Innholdsfortegnelse for Mar-16 i go!

Not good enough, start again! Q JUANITA COETZER from Boksburg writes: This male bishop was excited to show off his handiwork to a female, but she proceeded to pull the nest apart. A few days later I saw the male doing the same to two other nests. I thought only females exhibited this behaviour… A Ornithologist ADRIAN CRAIG says: Normally the male will destroy an old nest to make way for a new one. Females are usually only interested in new, green nests and have been observed pulling at nests. Males will also steal material from nearby nests instead of flying around to gather new material. Eyes on you Q KIRSTEN PEACEY from Upington writes: My father currently works in the northern parts of the DRC and he recently sent…

Diamond T gift and coffee shop, Askham This coffee shop with its broekielace stoep and green lawn looks more like something you’d find in a tourist town such as Clarens or Riebeek-Kasteel and not out here in the semi-desert. (The name refers to the red Diamond T buses that once operated between towns in the Kalahari.) It has the standard fare of any respectable farm stall – biltong, apricot chutney, beetroot salad, olives, rusks, biscuits, jam tarts and pies. The kind of pies you crave when you’re back home: lamb, venison and chicken (R25 each). If you’re not in a hurry, eat something on the front porch or at the back, where you can look out over the dry course of the Kuruman River while the kids play on the…

3 – 6 MARCH Randfontein Show  It’s the Randfontein Show’s 30th birthday this year. Bring the family for a weekend of fun, with more than 400 vendors, a variety of food stalls, wine and beer gardens, and live entertainment. Kids can have their faces painted, play on the jumping castle or go for a ride on a camel. Where? Greenhills Sport Stadium Cost: Adults from R70 per day; pensioners and kids aged 6 – 12 R30 per day; free for kids younger than 6. Tickets from Computicket. More info: randfonteininfo. co.za ; 011 412 2878 5 MARCH Round the Rock Festival, Paarl  Sixteen wineries are taking part in this popular festival this year. Taste wine and enjoy harvest activities like grape stomping, or sign up…

I could see that the dam wall of self-restraint was about to crack and we were about to be drenched by a flash flood of patriotism. My great-grandfather was an Englishman who ran away from his home in the village of Farndon at the end of the 19th century. Carrying only a bag of belongings and a larney double-barrelled surname, he snuck aboard a ship bound for Africa. Three generations later, I feel no connection to England. I don’t get goosebumps when I hear “God Save the Queen” and I secretly cheer for the Aussies during the Ashes. In fact, there’s not much of England left in me except for an unshakable British politeness when I’m under pressure. I almost always end up saying, “Yes, please” when I mean “No,…

For a conservative girl growing up in the 1980s, I thought Sun City was South Africa’s own Sodom. Rising from the scrub in the former homeland of Bophuthatswana, about two hours from Joburg, billionaire hotel magnate Sol Kerzner took advantage of an apartheid loophole to build a resort where gambling and topless dancing were legal. He also built the 6 000-seat Superbowl, which controversially played host to superstar musical acts like Tina Turner, Elton John and Queen, who defied the UN cultural boycott against South Africa in favour of a fat pay cheque from Mr Kerzner. Despite all this, every time I saw that “We will rock you” ad on TV, I was entranced by the colourful parrots, the parasailing and the men in tuxedos. Sun City was a place…

Trevor Robertson looked over the edge of the crevasse. What he saw made his stomach turn. Or, more accurately, what he didn’t see… One of his teammates was standing at the bottom, apparently unharmed, but the other had disappeared without a trace. “It was a lonely feeling,” Trevor recalls. “Such a terrible, lonely feeling.” I’m chatting to Trevor (75) and two of his former teammates, André du Plessis (73) and Deon Kühn (73), in Hermanus. They strip back the years and laugh at their shared memories. But it wasn’t so funny back then. The date was 6 September, 1964. The dark winter months were coming to an end and the members of the fifth South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) could once again work outside their base on the Fimbul…

The Lycian Way, known as “Likya Yolu” in Turkish, is a 500km trail along the Turkish Mediterranean Coast, between the towns of Fethiye in the west and Antalya in the east. Lycia was a region in ancient Anatolia, inhabited since the 5th century BC. Many ruins and tombs remain, and rock carvings found in the area show that the Lycians had their own language and a democratic government. Over the centuries, Lycia was ruled by everyone from Alexander the Great to the Roman Empire. These days, this patch of Turkish countryside is a popular holiday destination with turquoise seas, rugged mountains and fascinating archaeological sites around every corner. One of the best and most affordable ways to explore is on foot, so that’s what we did! DAY 1 Fethiye to…

