Table of contents for June 2019 in go!

It’s easy to work yourself into a rut if you do the same thing day after day. The rut might become a ditch, then a trench, and when you lift your head to look around, you’re in a dark canyon. You might be able to stare ahead, maybe even glance back, but the three-dimensional world seems out of reach. This is one of the reasons why travel is so good for you. It allows you to breathe deeply and regain perspective. Recently, I went camping in the Krokodilpoort Nature Reserve near Mbombela in Mpumalanga, and I had to catch a flight back to Cape Town from the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA). I realised again why KMIA is my favourite airport. It loves to brag about the fact it has…

City slicker? Q ARTHUR MISKIN from Pretoria writes: My daughter Morgan took this photo from her bedroom window in Pretoria. She lives adjacent to the koppies of Pretoria Boys’ High School, which is a fairly dense, wooded area. Is it common to see spotted eagle-owls in cities? A Bird expert FAANSIE PEACOCK says: This is a beautiful picture of a spotted eagle-owl! This species is a relatively common urban predator throughout South Africa, and has managed to survive wherever small pockets of natural habitat persist in otherwise developed areas. In fact, they often roost and even nest on buildings – pictures of perky owlets perched on pot plants or windowsills are always circulating on social media. One of the reasons why spotted eagle-owls have managed to retain a foothold in…

Can you tell a pipit from a cisticola? A lark from an eremomela? A long-crested eagle from an African crowned eagle? Don’t stress if you can’t: Bird experts Joe Grosel and Ulrich Oberprieler will offer birding courses in the Kruger National Park, in partnership with the Kruger Honorary Rangers, in August and November. Our bird expert Faansie Peacock explains how hard it is to tell LBJs apart on page 138. If you struggle too, Joe Grosel’s LBJ Identification course at Mopani might help. The course starts on Monday 12 August and ends on Thursday 15 August. His Practical Birding course runs from 16 – 19 August. If you’re interested in raptors, consider attending one of Ulrich Oberprieler’s courses at Shingwedzi. The Raptors 1 course takes place from 8 – 11…

The Wetlands Triathlon in the eastern corner of the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip) won’t necessarily have you sweating blood like an Ironman, but it’s guaranteed to be a special race. Unlike a traditional triathlon, the swimming leg is replaced with a 2 km paddling race on Lake Nabizwe (boats will be supplied). The 15 km cycling leg is from Caprivi Mutoya Lodge to Zambezi Mubala Camp and back (bring your own bike), and the 3 km run is along dirt roads around Mutoya. When? Saturday 8 June; the race starts at 2 pm. Entries close on 31 May. Cost: R300, plus a donated stationery item that will be distributed at three schools in the area. Entry fee includes dinner and entertainment. Where? Caprivi Mutoya Lodge, about 25 km…

What inspired the translation, nearly two years after Elders was published? There were lots of requests from English readers for a translation. Plus, I did a TV show with English subtitles called Elders: Die Camino, which aired on kykNET and Showmax – that might also have made people aware of my Afrikaans Camino book. I’m very excited about having my first English book on the market. Elders was translated by Professor Edwin Hees, a retired academic. He also enjoyed the TV series! How do you explain the popularity of the book? I was a bit lucky to publish Elders at exactly the right time, when the Camino pilgrimage became part of the zeitgeist. It has become an affordable and meaningful bucket-list adventure for many people. If I can walk the…

Celebrate Father’s Day this June with these three fantastic red wines. Each one can be perfectly paired with the hearty dishes on these pages, and they’ll make Dad feel thoroughly spoiled. Cinsault is a vinous blast from the past and it’s getting everyone excited with its yummy freshness and appetising flavours. Originally planted because it could withstand the heat of a South African summer, cinsault has padded many of our iconic red blends over the years. The False Bay Vineyards Revenant Red 2017 (R100) is made from 80 % cabernet sauvignon and 20 % cinsault. The name means someone who returns after a long absence, which is appropriate for a forgotten varietal that’s back in the limelight. Sappy, juicy, gluggable… This is a great wine for a Tuesday night supper.…

