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Sheet lightning paints the sky at the foot of Ship's Prow pass, in the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg.  Camping in this storm turned out to be a blessing and a curse - sights, scents and sounds the likes of which you simply cannot get outside the mountains, but every second of awe is a second of sleep sorely missed after the hike to get there!  This storm took the best part of three hours to blow over - a good reminder that even on the nicest of days (which it had been) you should still be prepared for anything when you go on long hikes.

 

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Fancy a game-viewing holiday in 2013?  Well we’ve got good news for you. 

WILDERNESS SAFARIS LAUNCHES LOYALTY PROGRAMME FOR AFRICAN RESIDENTS

On the eve of their 30th birthday Wilderness Safaris, one of Africa’s  long established safari companies, have introduced a loyalty programme - the Wilderness Safaris Residents Programme for - African residents/citizens. The programme is tailor-made to accommodate residents of southern Africa and other African countries with Dream Deals allowing members to take advantage of exclusive rates and last-minute booking discounts at the 70 Wilderness Safaris exclusive lodges, scattered in spectacular locations throughout nine African countries.  

Best of all the R5000 membership fee (valid for two years) goes directly to the Children in the Wilderness programme, www.childreninthewilderness.com, and is tax deductible for South African residents.  CITW is an environmental and life skills educational programme for rural children focusing on the next generation of decision makers: inspiring them to care for their natural heritage and to become the custodians of these areas in the future. 

Find out more through resident[email protected], sms “safari’’ and your email address to 34007 or visit www.wilderness-residents.co.za.  

 

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A favourite among locals and tourists alike, the Old Biscuit Mill in trendy Woodstock, Cape Town, is the spot to taste some gourmet foods. Originally an actual biscuit mill, this warehouse type building has been transformed into a buzzing Saturday market. Meander your way through the maze of stores and sample the artisan food and drink tasters. This particular store was selling mushroom kebabs, with other store options ranging from oysters to fruit smoothies to pastries.

The market is open every Saturday from 9am until 2pm but try to get there early to avoid the crowds.  There are also some permanent stores if you want to stop by without the crowds... support local foodies!

 - Megan Pilditch

 

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Having faced a normal monday again, it has become apparent that the holiday season has come or is coming to a close to most of us, a few lucky students excepted...  So it's time to start looking closer to home for your daily dose of beauty, adventure, or whatever else floats your boat.  Take, for example, this little chameleon chilling out in my garden...  Certainly smaller than some of the game we've photographed in the last two months (but I'd hate to clean up behind a giraffe anyway), and no less beautiful.

So now that I'm back in the swing of things, I'm making a hit-list of 'little adventures' to have within easy reach of my home, and hopefully this will lead to a rewarding year... Starting with figuring out where on earth that chameleon has disappeared to!

 

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The Nightjar Team hard at work watching a colony of sociable weavers. Although some birds build bigger nests, nothing matches these little guys for the size of their colonies. Some of these colonies house over 100 pairs. Pygmy Falcons are the most common co-inhabitant, but a range of other birds, including finches, lovebirds, Barbets and Chats, also use these nests - and for good reason. During hot summer’s days, the outside chambers offer cool relief from the scorching sun, while at night the central chambers remain cosy and warm.

Stay tuned for the result of all this 'hard work'!

 

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The vulture restaurant at Giant’s Castle is one of the best places in the world to watch Cape vultures and bearded vultures (also known as lammergeiers) soar and feed at very close range. Located near a cliff face, this secluded hide in the Drakensberg allows for close encounters with these two vulture species, as well as jackal buzzards, white-necked ravens and other carrion-eating species. In addition to the birds, at any given time opportunistic black-backed jackals might appear and tussle for scraps, creating some great photographic opportunities.

Just remember to heed the instructions please - vultures have been known to swallow nails used to stake bait to the ground, with severe consequences!

 - Dianne Tipping-Woods   

(More: www.nightjartravel.com/parks/giants-castle )

 

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Travelling through South Africa can be a humbling experience. It’s easy to feel small and awe-struck when looking at elephants up close, losing yourself in a wide landscape or taking in the magnificence of a night sky full of stars. But nothing quite compares to how you’ll feel when you encounter a millennia old baobab (Andansonia digitata). This particular specimen is the Sagole Big Tree in Venda, in the north-eastern corner of Limpopo province. Home to a flock of rare mottled spinetails (a type of swift), it has a trunk diameter of 10.47 meters, a circumference of 43 meters and a crown diameter of 38.2 metres. The tree is 22 metres high and is estimated to be 3000 years old. It’s amazing to think that it originated from a single tiny seed. 

 - Dianne Tipping-Woods