WOUTER SERFONTEIN Nikon D3s Nikon 600 mm lens TOAST SAYS: Wouter photographed this grey heron early one morning at Sunset Dam in the Kruger Park, which is one of the best places for bird photography in South Africa. Many readers send us photos taken at this dam, so what makes Wouter’s shot so special? Firstly, the lighting: It’s gorgeously soft so the colours appear richer. He also has excellent gear, including a mammoth telephoto lens, which allowed him to get close and freeze the action. But look at the eyes of the heron and the tilapia about to meet its demise: The optical illusion makes you look twice! This was a lucky shot, but as a photographer you make your own luck by spending lots of time outdoors and taking…

However, with the introduction of the portable fridge/ freezer came the need for additional battery power. This need opened the door to another form of important camping technology: dual-battery systems. Generally speaking, dual-battery systems come in two forms: on-board units, (typically mounted within a vehicle’s engine bay), and those packaged in a portable power pack. The problem lies in deciding which solution is best for you. To be clear, there’s no right or wrong answer, as both systems have their strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to figure out which auxiliary battery system best suits your needs. While the table on the next page may seem to favour the portable power pack, you need only run out of boot space to realise the true value of an on-board dual-battery system.…

I was there! Sort of… Gorilla tracking in Uganda is expensive and arduous. If you and your bank balance aren’t up to it, Matoke Tours, a travel agency with offices in the Netherlands, Uganda and Madagascar, has an alternative – a virtual trek. Their Virtual Gorilla app uses technology to make you feel as if you’re actually in the rainforest. There are different chapters: You can track gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, go on a safari elsewhere in the country and even see Uganda from a hot-air balloon. To experience the tour, you need to download the free app (Android only) and order a pair of virtual reality glasses that can display 360-degree video. (Glasses from US$20; follow the links on the website.) Visit: matoketours.com/virtual-gorilla…

Play in the waves. A day pass to Sun City costs R60 per person; entrance into the Valley of Waves is an extra R120 – R150 per adult depending on the season; R70 – R80 per child under 12; R60 per pensioner; free for kids under 3. You can hire the following per day: beach towel (R100), beach umbrella (R100), lifejacket (R50) and a locker (R60). Times: 9 am – 6 pm September to April;10 am – 5 pm May to August. Tee off. A round at the Gary Player Country Club or the Lost City Golf Course costs R650 per person for 18 holes or R350 for nine holes (only from 3 pm). Or have afternoon tea. Indulge at the Palace of the Lost City from 3 pm –…

1 When the team went out on expeditions, they usually used one of the two Muskeg snow tractors on the base and towed a sled and a caboose. They slept and ate in this wooden hut and took shelter in it during snowstorms. After a storm, it took hard work to free the sleds and supplies from the snow. 2 Every two weeks someone had to fill the snow melter to supply the base with water. The melter consisted of an empty diesel drum heated by the exhaust fumes of the diesel-powered generators. It was very hard work and each drum produced a limited supply of water. Team members also used this opportunity to bathe. 3 A weather balloon was sent out every day at noon. Here the team is…

Every month Paul Loots drives about 6 000 km and opens 1 186 farm gates. He does this because he’s the man in charge of taking meter readings and maintaining the water pipeline for the Kalahari East Water User Association. I drove with Paul yesterday and we covered about 400 km, mostly along sandy jeep tracks. Today we’ll probably drive the same distance: We’re heading to Van Zylsrus and the Botswana border, then directly west to Askham. Paul’s day starts early. It’s 4.45 am and we’re drinking coffee in his office on the farm Mosplaas, roughly the same distance from Upington, Olifantshoek and Van Zylsrus. This is the control centre of the pipeline, right in the middle of the district it serves. Paul monitors the water pressure on his laptop.…

