BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Our objective was clear: get eyes on the highly elusive bearded vulture in its natural habitat of the high Berg, portray it in a large painted mural, and film it all. Easier said than done. Not quite Mission: Impossible, but certainly “Mission: Ambitious”.

Tom Cruise wasnʼt available, and good thing, too, because our leading man, Giffy Duminy, was exactly the right artist for the job. A muralist matched by very few, Giffy specialises in spray-painting vibrant, largerthan-life wildlife scenes, which can be seen on just about every spare bit of wall in his hometown of Durban. Heʼs also a conservationist, an avid birder, and a lover of the Drakensberg, so it really was a no-brainer casting him as protagonist in our little production.

Our steed was also perfectly cast. The Mazda CX-30 Carbon Edition made light work of the twists, turns, steep ascents and dirt backroads of the Berg. Giffy had a blast behind the wheel, and was decidedly despondent when he had to return the keys.

But letʼs