The Skeleton Coast is a unique part of Namibia. On first impression, it seems deserted, uninviting and devoid of life, but it’s actually full of surprises: There’s history in abundance, as well as unique landscapes and wildlife. On this adventurous tour with Bhejane 4x4 Adventures, you’ll experience the Skeleton Coast like never before. The tour is conducted in a safe and environmentally sensitive manner, and also includes a magical loop through the Kaokoveld – a land of enormous views, soaring mountains and endless grass plains. You’ll need a 4x4 with good ground clearance, low range and proper off-road tyres, but you don’t need any prior sand or rock driving experience. Our experts will be on hand to guide you through and they’ll be carrying all the necessary recovery gear should…

11 days/10 nights (tented accommodation) Start point: Letlhakane, Botswana End point: Kasane, Botswana DATES & RATES 8 – 18 October 2019 R14 938,50 per adult sharing; half-price for children under 10 21 – 30 March 2020 R15 950 per adult sharing; half-price for children under 10 THE RATES INCLUDE • The services of an experienced field guide • Two-way radios in all vehicles • All camp fees, park entrance fees and advertised activities • All tents and associated camping gear, including cutlery and crockery • Three meals a day, plus coffee and tea all day in camp WHAT  SHOULD I BRING? • Your own vehicle, and fuel • Sleeping mattress, sleeping bag, camping chairs and a camping table • Drinks and padkos • Travel insurance and medical evacuation insurance (compulsory) • You’re responsible for border-crossing fees and road taxes I…

Do you have a new camera, but you haven’t figured out the settings yet? Come to our workshop – we can help! Or maybe you know your camera inside out, but you could use some inspiration? Come to our workshop – we’ll show you new tricks! Whether you want to take pictures of your grandkids with your cellphone, or dust off your D-SLR, this photo workshop has something for everyone. Professional photographer Sam Reinders and journalist Sophia van Taak will present the course. You’ll get extensive course notes and hands-on training. The best way to learn is with your camera in hand and an expert next to you, giving you pointers. You’ll learn about the basic principles of photography – composition, framing and exposure – and other things like creative…

ZILONDE TRAIL, KOSI MOUTH It’s a sticky December morning in Kosi Bay. The sun is shining and a light breeze ruffles the grass outside our cabins. The teenagers are flat on their backs, snoring under mozzie nets, with ceiling fans on full blast. They groan when we whip off their sheets and roll them out of bed. They know there’s a 12 km trail ahead. We’re staying at a community-owned lodge called Utshwayelo, and we’ve hired a local guide to hike with us. The Zilonde Trail first heads north towards Mozambique, before looping back along the beach and hugging the perimeter of Kosi’s first lake. It tracks through five different biomes: palm-dotted savannah grassland, swamp forest, coastal dune forest, wetland and woodland. After breakfast, our guide Jeffery Mgomezulu leads us…

LANGEBAAN West Coast National Park Covering an area of 470 km², the West Coast National Park’s main drawcard is the Langebaan Lagoon – a globally important site for migratory waders. Sifting through hordes of little grey sandpipers and plovers in the hope of locating that mega rarity will keep birders happily glued to the hard benches in the various hides for hours! A few tips: A telescope will greatly improve your success in finding tricky species like Eurasian curlew, bar-tailed godwit and red knot at the water’s edge. And timing is critical: The Geelbek hides on the southern shore of the lagoon are best halfway between low and high tide, while the Seeberg hide near the Langebaan gate is better at high tide. (Get a map of the park at…

I climb the final few steps and stop to catch my breath. More than a hundred other tourists are already gathered. Some are eating energy bars; others take selfies. We’re above the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, which is down there somewhere, shrouded in mist. We woke up at 3.45 am to walk the last 6 km to the Sun Gate. The air is chilly. “Put down your backpacks,” says our guide Lenin. “We’ll wait for half an hour to see if the mist clears.” David, one of the other guides, sees my disappointment. “Don’t worry, Gertrudes, you will see it...” Gertrudes is not my name, but I stopped correcting people on the first day of the trail. Most Peruvian guides are fluent in English, but the guttural “g” of…

