Table of contents for January 2018 in go!

Jolting jelly Q ANDRÉ ROBBERTS from Gordon’s Bay writes: I found this jellyfish washed up on the beach. I’ve never seen one before. What species is it? A Marine expert GEORGINA JONES writes: This is a compass jellyfish. Their stings are extremely painful, so they need to be treated with caution. When we get compass jelly blooms inshore in False Bay, diving becomes challenging. They have 24 long tentacles that can easily touch exposed skin and get tangled in gear – and they are still capable of stinging once out of the water. I know of a diver who got a tentacle stuck in his mouthpiece and was stung inside his mouth! Fun fact: Jellyfish ice cream is sold at some restaurants in Japan. Designer bushbuck? Q NATIE DU PREEZ…

Hike the Otter Trail or one of the wilderness trails in the Kruger, see Bourke’s Luck Potholes or the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers… All without leaving your chair. That’s right: 170 iconic trails and viewpoints in South Africa have been added to Google Street View. A team of volunteers, in collaboration with Google and Drive South Africa, has gathered imagery from all of South Africa’s national parks, 17 other nature reserves and six World Heritage Sites. If you’ve always wanted to see the Stadsaal Caves in the Cederberg, you can get there without hurting your knees. More of a city slicker? Stroll down the Sea Point promenade in Cape Town, or down Church Street in Joburg. How does it work? Six members of the Drive South Africa…

Get ready for some lunar surprises this year: 2018 kicks off with a super moon and a blue moon in the first month alone! What is a blue moon? Have a look at the table: There will be two full moons in January, on the 2nd and the 31st. When two full moons occur in the same calendar month, the second is known as a blue moon. There is usually a blue moon once every three years (every 2,7 years to be exact), but there are exceptions to the rule. There are 29,5 days between one full moon and the next, but February is a short month so sometimes “February’s” full moon comes in late January as is the case here. 2018 is a bumper year for blue moons because…

Uvongo, KZN South Coast I spent every summer holiday of my childhood in Uvongo, in the big, white holiday house shared by my mom and her two siblings. Arriving there after the long drive from Joburg was the most exciting thing on earth. My sister and I would run across the prickly lawn and crash down the sea path on the other side of the road, desperate to feel the sand between our toes and to breathe the strange, humid air. The South Coast was a paradise, as exotic as Tahiti. We’d spend our days on nearby Uvongo Beach (pictured below – that’s my dad chasing me). Uvongo is still pretty, but back then the beach had real natural drama. The La Crete Hotel hadn’t yet been demolished for holiday…

South Africa is the double-cab 4x4 capital of the world, with offerings by manufacturers from Japan, the US, Germany, India and China. In 2018, a French rooster will also enter the henhouse. Except, seemingly, with a bit of an identity crisis. When you look at the new Renault Alaskan up close, it’s plain to see it’s actually a Nissan Navara. Renault owns Nissan globally, so this is no coincidence, but the French are clearly of the opinion that their interpretation of le bakkie is better. But is it? We took a pre-release model for a spin. Powertrains and payload capacity are identical between the Alaskan and the Navara: a 2,3-litre turbo-diesel engine that produces 120 kW/403 Nm or 140 kW/450 Nm, while being able to tow 3,5 tonnes. Transmission options…

While in the Koue Bokkeveld on assignment, I set out early one morning from Nieuwoudtville to photograph the quiver tree forest on the farm Gannabos at sunrise. But a few kilometres along the R357, a dust cloud in the veld caught my eye: A flock of sheep was approaching to drink from a water trough near the fence. I pulled over, hopped the fence and hid behind the trough. The sheep in front weren’t fooled and they stopped in their tracks when they saw the strange creature kneeling in the dirt. The sheep at the back, however, hadn’t noticed me yet and they were still kicking up dust. After snapping a few pics, I left the animals to drink in peace. But now the sun was up and my dawn…

I was born in the KZN Midlands, to a family who took holidaying very seriously. We were fortunate enough to have a cousin with a cottage near Ballito and we visited regularly. However, my gran’s house in Sea Park near Port Shepstone on the South Coast was where my real beach memories were made. Fishing in lagoons and rock pools, picnics with homemade cupcakes and a can of granadilla Schweppes… These are some of my favourite memories. As for Ballito, my cousin’s cottage fell to the pressures of development and has since been replaced by a block of flats. I go back every now and again, but it’s a very different place, far trendier and busier. My own little family of three still thrives on beach holidays – usually at…

