Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 31

Elephants can distinguish between human languages

By Roxanne Reid
We all know elephants have good memories. But did you know that African elephants are so clever that they candistinguish between different human languagesand consciously keep their distance from people they see as a threat? Man is not the elephant’s best friend, and the animals are particularly vulnerable because of habitat loss and illegal hunting for their ivory tusks. Now researchers in Amboseli National Park in Kenya are discovering how elephants understand and react to...

Kgalagadi’s Auchterlonie museum

By Roxanne Reid
You’re in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, hugging the dry Auob riverbed north of Twee Rivieren looking for cheetah when you notice the ruins of stone buildings along the calcrete ridge. A little further you turn off to Auchterlonie picnic spot to enjoy your sarmies and coffee. Before you leave, wander around Kgalagadi’s Auchterlonie museum and discover what it was like to live here 100 years ago. Therestored stone-and-thatchcottage stands on a windswept ridge surrounded...

Mosaic Private Sanctuary near Stanford: photo essay

By Roxanne Reid
Fynbos, flamingos on the lagoon and a forest spa sounded so romantic. My kind of place. So when I was invited to stay at the Mosaic Private Sanctuary near Stanford in the Overberg while I researched an article about things to do and places to eat in Stanford, I was there boots and all. Through this photo essay you can get a taste too. Mosaic’s Lagoon Lodgehas a gorgeous setting next to the Hermanus lagoon and the Walker Bay Conservancy. It specialises in making you feel pa...

Hantam Huis in Calvinia, Karoo – don’t hurry past

By Roxanne Reid
Stand outside the grey-and-white limewashed building that is Hantam Huis in Calvinia, Karoo, and it’s as if you’ve dropped through a wormhole into the 1850s. Except for that plaque that declares it a National Monument. That wouldn’t have been there 160 years ago when it was first built. Don’t drive past; stop and explore like we did. A three-wheeler bicycle outside has a blackboard that lures us inside with its promise ofmoerkoffie, gemmerbier,melktert,pannekoek. What we f...

Hantam Huis in Calvinia, Karoo – don’t drive past

By Roxanne Reid
Stand outside the grey-and-white limewashed building that is Hantam Huis in Calvinia, Karoo, and it’s as if you’ve dropped through a wormhole into the 1850s. Except for that plaque that declares it a National Monument. That wouldn’t have been there 160 years ago when it was first built. Don’t drive past; stop and explore like we did. A three-wheeler bicycle outside has a blackboard that lures us inside with its promise ofmoerkoffie, melktert, gemmerbier, pannekoek. What we...

New source of African travel inspiration

By Roxanne Reid
‘A priest from the Chimanimani once told me God made Africa first, when he still had imagination and courage.’ So wrote Alexandra Fuller in her book,Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. It’s no wonder, then, that Africa is so magnificent and that we so easily succumb to its spell. Now there’s anew source of African travel inspirationI’d like to share with you. If you love stories about African travel, nature, wildlife, safari, adventure, heritage and people, then you’re...

10 tips for preventing motion sickness on a road trip

If you suffer from motion sickness, a long car journey may not be your idea of fun. Few things can ruin a trip as effectively as breaking into a cold sweat, turning deathly white (or green!), feeling dizzy and nauseous, even vomiting. Here are 10 tips for preventing motion sickness on a road trip. 1. Choose the front seat and face forward, keeping your head stable.
2. Try to focus on the horizon straight ahead of you; don’t look from side to side or turn around to talk to passengers in the...

Interview with a Kalahari addict

When I discover new authors whose books I want to scoff up in huge inelegant chunks as if they were double-chocolate mousse cake, I love to find out more about them. What makes them tick? What are they passionate about? What were the difficulties they encountered? So I was chuffed to have the chance to answer some questions for an American website recently, this time from the other side of the desk. Camelthorn trees, red dunes and wide-open spaces are characteristic of the Kalahari, t...

Oranjerus: stop over near Keimoes in the green Kalahari

In the old days, before 20 stop-and-go roadworks blossomed on the N7 and R27 between Clanwilliam, Calvinia, Brandvlei and Kenhardt like Namaqualand flowers in a good year, we used to drive from Cape Town to Twee Rivieren in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in 10- to 11-hour comfort. Now, with the stop-and-go’s pruned to about a dozen, 10.5 hours will still only get you as far as Keimoes in the green Kalahari. We've learned that trying to rush is pointless. If you fight it, you’re going to...

What are you doing for Earth Hour?

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)'s Earth Hour takes place this year on Saturday 29 March. But what exactly is Earth Hour and what should you be doing about it? Here are the answers to all your questions. When did it begin?
A World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) initiative, Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when 2.2 million households turned off their lights for one hour to make a stand against climate change. What’s this year’s campaign about?
This year WWF South Africa’...