LBJS FOR LIFE! El Be Bloody Jay. Also known as Ornithologicum nightmariensis. I’m sure you’ve encountered this term, and I’m very sure you’ve encountered plenty of LBJs in the bush. If not, let me disillusion you: LBJ, or Little Brown Job, is a term that birders use to describe a small, dull-coloured, skulking, impossible-to-identify bird. Depending on your viewpoint, southern Africa is cursed – or blessed! – with more than 200 different LBJs. There’s no official definition. What you might consider to be an LBJ depends on your level of experience in the pastime of identifying them. That said, most birders agree there are four families that definitely fall into this category: larks, pipits, cisticolas and warblers. Then there are the borderline LBJ families: honeyguides, flycatchers, chats, wheatears, scrub robins,…

Your favourite way to travel? I love the outdoors – camping and hiking. But with a new baby at home, those pursuits had to go on the back burner for a while. Now that my son Zac has turned two, I want to get out there again. At home, I’m a bookworm who likes to garden, sew and watch movies. And I love a good pasta. What have you got in store for us on the food pages? I like dishes that look impressive, but which are easy to prepare. I want to create recipes that will inspire people to cook, whether it’s in a self-catering unit or over a campfire. And hopefully always in a relaxed atmosphere and surrounded by hungry loved ones! Which ingredients do you never leave…

A half-hour drive outside Ballito, the hills are alive with the howls of… well, howler monkeys. Monkeyland KZN recently opened here and it’s offering monkey safaris that allow you to walk through indigenous forests that are home to a range of primates from Africa, South America, Madagascar and Southeast Asia. “Most of these animals were neglected pets or former zoo animals,” says guide and curator Dominik Winkel. But if you’re expecting a glorified zoo, this is not it. The experience isn’t tame and neither are the animals. All have been painstakingly rehabilitated and desensitized to humans. There’s no interaction allowed between guests and the monkeys. So, while you won’t get a selfie of a lemur on your head, you will see a capuchin or a buff-cheeked gibbon in a habitat…

On the Line by Jenny Lewis R79 at Google Play Store; also on streaming services I’ve been a fan of the clear-cut, melodic voice of US indie rocker Jenny Lewis since her debut solo album Rabbit Fur Coat, which was released in 2006. I might have missed the two subsequent albums released before this one, but clearly she hasn’t skipped a beat. She seems to have spent her time making famous friends (Ringo Starr and Beck make guest appearances) and honing her songwriting. The result is epic musicianship and honest, no-nonsense songs. “I think of us as bookends, and I’m gonna love you till I die,” she sings on “Heads Gonna Roll”. Who wouldn’t want a second helping of that? You’ll smile as wide as the horizon, and sometimes, you’ll…

27 Boxes, Melville This centre at 74 4th Avenue consists of 27 shipping containers (pictured left). Look for Levi’s bell bottoms or a miniskirt at Reminiscene, a vintage clothing shop. If you believe music sounds better on vinyl, head to Micogram Music Traders, the biggest second-hand record shop in Johannesburg – you might find a first edition of Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones. Plant-lovers can buy sage and basil at No Name Nursery. Let your kids loose in the play area (pictured top left), where the jungle gyms look like modern art installations, while you relax under the canvas awnings. Ever wondered what would happen if you combined a donut and a croissant? Order a cronut (R27) at X&O Patisserie before you head home. 0860 109 237; @27Boxes on…

Have you been somewhere you think other go! readers would enjoy? Write about the experience and we might publish your story. Please keep it short (1 500 words maximum) and send us some sample photos. If we do decide to publish, we’ll need the original, high-resolution photos so make sure your camera is on the right setting. E-mail your story to editor@gomag.co.za We reserve the right to edit and shorten your text, and use your photos elsewhere in the magazine, on our digital platforms and in our marketing material.…

