. Unaccustomed to taking orders from a woman, the driver looked at me for confirmation. I gave the patriarchal nod and he set off at a terrible speed through the back streets of Bangkok. Judging by my windowless cell, Shanti must be the way that the Thai spell ‘shanty’. A sign warned me to: “Be Aware of Fire, Rats, the Fan”. Keen to avoid the

in sour chilli soup for starters. Brenda went for the roasted frog salad. Clive said he would try the fried Morning Glory. The dinner table conversation progressed from silent contemplation to a lot of shouting and hitting and being asked to leave. My family doesn’t travel well together. I spent most of the next morning encouraging the serpent’s head to leave my body in an orderly fashion. The Thai don’t use toilet paper. They use handheld showers fitted to the wall. I washed my bum, my face and my armpits and left the cubicle feeling like a new man. But even though I was clean on my body, I knew that if I stayed in the city

and drank and laughed and melted in the monsoon mayhem. Clive was terrified of going down the dark, reeking alleys, but I told him to relax. The Thai are too afraid of being reincarnated as a rat to knife you in the ribs and take your camera. Almost every house has a small painted shrine in the front yard. I saw shrines that were worth more than the houses. The locals never even get angry because showing anger means losing face. “You very handsome man,” murmured a girl who appeared from nowhere. “I love

shredding, biting and burning that awaited me the moment I fell asleep, I suggested dinner. The streets were full of fallen Thai reincarnated as curly-tailed dogs. Around a corner and into a makeshift boxing ring, a man in silky shorts tried to lure me into a Muay Thai contest. I was up for it and showed him my moves. Brenda apologised and helped me off the floor. We found a restaurant on the banks of the catfish-infested sewer that runs through the city and I ordered a brace of Chang beers and a boiled serpent head

much longer I would sell Clive into child slavery, rent Brenda out to depraved Austrian backpackers and start my own opium trafficking business. Bangkok will do that to you. I rented a car from Budget and had it delivered to the guesthouse. The driver handed me the keys and started walking off down the road. “Not so fast!” I shouted. With the help of a 500 baht note and a little pressure on his phrenic nerve, he agreed to take us to the edge of the city. We hadn’t driven for more than a few minutes when I heard him say, “Stay right,

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

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while. It was covered in unsightly jungle and had obviously let itself go. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had a drinking problem.

”

Tr ippin g w ith Tr ova to

“I got the sense that Koh Chang hadn’t shaved or bathed in quite a

OPPOSITE PAGE: The loin-fruit chilling outside what the Thai laughingly call budget accommodation. Brenda works off the previous night’s debauchery by taking a swing at something other than her husband. THIS PAGE: Monsoon season has a lot more rain but far fewer tourists. It’s a trade-off worth considering. The author has his way with two Thai beauties, oblivious to whether they are men or women.

go straight.” He was out of the car before I could grab him. The options of left or right were not immediately available. The car was wedged so tightly in a seething, brawling pack of taxis, trucks, bikes and tuk-tuks that all I could do was go with the flow. Four hours later, we hit Kanchanaburi. Spraying warm beer over my comatose family, I told them to wake up and show a little respect for the dead. Walking across the Bridge on the River Kwai, I told Clive about the terrible tragedy that unfolded on this very spot back in 1957.

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“It was right here that British director David Lean shot one of the most overblown films of the 20th century. The set designer and thousands of his crew died during the building of a railway line between Thailand and Burma so that Japanese extras could be brought in from Rangoon.” Clive was so overcome with emotion that he broke free from my grip and ran to his mother who was some way down the track flirting with a Japanese imperialist thug masquerading as a tourist. I marched the family straight off that Death Railway and checked us into a

guesthouse where we ate steamed fragile pig’s leg with coconut and lay awake listening to disco boats plying their sick trade up and down the river. The next morning I packed up the family and headed for the Burmese border, where a guard threatened to shoot me if I attempted to enter his country. I tried explaining that I needed to get to an Internet café, but he was having none of it. With a shrug of his automatic weapon, he indicated that the border was closed to Thailand. Then he began barking at me. I made the international gesture for “your

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Tr ippin g w ith Tr ova to The author under deadline pressure. Poor roads and gin buckets liven up quad bike rides on the island. An oasis of tranquility set in the jungle of Koh Chang.

government is a corrupt, fascist dictatorship” and backed away into the huddle of souvenir shops that make up the small town of Three Pagodas Pass. We bought a bunch of chopsticks made from the last of Myanmar’s teak forests and headed for Ayutthaya instead. Eight hours later, we drove into what was the Thai capital for 417 years until a Burmese biker gang destroyed it in 1767. They trashed the temples, chopped the heads off the Buddha statues and made it impossible for anyone to find a hotel almost 250 years later. It was dark. The streets were full of gilded elephants and godless transsexuals. Brenda was babbling about the melding of Sukhothai Buddhist influences and Hindu-inspired Khmer motifs. I was dishevelled, disoriented and drunk. Just another summer in Siam. I have always been partial to islands. There is something exhilarating about standing on one, knowing that at any moment it could sink to the bottom of the ocean or break free and drift into the shipping channel. Steaming in on the car ferry that sailed from a dismal little town near the Cambodian border, I got the sense that Koh Chang hadn’t shaved or bathed in quite a while. It was covered in unsightly jungle and had obviously let itself go. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had a drinking problem. I pointed this out to Brenda and she said I was projecting. I checked my zip, but I wasn’t. Odd sense of humour for a married woman. The only road around Koh Chang is best tackled after three or four Mai Tais, the ingredients of which are freely available at roadside stalls. Easier to make than a Molotov cocktail, Thailand’s national drink goes off like a car bomb in your

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

stomach. It won’t get onto CNN because the body parts stay inside your body, but there are other benefits that compensate for the lack of publicity. Brenda fell instantly in love with a fishing village called Bang Bao. Consumed with jealousy, I demanded to know what Bang Bao could offer that I couldn’t. Quite a lot, as it turned out. Buried in a tangle of dive shops and marine abattoirs masquerading as restaurants, we found a guesthouse called the Buddha Bar. What luck; it’s not often one gets the chance to drink with the sanction of a spiritual guide of Buddha’s stature. The Buddha Bar felt like home should feel. I could lie on the floor looking out over the bay and have my victuals brought to me by an elegantly fading lady-boy with long black hair. My room was eight steps from the bar and we were the only foreigners there. A soft rain began falling just as my plate of marinated frog’s legs arrived. Happier than a Brahman bull in Bombay, I was in the middle of composing an ode to the toad when the soft rain turned into a savage monsoon storm that didn’t let up for six straight days. Half-crazy with crotch rot and cabin fever, we were finally driven from the island. Koh Samet, smaller than Chang, was only a couple of hours away, but it was dry and the sun was shining. Agnostic tradition dictates that any new arrival on an island lying within five degrees of the equator has to be consecrated by a blessing from St Piña Colada. The saint was particularly effusive in his blessings on that day, and I insisted we hire quad bikes and race each other around the island. Clive refused to take a bike on his own, preferring to sit behind his mother clutching

onto her like some overgrown hairless marsupial with abandonment issues. Being a woman, Brenda thought a race was a stupid idea. She pulled away sedately, then inexplicably opened up the throttle and rammed into the mountainside, almost snapping Clive’s spine and causing me to laugh so much that I weed a little in my pants. Later that evening we checked into a rambling affair called Jep’s Bungalow. It was on the edge of a road constructed from mud and potholes. Our cabin smelled as if something terrible – a German, perhaps – were curled up under the bed, dying of chikungunya, which isn’t so much a tasty noodle dish as it is a nasty virus. I couldn’t bring myself to look. We took up defensive positions at the beach bar. Brenda ordered a gin and tonic. The waiter asked if we would prefer a bucket. A bucket of gin and tonic? Yes, please. It arrived in a green plastic bucket, much like the one with which I had made sandcastles when I was five. Brenda said the quinine in the tonic would stop any malaria-packing mozzie in its tracks. She was right; the tonic worked like a charm. The gin, on the other hand, almost put me in traction. Ten green buckets sitting on the table. And if one green bucket should accidentally fall, which it did, there would be nine green… Hey! Let’s check out the action on the other side of the island! We spilled onto my quad bike, Brenda laughing and crying as South Africans are inclined to do when they travel abroad. Someone must have tampered with the steering because no matter what I did, the bike veered repeatedly into the side of Jep’s Bungalow. Eventually we gave up, went to bed and woke up just in time for our flight home.

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Of FEATHERS and STRIPES Botswana’s best kept Secret Awaken your senses and join the magic of the Migrations in Botswana

VAlid foR tRAVel dAtes: 15 NoVembeR 2013 – 31 mARch 2014 Discover Botswana’s best kept secret in one exhilirating, four-night Orient-Express adventure. Let our experts smooth your journey between Botswana’s most thrilling destinations and take you straight to the heart of this fascinating land. Experience extreme diversity as you explore the waterways of the Okavango Delta, view the famed Moremi Wildlife Reserve, or listen to the rumble of elephants through Chobe National Park. November marks the month when the migratory birds start coming back to Southern Africa escaping the northern hemisphere’s winter season. Eurasian steppe eagle, Lesser spotted eagle, European bee eater, European white stork, Wooly neck stork and Swifts just to mention a few. Not only do the feathery kind migrate to northern Botswana, but also the striped ones, who start their path of migration through the Savuti Marsh on their annual migration south from the Linyanti. The dazzling Zebra herds remain in Savuti for several weeks to have their young and feed on the new grasses before moving further on into the Mababe Depression. Following the 25 000 + Zebra migration are the predators and scavengers in attendance. November and December also happen to be the birthing months for many animals, again a delight for many safari lovers, however also a feast for the predator groups. These same herds of Zebras reappear in Savuti again later in the season, around March-April, when they are again passing through on their long migration northwards back to their dry season range along the Chobe and Linyanti River.

Over 1,100 species of animals and birds exist in abundance in these varied wildernesses and this land known as the Jewel of Africa. Included services: • Scheduled light aircraft inter camp flights on a shared basis (Maun – safari camps - Maun) • Four nights accommodation at Orient-Express Camps on a fully inclusive basis including all meals, premium brand spirits (exclusive of imported champagne, as well as VSOP spirits and South African Reserve Wines), 2 x daily game viewing activities, national park fees, laundry services and emergency evacuation insurance Excluded services: • International and regional flights • Surcharge for private helicopter inter-camp flights • Passport and visa fees • Travel insurance • Excess baggage charges • Gratuities and communication costs • Any items not specifically mentioned • Subject to availability Rate valid to Southern African Residents

ZAR 16 250.00 per person sharing for a 4 night stay

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An ton C r on e

sun born in the

During a training course for the newly appointed guides of a safari company, my understanding and appreciation of the wild blossomed

thanks to this ‘Zimbabwean David Attenborough’.

Anton Crone interprets the sounds, smells and sights of the wild with well-respected wildlife guide, Lewis Mangaba

pair of Verreaux’s eagle-owls were witness to my humiliation. They called from an acacia tree as we crouched in the grass, spying on a tusker. Wildlife guide Lewis Mangaba pulled out a little bag and began puffing it, releasing powder into the air. “Is that to mask our scent?” I asked. “No,” he said, grinning at me, “I’m checking wind direction.” His fellow guide Ethan Kinsey stifled a laugh, and they thought it a good time to explain the rules of elephant stalking: Stay downwind, maintain a safe distance and, if it charges, it’ll likely be a mock charge, so don’t move or you’ll draw attention to yourself. Then it’s likely to trample you. My real humiliation was to come. We stalked the tusker for a few minutes more – a big male, coloured red by the mud of Tarangire National Park, our location in Tanzania. It was the rainy season, a chance for the land to breathe before the mad rush of migration. Now the prep work took place, such as setting up camps, repairing equipment and training guides. I had joined a training course for the newly appointed guides of safari company, Asilia Africa – a month-long exercise in which I would partake for just

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

An ton C r on e

RIGHT: Mangaba and a trainee examine fresh tracks in the Tarangire mud Below: Afternoon lectures are hardly dull in a setting like this Opposite: Mangaba and Kinsey (with signature grass stem) lead a group on the trail of something wild

a week, but within that short time my understanding and appreciation of the wild blossomed thanks to Lewis Muzuva Mangaba, whose name means “born in the sun”. Our camp was set amid baobabs on a gentle rise overlooking Lake Burungi toward the wall of Ngorongoro Crater. The heavy rains meant the grass was tall and green, and when I arrived Kinsey – the leader of the course – was chewing on a long, sweet stem. “Perfect timing,” he said, leading me to the mess tent. About 18 trainees were standing about, quietly tucking into their lunch, and Kinsey exchanged the sweet grass for a plate piled high with ugali (similar to putu/mieliepap) and beans, after offering me the same. This would be the staple for the duration of the course and it reminded me of my days as a kid in Zimbabwe. It had been a long time since I had tasted ‘home’. The guides were professionals from different parts of southern and East Africa. Some I had met before, such as Zimbabwean Blessed Mpofu and Tanzanian Habibu Kissio, who had taught me so much about butterflies on Rubondo Island in Lake Victoria. I was excited at the prospect of getting into the bush, but first it was back to school; after lunch we listened to a lecture on climate in the region. I had fallen for this season: the dramatic, watery skies, the tall green grass and rain pounding on canvas at night. It was everything the clichéd ‘African Safari’ wasn’t – and I relished it.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

That night, we watched a documentary on insects, the television balancing on the encyclopedic Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, and the rain bouncing off the tent punctuating Sir David Attenborough’s familiar voice. This became our routine: game drive and practicals in the morning, lectures in the afternoon, a drive before sundown and a documentary in the evening – except on clear nights, when we studied the stars. Mangaba, along with Kinsey, trained the new guides and we travelled in two Land Rovers in the morning when the recruits took turns to drive and guide. The emphasis of this phase of the course was to stimulate guests’ imaginations by interpreting the sounds, smells and sights of the wild. Because the guides were relatively experienced, it was their presentation and interpretive skills that Kinsey and Mangaba honed in on. I soon realised this was one of Mangaba’s arts. He was a lexicon of the African wild. He carried a bag full of books, but hardly referenced them; the information just came pouring out of him. And he described things so well, like a Zimbabwean Attenborough. At a breakfast stop along the Burungi River, we ate sweet potatoes and drank sweet tea and I watched Mangaba describe the life cycle of an antlion, delicately holding one by its wings and passing it around for others to study with a loupe. Kinsey took his signature grass stem from his mouth and said, “He’s incredible. I like hanging around him, just to pick up tips.” He went on to describe how Mangaba had been awarded Namibia’s Best Guide award in 2005 and Zimbabwe’s Best Guide in 2011. He is an insect specialist and the highest qualified walking safari guide under the Interpretive Guides Society. Outside of the work he has done in training guides, Mangaba has been chief guide at the splendid Oliver’s Camp in Tarangire

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An ton C r on e and now runs his own company, Mangaba Safaris, out of Hwange in Zimbabwe. He hails from the Tonga tribe in the northwest of Zimbabwe and credits his upbringing in that hot, rugged region for his love of the wild. “I came from a family rooted in the wilderness,” he said. “I developed a passion for the intuitive way of learning and seeing things, and absorbed knowledge in the traditional way of the Tonga people – through praise songs of the animals, birds, plants and insects.”

