SOUTHERN AFRICA TRAVEL SPECIALISTS

PARKERS NEWS: August 2008

In this month's issue:

• CLA Game Fair, July 2008
• Featured destination: The Drakensberg Mountains
• Walking in the Bush
• Specials: Thula Thula
• Summer Spectacular - Botswana, Namibia and Zambia
• Featured Flora/Fauna
• 2010 World Cup News Update
• Odd Signs
• South Africa - still great value!

CLA Game Fair - Blenheim Palace, 25 - 27 July 2008

Thank you to everyone who helped make our visit to this year's CLA Game Fair in the UK a great success, not least the many Parker Tours Survivors' Club members who dropped by to say hello. This was a great opportunity for us to put faces to names, having previously only chatted on email and phone. Thank you to all the newcomers to Parkers who are planning a trip to Southern Africa and have asked us to help. It was a hectic 3 days but as always, it was good fun. We took a sample of wonderful South African weather with us and, as a result, the sun shone throughout the show! As always at this event, the South African flag flying above our stand acted as a magnet to many of the South Africans now living in the UK - some hoping for elicit caches of biltong, but most wanting to browse through our books and reminisce about their beloved South Africa. Hopefully, we'll see you again at Belvoir Castle next year.

Geology of the Drakensberg Mountains

Think of our world as a ball of super heated molten magma on which floats a solid crust which is divided into a mosaic of irregular pieces called tectonic plates. These plates grind against each other slowly and create enormous heat and pressure. As the plates push together, material is forced upward to form mountain ranges like the Himalayas. Plates brushing against each other form areas of great instability, characterised by volcanoes and earthquakes. In some instances, one plate is forced below another and material melts into the molten core. This is the basis of our world's geology which is then sculptured by temperature, wind and water.

Before time began, the uplifted tectonic plates formed one huge landmass called the super continent of Gondwanaland while the lower lying plates were covered in a huge primal ocean. Through movement of the solid crust and individual tectonic plates, this super continent gradually broke apart and individual sections moved or drifted away from each other to eventually become the continents that we know today. This evidence of tectonic movement can be seen all over the continent of Africa, the most obvious being the Great Rift Valley that stretches south from the Sudan to Southern Malawi.

The beautiful province of KwaZulu-Natal is dominated by the Drakensberg Mountains which stretch for 250 kms along its western boundary. Known locally as the Berg, there are grassy slopes dotted with proteas, gorges and dark splashes of forest, all crouched beneath stark vertical sandstone cliffs and the towering ramparts of the High Berg. These landscapes are very much a result of tectonic convulsion.

Both the Zulu name uKhahlamba ('barrier of spears') and the Afrikaans name Drakensberg ('dragon mountains') fit the formidable horizon created by the range, the highest in Southern Africa, rising at Thabana Ntlenyana to 3,482 m (11,422 ft). Geologically, the Drakensberg is a remnant of the original African plateau. The mountains are capped by a layer of basalt up to 1,500m thick, with sandstone lower down, resulting in a combination of steep-sided blocks and pinnacles. The sandstone layer was deposited from the remnants of a gigantic sea which covered much of what is now Southern Africa some 500 million years ago. The overlying basaltic layer was deposited about 220 million years ago in what many geologists think was the largest volcanic eruption in the history of the world, linked with the splitting of the tectonic plates of Africa and South America. Molten magma poured out through cracks and fissures in the ground covering the thick sediment of the ancient Karoo basin to a depth of more than 1500m. The pressure caused by the weight and heat of this deposit turned the underlying sediment into the sandstone that we see as Cave Sandstone in the Drakensberg.

Fossilised sea shells are often found in these mountains and in Giant's Castle there are footprints of a dinosaur on the roof of a cave. The fossils and the footprints were left in the silt of the ancient sea and fixed for all time by these geological forces. The material in the fissures and cracks crystallized into dolerite dykes and sills which are a feature of the KwaZulu-Natal landscape. Moist easterly winds from the Indian Ocean precipitated heavy rains against the sheer escarpment of the African plateau and this gushing water cut into the enormous plateau, producing an extraordinary and almost unique landscape. The Drakensberg is one of only two mountain ranges (along with the Simian Mountains of Ethiopia) to have been formed in this geological way, which accounts for its extraordinarily distinctive formations and colours. The landscape is dominated by extremely steep cliffs, some of which are amongst the most impressive cliff faces on earth, such as the Amphitheatre in the Royal Natal National Park. Caves and overhangs are common in the more easily eroded sandstone and it is here that the 'first people' lived - the San Bushmen - and where they recorded their view of life in the many rock paintings found throughout these mountains.

