Roxanne Reid's Blog, page 32
March 19, 2014
Detection dog helps conserve tortoises in South Africa
By Roxanne ReidTwo-year-old Brin has recently joined the CapeNature team. Her job is to help conserve the critically endangered geometric tortoise. She’s the first conservation dog to do this work in South Africa. Conservation dog detection is very new in South Africa and needs special skills. Brin was trained for tortoise detection over six months by CapeNature ecological co-ordinator Vicki Hudson.
‘The Malinois is a working breed which is part of one of the four varieties of Belgian s...
March 17, 2014
Global march against canned lion hunting
By Roxanne Reid
The global march against canned lion hunting took place in some 60 cities across the world on 15 March 2014. The aim was to raise awareness and educate people about the horrors of canned lions–not just the way they die but they way they are forced to live before they arekilled. Here's a short video of what happened at the march in Cape Town, where people came together to roar in support of lions and to call for a ban on canned lion hunting. This video was made by Willie Fritz...
The global march against canned lion hunting took place in some 60 cities across the world on 15 March 2014. The aim was to raise awareness and educate people about the horrors of canned lions–not just the way they die but they way they are forced to live before they arekilled. Here's a short video of what happened at the march in Cape Town, where people came together to roar in support of lions and to call for a ban on canned lion hunting. This video was made by Willie Fritz...
March 12, 2014
4 farmstalls worth stopping at in the Overberg
By Roxanne ReidTravelling from Cape Town towards Swellendam along the N2 is often something people do when they’re on their way to the Garden Route further east. But if you plan your stops right, it can be a destination in its own right. Here are4 farmstalls worth stopping at in the Overberg. 1. Peregrine Farm Stall
Peregrine Farmstall hums at the weekends and is busy mid-week too Go east of Cape Town and up Sir Lowry’s Pass and you’ll soon come to a perennial favourite,Peregrine Far...
March 5, 2014
Go on a guided marine walk at De Hoop Nature Reserve
By Roxanne ReidIt was February and as hot as Hades. Yet theguided marine walk at De Hoop Nature Reservethat would see us poking about in rock pools was scheduled to start at 11am – because that was low tide – and continue under the noonday heat. We nearly chickened out. We needn’t have worried. The breeze off the sea kept us cool while our jovial guide Pinkey Ngewu pumped us full of information from the encyclopaedia of intertidal creatures and their habits that she keeps in her head.
We...
March 3, 2014
Aerial walkway to open at Kirstenbosch
By Roxanne ReidAlready nicknamed the Boomslang because of its long winding path through the trees, a new aerial walkway will open at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardenin Cape Town soon. The work of architect Mark Thomas and structural engineer Henry Fagan, it snakes through the Arboretum (Enchanted Forest) between the protea garden and the lawn where concerts are held in summer, joining the forest floor in two places.
The 130-metre galvanised steel walkway will allow you to experienc...
February 26, 2014
12 things to do at De Hoop Nature Reserve
By Roxanne ReidThe De Hoop Nature Reserve is just a three-hour drive from Cape Town. It’s stuffed with Cape fynbos, the vlei is a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) and southern right whales come to breed in its marine reserve. If that’s not reason enough to visit, here are12 things to do at De Hoop Nature Reserve. 1. Ride a mountain bike trail
Go mountain biking among antelope, birds & fynbos with great views over ocean or vlei (Pic: De Hoop Collection) There are fo...
February 24, 2014
Wine and food pairing at Creation: a romantic match
February is the month of love. And to my mind there’s nothing more romantic than chocolate, wine or food. Except perhaps chocolate, wine and food. That’s why the wine and food pairing at Creation Wines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley above Hermanus in the Overberg is such a romantic match. The intriguing wine and chocolate pairing is the cherry on top. We spent a few hours at Creation Wines www.creationwines.co.za recently and went away star-struck with chef Warwick Taylor’s creations and ex...
February 19, 2014
10 things to do in Stanford in the Overberg
Photo: Jason, Ivanhoe Sea Safaris By Roxanne ReidOne thing you learn very quickly about Stanford in the Overberg is that it’s hard not to fall under the spell of its numerous restaurants and wineries (see 12 restaurants and wineries in Stanford worth visiting). But wining and dining isn’t the only thing to do in the town, not by far. Here’s my pick of 10 things to do in Stanford. 1. Visit the village markets
Okay, so this one is also food-related, but not entirely! The Sunset Market...
February 17, 2014
Bragging rights: what’s in it for you? (like a free book)
By Roxanne ReidIf I tell you that my ebook Travels in the Kalahari has just won an indie publishing award, you’re going to think, ‘So, big deal, what’s in it for me?’ Because we humans are like that. Read on and I’ll tell you what's in it for you. 1. Saves you time
Nowadays almost anyone and his dog can publish a book. But not everyone should. And as a book editor in my ‘day job’, I can tell you that not every indie (independently published) book deserves your time and money. To be fran...
February 12, 2014
12 restaurants and wineries in Stanford worth visiting
Photo: Creation Wines By Roxanne ReidEveryone who has been to the village ofStanfordnear Hermanus in the Cape Overberg agrees that you need to be very, very hungry before you visit. There are so many good places to eat and enjoy wine tasting that the town is becoming a serious contender for foodie capital of the Cape. Franschhoek had better watch out. Here are12 restaurants and wineries in Stanford worth visiting. Restaurants
1.Havercrofts
If you like good food that’s well cooked and serve...