Mangaba humoured him, clambering onto the roof of the Land Rover to get a better view. “There!” called the young guide, “See the ears. They are lions!” I couldn’t see a thing, and joined Mangaba up top. He grinned at me and handed me his binoculars. Sure enough, there were ears above the grass. “I think you’re right,” Mangaba said to the young guide below. “They’re moving off a kill. Let’s go and see.” Even I knew this was an unusual move but, after a safety briefing, we were walking in the direction of the sighting. The tall grass made it impossible to see any danger until one was almost on top of it. As we neared the spot, we slowed, treading lightly, then Mangaba started edging back. “Back! Back!” he said, and we tripped over our feet as we retreated. All at once, we saw a pair of ears. Then a skinny tail shot up between them and the warthog grunted and ran off, leaving us laughing – all except the young guide, that is. “Panthera warthogus – a new species altogether!” was one of the quips, and when we spotted warthog from then on, that was its name. And the young guide was much quieter from then on. I saw Mangaba ruffled just once. The importance of reading nature’s signs had been well established by the fifth morning. The rains had made fresh puddles and our driver rolled through them without spotting anything for a while. Then he stopped for a brown snake eagle in a tree. We had seen many snake eagles, and our subject that day was tracking – but the guide was desperate to spot something and he went through the motions of describing the bird for his ‘guests’. All the while, vervet monkeys barked from a sausage tree not

“ Your guests might not see anything,” he

said. “But if you interpret the signs, if you paint

a picture in their minds, they will see it.”

It wasn’t only praise songs he absorbed. When he wasn’t training, Mangaba would sit outside his tent reading books by entomologist Edward Osborne “EO” Wilson (one of his heroes), or collections of campfire stories. Sometimes, he scribbled in a notebook. When I asked him what he was writing, he replied with a beatific smile: “Poetry.” This was the ultimate clue to his nature, for he was calm and imaginative in communicating with people. As an example: by the second morning it had been established who was the ‘know-it-all’ in the group – a boisterous young guide desperate for attention. As we drove along, we had hardly left camp when he snapped his fingers and called, “Lion! Lion!”, pointing out over the tall grass. It was hard to see anything, but

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

An ton C r on e

top: Mangaba describes the significance of a mere blade of grass Bottom: Kinsey fords the flooded Burungi River, checking if it’s safe for vehicles to cross

Mangaba’s Revelations The biggest bush toilet

Without insects to process the dung, the Ngorongoro Crater would be the world’s largest open-pit latrine. The problem would be particularly bad in Tarangire, which has the largest natural concentrations of African elephant in the world.

The mighty scarab

The Ancient Egyptians had tremendous respect for the dung beetle, also known as the scarab. They believed it kept the Earth revolving like a giant ball of dung and they connected the insect to Khepri, the Egyptian god of the rising sun. They saw the scarab as symbolic of the forces that moved the sun across the sky.

Ants rule the world

Renowned entomologist EO Wilson estimates the number of ants living on the planet today to be 10 thousand trillion. If you put them all on a scale, they’d weigh about as much as all the world’s humans. One particular species of ant has formed a global supercolony. The Argentine ant, native to South America, now inhabits every continent except Antarctica. This has actually come about through accidental introduction.

Bench-press this

When a fully grown male love raises its head, it is lifting up to 280 kilogrammes – the combined weight of its neck and head. When giraffes battle, the pendulum effect of the neck and the sheer weight of the head, upwards of 30kg, could be fatal to the opponent. It would certainly kill a human being. a hundred metres away; Mangaba fidgeted in his seat, bending out of the Land Rover to glance at the red earth. Eventually the guide drove on, then stopped again to get a look at another common bird. Mangaba could contain himself no longer. “Do you not hear that sound? Do you not realise what you have just driven over?” He climbed out, revealing fresh tracks in the mud near a puddle – not just one set, but three: a leopard and two cubs. He went on to describe how the cats had emerged from the grass as the sun began warming the air and drank at this fresh puddle. Then, hearing our vehicle, the mother ushered her cubs back into the wet grass – something cats were loath to do because they hated moisture – but she was anxious to conceal her cubs and they were now walking directly beneath that sausage tree, not 100m away, where the monkeys were shouting, “Leopard! Leopard!” for everyone to hear. He had got his point across. We had missed an incredible moment. The signs were all around us and, by interpreting them, Mangaba had recreated the scene in our minds. “Your guests might not see anything,” he said. “But if you interpret the signs, if you paint a picture in their minds, they will see it. The imagination can be more vivid than the real thing.” That afternoon, the elephant in front of me was very real, for he had spotted us. The owls called in alarm and the tusker shook his head, trumpeted his distress, then launched at us. I took off

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

The incredible life cycle of the fig wasp

Attracted by the scent, a female wasp enters a tiny hole in the fig fruit. Carrying male pollen from a previous fig, she stimulates the female flowers inside the fruit. She lays her eggs within the fruit and dies. Her male offspring hatch first. They have two roles to fulfil before they, in turn, die: fertilising the female eggs, and eating a hole in the fruit through which the female wasps can escape once they hatch. By that time, male flowers in the fruit have blossomed and it is their pollen that the female wasp carries out, to begin the whole process again.

like a little girl, running for fear of my life, and I slipped in the mud and went down hard. “This is it,” I thought, and looked up to see Mangaba standing over me, clapping his hands. “Why the hell is he applauding?” I wondered. But he was scaring off the elephant, making a noise to save my silly arse. I breathed with relief as the tusker retreated, but Mangaba was unruffled. “They always run the first time,” he said with that bright smile of his. “Born in the sun,” I thought. The show over, the eagle-owls dropped from the tree, expanded their enormous wings and flew off over the green savannah.

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La ur ia n n e Cla a s e

paddle

up the river with a

Laurianne Claase braves the hippo and croc-infested Zambezi by canoe On New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, we set out to explore 121

kilometres of the Middle Zambezi, from Kariba Gorge to Mana Pools, over six days.

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

La ur ia n n e C la a s e Day 1 (18km)

Note to self: Do not be tempted to trail languid limbs in these deceptively still waters. The Zambezi River has Zimbabwe’s highest density of hippo and Nile crocodile: 33 hippos and six adult crocodiles per kilometre of river. From its marshy beginnings in northwestern Zambia, the ‘Great River’ sweeps through Angola, along the border of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Victoria Falls mark the boundary between the Upper and Middle Zambezi. The Lower Zambezi refers to the home straight, from the Cahora Bassa Dam in Mozambique into the Indian Ocean north of Beira – all in all, a journey of 2 574km. To see this area in the rainy season, when the bush is green and the Zambian and Zimbabwean escarpments are clear as cut glass, you have to travel by canoe – and be prepared to get wet. We will be paddling from Kariba Gorge to Mana Pools, a Unesco World Heritage Site, with the highest recorded numbers of game and bird life on the Zambezi River. Not a bad start to 2013. Two Canadian flat-bottomed canoes prove big enough to handle four passengers and supplies: camping and cooking equipment, tents, mattresses, sleeping bags, food, drink, and enough ice for six days on the summer river. Our guides to this African Eden are aptly named Cloud and Emmanuel. The midsummer heat, however, is more suited to hell than to heaven. We embark from below the Kariba Dam Wall. Flanked by verdant hills, the limpid shallows are dotted in rocky outcrops – and hippo pods that resemble rocky outcrops. The river carries us down the gorge at a gentle 7km/hour, so there’s no real reason to paddle. Trumpeter hornbills wail like babies and the warbling, liquid cry of the

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Piet-my-vrou echoes down the gorge. A summer holidaymaker from central Africa, the red-chested cuckoo is seldom seen. Its breeding call, however, is unmistakeable – exhorting people to pick up their hoes for the summer planting season. The white-browed coucal’s trickling call also heralds the rains and follows us down the river. Though, it is only on our fourth day that we finally see a rain bird – at eye level – perched on a boat at the water’s edge. We drift and drowse. The river is too deep here for hippos and the banks too steep for big game. We take shelter from a relentless sun and stop for lunch under a Natal mahogany (Trichilia emetica), its distinctive red-and-black beans scattered underfoot. These trees are old and plentiful along the Middle Zambezi,

as they are safe from elephantine appetites. The leaves, apparently, act as an emetic, causing a pachyderm-sized case of the squirts! Later, and further down the gorge, we clamber up a waterfall to wallow in rock pools as warm as bath water. The first night’s camp is Nyamuomba Island, just outside the gorge, where the river widens, punctuated by sand banks, riverine islands and at least two sizeable hippo pods. It is the only night we sleep on grass rather than sand because the hippos don’t find this grass to their taste.

Day 2 (27km)

Our second day on the river dawns overcast and cool, with a guttering westerly wind at our backs as we drift downstream toward Chirundu. We need to pay parks fees for the next stretch of

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La ur ia n n e C la a s e

Do not be tempted to trail languid limbs in these deceptively still waters. The Zambezi River has Zimbabwe’s highest density of hippo and Nile crocodile

OPPOSITE PAGE: Drifting down the Kariba Gorge THIS PAGE: Camping on Vundu Island opposite Mana Pools National Park

only trees that are bare. Tonight we camp on the sandy elevated bank of an island and cast for tigerfish in the sunset while the scattered lights of Chirundu flicker on top of the next hill.

Day 3 (20km)

the river at this border town. The river is broad now, with greenbacked and squacco herons, reed cormorants, white-faced ducks and pied kingfishers all plying their trade amid the grassy reed beds. Flocks of plum-coloured starlings chitter in the riverine forest and blue-cheeked and white-throated bee-eaters feast on jewelled dragonflies. On the Zambian side of the river, the women do the laundry and the men fish from dugouts with a pole, beating the fish into their nets as they have done for centuries. Day 2 is about dodging the hippo pods – they are everywhere. We tap on the sides of the boats with our paddles to warn them of our passing. Curious beasts (and territorial), they pop up to see who goes there. We strike out for the shallows, leaving the hippos to the deep. They bare

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their teeth and grunt at our temerity. Despite their reputation as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, the biggest threat on the water from these vegetarian tuskers is that you will inadvertently bump into one of them. Deceptively placid as the river may seem, you do not want to end up in it: it is the crocs, not the hippos, that are the real danger on the Middle Zambezi. We drift by Cat Island on the Zambian side of the river, named for domestic cats that were released on the island and which bred – and thrived – before disappearing, either because they ran out of food or because they became food themselves. Cat Island is covered in winter thorn (Faidherbia albida), so-called because the trees provide forage in the dry season. At the start of the rainy season, they are the

The next morning, an hour’s brief float brings us to Chirundu, where we pay our permits and brunch under a Nyala tree at the slipway. After Chirundu the river widens, edged in umbrella thorn acacia and phragmites reed beds. Sandy islands are dotted in blacksmith lapwings and crowned plovers as well as collared (red-winged) pratincoles. A lone bull elephant drinks on the far bank. We step up our pace, but by the time we get there he is gone. Past Chirundu stands the imposing, decaying edifice of a pump house that once ran the irrigation for a sugar plantation. The pump house was blown up in the War of Independence, and the sugar plantation died. A banana plantation took its place, only to be destroyed by the elephants and baboons. Today the pump house runs again, fuelling a crocodile farm – one of the country’s few growth industries. It is estimated that Zimbabwe earns more than US$100 million a year through the export of crocodile meat and skins to

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

La ur ia n n e C la a s e

Setting out from below the Kariba Dam Wall

moment on camera. Needless to say, the photos won’t win any competitions – but the memory is indelible.

Day 5 (29km)

countries such as Japan, Singapore, the United States and Australia. At the confluence with the Kafue River, we pass Zambia’s Kanyemba Island, lush with Natal mahogany. The island is a place of legend, named after a chief who ran afoul of the early European settlers and went into hiding here. Portuguese traders and explorers, slavers, hunters, poachers and David Livingstone all passed this way. Banks of cloud start to roll in and the sky darkens as the river winds on. Motorboats head for home, trying to outrun the rain. Flocks of snowy egrets whitewash the sooty sky. Just around the final bend, the clouds descend and we pitch camp in the downpour. The rain stops in time to eat dinner. The usual night sounds of snorting hippos are joined by the strains of Zimbabwean sungura music from a disco on the Zambian shore. Fireflies flicker and stars prick the cloud-swept sky.