Walking in the Bush

While the magnificent Drakensberg Mountains are renowned for their varied walking and hiking opportunities, did you know that you can also walk and hike in many of South Africa's bushveld reserves including all of those in KwaZulu-Natal? The opportunity to walk through natural bush or grassland where you can touch, smell and feel the African veldt is a very special experience and on your next KZN wildlife holiday, you should take the time to experience it.

The ultimate hiking experience in the bushveld is a wilderness trail. There are a variety of options to get in touch with the unspoilt beauty of the natural bush where Homo Sapiens rubbed shoulders with the natural world without the trappings of civilization. Walk out each day from a base camp, returning to your creature comforts in the evening. Walk from fly camp to fly camp, moving from place to place in the wilderness where a bucket shower suspended from an overhanging branch is welcome to wash away the dust at the end of the day. Carry the necessities on your back and make camp wherever the day's adventure takes you. Stand solitary guard through the night and acquaint yourself with the sounds of the African night. It is soul cleansing!

If you are not sure how you might handle a wilderness trail, a guided walk with an experienced field ranger is a great substitute. Working in the bush every day, their senses are attuned to the comings and goings of the inhabitants of this natural world and they will show you things you would never see on your own. There are morning, afternoon or all day walks and each time of the day has its own special characteristics. Ithala Game Reserve has some wonderful trails that take you through a variety of habitats to some breathtaking view points where green hills shift to blues and greys in the distance. A hat, loose clothing, a stout pair of hiking boots, binoculars and a camera for those special pics - and you are ready for your walk in the bush. Don't forget the tick repellent or your walk could live with you for quite a while!

Thula Thula, exclusive private game reserve, safari lodge and luxury tented camp, are offering a range of tempting specials between now and 31st March 2009.

Family owned and operated, Thula Thula is administered to the highest ethical standards, in keeping with modern conservation methods for the protection and enhancement of its indigenous and endangered species.

Owner Lawrence Anthony received the prestigious Earth Day Award at the United Nations in March 2004 for his rescue of the animals from the Baghdad Zoo. In September 2004, he was invited to become the first South African member of the esteemed "Explorers Club" of New York. Lawrence is also the founder of the international Earth Organisation dedicated to environmental issues. Rumour has it that Hollywood are showing an interest in Lawrence and his extraordinary exploits in Baghdad during the aftermath of the Gulf War.

Offers range from extra nights absolutely free to exciting combos involving the Tented Camp and the Safari Lodge. Contact us for prices and availability.

Summer Spectacular - Botswana, Namibia & Zambia

Summer in the southern hemisphere is a thrilling time of year, when the wild places of Botswana, Namibia and Zambia explode with life and colour; where wildlife viewing is spectacular and the scenery is breathtaking.

From the productive plains of a brand new concession within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve through the verdant Okavango Delta and scenic Kwando River and ending on the banks of the Zambezi River in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park close to Victoria Falls, this expertly designed 'Summer Season Spectacular' presents an exciting mix of biomes, game viewing and habitats, all in luxurious bush camps.

Details:

• Duration: 8 nights / 9 days
• Guide cost per person sharing: US$3456
• (No single supplement when 2 or more guests are travelling in the reservation.)
• Single supplement: US$1050
• Valid from 1 December 2008 to 31 March 2009 (excluding 23 December 2008 to 3 January 2009)

Camps:

• New Kalahari Plains Camp within the key game area of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
• Xigera Camp or Jacana Camp in the heart of the Okavango Delta
• Lianshulu Lodge located on the Kwando River within Mudumu National Park
• New Toka Leya Camp on the banks of the Zambezi River in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park or the stunning River Club 18kms upstream from the world-famous Victoria Falls

Inter-camp transfers:

• Seamlessly linked with Sefofane Air Botswana, the package begins in Maun and ends in Livingstone (or the other way around to suit you)
• Road transfers link Livingstone Airport to Toka Leya Camp
• Lianshulu Lodge is reached by boat transfer to or from the Okavango and a road transfer to or from Livingstone.

