Boats and Boating: Boat motors - "Canoeing In The Foothills Of The Drakensberg In South Africa" |
|
Home |
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.
Arusha National Park is only a few Kilometers from Arusha and is a small but beautiful park set in the shadow of Mount Meru. There is a string of lakes in this park and canoeing has recently been added to the tourist activities.
One lake known as ‘Small Momela’ successful launched the canoeing safari this year. This is a great way to see the park from a new perspective. It is good to get out of your vehicle and actually get some exercise and get ‘down and personal’ with the African Bush. This chance to view the animals in their
Read this article in full
It seems obvious how a sailboat sails downwind: It is pushed along by the wind in its sails. Less obvious is how it can sail upwind or how some sailboats can sail faster than the wind.
Sir Isaac Newton formulated three basic laws that pertain to the motions and accelerations of all objects.
Let us have a look at the third law:
"For any force exerted on an object, an equal but opposite force must be exerted by that object onto whatever exerted the force."
A direct consequence of this law is the conservation of momentum (Momentum equals mass times velocity).
Read this article in full
The America’s Cup competition all started on August 22, 1851 when the British challenged the United States in a sailing event which the British thought they would easily win. The British have always been known for their naval supremacy and for having been more technologically advanced in its time than the rest of the world. But it was at that event, held around the Isle of Wight, that Queen Victoria had to hand over the prize of 100 Guineas to the American team, who had sailed in their 90 foot
schooner called precisely ‘ America’, from the United States toIf you’re the type of person that enjoys an outdoor adventure, river rafting trips are right up your alley. Until you’ve tried it, you can never understand the exhilaration of shooting the rapids one minute, while taking in some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery the next. Many rafting companies can provide all the equipment you need, plus the benefit of a skilled guide to navigate your family or group through an incredible river rafting experience. From white water to smooth sailing, river rafting trips have to be experienced to be believed.
If you’re
Read this article in full
Finding good Christmas gifts ideas is easy if you think about a person's hobbies. If you are buying for person who enjoys kayaking, here are a few ideas for kayaking gifts.
Kayaking is a sport that appears to require relatively small amounts of equipment. In truth, it is much more than a paddle and a kayak, which provides you with a lot of potential gift ideas.
We support this site using affiliate marketing as a way to earn revenue. All the ads, and many of the links mentioning other products, services, or websites are special links that earn us a commission when you use or pay for their product/service.
Please do not use our site if this alarms you.