Day 4 (27km)

A calm and cloudy morning ushers in Day 4. Bee-eaters – carmine, blue-cheeked and little – are breakfasting as we paddle along the Zimbabwean shore, past holiday houses, Mongwe Fishing Camp and a new lodge. The shoreline is edged in wild mango and ilala palms, with intermittent baobabs and showers of white-leaved combretum. As we round a channel through a reed bed, we surprise a hippo and narrowly escape being bumped.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

We lunch next to the Nyakasanga River, which marks the border between the hunting concessions of the Hurungwe Safari Area and Mana Pools National Park. We steer clear of the hippo pods on the Zimbabwean side and strike across the river for the Zambian shore, past the court of Chief Chiawa – the first female chief in Zambia. She married a European and spends at least part of her time overseas, but her people prosper, with a clinic and school. By now we’ve honed our gameviewing skills and spot another thirsty elephant bachelor. This time we get up close and personal and are rewarded with much ear-flapping and trumpeting. We doze on the water, enjoying the hippo-free zone on the Zambian side – until we approach our camping spot. Cutting across the broad expanse of river as the clouds gather behind us and the day grows dark, we see elephant on the Zambian side. We zigzag back across the river, which is one kilometre wide at this point, and enter a shallow bay, clogged with dead trees and driftwood, to find a big croc lying flat across the surface of the water, his four-metre-length clearly visible. He disappears into the murk, and a grumpy hippo moves in, baring his tusks. The elephants are retreating, but more arrive. The canoe is now stuck on a sandbank, the croc is lurking in the vicinity, the hippo is edging closer, a storm is at our backs and I’m trying to capture the

Our last day on the Zambezi. As we paddle past the controversial Chinese-funded lodge that is going up in Mana Pools, we hear the distant rumble of lion and give chase. We find them at Acacia Point – three young juveniles on the edge of the tree line – and watch as they disappear into the bush. The nearby woolly-necked storks are unimpressed. Fittingly, it is an aggressive bull hippo that welcomes us to Nyamepi campsite in Mana Pools with toothy roars and a mock charge, which results in the fastest pace yet set on this trip. We make landfall unscathed as the rain sets in once more. “Zvakanaka” is a useful Shona word that can be used for: Thank you, Bon Voyage, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Zambezi, zvakanaka! We’ll be back.

Best time to travel: June to October, for game viewing; November to May, for scenery Getting there: SAA from Johannesburg to Lusaka (2 hours 15 minutes); by road from Lusaka to the border at the Kariba Dam Wall (3 hours) Costs: Airfare from Johannesburg: R4 079 Shuttle from Lusaka Airport to Kariba Dam Wall: R1 440 return 5-night canoe trip: R5 700 per person National park fees: US$8 (R72) per person at Kariba and US$8 (R72) at Chirundu

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G r a h a m Howe

paradise

last

of the pacific Graham Howe visits his eponymous island far over the ocean

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

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“Last call for Lord Howe!” Running late, I thought I’d heard my name called on the public address system at the airport terminal in Sydney. When I rushed to the check-in desk, the clerk looked up and asked, “Lord Howe?” Handing over my passport, I quipped: “Mister Howe will do just fine; I’m a democrat, not an aristocrat!”

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G r a h a m Howe

The Birds: Tens of thousands of Providence petrels migrate from near Russia to Lord Howe Island every March, the only major breeding colony in the world

t’s the first time I’ve seen my surname lit up as a destination on the arrival/ departure board. On boarding the daily Qantas flight to Lord Howe Island, the amused cabin steward noticed my surname and destination were exactly the same on my boarding pass. He joked: “Well, well. Good morning, Mr Howe. Off to see your island?” I was shown to the best seat in the house – in the front row of the small 38-seater plane. Watching the propellers spin, we headed off to see my eponymous island far over the ocean. A legendary adventure destination located 700 kilometres northeast of Sydney, this remote outpost was discovered in 1788 by the first fleet sent out to Australia and named after the first lord of the British admiralty. While researching the history of the island, I was surprised to find out that Lord Howe never even came here. Two hundred years later, the Seventh Earl Howe dropped by in 1988 to make amends and celebrate the bicentenary of the settlement. Sadly, I can find no evidence of any link between me and a family tree that comes with titles, a hereditary peerage, a seat in the House of Lords and a family estate in Buckinghamshire. More’s the pity. Lord Howe Island made world headlines in 2001 when a small colony of ancient giant phasmids (Dryococelus australis), believed to be extinct, were discovered alive and well on Ball’s Pyramid, a towering stack of rock in this island archipelago. Sir David Attenborough even posed with one of these incredibly ugly stick insects. Many of the weird and wonderful species bear my family name, from the rare Lord Howe Island wood-feeding cockroach to endemic geckoes and snails. Talk about my family and other animals… Declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1982, Lord Howe Island is a Noah’s Ark of “great natural beauty, unique volcanic geology and an enormous diversity of rare and endemic animals and plants”. The most southerly tropical reef in the world is home to countless species of bizarre fauna and flora that attract adventure seekers, botanists, naturalists, bird-watchers, divers, mountaineers, hikers and curious travellers like me. The first aerial landmark I spotted out the plane

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

G r a h a m Howe window was Ball’s Pyramid, the world’s tallest sea stack – a sheer 550-metre high basalt rock that rises out of the sea. (In case you’re wondering, it wasn’t named after my namesake’s nether regions, but after Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball who commanded the ship that discovered the island.) Coming into land, we enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of this idyllic horseshoeshaped island with its lush palms and high peaks. If you were to overshoot the short runway between sand dunes and lush palm forests, you’d end up in the sparkling turquoise waters. “Welcome to Lord Howe”, declared the sign at a terminal resembling a beach shack. My very own island! I posed next to it for a photograph. We waited behind a quaint white picket fence for our luggage to be offloaded onto a hand-pulled trolley. We were on island time. Lord Howe Island has its own time zone: 30 minutes out of step with the mainland in more ways than one. There’s no cellphone coverage – and within minutes of arriving, you feel you have turned your watch back in time. “This is as busy as it gets,” said the transfer driver. The only ‘rush minute’ is when the daily flight arrives, bringing in newspapers, supplies and guests. Only 400 tourists are allowed at any time on this island inhabited by 370 residents, mostly sixth-generation descendants of the original whalers and sailors who settled here in the 1800s. Cycling around the narrow roads over the next few days, I explored the length

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

and breadth of the narrow island (11km long and 3km wide at its broadest point). There are hardly any motorcars on an island with one main road and a speed limit of 25km per hour – with signs posted on the palm trees. Most visitors get around by bicycle to the fabulous beaches, dive sites, reefs, lagoon, hiking trails, village pub, dive shops, post office, bioscope, grog shop, museum and low-rise luxury resorts. The roads on this balmy island are very flat apart from ‘heart attack hill’ (phew!), while the renowned climbing and hiking routes up the mountain peaks are steep and vertiginous. All the friendly locals waved at me. When I stopped to admire the view, I realised why: a local told me I had my space-age helmet on back to front! He warned me that Sergeant Wayne, the only policeman on the island, is tough on cyclists who don’t wear a fastened helmet. If he spots you on the road, you have to walk home! The only copper on Lord Howe wears many hats himself, and is known by his first name. He is in charge of law enforcement, customs and lost & found, and is the harbour master (seriously, it says so on the visitors’ guide to the island). At the Anchorage, the local pub, I was told that the one and only police cell sometimes hosts a poker session on Friday nights. The bowling club is the local drinking hole – the place to meet the islanders at the weekly ‘frozen chicken’ jackpot draw, barefoot bowls and pie night. Cycling through narrow tunnels of

dense palm and fig forests, I kept an eye out at road crossings where I spotted signs warning of “muttonbirds on road” (the old sailors liked the taste) and “woodhens on road”. Oops! I almost ran over a flightless woodhen – one of the rare, endemic LEFT: Welcome to a legendary island destination 700 kilometres northeast of Sydney RIGHT: Ned’s Beach where a shoal of tropical fish nibble at your feet BELOW: A green-blocked wrasse in the shallows Opposite page: LEFT: Travel writers Graham Howe and Eoghan Corry give way to the rare woodhens of Lord Howe Island BELOW: Setting off from Lagoon Beach on a snorkelling trip with Mount Lidgbird, Mount Gower and Blackburn Island in background

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G r a h a m Howe species that draws twitchers from all over the world to Lord Howe Island to spot the bird come back from near extinction to 300 hens today. I also kept an eagle eye out for the flora bearing my surname: tree ferns such as Cyathea howeana and Blechnum howeanum, as well as a stag beetle called Figulus howei. Scuba divers come from far and wide to this marine playground to explore the spectacular reefs, caves, holes and trenches of the deep shelves off Lord Howe – an island sitting atop the remains of an old volcano that rises 4km off the ocean floor. The fishing, swimming, dive sites and snorkelling are legendary. I walked straight off the sands into idyllic

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coves such as Ned’s Beach where a shoal of tropical fish – mullet, garfish, silver drummer, kingfish and spangled emperors – nibbled bravely at my feet. We took a glass-bottomed boat out to the 6km-long reef to snorkel among the tropical fish, sea urchins and colourful coral – and to look at Galapagos sharks (I was assured they “usually ignore people”!). I came face to face with a double-headed wrasse called Albert, swimming near Erscott’s Hole. Dean Hiscox, the island priest and ‘a newcomer’ who came here 35 years ago and never left, was our boatman. On a reef trip out on the placid waters of the lagoon, he told me: “We islanders don’t suffer from cabin fever; we rarely go back

to visit ‘those poor unfortunate souls’ who live on the mainland.” Why would one, when one lives in paradise? Climbers and hikers come from all over the world to tackle the maze of many delightful walks around the island, from the guided rope climb up Mount Gower (875m), rated one of the top day walks in the world, and Mount Lidgbird (777m). An exhilarating steep ascent on rock ledges takes climbers to the cloud forest at the summit where almost all the weird plants – relics of an earlier age, such as the pumpkin tree, island apple and ancient lichen, moss and liverwort – survive nowhere else on Earth. The skeleton of the long-extinct giant horned land turtle was discovered here.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

G r a h a m Howe Graham Howe on one of the many day hikes on Lord Howe Island – against a backdrop of the lush tropical palms on the slopes of Mount Lidgbird

On a hike around the base of Mt Gower, I met the ‘Bird Man’ of Lord Howe Island. He imitated the call of the Providence petrels nesting on the cliffs, which then dive-bombed us in a scene straight out of Hitchcock’s The Birds! Apparently it’s an old islander trick. In the old days, the sailors used to eat the shearwaters they called muttonbirds, which is how Muttonbird Island – one of 27 offshore islets – got its name. The petrels and seabirds migrate here every summer. One could call it a ‘petrel station’. Peter Phillips says the only way a non-islander could settle on this idyllic sanctuary would be to marry an island girl – as he did. I had tea in the old wooden villa of Peter and Janine, a direct descendent of Nathan Chase Thompson, a Boston whaler who settled on Lord Howe in the 1850s. He started the first vegetable patch on the island in the days when it was a provisioning station for the infamous penal colony of Norfolk Island. The rustic nine-hole golf course is located in the old gardens today. The last hole is in the dunes, so the sea claims many golf balls – found out on the reef by surprised divers.

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Naturalist Ian Hutton is author of Lord Howe Island: A Guide to World Heritage. He says being on the island is like “living inside a David Attenborough documentary”. His fascinating museum exhibits tell the history of the early whalers, seafarers and farmers of the kentia palm (Howea forsteriana). Aviator and sailor Sir Francis Chichester was one of the first tourists. He spent nine months on the island in 1931 after his de Havilland Gipsy Moth had been damaged on the first east-west solo flight from New Zealand to Australia. Lord Howe is a sanctuary for flora, fauna and visiting folk – with over 100 endemic (unique) plants and 200 species of birds and migratory sea birds. Rated number 13 in the “100 Incredible Travel Secrets of Australia” by Australian Traveller magazine in mid-2013, the island is called “a destination which feels a million miles away from the rest of the world”. There is a range of accommodation, from self-catering cottages to the luxury resorts of Arajilla Retreat. I stayed at Arajilla, which sure lives up to its meaning of ‘mystical place of rest’: 12 luxury villas nestled in an ancient banyan and palm

forest, with boardwalks down to one of the best swimming beaches. The chef buys the day’s catch from fisher folk down at the jetty and cooks it for dinner. We enjoyed kingfish – an island specialty – along with fresh wahoo, tuna and marlin sashimi. By the time you start wondering what muttonbird tastes like, it’s probably time to leave the last paradise of the Pacific. I was hoping my return flight would be cancelled due to high winds on the runway (this only happens if you get really lucky). To ensure the small plane is not overloaded, every passenger is weighed upon departure – but one leaves lighter in the soul, knowing that special places such as this island still exist out there. Graham Howe attended Australian Tourism Exchange 2013 as a guest of Qantas, Tourism Australia and Tourism New South Wales. To find out more about new tourist attractions and destinations across Australia and in New South Wales, see www.australia.com, www.destinationnsw.com and www.lordhoweisland.info.

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Spr in gbok k itc h en

BLOOD BROTHERS: Victor Matfield, Dewald Potgieter, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies and Bakkies Botha doing what every fan does, analysing the big game over beers and a braai

crouch... pause... cook!

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Legendary rugby players share some of their personal favourites with Intrepid Explorer readers.

