Boats and Boating: Boat motors - "Canoeing In The Foothills Of The Drakensberg In South Africa" |
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Planning a holiday in the Drakensberg Mountains in the South African winter? This little gem is a “something completely different” day-trip. So your Drakensberg holiday doesn’t have to be all walking.
There are other ways of getting around. Like bobbing through the Weenen Game Reserve in an inflatable canoe. I hear you say “Hold it. Game reserve?”. Relax, no lions. But that’s about all it’s short of.
The Bushman’s River sources in the high Drakensberg of Giant’s Castle. At altitude, its crystal-clear rock pools refresh overheated hikers. Lower down it feeds the Weenan Canal - built 100 years ago to provide irrigation for the farmlands. While the river rushes and tumbles over rocks, the canal is much less imposing. Only a metre deep and no more than a few metres wide. But it’s 12 kilometres long, traversing rough and hilly terrain. Don’t be too quick to jump in though – its cold, winter-green colour tells you it hasn’t been in liquid form for long.
Your river guides will have everything ready for you. Lie back in your boat. And bob. It’s warm in the sunshine but cool in the shade. You’ve got paddles but you don’t need them. En route there are three not-so-large steel pipes through which the water has been channeled. You either stop, pick up your boat and portage. Or you lie back with the steel tunnel only inches from your face. It’s dark and you can feel the heat radiating from the surface. Grit your teeth. Go with the flow. Breath relief when you suddenly pop out into the sunshine again.
There’s a driverless boat behind you. This is the drinks trolley. And very welcome it is too. At around lunchtime you’ll come upon a feast spread out on a group of rocks next to the canal. Scotch eggs, asparagus wrapped in ham, chicken wings, quiche, salad, fruit, and cheese. The lunch fairy’s been and gone.
After lunch you move into the Weenen Game Reserve. The sharp, mountainous Drakensberg terrain has given way to undulating thornveld valleys. The canal rejoins a now fairly sluggish and narrow Bushman’s River. You need to paddle a little, and duck under the odd tree as you drift through a spectacular gorge. There’s a huge diversity of bird life and antelope. Buffalo and black and white rhino. Being on the water means you’re less noticeable, and less of a threat to the bird-life and the animals. So you can get close without startling them. And you don’t need a $10,000 lens.
Once through the Game Reserve, you disembark just before the main road into Weenen with the tall thatching grass glowing orange in the fading light. Your river guides have arranged transport back to your starting point.
This is different.
More than your average sailboat, mega yacht charters offer all the luxury of a five star hotel, more room than most city apartments around the world, and the freedom to go where you want without having to pack and unpack at every stop. In addition, mega yacht charters come fully staffed if you so desire making this one vacation you won’t need another vacation to recover from!
Mega yacht excursions can run the gamut of prices. Some fully-loaded and staffed luxury yachts can cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single week.
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One of the main reasons that White Water Rafting is such a popular adventure sport is because it is a highly exhilarating experience that can be shared with friends and colleagues alike.
Up to eight people can be crammed like sardines into a single raft, making it an ideal way to for groups of friends to share an adventure together. The social aspect of White Water Rafting lends itself perfectly well to stag and hen parties that flock to locations all over the UK, with the rugged landscapes of Scotland and Wales providing particularly hair-raising rides.
This gregarious nature of
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Anyone who has ever gone scuba diving knows what a mystical and powerful experience it can be. Observing marine life in its home is something you don't forget. Moreover, there's a peacefulness under the waves that you don't really find on dry land. Though it can sometimes seem a bit unreal, it's very soothing. But for those of you interested in a more exciting, challenging diving experience, consider wreck diving. This involves exploring the underwater resting place of a sunken ship and the chance to investigate its long-lost treasures.
Although you can wreck dive in many parts of the world, some
of the best opportunities are available in Bermuda. The
following are
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White-water rafting can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of a lifetime. River rafters see breathtaking scenery, get great exercise, and experience terrific adventure. There are great places to go river rafting all over the world, but many of the best rivers for white-water rafting are here in the United States.
It’s a good idea to contact a licensed river rafting agency to plan a rafting trip. These agencies, found near most major rivers, provide trained guides and planned routes for rafting rides. Many agencies also provide training for novice river rafters. These services are especially good for people rafting
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River rafting is a major attraction in California. The most popular California river rafting destination is the mighty American River. The American River begins in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and runs to the Sacramento River. The American River splits into three forks before it converges. The North Fork, the Middle Fork, and the South Fork each offer rafters unique adventures.
The North Fork of the American River offers the most challenging rapids on the river. It is fed by the runoff from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the early spring when the snow melts. This runoff, mixed with the narrow canyons
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