LOWVELD
IN GOD’S COUNTRY Adventures in the canyon NATURAL BEAUTY KHENSANI NGOBENI-MKIZE IS UNDENIABLY FLAWLESS SHOPPING, PEOPLE AND LIFESTYLE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD MARCH 2019
RM-LI2199709NG GET IT Editorial Phone: 013-754-1600 Lowveld Media 12 Stinkhout Crescent, Mbombela Twitter: @getitlowveld Facebook: Get it Lowveld Website: lowveld.getitonline.co.za Editor CONTENTS Mellissa Bushby 084-319-2101 / [email protected] Contributing writers Liezel Lüneburg A HOT DATE 083-287-2225 Lindi Botha 4 Visit a music festival, browse a craft 082-494-8005 market or enjoy a picnic for charity Mia Louw 073-389-9761 BOOK CLUB Photographers 38 5 What’s new on the book scene, plus join Hennie Homann the Get it Book Club 082-880-1911 Mia Louw 073-389-9761 WISH LIST Belinda Erasmus 6 Your shopping hotlist for March 082-567-0596 Odette Hartzenburg SOCIAL 071-351-8214 8 Olé! Mexico comes to town with a salsa Tanya Roos 083-778-7725 and a swagger Layout 10 A literary success with Pen in My Hand Sandile Maluleke / Elbé Meyer / Jolandi Coetzee 11 Smooch a pooch and cuddle a cat at Advertising sales consultant Pro-Life’s annual fundraiser Jenni Semmens 082-342-8208 / [email protected] Subeditors PEOPLE Jess Steyn / Nicola Brits / May Nel / 12 Flawless Matthew Booth Khensani Ngobeni reveals her secret to a Distribution happy life and healthy skin Monya Burger 16 Earning your wings 083-555-4992 Tucked away on the outskirts of Dullstroom Get it Lowveld is distributed at selected outlets in the Lowveld lies an inspiring haven for injured birds Printers CTP Printers, Cape Town FASHION & BEAUTY 021-929-6200 20 Dream outfi t Get a good night’s sleep with our selection Get it head offi ce of comfy pyjamas National group editor Kym Argo [email protected] HEALTH National sales manager 22 Healing by needle COMMUNITY Shirley Frattaroli.083-633-6100 An ancient Eastern approach to health and 32 Kids on TRAC [email protected] wellness The low-down on traffi c circles and how they really work Front cover Khensani Ngobeni-Mkize FOOD 34 Enough to go around Make-up: Elscha Tintinger, Blazing Beauty, 24 Some like it hot The wonderful world of thrift shops and the 081-046-1350 There’s nothing like a delicious chilli sauce treasures they hold Photographer: Belinda Erasmus, Belle-Grace to add some spice to a meal Photography, 082-567-0596 28 Uniquely Lowveld TRAVEL Competition rules Autumn deliciousness right on our 38 Ready to ramble The judges’ decision is fi nal. Prizes cannot be doorstep Put on your walking shoes and experience the transferred or redeemed for cash. Competitions are beauty of the Blyde River on foot not open to the sponsors or Caxton employees or their families. GET IT MAGAZINE reserves the right to ART publish the names of winners, who will be contacted 30 This month’s DIY BACK PAGE telephonically and need to collect their prizes from We show you the beauty behind vibrant 48 Spoil RM-LI2199709NG Lowveld Media within 10 days. colours and mesmerising patterns This month’s fabulous gift Issue 157 March 2019 A hot date! Pencil these events into your March diary right now!
The award-winning Skhumba Hlophe brings his larger-than-life comedy, 2 #ImeanBizniss, to the Emnotweni stage in Mbombela. This Tembisa-born comic has blazed the Soweto/Tshwane Comedy Festival and his humour will crack up even the hardest critics. Skhumba is a regular on the comedy circuit in Johannesburg and Durban with a trail of sold-out shows - now it’s your turn to be entertained! The show is 8pm for 8:30pm. Tickets are R165 per person and can be bought via Computicket.
The Local Gospel Skouspel is a must. Held at Manna Church outside 8 White River, the event is 6:30pm for 7pm. The line-up is fantastic, so don’t miss out! A cash tuck shop will be available. Tickets cost R100 (adults) and R20 (children). They can be bought at Face & Body Synergy in White River. This fundraiser is in aid of Children in Distress. For more info, contact 082-441-6694 or 013-750-1406.
The Market at Runway Zero4 is a new monthly aff air at the Nelspruit 9 Airfi eld. It will be held every second Saturday and the aim is to create a regular trading space for fabulous Lowveld talent. Artists, musicians, crafters and creators are welcome to come and showcase their products and wares. Enquiries: Peta on 082-331-0712 or [email protected].
Lowvelders, let your creativity fl ow at the Ashley Heather Ring 14 Workshop when you make your dream ring in recycled sterling silver. The design and style are entirely up to you and you'll be helped, step by step, to carve it in jeweller's wax. After the event, hosted at Weylandts Nelspruit, your creation will be professionally cast in sterling silver and sent to you. Tickets cost R1 400 and it is from 5pm to 8pm. Visit www.ashleyheather.co.za to secure your spot.
