South Africa

South Africa - a country of extremes by AndrewJR75

Some fun facts as our runners enter South Africa with their eyes on the ultimate prize, COGH completion glory! Perhaps they can take a moment to reflect on (relatively)nearby Vilakazi Street, Soweto. The only street in the world to have had 2 Nobel Prize winners live there - Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

There are more different types of flowers and plants on Table Mountain than there are in the whole of the UK.

In South Africa you’ll find the world’s largest bird, tallest animal, heaviest flying bird, largest tree, largest land mammal, fastest land mammal, slowest land relay runner (I made that one up),largest reptile, largest fish, smallest succulent, largest antelope and smallest mammal.

South African Wildlife by WillowandSola

Wildlife update: South Africa has many game reserves and people go to see the big animals, up close in their natural habitat. Giraffes 🦒 roam across the plains eating the most succulent leaves from the tree tops, where Giraffes are seen Zebra 🦓 are to be found, milling around eating grasses and fallen seed pods, if you are very lucky you may see Elephants 🐘 playing at the edge of the river splashing and spraying water from their trunks over each other and themselves, Impala roam together jumping and running. Lions 🦁 watch and take their chance to catch a tasty meal, Leopards can be seen lounging on a branch if you are very observant but strangely they are easy to miss as you drive slowly through the reserve.

A flash of grey through the trees, you stop to watch. “Is that an Elephant?” no it’s a Rhinoceros but good to see the White Rhino which was dying out but now numbers are increasing which is good news for the world.

Stop and listen, the constant buzz of insects everywhere it is never quiet. Walk among trees and you will see Monkeys playing up high, look on and around stones and rocks you could see lizards and if you are very lucky you may see one shedding its skin,

There are just too many animals to write about them all so this is a brief roundup of what can be seen in various game reserves.

As darkness falls bats swoop, the call of different animals is heard and moths, some almost as big as aside plate may land nearby.

Our Experience of South African Wildlife by WillowandSola

Hluhluwe is the oldest game reserves in Africa declared by Zulu kings in 1895.

We went twice on two separate trips to South Africa to visit our daughter who lived near Durban for eight and a half years.

It was all very exciting but what we loved best was to sit on our balcony i the shade listening to bird calls and the buzzing of insects.

We watched in the distance Wildebeest hundreds of them crossing the hills in the distance.

One such day there was a rustle in the corner of the wall round the balcony so we looked to see what was there. A small lizard was tucked up in the corner under the overhang. At first we thought something was wrong with it and were discussing whether we should lift it out and examine it when suddenly we realised it was shedding its skin.

We quietly moved our chairs closer made a cup of tea and settled down to watch in wonderment our chatter dropped to the odd whispered ooh and ah

Slowly but surely the lizard rubbed against the bricks and inched forward leaving its skin behind. The whole process took nearly an hour but we done know how long it was going on before we spotted it. At the end, a bright shiny lizard ran out into the sunshine and scuttled out of sight, we gingerly picked up the skin to look at, we felt so lucky to see this wonder of nature and still talk about it sometimes over 20 years later

A different perspective on South African wildlife byBirdlady64

South Africa is a prime safari destination, and most visitors will undoubtedly want to see the country’s celebrated “Big Five” - Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant, and Buffalo.

But did you know there is another must-see list that brings a whole new dimension to South Africa’s wildlife?

Welcome to the “Little Five”!

Ant Lion

The Ant Lion is the predatory larval stage of a winged insect, rather like a dragonfly. It lives mostly underground and catches its prey of ants and termites by digging conical traps in sandy soil.

Leopard Tortoise

This Is the largest of the Little Five. This tortoise has beautiful leopard-like markings all over its shell. An adult male can weigh over 23 kilos.

Rhinoceros Beetle

This beetle is said to be one of the strongest creatures in the world in proportion to their size. They can lift up to 850 times their body weight. The name comes from the two large horns on its head.

Buffalo Weaver

The red-billed buffalo weaver is a small black bird with a bright red beak. They are very noisy birds and build huge, messy communal nests from a mishmash of twigs and grass.

Elephant Shrew

This tiny shrew gets its name from its elongated snout, resembling an elephant’s trunk. They live all over South Africa, feeding on insects, seeds, nuts, and fruit. They only grow to a length of 250mm, weighing in at an average of 60 grams.

We will need to keep our eyes peeled to spot these amazing little creatures on our run.

South-African cuisine by RunaroundSue

Due in part to its history of settlement and colonization as well as its location on the coast, South-African cuisine has many influences including Dutch, French, Malaysian, and indigenous cultures.

Probably the most-loved South-African snack, biltong is a dried, cured, and spiced meat. While not as sweet, biltong and American beef jerky share some similarities. Beef biltong remains a favourite, but venison biltong is also popular. More unconventional versions, like chicken biltong, are also available.

Boerewors (translated as “farmer’s sausage”), a type of sausage made from beef mince, must have at least 90% meat to qualify as boerewors. The mince mixture contains spices such as coriander, cloves, and nutmeg, and has a very distinct taste.

Bokkom hails from the West Coast region of South Africa. Dried in the sun and wind, the whole, small, mullet fish are then salted. Most eat the dried fish, often referred to as fish biltong, as a snack, but it can also be used in pastas, soups, and more.

Bobotie, a dinner-time favourite, consists of spiced mince, an egg-based topping, and traditionally raisins or sultanas that are added to the mixture. The dish has a sweet taste, a Cape Malay influence, and it includes curry, turmeric and often almonds.

Malva pudding, of Cape Dutch origin, contains apricot jam, is saucy, and has a spongy texture with a caramel taste. Once taken out of the oven, those who bake it add a cream-based sauce over the pudding. This results in a sticky and soft yet cake-like dessert. A favourite among South Africans, it is normally served with hot custard or vanilla ice cream.

Milktart (Afrikaans “melktert”) is a pie-like dessert consisting of a sweet pastry crust and a creamy filling made of milk, flour, sugar, and eggs.

South Africans cook potjiekos (or pot food) in a round, cast-iron pot over a fire. Traditionally made using meat and vegetables, modern variations have also become popular. Making potjiekos is a sociable and simple way to cook for a large group of people.

Popular in Afrikaner cooking, vetkoek is basically a fried doughbread. The word means “fat cake”. It can be accompanied by sweet or savoury toppings like minced curry and chutney.

South Africa by Wallruns

The majority of the interior of South Africa is about 1000m above sea level. The human body compensates for lower atmospheric oxygen levels, by increasing the number of red blood cells. This means that once back at sea level running should feel easier for a while and there is potential for a PB.

At the moment it is winter in South Africa, which means the dry season in the high veld. However, don’t get rid of your rain jacket as Cape Town and surrounding areas have winter rainfall. Early morning runs may be a bit chilly, but later in the day it should be a comfortable running temperature.

South Africa has many varied landscapes from the rugged Atlantic shore to the vast semi desert area of the Great Karoo, the tropical KwaZulu-Natal coast and the mountains of the Drakensberg in the East. Not forgetting the big hole in Kimberley, a reminder of the diamond miming of old.

There is plenty for wildlife enthusiasts with the famous Kruger National park and lots of other game reserves. The coastal waters provide opportunities to see whales sharks and dolphins. South Africa is a bird lovers paradise, with the colony of Jackass penguins at Boulders Beach a must see.

The most southern point on the whole of Africa is Cape Agulhas.