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South Africa’s little-known Wolf Sanctuary
I visited David Daitz about 15 years ago when he was CEO of CapeNature, and was surprised to see a very large and stunning poster of a wolf on his wall. “What on earth?” I asked. David had recently visited the wolf sanctuary in the south of France which, he pointed out, at that time […] Read more
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A Place for a Special Occasion
If there is one place that stood out for photographer Tania Thompson Poole in a nearly 3,500km road trip it is Lagoon Lodge outside Stanford – “it is a place I want to come back to one day for a special occasion.” Lagoon Lodge is the ultimate romantic getaway. It’s located in MOSAIC Private Sanctuary,… Read more
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Cape Agulhas revisited
The Cape Agulhas area includes the towns of Bredasdorp, Napier, Arniston, Struisbaai, L’Agulhas and Elim and it’s main claim to fame is that it is at the southernmost tip of the African continent and Cape Agulhas is where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. Arniston and Napier are two villages where I’ve spent a lot… Read more
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De Hoop exceeds all expectations!
I’ve known about De Hoop Nature Reserve for a very long time. There was a map of the area on the wall at David Jack’s holiday house in Arniston which I visited frequently 30 years ago. Almost 15 years ago, when David Daitz was CEO of Cape Nature, he frequently spoke of his frustrations in… Read more
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Swartberg Pass – a MUST for any bucket list of road trips!
The start of the Swartberg Pass on the R328 lies a short five minute drive from Prince Albert and the first half 15 minutes of the pass encompasses some of the most dramatic scenery you’ll see anywhere in the world. So, even if you don’t drive the whole pass, a visit to Prince Albert and… Read more
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Prince Albert and Miller’s House
Prince Albert is an almost compulsory stopover for any north-south trip I make because it is one of South Africa’s most delightful villages… and more importantly, it is home to one of my favourite people. Elaine Hurford has been a close friend for about 30 years and I always find her sense of style and… Read more
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Cheapest diesel in SA? When NOT to follow SatNav!
The price of diesel is not regulated in South Africa so it’s up to each service station to decide what they want to charge. Since diesel prices that have doubled in the past five years, finding the best deal just makes common sense, especially when your tank takes 90 litres to fill!. The cheapest we’ve… Read more
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The Maloti Wonderland in the eastern Free State
The first question for the trek south from Johannesburg to Cape Town was where to stop first and what to explore. Parys, on the banks of the Vaal River and just over an hour south of Joburg provided one option — it seems to be a town on the up — but a speedy yet… Read more
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Introducing Beezus!
Beezus is the new explorer and follows in the footsteps of Akela and Kenya who explored South Africa with me for nearly 15 years. The full story of how he came into my life is at Lessons for a Lapdog. I left him in September 2012 and he rejoined me shortly before Christmas 2013… Read more
Forest.
Even a child knows how valuable the forest is. The fresh, breathtaking smell of trees. Echoing birds flying above that dense magnitude. A stable climate, a sustainable diverse life and a source of culture. Yet, forests and other ecosystems hang in the balance, threatened to become croplands, pasture, and plantations.