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You work with lots of school groups. Why is it important to expose kids to nature? Thanks to technology and social media, humans are spending less and less time outdoors; we’re losing our connection with nature. This results in several developmental,

If surviving two years of Covid wasn’t enough, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlights an important message that most of us try to avoid thinking about: Life is short and precious. We have to make the most of it while we’re still healthy enough to en

Marelize wins a Zartek TX-8 two-way radio twin-pack, worth R1 099. The TX-8 has a slim, lightweight design, the audio is loud and clear, and the reception range is excellent. The set comes standard with cradles, USB charging cables and belt-clip case

EDITOR›IN›CHIEF -WEG & GO-: PIERRE STEYN editor@gomag.co.za DEPUTY EDITOR: ESMA MARNEWICK TRAVEL EDITOR: TOAST COETZER FOOD EDITOR: JOHANÉ NEILSON COPY EDITORS: MARIJCKE DODDS, MARTINETTE LOUW CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: JON MINSTER JOURNALISTS: SOPHI

Send your letters to editor@gomag.co.za – include your name, surname and where you live. Please also include a photo if you have one (at least 2 MB in size). We reserve the right to edit and shorten letters, and use your photos elsewhere in the magaz

DRIES KRUGER from Boksburg writes: We visited Augrabies Falls National Park in February this year. We climbed to the top of Moon Rock – two bare granite domes – and found these “fish” in a small pool of water. What are they and how on earth did they

CapeNature is offering a whopping 40% discount on select self-catering accommodation and campsites if you book, pay and stay between 1 May and 31 August. Hike, bike and birdwatch, and when it gets dark, read and sip red wine at the fireside. Here’s t

Travelling comes in many shapes and forms, but the easiest way to lose yourself in a different world is through the pages of a book, especially during winter. Here are five unique, independent South African bookstores to add to your must-visit list.

Between June and October each year, southern right whales migrate from Antarctica to the bays of the Western Cape to calve. But climate change is disrupting the ocean’s normal processes and affecting their food supply. This is negatively impacting on

When you travel the arid corners of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, you often wonder how on earth anything could survive – much less thrive. This book by the late biologist Barry Lovegrove holds the answer. First published in 1993, the new editio

1919 – Major PJ Pretorius is ordered to exterminate the last elephants in the area. 1931– With only 11 elephants left, Addo Elephant National Park (45 km2) is established. The elephants still cause damage to farms and are sometimes run over by train

The two-day Alexandria Trail (36 km) runs south from the Langebos Huts in the Alexandria Forest and along the beach. You overnight in a hut. The next morning you walk back along the Woody Cape coastal dune field – one of the most pristine dune fields

Addo is one of only a few places in southern Africa where the flightless dung beetle is still found. They especially like the dung of bigger grass-eaters like elephants and buffalo. An elephant can eat up to 300 kg of plant material per day. They don

Hapoor Dam was named after an elephant bull that dominated the area from 1944 to 1968. He had a big hole in his left ear – apparently caused by a hunting rifle – and a bad temper. Hapoor killed another elephant bull called Bellevue in 1959 and was al

• Addo has several botanical reserves. Big herbivores like elephants, rhinos and buffalo can’t access these fenced conservation areas, which allows the park to study the recovery rate of vegetation more accurately. • When the park was established, a

The exclusive Nyathi rest camp is 12 km from Main Camp in a fenced area with lion, elephant, black rhino, buffalo and eland. Each of the self-catering units has a braai on a deck; the bigger units have splash pools. A unit for two people costs R2 350

Lesotho is southern Africa’s snowiest country by a long shot! Besides many epic mountain passes to traverse, you can also go skiing at Afriski. Their cheapest accommodation is backpacker-style, starting from R325 per person during winter. Apartment-s

A weekend in Clarens, in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, or towns like Fouriesburg and Ficksburg can also yield some good snow if your timing is right. Mt Horeb Manor is a cosy B&B in Clarens. Rooms cost R500 per person sharing on week nights (s

Gate times: October to March from 5.30 am to 6.30 pm; April to September from 6 am to 6 pm. No matter which gate you use or section you visit, you’ll pay a daily conservation fee of R90 per adult; R45 per child; free with a Wild card. No citrus! Add

WHY? We publish a selection of reader pictures in every issue. Don’t be shy, haul out those shots you’ve been hoarding on your computer and send them to us! We like just about anything: wildlife, landscapes, portraits, holiday snaps or bugs in your g

This canvas bag has sturdy sides and a soft inner to protect your valuable gear. The compartments are adjustable to fit your camera and lenses. Product available at winkel.weg.co.za ■

Whichever way you approach Clarens, the drive is beautiful. The R712 through Golden Gate Highlands National Park might be the most beautiful (where else does a public road cut through a conservation area, with the Drakensberg towering over you in gol

Years ago, a group of children painted a big smiley face on a billboard on Mount Horeb. People like to take a photo there. Search for “Smiley face on Mount Horeb” on Google Maps. Most of the farms around Clarens also have hiking trails to explore, li

We meet at Memorial Gate, in the far north of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. Our guide will brief us, hand out two-way radios and serve lunch. On our way to our camp, the game-rich area will be the perfect introduction to this adventure. We end the

Duration: Six days, five nights (lodge and guesthouse accommodation) 12 – 17 February 2023 R14 950 per adult sharing; half-price for children under 10 Your tour leader is an experienced nature conservationist and adventure guide. He will be in radio

• As the human population grows, we take up more and more space and the veld where cheetahs can roam freely – their habitat – shrinks. • Cheetahs mostly hunt during the day (other big cats hunt at night), so they’re more visible and are sometimes sho

That’s how many cheetahs are left in Africa. The number of cheetahs in South Africa. An estimate of the number of spots on a cheetah’s body. The length of a cheetah’s stride when it is running. How far can you jump? This is how many strides a cheetah

In May 2021, I visited the Kruger Park with my friends Toy and Marianne Kruger. One day at around 2 pm, we were driving along the S30 from Mlondozi Dam towards Skukuza. We pulled over at a low-water bridge to see whether there was any action in the s

The campsite at the ocean edge is deserted. The beach too, except for a clutch of white-fronted plovers and piles of washed-up kelp. This is not an unusual scene on the sparsely populated West Coast, but it’s early January – peak holiday season. All