1 Opinel No 12 Explore This knife might be lacking the wooden handle of a classic Opinel, but the general design and blade-locking mechanism is the same. The rubberised handle certainly gives a better grip – it’s also waterproof and it can handle extreme temperatures from -40° C to 80° C. The 10 cm-long Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blade is just as tough: It won’t rust, it requires no special maintenance and the edge is deadly. Other cool features include a whistle in the handle for emergencies (surprisingly loud) and a removable fire-starting rod that works in conjunction with the blade. There’s also a cutting hook in the handle for slicing through cords and cable ties, but it’s quite finicky to access. Still, it’s nice to know it’s there…

9 days/8 nights (tented accommodation) Start and end point: Swakopmund, Namibia DATES 1 – 9 October 2019 HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? R14 250 per adult sharing; half-price for children under 10 THE RATES INCLUDE • Two-way radios for all vehicles • Guide and guide vehicle, plus additional logistics vehicle • Wind shelter, shower and toilet facilities • Tents and camping gear • Three meals per day • Water (for kitchen only) WHAT SHOULD I BRING? • Your own vehicle and fuel • Water for personal use • Sleeping mattress, sleeping bag, camping chairs and a camping table • Drinks and padkos • Travel insurance and medical evacuation insurance compulsory I want to go! Call 044 535 9033 (telephone or fax) or e-mail bookings@bhejane.com; bhejane.com…

“Talk to me, friend,” says Tim Ellis as I step through the door of MC Ellis in Bird Street late one morning. You can buy anything from a spare tube to a bundle of galvanised wire at this bicycle workshop-slash-hardware store. It’s an institution in town: Tim is the third-generation Ellis at the helm. An ocean of rickety bicycles washes up against the furthest wall. There are shelves above, all the way to the ceiling, each one groaning under the weight of bolts, cables and grease tins. “The bicycles come from all over the district,” Tim says. “This is merino country. The landscape is flat – lots of people still cycle around here.” It’s true: Beaufort West is on a vast plain in the Koup Karoo, bordered to the north-west…

SCRUB HARES ON THE LOOSE, DINOKENG We were on our way back home to Pietermaritzburg after an epic Limpopo safari: We hiked the Wag ’n Bietjie Trails outside Bela-Bela and visited Marakele National Park, as well as some other places in the province. We spent our last night on the road at Koedoesrus Bush Camp in the Dinokeng Game Reserve. Arriving at dusk, we parked our Cruiser Camper near the fence and saw that we were sharing the stand with a scrub hare. We thought we’d put up our camera traps in the hopes of capturing some small treasures that night. We didn’t encase the cameras in their hyena-proof boxes or chain them to a tree as we generally would. Instead, we just set them down on the ground. In…

On Vespas, to vistas My husband and I recently did an amazing ride on our old Vespa scooters – a Primavera 125 and a 200 PX – from Mossel Bay to Oudtshoorn, over the Swartberg Pass and onward to Prince Albert, where we spent the night. The next day, we went through Meiringspoort, Dysselsdorp, Herold and over the old  Montagu Pass back to Mossel Bay. The Vespas handled the dirt roads and passes like pros. We were able to see the stunning scenery up close and stopped often to photograph the beautiful views. When we stopped to have coffee in Meiringspoort, a Cape rock thrush (inset) hopped onto one of the Vespas to have a look. It was an amazing trip! HELEN BRINK, Mossel Bay Namibia, you good thing! We…

Jette Vye was preparing supper at home in Cape Town more than a decade ago when she noticed an advert in the newspaper on which she was dropping potato peels. It ultimately led her and husband Geoff to Vleiland, a Karoo hamlet in the Laingsburg district. For the past three years, Jette and her niece Cindy have owned what was previously the Vleiland Kontantwinkel, just across the road from their house. It’s now called Hasiesvlei – with a new sign to boot. (Geoff, 80, comes from a long line of Capetonian signwriters.) Don’t expect a fancy farm stall. At its heart, Hasiesvlei serves the local farming community. The long shelves stock anything from flour, sugar and candles to washing powder, ice cream, and baked beans. It’s quite handy as an…