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Spr in gbok k itc h en

“Rugby is unique in the way it unites South Africans – no matter how diverse their backgrounds or the team they support. And, more often than not, it’s food that brings them together” KOBUS WIESE – RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNER

Swapping their jerseys for aprons, some of the most famous men to have worn the green and gold lift the lid on their love for food in a mouthwatering new book compiled by Duane and Warren Heath, titled

Springbok Kitchen. Away from the field, and the glare of the television cameras, Springbok Kitchen takes you into the players’ homes and hearts, to paint an intimate portrait of the role that food plays in

‘f

their lives. Here are three of our personal favourites.

or me there’s nothing more special than a homemade chocolate cake. My favourite cake is one that my mom-in-law, Freda Herbert, makes for me. It certainly makes visiting your in-laws a much better proposition! “Looking back, I was really spoiled as a child. My lunchbox was one of the best on the playground because my mom, Faith, would always make sure there was something sweet in there for me. “I also remember what a fantastic variety of foods my mom would make for us at home. We had everything from oxtail and tripe to bobotie and my favourite, macaroni and cheese on a Friday night before rugby games in high school. “There was a constant wave of delicious aromas coming out of the kitchen and I was always grateful to have a mom who was cooking instead of buying take-aways every night. She made our meals with a lot of love. “My wife, Janine, shares my mom’s love for cooking. Coming home after being away on a long tour, it’s important to just forget about the world and enjoy each other’s company.”

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Spr in gbok k itc h en

Juan de Jongh, John Smit and Bryan Habana getting ready to fight over the chocolate cake

Bryan Habana’s Decadent Chocolate Cake “My tips for the perfect cake are to use the same cup to measure the ingredients and to use eggs that are at room temperature and not straight out of the fridge. Also, make sure you use 2 x round 20 cm cake pans. Once the cake has cooled, each round must be cut in half horizontally through the middle so that there are four layers.” You’ll need: • 1 C (250 ml) cake flour • 2 T (30 ml) cocoa powder • 2 t (10 ml) baking powder • 1 C (250 ml) caster sugar • 1⁄2 C (125 ml) canola oil • 1⁄2 C (125 ml) boiling water • 4 extra-large eggs, separated • 1 t (5 ml) baking powder Icing: • 1 can (360 g) caramel condensed milk • 3 T (45 ml) apricot jam • 2 T (30 ml) desiccated coconut • 4 C (4 x 250 ml) icing sugar • 1⁄4 C (60 ml) cocoa powder • 250 g butter, at room temperature • 2 t (10 ml) rum essence (optional) • about 5 T (75 ml) water • cherries and toasted flaked almonds for decorating

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Bryan Habana

Springbok wing 2004–2011, 2007 Rugby World Cup winner and the 2007 IRB World Player of the Year

Bryan’s method: Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Butter and line the cake pans. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and caster sugar together into a bowl. Mix the oil and water together and add to the dry ingredients. Beat the egg yolks and add to the mixture, mixing in well. Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites together with the baking powder until stiff. Gently fold into the cake mixture. Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans. Turn out and allow to cool on a cooling rack before dividing into four layers. For the icing, mix the caramel and apricot jam together. Divide the mixture in half and add coconut to one half. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together. Cream the butter and gradually add the icing sugar mixture. Add the rum, if using, and the water and beat in, adding a little more water if it is too stiff. To assemble the cake, place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Spread with a quarter of the icing sugar mixture. Place the second cake layer on top and spread with the caramel and coconut mixture. Place the third layer on top and spread with another quarter of the icing sugar. Place the last layer of cake on top and spread with the caramel and jam mixture. Ice the sides of the cake with the remaining icing sugar mixture. Decorate with cherries and toasted flaked almonds.

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ONE FOR THE COOK: Morne du Plessis replenishes lost fluid after a tough session in the kitchen!

Morne du Plessis

Springbok eighthman 1971–1980, captained South Africa in 15 of his 22 Tests and is statistically the most successful Springbok captain of all time

Morne du Plessis’ Bouillabaisse You’ll need: • 1 T (15 ml) each butter and olive oil • 2 onions, chopped • 3 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 T (15 ml) fish masala • 1 C (250 ml) dry white wine • 3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped • 2 T (30 ml) sun-dried tomato pesto • 1 t (5 ml) dried thyme, or a handful of fresh • 1 t (5 ml) dried origanum, or a handful of fresh • 2 bay leaves • 6 C (1.5 litres) homemade fish stock or 6 x 25 g Ina Paarman’s Real Fish Stock sachets made up with 6 C (1.5 litres) water • 1 kg yellowtail, cubed • s easoned sea salt or lemon pepper seasoning • 1 kg prawns • 2 50 g calamari, cut into rings

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• • • •

5 00 g mussels in the shell 8 crayfish tails 1 /2 C (125 ml) fresh cream a good glug of sherry

Morne’s method: Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy-based pot and sauté the onions. Add the garlic and fish masala and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a fast boil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto, thyme, origanum and bay leaves. Add the fish stock, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Season the yellowtail with seasoning of your choice. Add to the pot, together with the rest of the seafood. Cook for about 10 minutes or until just done. Do not overcook. Just before serving, stir in the cream and sherry. Serves 8 to 10

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Hennie Bekker

Springbok lock 1981, won two Test caps against the All Blacks during the 1981 Springbok tour, father of Springbok lock Andries

• • • •

1 kg fresh waterblommetjies 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 T (15 ml) fresh lemon juice freshly ground black pepper

Hennie’s method: Combine the flour and seasoned sea salt and sprinkle over the meat. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and brown the meat. Add the onions and sauté. Add the beef stock, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer simmer for one to one-and-a-half hours or until the meat is almost tender. While the meat is cooking, wash the waterblommetjies thoroughly in salted water and remove the stems. Add the waterblommetjies and potatoes to the meat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add a little more water if necessary. Add the lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer your waterblommetjies to be very tender, add them together with the meat at the start of the cooking process. Serves 6 to 8

Hennie Bekker’s Waterblommetjiebredie This dish is very popular when waterblommetjies are in season. You’ll need: • 1 T (15 ml) cake flour • 2 t (10 ml) seasoned sea salt • 1 .5 kg rib of lamb, sawn into 2.5–3cm cubes • 1 T (15 ml) canola oil • 2 large onions, chopped • 1 C (250 ml) beef stock

Win!

2 LUCKY READERS WILL WIN A SPRINGBOK KITCHEN BOOK! Springbok Kitchen – Celebrating the love of food, family and rugby is published by Struik Lifestyle and is available in all leading bookstores. The book is published in support of the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund. The Fund is chaired by Morne du Plessis and was set up in 1980 and has raised enough money to look after more than 100 recipients who have sustained serious and/or catastrophic injuries playing the game we all love. To stand a chance to win one of these gorgeous cookbooks, please send the answer to the question below, along with your name and phone number, to robbie@intrepidexplorer.co.za. Question: For how many years has the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Fund been running?

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

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on top feeling

Shan Routledge kits you out for a weekend sleepover on Table Mountain

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of the world

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Having recently discovered the SA National Parks Overseers Cottage perched on the edge of Table Mountain, some friends and I decided

to make a night of it and experience this hidden gem.

loser to the stars than the city lights, this is the perfect getaway when you want to exchange the hustle and bustle for some wide open spaces. Whether you love Table Mountain or love to hate it, you will not be able to resist the feeling of freedom and peace that envelopes you way above the skyscrapers. The Mother City stretches out as far as you can see, while the buzz of the inner city is left far below – it is a tranquil and awe-inspiring place. With Table Mountain now one of the New7Wonders of Nature, this is an escape that locals should not take for granted. Although the Overseers Mountain Cottage is part of the Hoerikwaggo Trail – a multi-day, 75-kilometre trip through the Table Mountain National Park – you can book it for just a night or a weekend and it is a short, leisurely walk from Constantia Nek. Although the hike up to the hut is relatively easy, it is important to wear comfortable hiking shoes; even the shortest of walks could turn torturous in the wrong shoes, and walking down the next day will seem almost impossible with blisters and sore feet. I wore the KEEN Women’s Whisper Shoes, which are ideal for any conditions from rock pools and rivers and activities such as easy hiking and walking around camp – great for a weekend away and lots of outdoor adventuring. The quick-draw elastic cord lacing system adjusts to a comfortable and secure fit, while the washable polyester upper features the odour-reducing Aegis Microbe Shield, making the shoes not only comfortable but practical as well. Designed for outdoor sport and hiking, the Hi-Tec Men’s V-Lite Sphike Lo Shoe was a fantastic option for the boys

Hi-Tec Men’s V-Lite Sphike Lo Shoe Price: R550

KEEN Women’s Whisper Shoes Price: R899

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K-Way Evo ‘12 Gearbag Price: R325

among our group. It was comfortable to hike in and ideal for a quick run along Table Mountain while the ladies cooked up a big breakfast! Fortunately, for those of you not as fit as you’d like to be, you can arrange for your bags and equipment to be driven up to the cottage by SANParks, and do the short walk with nothing but a water bottle and your comfortable hiking shoes. This means you don’t have to worry about big backpacks and aching shoulders; you can throw all your necessities into a tog bag.

K-Way Women’s Carlotta Moisture Manager Price: R325

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I used the medium K-Way Evo ’12 Gearbag, which is the perfect size for a weekend away. Convenient and easy to open and dig around in, this bag is made from durable material. It is hardy and easy to toss in the back of the car – it bumped its way up to the cottage without me. When busy packing for your trip, it’s important to remember that the weather at the base of Table Mountain may be very different 100 metres up, so pack in a variety of clothes. Along with some warm outer layers for later when you’re having a sundowner, it is even more important to be comfortable on your hike up. On the short walk to the camp, I was very grateful for my K-Way Women’s Carlotta Moisture Manager. With moisture-wicking properties and underarm mesh

Old Khaki Men’s Rimmel Shorts Price: R375

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ventilation, it keeps you cool and dry while you walk. The quick-drying garment also boasts a UV protection factor of 40+, so I didn’t have to worry about getting sunburnt. It’s definitely a staple garment for an active weekend. Old Khaki Men’s Rimmel Shorts are the perfect option for this kind of hike. Made from 100% cotton, they are lightweight and comfortable for both the walk and sitting around the campfire afterward.

Rare Earth Juliana Floppy hat Price: R199

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K-Way 8X42 Roof Prism Binoculars Price: R799

The sun is stronger than you think, and I found my Rare Earth Juliana Floppy hat to be a favourite accessory – the perfect shelter on the hike, while enjoying the afternoon sun. Comfortable and classic, it provides sun protection with a fashionable twist. The cottage itself is well-equipped and stylish. Although the old stone exterior appears rustic, it’s not short on comfort and has a fireplace, gas-heated hot showers and several rooms (sleeping up to 16 people) with big soft beds and duvets. You can relax on the cottage deck, enjoying the spectacular views over the entire peninsula. Whether you’re sitting back or exploring some of the dams and trails surrounding the hut, keep your eyes peeled for some of the impressive fauna and flora in the reserve. I’m so glad I packed my K-Way 8X42 Roof Prism Binoculars. Waterproof, with a lightweight design and superior optics, they’re perfect for zooming in on the wildlife.

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The cottage is self-catering, so don’t forget to stock up on your own eatables. Ice-cold drinks are always welcome after an energy-sapping mountain walk. Take along the Coleman 6-Day 58 Qt. Ultimate Xtreme Cooler – its two inches of insulation provide maximum cold retention. As the sun started to set and the sky was set ablaze with oranges and reds – reflected spectacularly in the dams backing the cottage – it was hard to imagine a better place to experience such natural beauty. As night fell, the lights of the city blinked on one by one, imitating the canopy of stars above Equipped with an outdoor braai area, you will undoubtedly gather around the flickering flames, chatting and partaking in the most traditional of South African pastimes. If you want your meat to be cooked perfectly, though, I suggest you bring along a good light, as the braai area is quite dark – and you may find your boerewors being charred!

Coleman 6-Day 58 Qt. Ultimate Xtreme Cooler Price: R1099

To book a stay at the Overseers Cottage or for one of their other superb accommodation options go to www.sanparks.co.za

I discovered Butte Torch Tongs, which are made from polished stainless steel and incorporate a light that can illuminate food while braaing in the dark. The removable light is activated by pressing the tongs against one’s body (or any other surface). This is the perfect tool for all those aspiring ultimate braai masters out there. Variety is the spice of life – and mealtimes – so we decided to take along the OZtrail 9QT Cast-Iron Camp Oven to make a potjie, the perfect hearty meal for a chilly evening. The oven cooks over the campfire, and we even used it to make scones for breakfast the following morning. When you finally curl up in bed, you won’t believe how quiet and tranquil it is. I’ve never slept quite so well! But before you drift off to Dreamland, set an alarm so that you can brave the morning chill and climb up onto the rocks to watch the sun rise over the city; it really will be the perfect end to a memorable weekend. How many people can say they have watched the sun set and rise from the top of Table Mountain? Only those who live the life of adventure!

Butte Torch Tongs Price: R220

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OZtrail 9QT Cast-Iron Camp Oven Price: R375

Before you set off, though, fill up your high-vacuum Cape Union 1L Stainless Steel Flask with some steaming hot coffee. The double-wall construction keeps beverages hot and keeps you toasty warm while you wait for the sunlight to pierce the sky and for all the city lights to wink out in a fond farewell.

Cape Union 1L Stainless Steel Flask Price: R169

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M ik e Hor n

Angus Begg spoke to legendary Mike Horn about his climbing philosophy and his recent attempt to conquer K2

mike and the

mountain

o I called him on a boat. At this stage, I wasn’t quite sure where he was. To be honest, for whatever reason I envisaged him somewhere in the Caribbean, and was quite impressed – satellite technology regardless – that he’d be on the other end of a phone line. “I’m still heading to New York from Boston,” said Mike when I finally got through. It had taken two days of trying, sorting out time zones (and a Skype account). For a while it sounded as if he were next-door, until he went underwater – metaphorically speaking.

