Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

Most South Africans have holidayed in one or two resorts scattered at different heights throughout the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains – from Drak Gardens in the south to Hlalanathi in the north. But not many South Africans have taken a trip up the stunning Sani Valley – starting out from Underberg and ultimately crossing the border post into Lesotho and its majestic mountains. Driving up the steep and windy Sani Pass road you’ll climb to an altitude of 2874m above sea level – zigzagging upwards beneath towering cliffs and buttresses, past cascading waterfalls and unique flora and bird life.

How to go

There are quite a few tour companies that will take you up Sani Pass in 4×4 vehicles or on quad bikes. Some of the most popular tour companies are Thaba Tours, Sani Pass Tours, Major Adventures and Drakensberg Adventures.
But you can also drive up in your own car – provided it’s a4x4, of course. And if you are feeling energetic and adventurous – get on your bicycle or use your feet!
Don’t forget to bring your passports, as you’ll cross the South African Border Post at the bottom of the pass, and the Lesotho Border Post at the top.

When to go

You can drive up Sani Pass just about any day of the year provided you have a 4×4. In summer sweeping green slopes, vast floral displays and spectacular waterfalls will capture your heart and soul completely. In winter you’ll be able to admire iced falls in every hairpin bend, as well as a dry, rich gold veld. You might even experience a white blanket of snow, if you time your visit right!

Accommodation

For those wanting a hotel atmosphere, head for Sani Pass Hotel – situated at the bottom of the pass. For backpackers, however, the rustic Sani Lodge is also located at the bottom of Sani Pass. Sani Lodge is a peaceful country haven with a laid back atmosphere – allowing guests to simply kick off their shoes, unwind and feel completely at home. Sani Lodge is also the home of Drakensberg Adventures.
If you climb further up and want to stay in Lesotho, at the very top of Sani Pass, there is another rustic lodge available. Sani Top Chalet offers comfortable accommodation beneath a sea of stars at night and breathtaking landscapes by day. It is also home to the highest pub in Africa – serving delicious homemade meals.
There are also places to stay in nearby Himeville and Underberg - such as Arbuckle House, Sani Manor, Umzimkulu River Lodge and Rocky Mountain Lodge. These places are more suitable for those exploring the nearby Underberg area, and just looking to take a quick day trip up Sani Pass.

What to look out for

The Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park offers an incredible variety of fauna and flora. The shaggy Bearded Vulture, a rare and endangered bird that lives around the Drakensberg massif and foothills in South Africa and Lesotho, is just one of the beautiful species you should look out for. It is thought that there are only about 400 Bearded Vultures left in the wild, so if you spot one consider yourself incredibly lucky!
There are plenty of other bird species found in the area as well – such as the Whitewinged Flufftail and the Yellowbreasted Pipit. There are also close to 50 species of mammals – including Leopard, Baboon, Jackal, Black Wildebeest and Eland. The Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park is also home to the largest Clawless Otter population in South Africa.

How to extend your adventure

If you want to explore further once you have reached the top of Sani Pass, venture into the beautiful Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. The rustic Molumong Lodge offers a magnificent view of the Maluti Mountains and radiates a truly magical ambience. The lodge is only an hour and a bit’s drive from the top of Sani Pass, and the road takes you through a beautiful valley full of fluffy sheep, hard-working donkeys and smiling Basotho people. There is no electricity at Molumong, but gas and coal is used to cook and provide hot showers. Remember to bring your own food and drinks, as there are no shops for miles. If you are visiting in winter, and snow has been falling for a couple of days before your arrival, head for Lesotho’s Afriski - very popular amongst skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts.

Synchronized spooning is the name given when trying, with your husband (or wife or partner) to turn around in a bed the size of a postage stamp – the types which are usually found in lodges that have been graded 4 stars by the owners themselves. Synchronized spooning is fun, it’s like playing a little game, let’s see who can fall off the bed first. FUN!

We did the Giants Castle MTB race this weekend and stayed with friends in this “4 Star” lodge the night before the race.  We must be one of the most unorganised couples when it comes to self-catering. I keep promising Jem that when we have kids I’ll get organised but until then we’ll just have to endure “adventurous living”. So we took Woolies lasagne, salad and rolls for dinner but we forgot to pack salt, margarine and salad dressing which meant we chewed the food in the same way a dog would if it had a chunk of peanut butter in its mouth. Num Nums!

So after a few jokes next to the fire, we retreated to our mini-me concave bed and got ready for a session of synchronised spooning.

“On the count of three. And 1, 2, 3 and turn” Jem would whisper, initiating the first synchronized spoon. And we’d both heave ourselves from lying on our left hand sides to our right.

However, when we went to sleep the sync in the word synchronized grew wings and flew. When one of us turned around, the other would lose precious mattress space and deep grunts and moans would follow. And you thought it was something else didn’t you Janine?! My arm fell off the bed several times, jolting me awake every time. In the middle of the night however, things started to get a lot more comfy. Huh, this isn’t so bad, I thought to myself, we’re quite good at this spooning thing, I feel like I have all the space in the world. Little did I know that Jem had made his way to the more spacious but less comfortable single bed in the corner.  The sheets definitely lived up to the 4 star status – they were so threadbare we almost mistook them for mosquito nets. B-yooo-ti-ful!

But there was one saving grace – I brought our own pillows. Thank goodness because the pillows of our 4 star lodging smelt like the hair from someone with a greasy comb over. I’m not kidding, I got woofs of it throughout the night.

Anyway we survived the night and woke up the next morning – Jem with a sore back from the different level planks of the single bed and me with a stiff neck. We couldn’t help but laugh at the situation though.