NEW MOON 3 JUNE SPRING TIDE: 4 JUNE HIGH TIDE: 3.38 AM & 4.09 PM FIRST QUARTER 10 JUNE NEAP TIDE: 10 JUNE HIGH TIDE: 9.13 AM & 9.51 PM FULL MOON 17 JUNE  SPRING TIDE: 16 JUNE HIGH TIDE: 2.28 AM & 2.59 PM LAST QUARTER 25 JUNE NEAP TIDE: 25 JUNE HIGH TIDE: 8.49 AM & 9.25 PM These are the high tide times for Cape Town. For other places, add or subtract minutes: Saldanha: +5; Hermanus: -4; Port Elizabeth: +19; Durban: +26 Tide information reproduced with permission from the Hydrographer, SA Navy. The Hydrographer is not responsible for any transcription errors. sanho.co.za SUNRISE & SUNSET (17 JUNE) Cape Town 7.50 am & 5.44 pm Bloemfontein 7.07 am & 5.25 pm Johannesburg 6.53 am & 5.24 pm Durban…

Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Vintage, R221 at exclusivebooks.co.za Whenever I fly somewhere, I always look at what books people are reading. Often, more than one person will be reading the same book. A few years ago it was the latest Harry Potter hit, or Fifty Shades of Grey. Now I’m seeing more and more people reading Sapiens – A Brief History of Humankind at cruising altitude. It shouldn’t surprise me, since more than 10 million copies have been sold since it was first published in 2014. Yuval Harari (43) is a history professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and he’s fast becoming a rockstar academic. Since Sapiens, he has published two other bestsellers, Homo Deus (2016) and 21 Lessons for the 21st…

A wolverine is eating my leg by Tim Cahill First published by Random House, 1989 R229 for eBook at takealot.com And so it was that I came to understand that risk is a form of therapy. That’s what I’ll tell the interviewers next time around. The stories I’ve written about various adventures are among my favourites. In them, I’ve discovered you can put your life on the line in order to save your soul. This is the closing paragraph in the Introduction to Tim Cahill’s collection of adventure stories, spanning a 16-year period, which was published in 1989. Cahill is a respected journalist and travel writer – he’s published seven books and was one of the founding editors of Outside magazine. He’s 74 now and taking it easy in Montana,…

Gavin Waugh, owner of Zuider Zee “Salt Rock is like a village. It’s a residential area so kids can walk around safely. On Fridays you can pack a cool box and go down to the beach while the kids play.” Treasure Mkhize, lifeguard “Salt Rock is a great beach. It’s open and there are no rocks. There’s a nice tidal pool, too. Visitors should swim between the flags and they’ll be safe.” Jasper van Vessem, Holla Trails “We use the land of more than 45 farmers. By working together, we make the trails better. People come here to be happy. I hardly ever see grumpy people here.” Ravi Moodley, project manager from Umhlanga “Blythedale is only half an hour from Umhlanga. It’s beautiful and peaceful here, with a nice democratic…

Bosman’s Johannesburg, Edited by Stephen Gray, Herman Charles Bosman This collection by author Herman Charles Bosman includes short stories and essays inspired by Joburg. ’n Duisend stories oor Johannesburg: ’n Stadsroman, Harry Kalmer In this novel, Kalmer pays tribute to all the artists and prominent figures who have called Johannesburg home. Secret Johannesburg, CL Bell & Lisa Johnston Bell and Johnston uncover all of Johannesburg’s secrets, like where Herman Charles Bosman accidently killed his brother-in-law with a hunting rifle, and hidden murals by the painter Pierneef. The 2 Summers #Gauteng52 Challenge, Heather Mason In 2017, US journalist Heather Mason set herself a challenge to blog about a special spot in Gauteng every week for a year. The project proved so popular she…

