Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 25

Beginner’s guide to the Mountain Zebra National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Summer thunderstorms, winding passes, sweeping views over mountains and valleys. Animals from meerkat to buffalo and lion, not forgetting the Cape mountain zebra the park was formed to protect. These are a few of the things that make this place special. To find out what else is in store when you visit, here’s a beginner’s guide to the Mountain Zebra National Park in the Eastern Cape. The park was established in 1937 to save the Cape mountain zebra from extinction. Today it’...

15 things to do at Marakele National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Huddling among rocky peaks and valleys in the heart of Limpopo’s Waterberg mountains, Marakele is a place of wild beauty and a refuge for large game species. It’s also home to one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of Cape vultures. Here’s my pick of 15 things to do at Marakele National Park. 1. Remember to fill up with fuel before going to Marakele because you can’t buy fuel in the park. The nearest town is Thabazimbi 12km from the main entrancea a gate.
Marakel...

Akkedisbult cottage near Hopetown in the Karoo

By Roxanne Reid
If you’re ever on your way up the N12 that links Cape Town and Johannesburg via Kimberley and you’re looking for a value-for-money place to stay, Akkedisbult cottage near Hopetown in the Karoo could be just the ticket. About 135km south of Kimberley, it’s a peaceful retreat on a working farm. Your route will take you on a dirt road 12km east of the N12 to a farm called Nuwedam, owned by the friendly Gerald and Nici Buchanan-Clarke. The two-bedroomed Akkedisbult cottage behi...

Honey Bee Camp at Platbos Forest, Overberg

By Roxanne Reid
In an earlier postI talked about walking in the calming indigenous forest of Platbos near Gansbaai and De Kelders in the Western Cape, a two- to three-hour drive east of Cape Town. And I promised to tell you more about where we stayed, at the Honey Bee Camp at Platbos Forest, Overberg.
Honey Bee Campmay be secreted away inside a patch of indigenous forest just a few kilometres from the whale watching and great white shark hotspot that is Gansbaai, but it’s millions of miles...

Falling in love with Ithala Game Reserve

By Roxanne Reid
Crack! It sounded like a gunshot but it was just a big bull elephant breaking branches for a mid-morning snack. I was standing just a few metres away and rapidly falling in love with Ithala Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. The elephant was ignoring the visitors and staff peering at him as he browsed on a tree right next to Ntshondwe camp’s restaurant deck. He’d stretch up, reaching into the tree with his head held high, trunk fully extended, setting up a rhythm of branch brea...

Platbos indigenous forest in the Overberg

By Roxanne Reid
Gansbaai and De Kelders, about 45km southwest of Hermanus on the southern Cape coast, are just a two- or three-hour drive east of Cape Town. You might think this area is all about the ocean, whale watching and great white sharks, but you’d be wrong. It’s also where you’ll find the captivating Platbos indigenous forest in the Overberg. Platbos Forestwas a surprise in so many ways. If we hadn’t gone looking for it after hearing good things on the #discoveroverbergTwitter Chat...

Kgalagadi creatures – a photo blog

Ever been to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park? Well, then you know that it’s addictive – the chance to see the wildlife, recharge your batteries, hear the silence, feel the red sand between your toes. After 27 years and multiple visits, amateur photographer Madelene Silbernagl is still hooked. She shares some shots of Kgalagadi creatures in this photo blog. ‘The vastness and silence of the Kalahari brings real perspective to life and draws you closer to the splendour of nature and wildlif...

The contrasts of northern Mozambique

By Roxanne Reid
Combine coastal Africa and a Mediterranean mindset and you have laid-back Pemba in the northern Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique. Just a short skip across the sea to the Quirimbas Archipelago you’ll find a tropical island paradise at Medjumbe. These are the contrasts of northern Mozambique – and each has its own appeal. Some 2400km north of Mozambique’s capital Maputo, Pemba was probably a fairly sleepy place until offshore natural gas was discovered in the Rovuma basin...

Street photography in Cape Town

By Roxanne Reid
Cape Town is a remarkable destination that offers everything from mountains, beaches and different cultures to forest, fynbos and fabulous food. And when the Cape Town carnival hits the streets in January each year, it’s a photographer’s delight. Take a look at this portfolio ofstreet photography in Cape Townand you’ll understand why. My husband-and-travel companion, Keith, took to the streets of Cape Town with his cameraon the day of the carnival. He was part of a small gr...

How YOU can help to reduce roadkill

By Roxanne Reid
Ever been excited as you approach a game reserve somewhere in South Africa, only to be horrified at how many animals you see splattered and dead on the road? Here’s how you can help reduce roadkill by becoming part of a citizen science research project. To give an idea of the scale of the problem, a few years ago I counted the roadkill on the tar road between Upington and the turnoff to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park at Molopo Lodge. On this stretch of about 170km I count...