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But why was I speaking to him, anyway? Ever since we interviewed for Carte Blanche someone who had climbed Kilimanjaro on his knees – he was an amputee – it has raised the bar for ‘people doing amazing things’. In fact, I’m about to interview a bloke who’s making his way on a stand-up paddleboard from Senegal to Brazil. It’s because when it comes to his sheer appetite for adventure, and the number of challenges he’s undertaken around the globe – from oceans to mountains – Mike Horn is probably unchallenged on this planet. He doesn’t simply do it for kicks: it’s his life, his calling, his business, and will probably remain as such until he runs out of sponsors. Mike has a passion for the planet – in the true sense of the term – and he passes it on to youth from all around the globe via his Pangaea Expeditions. It’s a process, an experience but, most simply put, a four-year programme through which “young adults can experience and explore the natural world, learn about its challenges, find possible solutions and, above all, act swiftly to help change things for the better”.

Aspirational stuff – the sort of language that multinational oil companies like to use on television commercials. Yet, for Mike, it’s real life, passing on his love for a planet he has come to grips with in a manner that few others have managed. We started chatting about his enduring affair with the Himalayas. Although he lives in the Swiss Alps, this iconic range is a bit like his own backyard – what most of us would perceive to be a dangerous backyard. This veteran explorer says that when climbers meet at base camp, it’s a fair certainty that not all will “come back down alive”. He says that in the short time he’s been climbing, he’s seen people fall down mountains, blown off ridges, sit down and freeze to death and get swept away by avalanches. But the reason for the danger apparently lies elsewhere. “It’s not the mountains that are dangerous; it’s all of us who become bigger than the mountain. That is the real danger.” Mike speaks the language of climbing philosophy when he says we climb to “answer questions of the inner soul”. He says today we do it for different reasons,

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I’m not necessarily a fan of alliteration, but Mike Horn was seriously on a boat from Boston to Brazil when I finally got hold of him. Having gone through his wife’s number in Switzerland to contact him, and with other deadlines in Zimbabwe looming, I was prepared to take what I got – no matter the quality of the connection.

and that today “commercialisation can play a big part in pushing yourself past the (climbing) Rubicon. “Many people think they can pay their way to the summit (like the many guided ascents on Everest) but, when things go wrong, money cannot bring you back alive – only experience can.” Mike’s most recent Everest expedition was to climb K2; at 8 611 metres, it’s the second highest peak in the world. It’s also one of the most technically difficult 8 000m peaks. And here his experience starts speaking. “On K2, the climb really starts at 8 000m. There is a very steep climb to the shoulder at 7 900m and then on the way to the summit at 8 300m, you are exposed to a hanging glacier called the Bottleneck and the Traverse. From there you follow a steep ridge to the summit.” It kind of makes sense that K2 is known as Savage Mountain. Mike says it earned this moniker because of the extreme difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among what are known as ‘the Eight Thousanders’ (those who attempt the fourteen 8 000m peaks). For every four people who have reached the summit,

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one has died trying to do so. Such as the Iranian climbers Mike met on this most recent climb. They, too, died. But it sounds as if they needn’t have. “The Iranians have tried for three years to climb this route. They were young, ambitious but not so experienced and it became an obsession for them to take this route.” Such an attitude, says the South African, is dangerous. “Summit fever is what we call it. Never forget that the summit is only halfway. There are more people who die coming down than going up. Even experienced climbers get summit fever. It is very hard work to get to 8 000m and you may not have another weather window to climb, so we become blind to all the indications. “Many climbers spend all their energy going up and have no fuel in the tank to come down. The moment you reach the summit, you are so exhausted that you drop your guard – that is when the trouble starts. The lack of oxygen and the dream of reaching the summit dominate your mind and you stop paying attention to the elements. Time, wind, snow conditions, temperatures and your physical condition must be aligned. If one of these factors is

not aligned, you must turn back – but the closer you get to the summit, the less you care. One step too far will be your last step, as was the case with many climbers this year.” Mike and his fellow climbers assisted in trying to rescue the Iranians, but they knew that at 8 000m it would be almost impossible. The masters of most dangerous extreme activities are guided by caution, and so it was with his team’s own decision about attempting the summit. “After speaking to my climbing partners, Kobi and Fred – both professional climbers – we thought it was too exposed for us to pull off.” The following day, a New Zealand father and son team died in an avalanche. A total of 26 climbers died on the mountain this year. Mike’s team lived to climb again. So now, for that question we like to put to all who excel at what they do: What’s his advice (to Everest climbers)? “When you get to the top, never sit down and never fall asleep. The only thing imprinted in your mind should be ‘down, down, down’.”

The Intrepid Explorer issue 4

Discover Africa’s untouched haven Experience the rugged beauty of the Selous, one of Africa’s last untouched havens. In this truly wonderful setting enjoy the spectacular scenery and an exciting game cruise along the Rufiji River, before withdrawing to the sheer luxury of your exclusive accommodation.

SELOUS

MIVUMO

SERENA CAMP RIVER LODGE TANZANIA

For reservations contact:

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AJ Ca litz

a tale of

terroir

After months of training and meticulous planning, everything started going wrong for AJ Calitz in the Verdon Canyon Challenge – but he rose to the occasion

Earlier this year, I had the incredible opportunity to have my wife accompany me on a European road trip that included two trail-running races: Zegama Aizkorri (Spain) and the Verdon Canyon Challenge (France).

unning and keeping up with superstars such as Kilian Jornet Burgada at Zegama was great but it ended in tears (literally), as 28 kilometres into the 42km race I slipped on an extremely muddy and rocky descent and “split my knee open like a ripe melon”, according to a German journalist. To say I was gutted is a severe understatement; a DNF (did not finish) in my first big international race was not what I had planned. Three painful weeks later, I toed the starting line of the 100km Verdon Canyon Challenge, after a race briefing only in French. I had been able to run only twice (gingerly!) since Zegama, but there was no way I was going to return to South Africa with a DNF as well as a DNS (did not start). We set off into the mountains at a moonless 3am in the light of our headlamps. I soon realised that everyone else’s headlamps were like sunlight compared to the ‘match’ I was using. (After the race, upon properly reading the instructional manual, I realised my headlamp had never been charged – the fault, as usual, had been with the operator, not the equipment.) Running in an unknown mountain, all alone in the pitch dark, was not the way I pictured my day going – then I fell again, on the same knee. Pain shot like a hot poker through my leg and I thought, “Here we go again, my race is over.” Luckily it was only a cut. It did, however, necessitate a wait for the runners behind me, in order to run in the light of their headlamps. I could hear the marshals

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counting the runners by the number of headlamps, and then screaming that there was another runner in the dark: “Sud-Afrique!” The Dark Continent, indeed. When the sun came out at last, I could make up some time on the leaders. At around the 60km mark, I caught the leader Thomas Pigois, who was taking some strain so I decided to go for it. Suffice to say, the terrain was epic: the azure-blue waters of the Gorges du Verdon, massive mountain ranges and beautiful trails, very akin to our own Otter Trail. Over 106km, only 9km was a ‘flattish jeep track’; the rest was either up or down mountains. The climbs and heat (35°C) were relentless, so much so that at around 70km I started cramping quite badly and had to dig very deep and slow down. Many a prayer was said and, after some good grazing at the feeding station (ham, salami and cheese), I was able to continue at a reasonably comfortable pace. The 85km marker for the 106km was a split in the course where the 55km (red numbers) and 106km (blue numbers) routes crossed. However, the split was at a beautiful bridge, which is a huge tourist attraction with loads of people taking photos and standing around in front of the sign that designated which way we were to run. Seeing other runners turn right, I also turned right after asking the 55km runners – who could speak only a word or two of English – for directions. At the top of a nearly vertical 800m rock climb, the official saw I had a blue number instead of a red one. His reaction spoke volumes! I was on the wrong route; after more than 90km in

searing heat across mountains and forest, this was the last thing I wanted to hear. I was ‘allowed’ to continue to the next feeding station and told to await further instructions – a 40-minute wait, as there was no radio or cellphone reception and the official had to climb to the top of another mountain to receive instructions: “Follow the 55km route to the finish.” This meant another 16km to the finish, instead of 10km – which does not sound far, but when you are counting metres it is a lifetime away. Having no other option, I picked myself up and carried on: left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. By now I had no idea where I was in the placings and merely wanted to finish. ‘Upset’ is not the word for how I felt. The final 5km had a climb similar to Lion’s Head, just for good measure. Upon entering the town of Aiguines, I was told I had only 1km to go and was still in the lead. Utterly flabbergasted, I could not believe I was actually going to win an international race! Fatigue was replaced by elation as I neared the finish line to tumultuous applause of the locals and other athletes, although I could not understand a word the announcer (or anyone else) was saying other than “AJ” and “Sud-Afrique”. I learnt many lessons that day: When you think you cannot carry on, your body is capable of so much more – and when everything goes wrong, from there it can only get better. AJ is a K-Way ambassador and uses K-Way gear and clothing on his trail runs.

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G et th e s h ot

Gear up.

K-Way athlete: AJ Calitz South African Trail Runner

Winner: Verdon Canyon Challenge 2013 Winner: Hi-Tec PUFFER 2012 Winner: Three Peaks Challenge in association with K-Way 2011 and 2012 Record Holder: K-Way Platteklip Charity Challenge 2013 (12 ascents of Platteklip Gorge) 3rd Place: The Otter 2013 Winner: Red Bull Lion Heart 2012

Get out. what does aj say?…. K-Way Trainer Cap - R150 “Lightweight cap – keeps your head cool and your eyes focused while running.”

K-Way Men’s Hydrogen Jacket - R499 “Lightweight shell jacket fits in your pocket – whip it out when a chill arises, stash away just as quickly – all on the go.”

K-Way Men’s Knox Shorts - R299 “Knox shorts-no rash! Pockets for quick energy food/GU stash!”

K-Way Men’s Kamit Moisture Manager - R199 “Moisture manager shirt – dries as fast as you can run. Keeps you comfortable and cool so you can run faster for longer.”

K-WAY HYDRO VELOCITY 6 DAYPACK - R325 “The K-Way Hydro Velocity 6 hydration pack is an excellent mountain biking, trail running and climbing bag with place for a hydration system.”

SUUNTO AMBIT 2S HR - R6999 “The Suunto Ambit changed everything. It was the first GPS watch to combine cutting-edge outdoor and training features, with thousands of sports apps ready to download.”

SALOMON MEN’S SPEEDCROSS 3 SHOE - R1499 “With less bulkiness to slow you down, these provide just enough cushioning to keep your feet comfortable and well supported, while an aggressive Contagrip rubber tread ensures superior speed and traction on the trail.”

K-WAY MEN’S WILEY ‘12 ACTIVE SOFTSHELL - R699 “The K-Way Wiley is a windproof and water-shedding softshell jacket - perfect to keep you warm and dry post-race!”

On the

wild side We give you the inside scoop on the outside world. We look at some of the astounding feats that are being accomplished by intrepid people and places; new developments on offer; and a host of events on the calendar to diarise in which you, The Intrepid Explorer reader, can become involved. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make the most of the outdoors! Compiled by Robbie Stammers

The Magic Mountain

he Northern Drakensberg is a stunning valley of undeveloped mountain wonderland. The majestic Amphitheatre wall provides a backdrop for unlimited hiking, mountain biking, horseriding and absolute relaxation in one of the most peaceful areas of our great country. Montusi Mountain Lodge offers a surprising element of luxury to any intrepid explorer. We were blown away by the view, the space, the silence and understated service excellence that greeted us when we arrived for a long weekend of adventuring. Gone are the days of roughing it in the ‘Berg. The Carte family conceived the lodge after years of Drakensberg living, and it shows: every element of the lodge is designed to take advantage of awesome mountain vistas. We spent two mornings riding our mountain bikes over 50km of specially maintained trails: single track for miles, bridges over muddy patches and stiles over fences made for flowing and exciting riding. From the lodge to the horizon,

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we were free to adventure on our bikes or our feet. The family who owns and runs the lodge is mountain-bike mad, so one can be assured of a top mountain biking experience. We also spent some time on our feet, hiking in the foothills around the lodge. The lodge provides a detailed hiking guide with a map, so you needn’t go with a guide, but we chose to join the morning walk. Although we went only on one morning hike, there are many hikes to choose from right at Montusi or at Royal Natal National Park. There’s also a golf course nearby and the Adventure Centre owned by All Out Adventures offers some unconventional ‘Berg activities such as quad biking or the high-speed cable tour. A relaxation massage topped off our last day: tired muscles and relaxed mind revelled in the pampering of this community project. For more information, go to www.montusi.co.za or email: info@montusi.co.za.

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Nothing beats a walking safari

“There are so many joys to be had when on a walk in a wild area. These include those of walking on a well-used game trail, the smell of dried dung, plants and flowers, a chorus of birdsong uninterrupted by vehicle noise; to feel the adrenalin burst and rush around your body as an old male buffalo stands up unexpectedly from a deep slumber under a thick bush, while giving you an antagonistic glare,” says Garth Thompson, author of The Guide’s Guide to Guiding. We had the immense pleasure of partaking in this type of adventure recently at the luxurious Leopard Mountain Lodge – a Big 5, multiple award-winning, 4-star lodge set within the

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Zululand Rhino Reserve, an Endangered Species Protected Area offering peace and tranquillity with friendly hospitality. The beautiful lodge has the most spectacular views in Zululand, from the river meandering below to the distant Lebombo Mountains. Chaperoned and led by our walking guide, Ivor, we had to dodge a mother rhino that was protecting her baby calf and learnt an immense amount about the surrounding bird life, flora, fauna, insects and animals. With riverine bush along the Msunduzi River and flatlands leading up to the bases of rolling Zululand hills, Zululand Walking Safaris is able to offer both the novice and more intrepid hiker an adventure never to be forgotten. Boasting a large diversity of animal species including the Big 5, a host of antelope, giraffe, hippo, cheetah, zebra and hyena – as well as over 500 species of birds including endemic species such as pink and green-throated twinspots, crested guineafowl and Neergaard’s sunbird – nothing beats a walking safari in the bush! For more information on Leopard Mountain Lodge, go to www.leopardmountain.co.za, and for walking safaris in KZN (can include day trips only), visit www.zululandwalkingsafaris.com. For walking safaris in the Cape region, check out www.sanbona. com; for the Kruger Park area, see www.jocksafarilodge.com.