I’m biased because I live here, but Cape Town must have some of the best beaches on earth. The mountain is great – obviously – but for me, the beaches make the peninsula. Boulders Beach, pictured here, is one of Cape Town’s most famous, thanks to the resident colony of cheeky African penguins. The best way to escape the crowds? Glide up to the penguins on a stand-up paddle board! Langebaan north of Cape Town is known for wind – so much so that it’s one of the top kitesurfing destinations in the country. Luckily for the rest of us, the wind usually dies down late in the afternoon, just in time for a sunset stroll along the beach. See our feature about the town in go! #135…

This restaurant and tasting room is a really smart spot – it wouldn’t be out of place on Kloof Street in Cape Town or in Maboneng in Joburg. The eponymous four cousins are all prolific winemakers for Van Loveren and there are lots of liquid options to choose from in the tasting room. Besides wine (and sparkling wine), they sell non-alcoholic wine (Zari range), craft beer (Boet beer) and whiskey. There are fun and creative pairings of wine, whiskey and beer with anything from biltong and olives to Turkish delight and Zoo biscuits. The kids can join in with their own pairing: grape juice and sweets (R35)! Once you’re done in the tasting room, visit the restaurant for a boozy milkshake. Try the Marshmallow Pop (R45) or the Cookies &…

Bushbabies are small, agile monkeys that become active after dark. They’re a large and diverse group of primates – new species are regularly discovered as people explore deeper into Africa’s forests. One of those species is the greater or thick-tailed bushbaby, and it’s the species that gives the family its name: Their haunting cry closely resembles the wail of a human child. The greater bushbaby (pictured) is the largest of all bushbabies in Africa – weighing just more than a kilogram. In my opinion, it’s also the most handsome… In a fluffy kind of way. In general, however, bushbabies are some of the smallest primates on earth. The Rondo bushbaby found in Tanzania, for example, weighs only 60 g! The greater bushbaby feeds on a variety of food, including insects,…

The wind pushes its icy fingers down the back of my collar and makes my eyes water. I can’t feel my toes, but who cares? In front of me are rows upon rows of mountains, stacked all the way to the horizon. I’m a modern explorer, blazing a trail where few hiking boots have trod before. In Lesotho, a flat patch of land is as scarce as gluten-free bread in Brandvlei. Almost every road ends in a mountain pass. If you’re planning a visit, you’d better have your vehicle’s brakes tested and you should limber up your calf muscles because you’re going to have to hike to get to the most scenic spots. For such a small country, Lesotho has a surprising number of views. You have to visit at…

Join go! and Mpafa Travel on one of our epic tours in 2018. Whether you choose a standard tour or one of our special photo tours, you will be accompanied by a skilled guide. On the photo tours a professional photographer will be on hand. We’ll teach you how to get the best out of your camera, so you can capture memories that will last a lifetime. Join us as we travel through the Okavango Delta, climb dunes in the Namib Desert, find wildflowers on the West Coast and drive Lesotho’s highest mountains. Book now and let’s go! TRANS-BOTSWANA Iconic Botswana destinations plus Caprivi and Vic Falls • 19 – 29 April 2018 • 28 June – 8 July 2018 • 6 – 16 August 2018 • 15 – 25…

Five South African photographers placed in the top 100 of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which is owned by the Natural History Museum in London. Photojournalist Brent Stirton won the overall prize for his image of a black rhino killed by poachers in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve (see go! #138). Brent also won the Wildlife Photojournalist Award: Story category for his feature about rhino poaching in South Africa. Renowned underwater photographer Thomas Peschak was awarded the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio Award for his series called “Realm of the Seychelles”: six images showcasing the amazing biodiversity of the island chain. Three other South African photographers – Peter Delaney, Greg du Toit and John Mullineux – were also among the winners and finalists. Peter, now based in Ireland,…

JOHAN DU TOIT from Amanzimtoti writes: The feature about Gamkaskloof (Die Hel) in go! #133 touched me deeply and inspired me to share my own story about the kloof. In 1975, my family holidayed in Cape Town for the first time. We lived in Centurion back then and our neighbours, originally from Cape Town, inspired us to make the long journey. We drove via Graaff-Reinet to Stellenbosch, where we bought so much wine we had to send it home by train. We returned home via places like Mossel Bay and Kimberley. Along the way we also visited Oudtshoorn, where we did all the touristy things: We went to the Cango Caves, to an ostrich farm and to a restaurant renowned for its ostrich steak. Next on our list was the…

Asante sana , Kenya After 53 years of living in South Africa, my wife Corinne and I decided to travel to Kenya for a holiday. We should have done it years ago! We’re not big fans of package tours, so we rented an old Pajero and plotted our own 2 500 km route. As the rental agent told us: “Don’t worry about the dents and scratches, it will come back with more!” (If you can handle the taxis of Joburg, the traffic in Kenya is no problem.) We drove a circular route from Nairobi, which included the Maasai Mara National Park, the Great Rift Valley, Mombasa, Diani Beach, Wasini Island and Tsavo National Park. In two weeks we got to know the beautiful and the ugly parts of this…

