|
Calendar
|
| GALJOEN |
|
A Favourite quarry among rock and surf fishes along the Southern African coast, the stately Galjoen (Coracinus capensis) varies in color depending on its habitat-dark brown to blackish near rocks and reefs (lending it the name ‘blackfish’ in Kwazulu-Natal) or silver bronze in sandy areas. It is usually caught on red bait, the best time to fish for it being between May and August in the south western Cape, and during September and October further up the east coast. |
| |
|
| VIEW THE ROSETTA STONE OF ROCK ART IN SOUTHERN DRAKENSBERG |
 |
The Rosetta Stone in the southern Drakensberg’s Kamberg reserve has a magnificent frieze of giant eland and mythological figures. It was one specific eland and attended half man that proved to be the key that unlocked the door on the mysterious and deeply spiritual nature of San rock art. If you ever visit only one rock art site, this should be it. |
| |
|
| ADMIRE THE HIGHEST WATERFALL ON THE CONTINENT, THE THUKELA FALLS |
|
The Thukela Falls is the highest waterfall on the African continent (if you count all three drops together) The Thukela Falls drops 850 metres over the Drakenberg’s cliffs. |
| |
|
| MARVEL AT THE TURTLE MIGRATION IN MAPUTALAND TO LAY THEIR EGGS |
|
When the sun approaches the zenith of its annual migration, an irresistible instinct fires in female loggerhead and leatherback turtles, bringing them up on the coral-sand beaches along the Maputuland coast to lay their eggs. Head out at night to watch these massive marine reptiles in their primeval act of maternal labour: painstakingly clawing their way up the beach, laboriously digging a metre deep hole above the high water mark, laying their billiard ball size eggs, filling the hole and concealing the spot. It’s hard to refrain from cheering when mom gets back to the foam line and paddles out into the inky-black ocean. |
| |
|
| JOIN THE SARDINE RUN |
 |
If you want to know how good the year’s sardine run will be, check out the intensity of the red-hot poker blooms, which flower immediately preceding the run. That’s according to folklore anyway, through scientists haven’t yet done enough research to understand what exactly drives the migration or its size or its timing. It’s short and happens sometime in May or June along the Wild Coast and Kwazulu-Natal coast. Take a bucket to scoop up sardines washed ashore, dive among the shoals or throw a line for the predator fish that follow the sardines. |
| |
|
| BOUND DOWN DURBAN'S ESPLANADE IN A RICKSHAW |
|
Bounding down Durban’s Esplanade in a rickshaw will take you back to childhood days riding in your moms shopping trolley. Now, and then, the novelty of the ride will rate higher than the beauty of the scenery. Prices are not set, so bargain for an acceptable fare. |
| |
|
| VALLEY OF A THOUSAND HILLS |
|
Listen to rural Zulu woman singing just for the joy of it in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, in the KZN Midlands, while you enjoy the scenery and the fact that you’ve never had to trek up and down the hills looking for firewood or collecting water. |
| |
|
| THE AMPHITHEATRE |
|
But for one ‘soft’ option, a hike to the top of the Drakensberg is an arduous undertaking that should be attempted only by fit and well-equipped hikers. Also arguably the most dramatic, the Chain Ladders give easy access from the Sentinel car park (where you buy a permit) to Mont-aux-Sources and the summit plateau of the Amphitheatre, the biggest wall of rock in Africa (five kilometres long and one kilometre high). Spend the entire day up there. Just go prepared for extreme mountain weather – people have been caught out and died. |
| |
|
|
|