The big-wave surfing life of Chris Bertish

Ocean Driven: The Chris Bertish Story is a gripping and unforgettable true story about perseverance which guides viewers of all ages to believe in and follow their dreams. When South African Chris Bertish won the Mavericks Big Wave Invitational in 2010 – minutes after nearly drowning – he conquered the largest surf competition in history. Now he is riding an even bigger wave as the subject of this exciting full-length film. Ocean Driven chronicles Bertish’s 30-year development into a fearless and highly skilled waterman. It centres around the growth, struggles and unique environments that have shaped this nearly supernatural ocean pioneer. Legendary surfers and ocean specialists were interviewed for the film, which features footage from Bertish’s global odyssey, leading to the record-setting Mavericks competition and beyond. Find out what it takes to become a fearless and highly skilled waterman. Discover why South Africa breeds exceptional big-wave surfers, and take an authentic big-wave odyssey around the globe – from South Africa and Morocco to Hawaii, Easter Island, Fiji and others. Ocean Driven planned to launch in October this year at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada. To top this off, Bertish has just set a new stand-up paddleboarding record in August for the crossing of the English Channel – a 38.1-kilometre stretch. This was the cherry on the cake after his 3.5-day Thames River source-to-sea adventure, which saw him run 20km, stand-up paddleboard 243km, and bike 35km to the Thames Barrier. This was all part of his Project Code Red adventure for a charity, The Lunchbox Fund. For more info on the launch of the Ocean Driven movie and to follow Chris’s stand-up paddleboarding adventure for charity, take a look at www.chrisbertish.com.

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Surf’s up!

Wavescape Surf Festival 2013, presented by Pick n Pay, prepares to inspire audiences at its 10th edition this December. The great white shark is more endangered than the rhino, and ocean acidification could mean the end of fish in the next 20 years. Such dramatic warnings by scientists, which underline the importance of ocean conservation, will be covered by films and speakers. The festival, which runs from 27 November to 16 December, includes a screening of Revolution, a hard-hitting documentary about the future of the ocean, as well as a talk by a shark scientist which brings home the state of the ocean. Films will be shown outdoors and indoors at four venues including a Night Under the Stars on Clifton 4th Beach on 7 December. The popular Wavescape Surfboard Art Exhibition and Auction takes place between 27 November and 4 December. Last year, almost a quarter of a million rand was raised, and beneficiaries were the National Sea Rescue Institute, Shark Spotters and the Isiqalo Foundation. This year sees the second time that Wavescape, supported by the Save Our Seas Foundation and Jack Black Beer, includes Slide Night – a unique evening when 10 scientists and ocean thought leaders speak for 10 minutes each. An addition to the beach lifestyle and cultural festival activity is the Wavescape Fish Fry, a surfboard market and community get-together at the historical heart of surfing in South Africa – Muizenberg. For more information, visit www.wavescapefestival.com or call Shani Judes, the Wavescape Surf Festival co-ordinator, on 083 509 5106.

Get that shot!

Wild Shots – South Africa’s exciting new wildlife photography conference – is back in Cape Town for its second year. The one-day event features a packed showcase of top photographers presenting their very latest work, telling tales of experiences in the field, and debating hot industry topics. Sessions this year include: • Images That Sell – How photo agencies work and what they’re looking for (Nature Picture Library) • The Poaching Crisis – Photographing for hearts or horror? (Don Pinnock) • Chasing the Light – Understanding colour and the art of landscapes (Hougaard Malan) • Photography at Night – Tips and tricks for difficult lighting conditions (Wim van den Heever) • Birds in Action – A quest for that perfect shot (Albert Froneman) The aim of Wild Shots is to explore the power of nature photography and how it helps promote a greater public appreciation of biodiversity and the conservation of nature in Africa. Wild Shots Wildlife Photography Conference Saturday, 30 November 2013 at the Iziko Museum, Cape Town For delegate registration and further information, see www.wildshotsevent.com or email: info@wildshotsevent.com. Tickets: R950 (R750 concessions) ex VAT

SEE MORE. ACHIEVE MORE.

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TomTom South Africa South Africa TomTom

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Chimp Eden is part of the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa, and is home to 34 chimpanzees mainly rescued from the illegal bush meat and pet trade. Adult chimps are usually killed for their meat while the babies are used as pets or for entertainment to draw people to businesses such as nightclubs and bars. One such example is Zac. He was chained to a tree outside a nightclub in Luanda and was badly undernourished, with his fur falling out. He had been taught to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes in order to amuse guests. Zac’s recovery was one of the most dramatic at Chimp Eden. He had to go through rehabilitation and detoxification, but now has earned the alpha position in his group of chimpanzees. Nina was a little orphan, confiscated from bush meat hunters in the Sudan. She and the other small ones from that country – Thomas, Dinka, Zee and Charlie – still tend to stick together. Nina, however, had an unplanned pregnancy and now has a healthy little baby of her own. Charles and Jessica were rescued from circuses, and now are the alpha male and alpha female of their group. The Chimp Eden sanctuary, just outside Nelspruit, provides a safe haven for these chimps in large enclosures with trees and natural vegetation. Here they live a semi-wild chimpanzee life – foraging and interacting with each other. They are supplied with adequate and healthy food, and are treated with constant kindness – aspects that were in short supply in their previous lives. The sanctuary is open to the public, and relies on the public to help in the work it does. There are three tours a day at 10h00, 12h00 and 14h00 and people are most welcome to visit. Chimp Eden is open all-year round, seven days a week – however, tours are weather-dependent. These tours are one of the educational tools used to explain and publicise the plight of chimpanzees, in the wild and elsewhere. People can also help Chimp Eden in its work by adopting one of the chimps, by making a donation, or by volunteering at the sanctuary. More information can be found on www.chimpeden.com and on the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JGISA.

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BUFF® is a registered trademark property of Original Buff, S.A. (Spain)

No monkeying around at Chimp Eden

® a B U FF pick b a n d t o n Kru H ead n A trail by ltraW o rn est u . ld the b r o f o w O ne f the e rs o ru n n

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 4 180 4000 Tel: 021

Out a n d a bout

Blonde on a bike

Want to cycle the highest roads in the world, from Leh to Manali? Join Bridget Ringdahl as she takes tours of cyclists across this desolate land on a 600km trip along the highest motorable road in the world. The Leh-Manali Highway in the Jammu & Kashmir state of India crosses five passes over 4 000m, then over 5 000m and the highest at 5 600m. This mostly unmetalled road follows spectacular valleys linked by a series of highaltitude passes, which eventually leads to the remote and starkly beautiful mountain kingdom of Ladakh (now the Leh District), situated in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. Apart from the breathtaking (in every sense!) scenery, the region brings together a melting pot of religions, which adds a very interesting cultural element to the route. Bridget has extensive experience bike-touring through South America, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Nepal, Sweden, Morocco and the Indian Himalayas and leads these incredible journeys with her husband, Carlos. Together they have pedalled over 6 7000km! Included in this incredible trip is a climb up Chamser Kangri (6 622m), which overlooks the stunning highaltitude lake of Tso Moriri. This trip is definitely not for the faint-hearted; Bridget says that stamina, good fitness and a sense of humour are required. She loves riding because it is a meditation, she says, and she gets to fully immerse herself in nature and her immediate environment. Bridget loves to share this feeling so, if you are also lusting for an adventure, check out her blog www.bridgetsbikeblog. wordpress.com or send her an email: info@spanafricaadventures.co.za to find out if you can join her on her next epic expedition.

Sunday Summer Sunsets

Bringing you the best in South African music, and with top South African group Prime Circle opening the Old Mutual Summer Sunset concert series at Kirstenbosch on Sunday, 24 November, you know this will be a summer to remember. Prepare to spend every Sunday winding down at this iconic garden, which is in its centenary year. Summer has arrived and the lineup promises the hottest artists on the coolest stage in Cape Town. With The Parlotones, Jack Parow, Jimmy Nevis, Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, Johnny Clegg, Freshlyground, Hugh Masekela and many others to take centre stage, every taste is catered for. Rock, jazz, soul, folk and classical – whatever your choice, pack that picnic, gather friends and family, and head off to the Garden for a Sunday afternoon in great company. The season runs from 24 November 2013 to 6 April 2014. Ticket prices range between R90 and R145 for adults. The special Youth Ticket (6-21 years) will also be retained (ranging from R65 to R115). The Old Mutual Summer Sunset Concerts take place at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden: Rhodes Drive, Newlands, Cape Town on Sundays from 17h30 to 19h00. Visit www.sanbi.org or www.oldmutual. com/music for more info. Book online at www.webtickets.co.za. Box office and telephone ticket sales (021 761 2866) start from the Tuesday preceding each concert.

Klipdrift Heart of Gold 2013 – Competition Rules This promotional competition is organised by Distell, in association with Insights Publishing (“the Promoters”). The promotional competition commences on 7 October 2013 and ends on 20 October 2013, both days inclusive. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. Participants stand a chance to win a two-day Weekend Getaway for two at the Tshukudu Bush Lodge in Pilanesberg (“the Grand Prize”). The second and third runners-up will each receive a ticket to the SA Hearts of Gold dinner event in Johannesburg. All prizes are herein collectively referred to as the Prize. To be eligible for the Prize, participants must register their details and opt in to communication from Klipdrift by dialling *120*1516*# and following the prompts. Normal USSD rates apply. The closing date for entries is 20 October 2013. Winners will be determined by random draw and notified by telephone by 22 October 2013. The prize must be claimed within 48 hours. The Grand Prize is only valid for 6 months from the date of issue and includes return flights, accommodation, two game drives each day, meals and local beverages to a maximum value of R20,000. The SA Hearts of Gold Dinner Event is valid for 29 October 2013 only, and includes return flights, dinner, entertainment and accommodation for the evening. Winners will be required to provide their proof of identity to verify that they are above the age of 18. The Prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. Full competition rules can be found on www.klipdrift.co.za

THE ALL NEW

FEEL ON TOP OF YOUR JOURNEY LIKE NEVER BEFORE

GO TomTom South Africa

TomTom South Africa @tomtom_sa

@tomtom_sa

Carina swims for cancer

Carina Bruwer, lead electric flautist of SAMA award-winning instrumental pop group, Sterling EQ, successfully rounded Cape Point on 23 April 2013, finishing the 8km extreme swim equipped only with a standard swimming costume, cap and goggles, according to open-water swimming rules. The ‘Swim for Hope’ was in support of the Little Fighters Cancer Trust (LFCT), a local charity that offers support to children with cancer and their families, which Carina and Sterling EQ actively support, and marked Carina’s return to open-water swimming after a six-year break during which she became a mother of two. The extreme swim through wild, cold and shark-infested waters started at Diaz Beach on the western side of Cape Point and ended 8km east at Buffels Bay. Water temperatures of between 11.5 and 14 degrees Celsius posed the biggest challenge to Carina who, together with her supergroup Sterling EQ, recently won a Ghoema Music Award for Best Instrumental Album of 2013.

A summer ﬂing

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She was crushed by waves off Diaz Beach and lost a pair of goggles in the process, got stung repeatedly by a school of jellyfish, and had to fight severe currents around the Point. She completed the swim in 2h36 – 16 minutes slower than the record she set for the swim in 2004. “It was extremely tough, but I’m very happy with the result. Even while at the prime of my marathon swimming career, I would not normally have swum in waters under 13 degrees. LFCT, and the children with cancer that it supports, were instrumental in this swim: they inspired me to stay strong and really fight the odds. I had to push through the extreme conditions for only two and a half hours, as opposed to the challenges and trauma they face on a daily basis,” Carina said at Buffels Bay after the swim. “I strongly encourage anyone who is able to make a contribution – big or small – to the (LFCT) Bag of Hope Project to please do so.” For more information on the LFCT, visit www. backabuddy.co.za or email: mandie@ littlefighters.org.za.

pioneering journeys Tanzania Uganda through africa Kenya Wildebeest migration

Rwanda Ethiopia Botswana Namibia Zambia Zimbabwe

Take your mind, body and soul where it has never been before. Whether you are thinking of escaping the concrete jungle, casting a line into ﬁsh laden waters or wanting to discover the secrets of the underwater world, CapeNature reserves offers something for everyone. Camp or stay at your choice of eco-cabins, bush lodges or comfortable cottages, all self-catering and experience nature like you have never seen it before. Embrace Summer and Explore Nature, book your sensational summer holiday with CapeNature.

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit: www.capenature.co.za or contact our call centre on 021 483 0190 alternatively email us at reservation.alert@capenature.co.za

Wild Card members access all CapeNature reserves free.

Conserve. Explore. Experience.

Tel: 011 702 2035 or 072 927 7529 Fax: 086 689 6759 reservations@wildfrontiers.com www.wildfrontiers.com

The A FIntrepid R I C A Explorer T R A V E issue L S P 4E C I A L I S T S

5 i the big

Robbie Stammers gives us a guided tour of the new, exciting vehicles that have been spotted on our roads recently

Like the Big 5 in the bush, these vehicles have unique characteristics: some may be featured for their strength and speed, and others for their comfort and size.

n Africa, the Big 5 game animals are the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. The term ‘big five game’ was coined by big-game hunters, and refers to the five African animals that are most difficult to hunt on foot.