Get the popcorn! Summertime is open-air movie time. Watch feel-good films like The Devil Wears Prada or The Sound of Music with Galileo Open Air Cinema at one of their Cape Town venues, including Kirstenbosch and the Boschendal wine estate. Pack your own picnic basket or buy something from the food stalls. Some of the venues don’t allow alcohol, so check beforehand. When? Most nights until the end of April. Download the programme: thegalileo.co.za Opening times: Gates usually open at 6 pm and the movie starts as soon has the sun has set (around 8.30 pm). Cost: R89 per person, R97 blanket included, R105 with a back rest included. Look for wildflowers up Sani Pass Join a team of botanists, including Elsa Pooley, for a hike on the…

The Soutpansberg range in Limpopo is home to a number of endemic species and unique ecosystems. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is working to establish a 23 000-hectare conservation area from the Luvhondo Private Nature Reserve at the western end to the Happy Rest Provincial Nature Reserve to the east. 6 The number of biomes found in the Soutpansberg: forest, thicket, savannah, grassland, fynbos and wetland. 19 The number of scorpion species found here – two species are endemic. The Soutpansberg rock scorpion (Hadogenes soutpansbergensis) is one of the biggest scorpions in the world. Males can reach more than 20 cm in length, but their venom is weak and harmless to humans. They do have powerful pincers, however. The female could easily crush the male during courtship. 133 The number…

Where does your love of the outdoors come from? I grew up in Cape Town and my love of nature was fed by trips to my grandfather’s smallholding at the foot of the Helderberg Mountains in Somerset West, where we went on long walks and watched birds and insects going about their daily lives. I was always concerned about the environment and about trying to save it from destruction. This felt like an insurmountable task as a child, but now as an adult it has been broken down into more realistic and manageable portions – I hope! What does your day-to-day job entail? As an area manager, I am responsible for managing biodiversity, cultural heritage assets, the people who work in my area, the stakeholders who have an interest in…

The bus ticket inspires confidence: “Pwani Tawakal Mini Coach – We run, others fly”. We pass through impressive pineapple fields before getting to Kilifi, a magnificent steep-sided lagoon, and, a couple of hours later, Malindi, a picturesque beach resort that is, for some reason, extremely popular among Italians. In the immediate vicinity of the bus station alone, there are several pizzerias and a gelateria. Our bus bumbles along the sandy road that dissects a lawless region notorious for attacks by Al-Shabaab bandits. Thankfully our only assailants are mozzies and boredom and we eventually reach Mokowe to board the ferry that will take us to Lamu itself. In a ramshackle, overloaded vessel, we cross the 400m channel that separates Lamu from mainland Kenya. Being the only mzungus on the ferry, we…

‘The water was different somehow; swimming didn’t help,” says Francis van Wyk, curator of the Laingsburg Flood Museum, as she shows me photos from that day. “This is what the main road looked like. See how the street lights were all bent out of shape? That’s how strong the current was.” Her tone is matter-of-fact and her blue eyes betray nothing of the horrors she witnessed. Another photo shows the landscape levelled to the ground, with only deformed skeletons of buildings remaining. She touches one of the cement blocks in the foreground with her fingertips: “The foundations of the old-age home,” she sighs. “Ja, so it goes.” For the past few days, I’ve been sifting through books about the flood and going through affidavits by residents. The narratives are muddled…

ELLA WRITES: I live in Mbombela (Nelspruit) and I go to the Kruger Park for two days every month to recharge. A visit to the park is not only about seeing the Big Five; it’s also about all the other smaller animals and birds. I usually explore the southern parts of the park because it’s close to home. Some of my favourite photography destinations include Lake Panic, the Biyamiti weir, Transport Dam and Shitlhave Dam. You’ll see the best sunrises at the Lower Sabie bridge and the best sunsets at Sunset Dam. Last summer, I explored the park from south to north over a period of two weeks. My tour kicked off at Phabeni Gate and I drove all the way to Crooks’ Corner, taking photos along the way. It…

Velskoen R800 These velskoens are classic, comfy and super trendy – pull on a pair and travel in style! Camera bag R520 This canvas bag has sturdy sides and a soft inner to protect your valuable gear. The compartments are adjustable to fit your camera and lenses. Travel pillow with memory foam R200 Saddle bag R190 Keep all your essential travel items organised and on hand. The bag fits over your vehicle’s gear lever and is made from durable material with pockets on both sides. Escape Gear bag R950 This 65-litre bag is made from heavy-duty material and is available in grey and khaki. Lunch box cooler R220 This cooler has a PVC lining and is easy to clean. It’s also easy to carry, with adjustable fastener straps, a…