MERCEDES-BENZ VITO It’s easy to mistake the new Vito for the more expensive V-class. They share the same body and chassis, but that’s essentially where the similarity ends. On the inside you’ll find a far more spartan trim level, which is understandable considering that most Vitos – particularly the panelled versions – are sold to tradesmen. The Tourer PRO is a low-thrills family mover available in three power-output variants of the same 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine: 114 CDI, 116 CDI and 119 CDI BlueTEC. The responsiveness of the 114 is tardy, but the 119 could be described as nippy if you were feeling kind. What does count in the Vito’s favour is the excellent build quality you’d expect from Mercedes-Benz, plus large windows and a low running cost: A service just…

SAMMY MARKS MUSEUM, PRETORIA Sammy Marks (1844 – 1920) was a Jewish business tycoon, who was mostly involved in the diamond and gold-mining industry although he also had shares in forestry businesses and even a whiskey distillery. Zwartkoppies Hall, which houses the Sammy Marks Museum, is a Victorian mansion with more than 40 rooms where Sammy lived with his family from 1886 to 1909. It looks like the type of place where a Cluedo murder could take place… Almost all the furniture and cutlery in the museum was once part of the Marks household: Royal Doulton porcelain with the family crest, a solid brass bed in the main bedroom, a bureau with hidden drawers in Sammy’s study and a mahogany billiard table with balls made of ivory. In terms of…

There’s something for everyone at Sun City, whether you want to swim in a wave pool, play a round of golf, put some money on black or watch a show. Even if you just want to put your feet up and relax while the kids take part in any number of activities. The Cabanas Hotel is the resort’s most affordable accommodation option, designed to maximize family fun. The atmosphere is cheerful and informal, from the colourful decor to the supervised kids’ play area. It’s centrally located, close to Waterworld and Kamp Kwena, with its children’s centre, playground and farmyard animals. The Cascades Hotel is set in tropical surroundings, among cascading waterways that give the hotel its name. It’s home to a selection of excellent restaurants and three swimming pools, including…

Nearly everyone who once owned an XRV750 Africa Twin will reminisce about what a fine bike it was. They’ll gamely gloss over its hefty weight and comparatively weak performance figures and laud its toughness and that intangible “character” that certain bikes seem to possess. The new Africa Twin may bear little physical resemblance to its predecessor, but it has the same character. While its rivals are battling each other in a horsepower and gadget war, Honda sensibly chose to snub the one-upmanship and instead they’ve given us what we forgot we actually wanted: a no-nonsense adventure bike. The Africa Twin is a simple yet thoroughly modern bike that comes in three models: all powered by a compact, parallel twin-cylinder engine. The standard model has a manual gearbox with a slipper…

SUBSCRIBE NOW If you don’t want to miss out on the latest issue of your favourite travel magazine, visit our stall to subscribe or renew your subscription. There will be special festival offers available and if you’re interested in a digital subscription, bring your tablet along and we’ll help you download your magazine. SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP You’ll also find affordable outdoor products at our stall, usually only sold in our online shop. Pop in and enjoy a cup of coffee and a chat with our editors while you browse. The editors will be at the stall during Easter weekend. SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE KKNK GET DUST ON YOUR TYRES The Karoo Climbs tour is for 4x4 vehicles with low range. The trail follows jeep tracks in the Minwater Private…

“Don’t make this place sound too appealing,” a friend of mine said when he heard I was writing about Melkbosstrand. “Yes,” another friend chimed in. “Say that the wind blows all the time and that it’s not a nice place to live.” We three Melkbossers jealously guard “our town”. I only moved here 10 years ago so I’m still classed as an inkommer, but one thing is certain: I’m never leaving. Melkbosstrand, about 30km from Cape Town up the West Coast, is no longer a quiet holiday town for the local wheat farmers. These days it’s almost a satellite suburb of Cape Town, popular among people who want to live a more quiet life with all the amenities of the city close by. “Melkbos offers a good balance between rural…

During the first few decades of the 20th century, the Kimberley City Hall played host to a number of lavish social events. In April 1913, for example, mayor Ernest Oppenheimer and his wife May held a ball for more than 700 guests. And in July 1925, the building was decorated with thousands of lights when the Prince of Wales paid a visit. To think this beautiful building was almost demolished in 1970… The cornerstone was laid on 16 November 1898 and construction was completed the following year. The building comprised a big main hall, a dining room, a boardroom, the mayor’s quarters, a committee room, the town clerk’s office and other municipal offices. The pediment above the colonnade sports the old city crest, with the motto Spero Meliora, which means…