Subsequently, the term was adopted by safari tour operators for marketing purposes. For our purposes, we have chosen this quarter’s five preferred vehicles to review. Some would be ideal for an intrepid adventure into the bundus, while others would be more suited to the concrete jungle and the school run.

Smitten, with a smile – Range Rover Autobiography LR-SDV8

Hold all my calls, cancel all my meetings! I just wanted to sit in this vehicle, smile a lot and drive. Who could blame me, really? This is the fourth and easily the best all-new Range Rover to see the light of day since the iconic original appeared in 1970 and changed off-road vehicles forever. While the new full-size luxury Rover sports evolutionary changes to its exterior styling and cabin, the big news is acceleration, handling and fuel economy improvements due to a new, all-aluminium unibody structure that helps reduce curb weight by a staggering 700 pounds (about 318 kilogrammes) compared to the old model. For the new generation, the Range Rover’s tall greenhouse remains intact – a design cue that dates back to the 1970s model. However, an elongated front fascia that recalls the smaller Range Rover Evoque clearly gives it an updated yet familiar face. Instead of upright headlamps, the new Range Rover’s lights sweep back into the fenders, further accentuating the rounded appearance. At the rear, the vehicle’s tall tail lamps now feature a swept-around character line, but the automaker’s split tailgate design appears to have carried over. New wheels are also clearly inspired by the smaller Evoque. Underneath the sheetmetal, a new fully independent air suspension lifts the aluminium unibody Range Rover for difficult off-road conditions. More front- and rear-wheel travel and pneumatically cross-linked air springs simulate the kind of articulation formerly only available with solid axles – further improving the outgoing model’s already formidable capability. Ground clearance is up 17mm for a total of about 300mm when the air suspension is raised to its top position.

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Hit th e r oa d, J a c k Also new is electric power steering with a faster ratio than the outgoing model through most of the wheels’ movement, but is actually slower on centre to keep the ‘relaxed character’ of previous Range Rovers. Six-piston Brembo front brakes are standard, and both brake discs are gigantic – 380mm up front and 364mm out back. Range Rover is rated at 3 500kg towing capacity and a Trailer Stability Assist system is now standard. The new Rangie continues to use the same pair of V8s as the outgoing model, but the weight loss means acceleration is noticeably improved. The basic dashboard and centre console are similar to those of the old Range Rover, but a new centre stack incorporates an updated version of the automaker’s infotainment system. The centre console, meanwhile, includes the ‘rises to the occasion’ gear lever that first debuted under sister brand Jaguar’s watch. The Range Rover’s already prodigious rear-seat legroom has been increased by a full 119mm, according to Land Rover. An audio system developed by British firm, Meridian, is standard. Interior details include a choice of several real wood veneers sourced from sustainable forests and real brushed aluminium trims. Twin needle stitching keeps the leather panels looking suitably upmarket, while LED mood lighting sets the stage. There are so many other goodies, I don’t know where to start: the massaging options on the seats, the entertainment system in the back that had my kids viewing their own individual movie with headphones beaming off the screens, the heated steering wheel and the self-park option immediately spring to mind. Under the bonnet, the pair of 5.0-litre V8 engines in the 2012 Range Rover are still here for 2013, but now they are paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission (as opposed to a six-speed in 2012) for improved fuel economy. I could go on and on and on, but I think you get the picture: this is pure driving pleasure. And let’s be honest, there’s a reason Her Royal Highness is driven around in this vehicle – simply nothing else can touch its majestic rule. Price tag Autobiography LR-SDV8 – R1 761 200

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Mr Dependable strikes again – Subaru Forester 2.0XT Turbo CVT

Subaru almost literally created the crossover vehicle as we know it today and its fan-base is a faithful bunch the world over. After driving the new Forester 2.0XT Turbo CVT, I think the automaker can rest assured that its fans will not be changing brands anytime soon. I found the 2.0-litre XT Turbo – with 177kW and 350Nm of torque, and with a top speed of 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds – a pleasure to drive both on- and off-road, however I do have one or two concerns. The company has elected to dump the manual gearbox that comprised 15% of XT sales in the previous generation, instead employing the latest continuously variable transmission (CVT) in place of the five-speed manual and dated four-speed automatic – bringing the top petrol Forester into line with other newer Subaru models such as the Outback. The CVT and smaller engine contribute to a 19% improvement in fuel economy, even though the Forester XT is 40kg heavier than before, at 1 629kg. But with South Africans watching the petrol price increase week after week, not having any diesel options or even a conventional automatic does hamstring the Subaru Forester offering in my eyes, even though the normally aspirated petrol offerings do provide evenly matched performance in both the power and torque departments. The claimed fuel consumption is 8.5 litres per 100km, but I was getting at least 11, if not more – and that hurt a little, I must admit. My only other gripe with the Forester is the use of plastic. I feel Subaru’s overly generous use of interior plastic changes one’s perception of a rather upmarket SUV and knocks it down a few pegs. On the good side, though, I was impressed with the other bells and whistles, including a six-speaker sound system with USB and Bluetooth inputs, cloth trim, trip computer, dual-zone climate control, a large sunroof, manual seat adjustments, cruise control, 18-inch alloys, split-fold reclining rear seats, a full-size spare, the SI-drive sport mode system and a reach’n’rake adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel. Subaru has long bragged about five stars across its range, and the new Forester does plenty to keep that track record intact. The EyeSight driver assist system brings adaptive cruise control, lane

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When Springbok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira gets the ball passed to him, the entire rugby stadium screams out: “Beeeeaaaassst!’.

Well, that’s what I’d expect when someone drives past in this Land Cruiser – an indestructible V8 monster. departure warning and pre-collision warning and auto-braking systems to a features list that already has all-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, stability control, seven airbags, a reversing camera (sans sensors) and xenon headlights. If you can ignore the rising fuel prices, this Subaru is still a keeper. Price tag Subaru Forester 2.0XT Turbo CVT – R529 000

Worthy workhorse – Isuzu KB 300 D-TEQ LX Double Cab 4X4

An automaker has to stand out or do something extra-special to compete in a bakkie/pickup truck bracket that offers more than 100 different models and makes from which to choose in South Africa. It is especially difficult, in my humble opinion, when one is a big fan of the Volkswagen Amarok as I am – but I must say, I was indeed impressed with Isuzu’s new offering, although it lacks the interior sexiness of the Amarok. The use of plastics in the interior in particular means the KB does not feel it lives up to the slick style of some of its competitors. Nevertheless, it is a true bakkie, let us not forget. I think Isuzu die-hards will still tell you it is always more about how the car handles itself than the pretty extra ‘lipstick and rouge’ frills that won’t mean that much to them. The KB’s steering column is only height-adjustable, which is a shame. However, the vehicle does have other nice features such as cruise control, climate control, park distance control, and two 12V points. Off the road, though, this Isuzu certainly does perform well and I couldn’t feel any vague bumps or grinds. The suspension (coil-over-shock in the front and leaf spring at the rear) does an excellent job of smoothing out corrugated roads. Noise is also kept to a minimum. The Extended Cab has the same internal length as the

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previous model (1 795mm), but is 70mm wider (1 530mm). Load box height is 15mm less, with a depth of 465mm. On the Double Cab variants, the load box is 135mm longer (1 550mm) and 105mm longer at the top (1 485mm). Internal width is up by 70mm to 1 530mm and, as with the Extended Cab, load box height is down by 15mm. I found the extra length just a little too long, and found it difficult to park – then again, I’m not on the farm every day, so perhaps this sounds a little like a ‘city slicker’ complaint. Fuel consumption is rated at 10.4 litres per 100km and carbon dioxide emissions at 245g/km, which I thought was fair enough, considering the size of the vehicle. Isuzu still has a very loyal following in our country and I’m sure that even against some of its ‘prettier’ competitors, this workhorse will do its owner proud! Price tag Isuzu KB 300 D-TEQ LX Double Cab 4X4 – R464 400

The beauty in the beast – Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Double Cab V8 Pickup

When Springbok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira gets the ball passed to him, the entire rugby stadium screams out: “Beeeeaaaassst!’. Well, that’s what I’d expect when someone drives past in this Land Cruiser – an indestructible V8 monster. The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series has adopted a 4.5-litre, 32-valve V8 turbo-diesel engine. Three Land Cruiser 70 Series models – the 76 Station Wagon, the 79 Single Cab and the 79 Double Cab – are the latest recipients of this Euro IV-compliant V8 engine, which features common-rail direct injection and an intercooler. It delivers 151kW at 3 400rpm and 430Nm at just 1 200rpm all the way through to 3 200rpm – the flattest torque curve of all Toyota’s engines. It boasts 55kW more power and 145Nm more

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Price tag Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Double Cab V8 Pickup Diesel: R567 600

Bringing sexy back – Toyota RAV4 2.0 MT GX

Once upon a time in 1994, Toyota took South Africa by storm with a new car it called its Recreational Active Vehicle – RAV for short. Since then, Toyota has been selling roughly 1 369 units a day, across 150 countries. That’s nine units a day per country, or 4.5 million vehicles! Certainly nothing to sneeze at; however, as more and more competitors entered this lucrative market, the RAV lost a certain

amount of her unique appeal – but perhaps with the launch of the new RAV4 series, that will change. The styling follows the current Toyota design language as portrayed by the new Auris and lends the vehicle a more sporty and youthful appearance – both inside and out. Dimensions have grown slightly in all directions (except height) and result in a more spacious vehicle with increased luggage space. The wheelbase has grown by a significant 100mm. An all-new 2.5-litre VVT-i petrol engine is added to the list of existing powertrain configurations, with power output of 132kW and 233Nm of torque. The derivative equipped with this engine is offered only with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Toyota claims a fuel consumption figure of 8.5 litres per 100km – a 7% improvement – for this model, and it didn’t feel far off the mark during my driving experience. The 2.0-litre petrol model is offered with manual and CVT options, and develops 107kW. Both 2.0-litre petrol models feature front-wheel drive only. The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel model (110kW) is offered only with the six-speed manual transmission and features all-wheel drive. The levels of noise, vibration and harshness have been improved. Safety is now at a Euro NCAP 5-star level and the new model offers a new function called cornering control, which aids handling by using yaw feedback to alter the engine torque to individual wheels. The cabin is a marked improvement, with particular focus on material quality and seating comfort (greater range of adjustment on driver’s seat and steering wheel). Toyota claims improved outward visibility. Rear space is now claimed to be class-leading and the use of thinner front seatbacks further improves legroom for rear passengers. Open the new tailgate (now top-hinged and without a spare wheel) and you’re greeted with a large luggage space of a claimed 547 litres. Two trim levels (GX and VX) are offered. GX models feature roof rails, 17-inch alloys, and daytime running lights on the outside and power windows, remote central locking, manual climate control, a touchscreen multi-information display incorporating a stereo system, steering controls, retractable tonneau cover with net barrier, and rear Park Distance Control inside. My only concern is that it felt a little flat on the power front with a full vehicle and on a steep gradient but, all in all, it’s a fantastic ‘welcome back’ to the compact SUV market for Toyota. Most importantly, the automaker has done its customers proud with its prices, which I have no doubt will once again see the RAV flying out the dealership doors.

Hit th e r oa d, J a c k

torque than the naturally aspirated 4.2-litre straight-six diesel engine that still sees service in certain Land Cruiser workhorses. The 4.5-litre is matched to a five-speed manual transmission with two-speed transfer case and a part-time 4WD system with manual free-wheeling front hubs. Fuel consumption is rated at 11.55 litres per 100km on the combined cycle for all versions. And although the tank is admittedly huge, I was amazed at how good the fuel consumption actually was; I would’ve argued that it could be even better than the stats supplied, and that would have been a first! The V8 turbo-diesel range mirrors that of the other petrol and diesel models in the 70 Series. All turbo-diesel models get power steering, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, air conditioning, electric windows, electric mirrors, a 12V accessory connector as well as remote central locking. The 79 Double Cab is cosmetically differentiated from its Single Cab stablemate by the addition of two rear doors. This model doesn’t come with overfenders, and alloys are optional. Inside, it gains extra kit in the form of on-board SatNav, a stereo system and USB port. If there were any vehicle in which I’d feel confident going up Africa, this Land Cruiser would surely fit the bill.

Price tag RAV4 2.0 2WD GX 6-spd manual – R279 900 RAV4 2.0 2WD GX CVT – R289 900 RAV4 2.2 D-4D AWD GX 6-spd manual – R359 900 RAV4 2.5 AWD VX 6-spd auto – R399 900

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Ph oto es s a y In each edition of The Intrepid Explorer, we showcase one of South Africa’s top photographers. Our Intrepid man behind the lens for this spring edition is peter delaney.

life through the

lens

In 2001, Africa became the new chapter in Delaney’s life. The sheer size and magnitude of the continent was overwhelming. He travelled the forests of Bwindi to the peaks of Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya, to the shores of Lake Malawi and the red dunes of the Kalahari. With the dawning of the digital age and the solitude Delaney found in the wilderness of Africa, it was a natural progression to concentrate on a new genre of photography – wildlife and landscapes. For the last five years, he has been honing his skill and applying some of his previous learnt techniques for his new life as a fine art photographer. Delaney’s work has been published worldwide and has featured in magazines such as National Geographic, GEO French edition, GEO German edition, Africa Geographic and Muy Interesante. He has won numerous awards including the 2011 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Nature in Black and White.