After shovelling chocolate Pronutro down our gullets, we headed to the start of the race.  Jem and I always ride the Giants together, it’s one of the toughest one-day races in South Africa and every year I ask myself “Why oh why am I doing this?”. A lot of grass tufts, muddy ruts, hike and bike sections and the altitude make it worthy of its name – Giants Castle Challenge. You literally climb for the first 3 ½ hours, descend for 45 minutes and then climb for another 45 minutes to the finish. Jem embodied the energiser bunny from start to finish whilst I just embodied a mad woman seeking oxygen for most of the way. Although I battled quite a lot, we knocked 30 minutes off our previous years’ time to finish in 5 hours.  Go team!

And guess what! The Wildlands Conservation Trust received R240 000 as a result of the Giant’s Challenge!

Find the final results here

How amazing is this? Check out the mountains in the background..

It made my day when I heard that the ANC did not receive a two thirds majority in the elections. Yeah Baby! I breathed a deep sigh of relief and felt somewhat victorious for all the other parties that campaigned so hard and so well.  And the voter turnout was much higher than the last election which fantastic – it seems like a lot more people are realising the importance of voting. Good on ya!

Anyway, we have a new president now – it might take a while for me to abolish the image of a shower rose over Jacob Zuma’s head every time I think of him, but I really hope that he does a good job, we’ll wait and see.

South Africa is celebrating its 13^th year of democracy since the first non-racial elections on 27 April 1994.

Freedom Day reminds us that every person is valuable and deserving of equal rights. This in not just another opportunity to sleep late and have a braai; recognise this day for what it is. Treat people with respect wherever you go – whether it’s the person working at the convenience store, the petrol attendant or your mother! Freedom Day reminds us of the pain of the past (a lesson not to be repeated) and – this is where the tricky part comes in – we need to then move on in forgiveness and together celebrate the future of this country.

Reference: Arts and Culture Department

Another long weekend is here! No more chocolate Easter eggs (unless your name is Louise Sanders – in which case you are allowed to frantically search the shelves at Checkers, Pick’n'Pay and Spar for leftovers), but celebrate Freedom Day on Monday by making a decadent Bar One Cake and sharing it with your family, friends and neighbours! Before you start melting the chocolates, however, let’s take a look at positive news that made the headlines this week.

Economy boosted by sporting events

At the end of May the British and Irish Lion rugby tour will kick off in SA – expected to bring in a whopping R1 billion. And because we are hosting several major sporting events this year, including three high-profile international tournaments, a total economy boost of R4 billion has been predicted!

Reference: SA Good News

Sonwabo Qathula – man enough to wear an apron

It’s not often you’ll see a man in the kitchen, but Sonwabo Quathula and six of his friends have decided to get actively involved in helping others after learning about gender stereotypes. Making a positive contribution to their community in Qumbu, 60km outside of Mthatha, these seven wonderful men are working as caregivers with the Siyakhanyisa HIV/Aids support group.

Reference: Mail & Guardian

Limpopo kids get free school uniforms

The ANC has donated socks, shirts, skirts, trousers and shoes valued at over R10 000 to orphans and children of unemployed parents from Khadzinge secondary school in Makhuvha village outside Thohoyandou.

Reference: News 24

KZN street kids given new hope

Buhle Mjoli and Russel Machi, two strong-minded children’s rights activists from Durban, has launched the Shonaphansi Street Children Operation (Sisco) – offering a lifeline to youths who have grown up on the streets and are no longer eligible for social grants through welfare bodies. “Some of these youngsters have spent more than ten years on the street. They can’t get work and don’t have IDs, so inevitably they survive by committing petty crime. Their only hope is to be given life skills and be taught how to be human. Otherwise they will end up on life’s scrap heap,” said Mjoli.

Reference: Independent Online

WESTERN CAPE EVENTS

SA Cheese Festival
Date: Friday, 24 April 2009 to Monday, 27 April 2009
Venue: Simondium (Btw Franschhoek & Paarl)
More Information: Tickets available from Computicket outlets countrywide and online
Website

Decorex Cape 2009
Date: Friday, 24 April 2009 to Monday, 27 April 2009
Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town Central
Website

The Cadiz Freedom Swim
Date: Saturday, 25 April 2009
Venue: Swim from Robben Island and Bloubergstrand
More Information: Craig or Shirley on: 021 785-3683 from 9am to 3pm, Mon to Fri
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EASTERN CAPE EVENTS

The Lady Grey Fonduro
Date: Sunday, 26 April 2009
Venue: Lady Grey
More Information: Kevin on +27 (0)51 603-1114.
Website

KZN EVENTS

Mighty Men Conference
Date: Saturday, 25 April- Sunday, 26 April 2009
Venue: Natal Midlands, KZN
Website

Grape Crushing Festival
Date: Saturday, 25 April 2009
Venue: The Stables Wine Estate, Nottingham Road, Natal Midlands.
More Information: Contact For bookings phone Christelle on +27 (0)33 266-6781
Website

Quicksilver Pro
Date: Friday 17 April to Sunday 26 April 2009
Venue: New Pier, Durban
Website

MPUMALANGA EVENTS

Komatipoort Festival
Date: Tuesday, 28 April 2009 to Thursday, 30 April 2009
Venue: Komatipoort
More Information: Sue Steele on +27 (0)13 793 8262
Website

LIMPOPO EVENTS

Limpopo Wine Show
Date: Friday, 24 April 2009 to Sunday, 26 April 2009
Venue: Meropa Casino & Entertainment World, Polokwane
More Information: +27 11 482-5936
Tickets can be purchased at: Money market counters in Shoprite Checkers stores, Meropa Casino & Entertainment World and at the door.
Website

Sustainable Living Festival
When: Friday, 24 April 2009 to Sunday, 26 April 2009
Venue: Southern Cross School, Raptors view, Hoedspruit, Limpopo.
More Information: +27 (0)82 499-7378
Website