Brief Itinerary (also operates in reverse direction):

• Arrive Maun and fly to the game-rich Kalahari Plains Camp x 3 nights
• Fly to Xigera Camp or Jacana Camp (or similar) x 2 nights
• Fly to Kwando airstrip and boat cruise to Lianshulu Lodge x 2 nights
• Road transfer to new Toka Leya Camp or The River Club x 1 night
• Road transfer to Livingstone airport
• Call or email for more details of this exciting safari!

Featured Flora/Fauna: The Gladiolus

Victorian botanical collectors took large amounts of plant material back to Kew Gardens in London in the nineteenth century. From this material come many of the common garden plants which are grown around the world today. Much of this genetic stock came from the floral kingdoms of South Africa. Hybridised into many shapes and colours with varieties to suit every climate, these plants have become firm favourites with gardeners and nurserymen on every continent.

One of these plants, which is the international flower for August, is the Gladiolus. The name Gladiolus comes from the Latin word for a sword and the plant is sometimes referred to as the Sword Lily. The most widely-used English common name for these plants is simply gladiolus or gladioli in plural. These attractive, perennial herbs are semi-hardy in temperate climates. They grow from rounded, symmetrical corms which are enveloped in several layers of brownish, fibrous tunics. The fragrant spikes are large and one-sided and make excellent cut flowers.

The South African species were originally pollinated by long-tongued anthrophorine bees but changes in pollination systems have occurred allowing pollination by sunbirds, noctuid and sphingid moths and long-tongued flies. Gladioli are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Large Yellow Underwing.

2010 World Cup News Update

Not for the first time, government, the 2010 Local Organising Committee, and other key 2010 role-players have undertaken a damage-control exercise following FIFA President Sepp Blatter's recent admission that there is a 'Plan B' if SA is unable to host the 2010 World Cup. But it has taken the comments of other prominent football personalities to help put SA back on an even keel. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is no stranger to these parts; and with the latest edition of the Vodacom Challenge viewed as a key test of South Africa's 2010 preparations, the local and international media were anxious to hear his views. The stakes were significantly higher than when Manchester United last visited two years ago, particularly since the three-team contest is now broadcast in 35 countries. "The organisation has improved since the time we last visited and the atmosphere has been outstanding. It's a great country to have the World Cup" Ferguson said. Addressing reporters at the end of Germany's Olympic Congress last weekend Wilfried Lemke, the UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace pledged his full support for SA. "I will do everything I can to make the 2010 World Cup a success" he said. Lemke insists that the decision to award the tournament to South Africa was the right one. Former England international Gary Mabbutt also took aim at SA's critics this week. "Crime is a problem and the government is training 30,000 new police officers specifically for the World Cup. But it is taken out of all proportion: 99.9% of people who live in South Africa, whatever their race, colour or creed, are beautiful people, but 0.1%, like anywhere in the world, are very bad." He added that "there is no way FIFA would ever give the World Cup to a country they didn't feel could do it." Other heavyweights like Franz Beckenbauer and Pele have also endorsed Team South Africa. And the list is growing.

Odd Signs

How??

South Africa - Excellent Value

The South African Rand remains relatively weak against the pound and other currencies. Now hovering at around R14.75/£1 (R7.6/US$1), South Africa still offers excellent value for money. This means you can afford that once-in-a-lifetime trip so take full advantage of the weak rand and give yourself a wonderful holiday!

Using our currency brokers Moneycorp, remember you can lock into a very attractive rate of exchange now, even though your holiday plans may still be some way in the future. Ask us for more information.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did." Mark Twain, 1879

As always we look forward to hearing from you, both newcomers to Parkers and members of the PT Survivors Club, and hatching the most marvellous holidays with you. Feel free to email or phone (including Skype) with any questions you may have about visiting Southern Africa and we'll be delighted to help.