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Dune with Storm Clouds, Witsands, Western Cape

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The Gladiator, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa Lone Tree, Mapungubwe, South Africa

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Ph oto es s a y Heart of Darkness, Etosha, Namibia

Parade of Elephants, Etosha, Namibia

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Dancing Zebras, Etosha, Namibia

The Godfather, Etosha, Namibia

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Hippo Splash, Greater Kruger

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store listing western cape STORES Bayside Mall (021) 556-3861 bayside@capeunionmart.co.za Blue Route Mall (021) 712-5979 blueroute@capeunionmart.co.za Canal Walk (021) 555-2846 canalwalk@capeunionmart.co.za Canal Walk Adventure Centre (021) 555-4629 cwac@capeunionmart.co.za Cape Gate Shopping Centre (021) 982-2000 capegate@capeunionmart.co.za Cavendish Square (021) 674-2148 cavendish@capeunionmart.co.za Constantia Village (021) 794-0632 constantia@capeunionmart.co.za Garden Route Mall (044) 887-0048 gardenroute@capeunionmart.co.za Gardens Centre (021) 461-9678 gardens@capeunionmart.co.za Knysna Mall (044) 382-4653 knysna@capeunionmart.co.za Langeberg Mall (044) 695- 2486 mosselbay@capeunionmart.co.za Mill Square (021) 886-4645 stellenbosch@capeunionmart.co.za Mountain Mill Mall (023) 347-1484 worcester@capeunionmart.co.za Paarl Mall (021) 863-4138 paarl@capeunionmart.co.za Somerset Mall (021) 852-7120 somersetwest@capeunionmart.co.za The Market Square (044) 533-4030 marketsquare@capeunionmart.co.za Tygervalley Shopping Centre (021) 914-1441 tygervalley@capeunionmart.co.za V&A Waterfront (021)425-4559 quayfour@capeunionmart.co.za V&A Waterfront (021) 419-0020 waterfront@capeunionmart.co.za

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West Coast Mall (022) 713 4113 weskus@capeunionmart.co.za

Middleburg Mall (013) 244-1040 Middelburg@capeunionmart.co.za

Killarney Mall (011) 486-4253 killarney@capeunionmart.co.za

EASTERN CAPE STORES Riverside Mall Kolonnade Shopping Centre Greenacres Shopping Centre (013) 757-0338 (012) 548-9811 (041) 363-1504 nelspruit@capeunionmart.co.za kolonnade@capeunionmaart.co.za greenacres@capeunionmart.co.za NORTH WEST STORES Mall@reds Hemingways Shopping Centre Waterfall Mall (012) 656-0182 (043) 726-0908 (014) 537-3651 redsmall@capeunionmart.co.za hemmingways@capeunionmart.co.za waterfall@capeunionmart.co.za Menlyn Park Walmer Park Brits Mall (012) 368-1015 (041) 368-7442 (012) 250-1909 menlyn@capeunionmart.co.za walmer@capeunionmart.co.za brits@capeunionmart.co.za Nicolway Mall Vincent Park Mooiriver Mall (011) 706-7573 (043) 726-2900 (018) 293-1788 nicolway@capeunionmart.co.za vincentpark@capeunionmart.co.za mooiriver@capeunionmart.co.za OR Tambo International Airport Fountains Mall LIMPOPO STORE (011) 390-3245 (042) 293-0005 Mall of the North ortambo@capeunionmart.co.za fountainsmall@capeunionmart.co.za (015) 265-1067 mallofthenorth@capeunionmart.co.za Rosebank Mall KWAZULU-NATAL STORES (011) 442-1959 Boardwalk Shopping Centre GAUTENG STORES rosebank@capeunionmart.co.za (035) 789-0321 Atterbury Value Mart, Pretoria boardwalk@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 991-3171 Sandton City atterbury@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 884-9771 Galleria Mall sandton@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 904 -2318 Brooklyn Mall galleria@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 460-5511 The Glen Shopping Centre brooklyn@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 436 -1300 Gateway World theglen@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 566-5111 Carnival Mall gateway@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 915-0470 The Grove carnivalmall@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 807-0642 La Lucia Mall thegroove@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 562-0523 Centurion Shopping Centre LaLucia@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 663-4111 Vaal Mall centurion@capeunionmart.co.za (016) 981- 5186 Midlands Mall vaalmall@capeunionmart.co.za (033) 342-0152 Clearwaters Mall midlands@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 675-0036 Woodlands Boulevard clearwaters@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 997-6960 Pavilion Shopping Centre woodlands@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 265-1666 Cresta Centre pavillion@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 478-1913 BOSTWANA STORES Game City, Gaberone cresta@capeunionmart.co.za 00267-391-0948 Westville Mall gamecity@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 266-6049 Eastgate Adventure Centre westwood@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 622-8788 Riverwalk Mall, Gaberone egac@capeunionmart.co.za 00267-370-0040 NORTHERN CAPE STORE riverwalk@capeunionmart.co.za Diamond Pavilion Centre East Rand Mall (053) 832-3846 (011) 826-2408 Pick n Pay Centre, Francistown diamondpavillion@capeunionmart.co.za eastrandmall@capeunionmart.co.za 00267-241-0398 francistown@capeunionmart.co.za FREE STATE STORES Fourways Mall Mimosa Mall (011) 465-9824 NAMIBIA STORE (051) 444-6059 fourways@capeunionmart.co.za Maerua Mall, Windhoek mimosa@capeunionmart.co.za 00264-612-20424 Greenstone Mall windhoek@capeunionmart.co.za Loch Logan Waterfront (011) 609-0002 (051) 430-0230 greenstone@capeunionmart.co.za OUTLET STORES lochlogan@capeunionmart.co.za Access Park, Cape Town Hyde Park Corner (021) 674-6398 MPUMALANGA STORES (011) 325-5038 accesspark@capeunionmart.co.za Ilanga Mall hydepark@capeunionmart.co.za (013) 742-2281 Woodmead Value Mart, Johannesburg ilanga@capeunionmart.co.za Irene Village (011) 656-0750 (012) 662-1133 woodmead@capeunionmart.co.za Highveld Mall irene@capeunionmart.co.za (013) 692-4018 highveld@capeunionmart.co.za

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Howe to tr a vel

The last laugh

Walking with wombats

in the wild Graham Howe runs into all manner of magical marsupials down south in Tasmania A road trip in Tasmania is like a safari. When hiring the rental car in Hobart, I was warned that the secondary roads on this island are windy-windy – and that distances are deceptive. I was told it takes longer than you think to get from point A to point B on the map. Driving on country roads after dark is not advised, as the nocturnal wildlife has

right of way. But I didn’t listen.

eaving Hobart, I headed overland into the highlands, leisurely stopping for a whisky tasting at a distillery along the way in hops-and-barley country. Dawdling along, admiring the spectacular forest landscape, I passed road signs saying, “Expect the unexpected around the corner” and wondered what they meant. Who, me? Worry? Our overnight stop in the wilderness seemed a mere two hours away. We were running late after taking yet another scenic detour to take a sunset stroll deep in the forest among some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world in Mount Field National Park. As darkness fell, we began to wonder why there were no other cars on the road. We soon found out why hardly anyone in Tasmania seems to drive anywhere from dusk to dawn – and why the recommended speed limit is halved by night to 40 kilometres per hour. Somewhere in the deep gloom of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Heather yelled: “Watch out – kangaroo on the road!” I swerved, narrowly missing a suicidal wallaby that perversely hopped onto the road the minute it spotted our car. A close call. “It’s not a roo, it’s a red-necked Bennett’s wallaby!” I shouted out. We slowed to a crawl on hairpin bends on a vertiginous descent into a deep valley through an endless tunnel of trees on a pitch-black night. Keeping our eyes peeled – navigator to the left, driver to the right

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– we scanned the verge for any furtive signs of movement. We didn’t have to wait long. “Wallaby at 10 o’clock,” warned Heather. “No, it’s a Tasmanian pademelon,” I argued. “They only come out at night!” The next hundred kilometres turned into a safari drive that took hours. Playing dodgems with the wildlife, I started to realise why I’d been cautioned about driving after dark. Not wanting to collect more animals on my number plate than the Tasmanian devil, the national symbol of the island, I drove really slowly. Whenever I sensed any movement at the roadside, I turned my headlights low to avoid blinding the poor critters. Why did the wallaby cross the road? To get to the other side, silly. We spotted a mixed outing of three different animals near a one-roo village called Tarraleah. Braking to a complete halt, I stared in amazement as a brushtailed possum, a common wombat and an eastern quoll queued at what appeared to be an unmarked marsupial crossing. In a scene straight out of Dr Seuss, I half expected the possum to hold up a lollipop stop sign – and to caution: “Look left, look right, then left again…” We were relieved to arrive safely at our destination: Derwent Bridge (population 12), a mountain hamlet set in Tasmania’s high country. People come from all over the world to see ‘The Wall in the Wilderness’, a 100m-long gallery of panels carved by artist Greg Duncan, which depicts the story of Tasmania.

John Wendt, owner of Derwent Bridge Chalets & Studios, was amazed to see guests arriving so late. Welcoming us, he showed us to a cosy cabin with a log fire and wombats snuffling happily on the lawn. We headed into Cradle Mountain, an iconic 1 250km2 national park. Thousands of hikers come from all over the world to do the week-long overland track through the wilderness. Walking a trail on a long, elevated boardwalk built to protect the fragile alpine habitat, we followed the curious cubeshaped droppings of wombats until we found these feisty little beasts that charge at your ankles if you get too close. Back at Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village, we fell asleep to the sounds of possums on the roof – and wallabies and pademelons in the bush and on the balcony. Tasmania, an island the size of Ireland, appeals to the wilderness in you: some 25 000km2 (almost half the country) are preserved in their natural state as national parks with 2 000km of hiking trails through the Great Outdoors. Man and marsupial share this wilderness of glaciers, high mountain peaks, deep river gorges and wild coast – a Noah’s Ark of fantastical creatures from bettongs, echidnas and quolls to long-nosed potoroos, wombats and Tasmanian devils. We spotted many on foot and some on the road on our drive on the wild side that night. Graham Howe visited Tasmania as a guest of Tourism Australia and Qantas; visit www.australia. com and www.discovertasmania.com.

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the last word What’s cooking with MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan?

You have never been to South Africa, so are you looking forward to your visit? Besides being a celebrity guest at the Good Food & Wine Show, what other sights do you hope to see on your trip? Yes, I have never been to South Africa so I am very excited! Outside of the food show, I won’t have a lot of time to get out and about – certainly not on safari, which is what I really want to do. Maybe next time! I have a list of foodie places to visit in Joburg, including the markets – so I may put on a few pounds while I’m there! What are your top travel destinations? I love France, particularly the Southwest and the South of France. My training is classically French, and for me it’s the spiritual home of beautiful food: truffles, wild mushrooms, cheeses, turbot, langoustine, saltbush lamb, macarons… Paris is a magnificent city – grand, enchanting and entertaining. I’d like to live there some day. How does travel influence your food and cooking? Every place to which I travel has a food memory; it’s a lovely way to connect the time, place and people. Duck confit in the Southwest of France, jamón in Spain, mozzarella di bufala in Tuscany or dumplings in Hong Kong – the list goes on and on. Mind you, the odd meal will stand out in my mind for ever, such as I’ve had at Mugaritz in San Sebastián and The Fat Duck in Bray. Did you ever expect MasterChef Australia to explode as it has? It has surprised us all – from day one. We never expected MasterChef to be such a massive hit. A prime-time cooking show? Surely it won’t work! Five years on and some 500 episodes of main series and 10 series later, we still consider ourselves to be

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very lucky. It is a wonderful journey and experience – not only for the contestants but for (fellow judges) George (Calombaris), Matt (Preston) and myself as well.

What is your fail-safe favourite meal to cook at home? Roast chicken – for all occasions, but served a hundred different ways!

Barbecue or sushi? Both, I think! It’s about time and place – and who could turn down a good version of either?

What music can you not leave behind on a long road trip? My music tastes are eclectic and sometimes unusual. I listen to everything from the classics such as The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and the Beatles to Coldplay. My favourite at the moment is London Grammar. Interesting for an old guy, I love progressive trance – which drives my family bonkers!

With a job like yours, you tend to try almost anything – what is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten? A visit to Hong Kong recently challenged the taste buds and the mind, including a soup with lots of ‘piggy bits’ such as intestine, throat and blood sausage. Hmmm… the jury is still out on that one. Beer or wine? Beer first – and always on a hot day. Wine second, but the exception to the rule is in winter in front of the fire with a big, bold red. Would you consider yourself adventurous? What is the most adventurous thing you have done? The older I get, the more adventurous I become. Last time I threw caution to the wind, I ended up with a broken radius after coming off a mountain bike, riding down Mt Buller in Victoria, Australia. The two blokes who accompanied me were named “Spud” and “Danger” – that should have been enough of a clue for me to have said, “No, thanks, I’ve got to be somewhere else.” Top three destinations still on your bucket list? Japan, Argentina and Sweden. Aussie rules, cricket or rugby union? Rugby Union.

If you were stuck on a desert island, would you know how to make a fire without matches and how to catch your dinner? Yes, I’m a caveman at heart. I would like to think so, anyway – but I would probably starve to death! Camping or luxury lodge? Luxury lodge. Who is your inspirational role model? A number of top chefs, in particular George Calombaris. Having worked with him for so long – first as my apprentice and now as a successful and dynamic businessman – I am constantly amazed by his energy and enthusiasm for great food. What he has achieved in Melbourne for the restaurant industry is remarkable. If we had a cook-off among the winners of MasterChef Australia, UK and South Africa, who do you reckon would walk away with the top prize? I haven’t met any of the winners of South Africa or the UK, so I can’t answer that. But I reckon our Aussie winners such as Julie (Goodwin), Callum (Hann) or Andy (Allen) would be in the running.