Hiking in Kogelberg
The Kogelberg Biosphere and Nature Reserve is my playground. When we're not kayaking here, we are hiking its many routes. Kogelberg is the jewel in the crown of the Cape's floral kingdom protected areas that make up the World Heritage Site. [HTML2] If the slideshow...
Jonkershoek hiking
Five k's from my home in Stellenbosch is the rugged Jonkershoek Nature Reserve. The area boasts the highest rainfall in the Western Cape, and two major rivers rise at the valley head: the Berg and the Eerste rivers. The Panorama route (or half of it) climbs the...
Kayaking on Lake Malawi at Mumbo Island
Mumbo Island is one of the great places in Africa. Imagine a tropical island surrounded by warm, clear water and freshwater, tropical fish. [HTML5] The island is but a jumble of granite crowned by dry woodland including baobabs, pod mahogany and rock figs, and barely...
Kruger Park and climate change
The IPCC's technical paper on Climate Change and Water (pdf), published in June, features some dire numbers for South Africa's premier national park, the Kruger National Park. Should the global mean temperature exceed 1990 levels by 2.5 to 3 oC, then 66% of its animal...
A Baviaanskloof Journey
April 2008 An essential element of our Eastern Cape road-trip in April was to spend time in the Baviaanskloof again. The kloof was probably the most memorable section of the 400+km Eden to Addo mega-hike that I had done in 2006. We tackled it from east to west this...
Cape of Good Hope Trail
The Cape of Good Hope Trail starts at the main gate to the Cape Point section of the Table Mountain National Park, and ends there 33.5km and two days later. Day 1 features a spectacular walk down the False Bay coast. There are commanding views across False Bay and...
Sea kayaking in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve
On most weekends, Deon and I paddle and sail this coast, spending countless enjoyable hours. Spring is whale season off the South Africa's Cape coast. The Southern Rights cruise the sanctuaries in their hundreds. On this day Deon and I paddled around to Steenbras...
Windsurfing at Kraal Bay
Kraal Bay is one of my favourite places on the planet. Since first windsurfing there in about 1984, I have been back time and again to enjoy its beauty, stay on the houseboat, kayak and windsurf. Langebaan Lagoon is blessed with a micro-climate that virtually...
The thing about African wilderness trails
Walking on a wilderness trail is the only way to feel the pulse of the African "bush". That is what I believe anyway. I have experienced my fair share of the African safari concept: vehicle-based photographic safaris, game drives and stays in high-end and exotic game...
Machampane Wilderness Trail
Limpopo National Park, Mozambique: September 2007 Circles in the Bush (With apologies to Dalene Matthee...) Machampane Wilderness Camp shares the western bank of the Machampane River with tall fever trees at a pool called Xisivene - which apparently means "deep pool"....
Impressions of The Great Walk in Tsavo
A 153km walking safari following the courses of the Tsavo and Galana rivers through Tsavo National Park, Kenya: June 2007. [HTML1] Download the Google Earth track of this walk and view in Google Earth Ghosts Tsavo. A place of ghosts. The ghosts of thousands of...
Walking in Fernkloof
Fernkloof is a gem of a botanical reserve above the coastal town of Hermanus. Barely 1800 ha in area, it harbours upwards of 1474 botanical species. There are many paths and spectacular lookouts for all manner of fitness levels. The sensory returns are high for...
Helderberg hike
With Clarissa, a fellow mega-hiker, and Patrick I once more headed for Helderberg's Dome. This autumn Saturday was hot and windless. On previous occasions over the years I have not climbed all the way to the top of The Dome and I was determined do it this time. But...
Sea kayaking and hiking around Robberg
Plettenberg Bay: 17 & 19 December 2006: The Robberg peninsula is a nature reserve and marine protected area at the southern extremity of Plettenberg Bay, South Africa (the Eden to Addo Mega-hike jump-off point is close by). Humans have occupied the rocky...
Reflections on corridors
After the Eden to Addo Mega-Hike, the participants were asked to reflect on the concept of "corridors", as Eden to Addo is a conservation corridor initiative. Here is my effort... If Earth is a self-regulating organism - Gaia to some - then ecosystems represent the...
Eden to Addo Mega-Hike 2006
400kms, 17 days, 6 mountain ranges, many rivers, numerous veld types: 11 - 27 August 2006 The first time I saw the phrase "Eden to Addo" it spoke to me. Then when I saw it juxtaposed with "mega-hike" the synapses fired in my brain. The concept was so evocative I had...
Kayaking in the Karoo
28-29 April 2006: Deon and I decided to paddle on the Gamkaspoort Dam near Prince Albert. Great fun - but we later found out you actually require permission from the waterfiskaal to do this...
A Kruger safari
December 2005: Marion and I drove in at Pafuri, stayed at Pafuri Camp and then drove all the way from north to south to exit at Malelane, enjoying Rhino Walking Safaris - one of our favourite safari products - along the way... Book Rhino Walking...
Whale Trail De Hoop Nature Reserve
7-12 July 2005 This post is a photo journey down the Whale Trail. It was the second time that I walked this wonderful trail.
Sea kayaking from Hangklip to Gordons Bay
A 40km paddle along some of the most beautiful coastline in the Cape - Cape Hangklip to Gordons Bay. ("Hangklip" = "Hanging Rock") [HTML1] Or download the GPS track and open in Google Earth
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