-
Snaps: Montagu weekend away
At the end of March, we took a long-weekend road trip to the Little Karoo town of Montagu. Guillaume had booked us, his dad and Jasper a stay at the pet-friendly R62 Solarfarm, where we settled into the cute and cosy Spekboom Eco Guest Cottage.
-
Support Local: South African Activewear
This month heralds a full year of living that lockdown life here in South Africa. And for me, a year of spending an inordinate (yet blissfully comfy) amount of time in my stretchy pants. So much so that since my outdoor yoga classes started up again, I hardly have a decent pair of leggings to wear that wouldn’t give my students an unprofessional peek at my underwear! So, I guess it’s high time for a little activewear wardrobe update. In an effort to stick to my resolution to shop local as far as possible, my search has been focused on proudly South African options… of which, the good news is,…
-
Snaps: Honeymoon Road Trip
Following our wedding at the end of October last year, Guillaume and I hit the road for an epic 10-day honeymoon. He had done all the booking and planning. Keeping his cards close to his chest, I had NO IDEA where we would be heading. Even during the road trip, every next destination remained a surprise to me – either until I figured it out or we arrived. One thing is for sure, though, he did a stellar job of planning the most amazing getaway <3
-
Snaps: Picnic in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve
This past weekend, we celebrated my mom’s birthday with a family picnic in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. Following a little meander along the Palmiet River Trail, we settled on some rocks close to a rushing waterfall and enjoyed fresh Portuguese rolls, coffee, tea and home-baked goodies courtesy of Imar and Tamara. This spot also happens to be a designated swimming zone that I’d love to revisit on a sunnier, more summery day. After the picnic, Imar and I decided to head back to Betty’s Bay along the 6km Oudebosch trail, which connects the Kogelberg Nature Reserve with the Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens. After being damaged by the devastating fires…
-
Snaps: Super Grainy 35mm Point and Shoot
Last year, I discovered my old point and shoot film camera in a drawer. Believe it or not, I actually still used it to capture my first few months at university back in 2004! Anyway, since I had started dabbling in film photography, I decided to pop one of the expired Kodak Gold films I had recently acquired into the sturdy little body and decided to keep it in my handbag for spontaneous shots. Well, over the next few months, it became my constant companion and ended up accompanying me on work trips to Maputo and Mpumalanga, as well as random adventures all around Cape Town. Sadly, one fateful day,…
-
Wild Woman Interview: Seven Summits and Breaking Stereotypes with Saray Khumalo
‘The Wild Woman Interviews’ is a series of Q&As with women who do interesting, brave and inspiring things. The name hints at how nature, the outdoors, travel, the natural cycles of life etc. motivate and influence their passions and pursuits. This month’s Wild Woman is Saray Khumalo and actually needs no introduction. Earlier this year, Saray became the first black African woman to summit Mount Everest. She is an award-winning mountaineer and a business executive with over 15 years’ experience in industry-leading blue-chip companies which drive innovation and change both locally and internationally. I chatted to her about her love for mountaineering, her passion for inspiring other African women and also…
-
Roadtripping: 5 Quirky & Cool Overberg Experiences
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of taking a whirlwind trip around the Overberg as part of #OverbergFam2019 – a familiarisation trip supported by Wesgro and SATSA – to explore this special region in a little more depth. Veering off the beaten track (i.e. the N2) as far as possible, our itinerary took us from Elgin to Barrydale to Swellendam to Malgas and finally De Hoop. Along the way, we enjoyed an incredible array of experiences – from a chilly morning game drive at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve to an exquisite overnight stay at Schoone Oordt Country House and all manner of treats in between. While I’m no stranger to the Overberg,…
-
Snaps: A Quick Break in the West Coast National Park
It’s slightly terrifying how fast this year is going, isn’t it? And also how it’s becoming increasingly difficult to connect and enjoy quality time with the people who matter most. Unless you actually pin down a date, time and venue for getting together, it’s definitely not going to happen spontaneously. (I’m sure the world was different at some point not too very long ago.) So, when my mom recently managed to round us all up for a quick two-night break at Duinepos Eco Cottages in the West Coast National Park, it felt like nothing short of a miracle!
-
Wild Woman Interview: Fatima Sait on Mountain Guiding & Exploration
‘The Wild Woman Interviews’ is a series of Q&As with women who do interesting, brave and inspiring things. The name hints at how nature, the outdoors, travel, the natural cycles of life etc. motivate and influence their passions and pursuits. This month, I’d like you to meet Fatima Sait. At the end of 2018, she quit her job and – within the space of two months – completed all the necessary courses to become a certified mountain guide. I came across her profile on Instagram recently, while scrolling through #fishrivercanyonhike pics and found her exuberant love for nature and exploration both inspiring and infectious.
-
5 Fish River Canyon Questions Answered
I can’t believe it’s almost been a month since we set off on the Fish River Canyon hiking trail in mid-June! It feels like yesterday we were still gathering our gear and sorting out snack packs. After Ryno and Chantel invited us to join them at the end of December, we had a good six months to get everything in place, do some training and prepare ourselves mentally for the challenge up ahead. Despite the wealth of articles and guides available online, there were a couple of questions that I couldn’t really find a satisfactory answer to prior to embarking on the journey. So, I thought I’d answer a few…