This 16-hectare public park between Parktown and Houghton was long considered to be unsafe. Artist James Delaney, who lives next to the park, wanted to change it into a green space that people could actually use. “I wanted to do something to draw people’s attention and capture their imagination,” he says. So he started making improvements, like pruning trees and shrubs. In 2017, he came up with the idea for an art installation – 67 Owls for Mandela Day – in a yellowwood forest in the park. The owls were an instant success and drew hundreds of visitors on the first day. This set the trend and the residents have reclaimed their park. Walk along the cobblestone paths, past cycads, tree ferns, mountain cabbage trees and purple and white agapanthus,…

Garlic mussels with bacon Serves 4 (as an appetiser) Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 10 minutes This flavoursome dish can be served as a starter or a main meal. You need • 250 g bacon, chopped • a big pat of butter • 1 onion, finely chopped • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped • 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped • 350 ml lager • 1,5 kg frozen half-shell mussels,thawed • 125 ml cream (optional) • about 2 tablespoons chopped chives and parsley • lime or lemon juice, to taste • freshly ground black pepper • fresh bread or yellow rice Here’s how 1 Melt the butter in a big pan (or in a potjie over the coals) and fry the bacon until crisp. 2 Remove the bacon, but keep the fat and slowly sauté the onion, garlic and celery…

We wrote about the Isuzu MU-X when it was launched in South Africa last year, but we’ve got to know it really well over the past few months. Toast Coetzer and Sophia van Taak criss-crossed the Free State in one while filming the latest Weg Agterpaaie series. More recently, I took an MU-X and explored northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique. Between the three of us, we’ve literally spent days inside the cabin, and we’ve driven thousands of kilometres. (The Agterpaaie team alone clocked 4 642 km.) We’ve learnt a few things along the way. Among other things, our experience with the MU-X has reinforced the notion that a bakkiebased SUV might be the perfect vehicle for an outdoor-loving South African family – if your budget stretches that far. This applies…

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

CAMP AMONG THE DAISIES Enjoy a spectacular display of wildflowers in the Namaqua National Park, with a field guide. You’ll stay at two camps: Skilpad and Groenriviermond. WHEN? • Tuesday 20 August to Friday 23 August 2019 (4 days, 3 nights) • Tuesday 27 August to Friday 30 August (4 days, 3 nights). INCLUDED • All accommodation (in luxury tents, with plush bedding and an en suite bathroom with hot water) • Two meals per day, plus coffee and rusks in the morning • Field guide services • Cash bar EXCLUDED Gate fees and conservation fees for Namaqua National Park. COST R21 800 per tent, per package (for two people); R15 500 single. Maximum 15 tents and 30 guests. LIVE LIKE A KING IN THE KRUGER Experience a new side to your favourite national park and…

According to legend, the remains of St James, an apostle who preached the gospel in Spain and Portugal, were buried in Galicia in Spain. (“Santiago” is James in Spanish.) A bright star guided a shepherd to the burial site. “De Compostela” means “from the field of the stars”. Thus, the town’s name can be translated as “St James of the Field of Stars”. His shrine is in the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, which was later built on the site.…

We always travel with remote cameras – called trail cams – because we love the idea of seeing what crept past while we were fast asleep. Nocturnal animals will generally give us a wide berth while we are awake, but at night they tend to come closer. We have two such cameras: a Bushnell Trophy Cam with infrared sensor – the first three images were taken with the Bushnell. We also have a Cuddeback Digital, which we bought because it can take colour images at night with a flash – the final photo was taken with this camera. If you’re keen to try out a trail cam, here’s some advice: Reduce the trigger sensitivity on windy nights. I’ve found myself scrolling through hundreds of boring photos of waving grass or…

The other day, during a moment of boredom, I decided to try something new. Nothing too outrageous, but something that would spice up my day-to-day routine. But what? So, I started building a 5000-piece puzzle – a puzzle that had made the move from Cape Town with me about six years previously. But I kept dropping pieces on the floor. Every time I leant down to pick one up, my burger boep would snag the tablecloth and pull the half-completed nautical scene to the ground. After a few days, I threw in the towel. I decided that I should try the latest fad diet instead, so I gave the 28-day diet a go, but by the fourth day I had eaten four weeks’ worth of food. Obviously, dieting wasn’t going…