Get ready for the Sappi Mankele Challenge at Mankele. Trail running 16 (6km, 10km and 20km) and mountain bike races (2,5km, 12km, 22km, 34km and 60km) are on the cards for athletes. Presented by the NG Kerk Alkmaar, this family fun day off ers food stalls, tea garden, jumping castles, Join us for the inaugural Hope Picnic at the veggies and plants for sale, and much more. To enter, visit www.cyclingsa. 8Lowveld National Botanical Garden - a new co.za or www.ticketrush.co.za. Enquiries: 082-338-9532 (event info) and platform for CANSA Relay For Life. This year the 078-801-0453 (accommodation). event will be celebrated as a family picnic under the stars where friends, families, businesses and individuals can show their support and Make sure you don't miss out on the magical Wakkerstroom participate in various fun and games. Gates open 21-24 Music Festival (WMF) which celebrates classical music and art. at 5pm, the event starts at 6pm. Tickets are R100 Every year, the WMF transforms the scenic little town into a vibrant hub of per person, R50 for primary school kids and activity. As a result, Wakkerstroom has fast earned its reputation as the centre preschoolers enter free of charge. Tickets can be of social and cultural life in the area. Highlights range from jazz and piano bought from the CANSA Lowveld Care Centre or concertos to harpsichord, cello and fl ute performances. For more info, visit the Innibos offi ces. Enquiries: Sandra/Mariolise on
If you have a date for our diary, email the info at least a month in advance to [email protected] to in advance least a month at email the info our diary, for a date have If you www.wmfestival.co.za. 013-741-5294.
4 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 BookThrillers to get the adrenalinClub going Two books... four gripping James Patterson stories One new thriller from James Patterson is great. When there are three... bonus! MPUMALANGA The House Next Door has three gripping, chilling thrillers - each in print for the first time.The House Next Door (with Susan DiLallo) revolves around married mother of four, Laura Sherman, who WINE was thrilled when her new neighbour invited her on some errands. But a few quick tasks became a long lunch - and now things could go too far with a man who isn’t what he seems. In The Killer’s Wife (with Max DiLallo), six girls have gone missing and Detective McGrath knows the only way to find them is to get close to the suspect’s SHOW wife. Maybe too close! In The Witnesses (with Brendan DuBois), the Sanderson family has been forced into hiding after one of them stumbled upon a criminal plot. Or so they think. No one will answer their questions. And the terrifying truth may come too late. Penguin, R290. When news of President Tucker’s affair hits the airwaves, he’s caught up in a media 5 & 6 April firestorm. The scandal threatens his re-election campaign... He needs the First Lady to stand by his side if he’s going to win the vote. But Grace has a mind of her own, and after years of compromise, unfulfilled promises, deception and betrayal, she refuses to give in Emnotweni to her husband’s demands. Instead she escapes the city, loses her Secret Service agents and is officially off the radar. But did she really run away, or is she in far greater danger than anyone could have imagined? The First Lady by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois is a 17:00 - 21:00 gripping read... perfect for a lazy Sunday on the sofa. Penguin, R290. computicket.com Exceptionally exciting debut by No under 18s the new queen of thrillers A plane crash sees Allison losing the life she’s built for herself - her perfect fiancé and their world of luxury - is gone in the blink mpumalangawineshow.co.za of an eye. She’s survived the crash, but she’s now running from a man who appears to be stalking her every move. Meanwhile her mum, Maggie, refuses to believe her daughter is missing presumed dead, and sets out to discover what’s really happening. Freefall is an exceptional debut novel by Jessica Barry (a pseudonym) that explores the deep and complex bond between mothers and daughters. It has secured a major Hollywood film deal.Penguin, R290. PerfectWish coff ee, silky shimmer List and eco-straws Very velvety Velvet is the in thing for 2019, We love the gorgeous and the Vue dining chair is Glenelly Glass Collection! the perfect choice for homes Wondering what to stock your bar in need of a pop of colour fridge with? Well, wonder no more... and designer touch. It is fully meet the Glenelly Glass Collection. upholstered in a plush velvet First up, the unwooded Chardonnay. fabric and fi nished off with Think zesty citrus fruits, melon, papaya long wooden legs. At and ripe pears laced with honeysuckle 54cm wide and 86cm notes and a touch of cloves. This is high, this designer chair not only an ideal wine, but it is also will go perfectly with one of the most versatile food-friendly any modern dining pairings out there. Then there’s the table. Available magnifi cent Cabernet Sauvignon in a variety of which is also great if you drink it colours, they slightly chilled (around 14 to 18 retail at degrees). A 2018 Veritas Double Gold R2 995 and are medallist, the Cabernet boasts notes available from of black currants and cherries, mint, www.mobelli. roasted coff ee beans and tobacco. co.za. Around R105 from good bottle stores.
Fancy a cuppa? A bit of shimmer Imagine someone making This highlighting blotting paper provides the perfect cup of a pretty and glam shimmering eff ect. To set coff ee, time and captivating highlights, simply apply time again. The on the desired area of the face, revolutionary press lightly et voila - you’re done! Wi-Fi/app enabled Available at Dischem for R49,95. Appkettle does just that. It saves your favourite beverage tastes, types, brewing times and even temperature, and will keep the water warm for up to 30 minutes. This marvellous appliance even reminds you to fi ll the kettle the night before! Available at Makro, the Appkettle retails for around R2 000.
6 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 WIN! We are giving away 10 Silistraws in a variety of colours. Send your details to competitions@getitlowveld Perfect coff ee, silky shimmer and eco-straws with Silistraw in the subject line, and the fi rst 10 entrants drawn will each win one. Giveaway ends on March 25.
The last straw! Silistraw is a reusable silicone straw that can be easily cleaned, folded and stored in a convenient small capsule resulting in no mess. Silicon is reusable, non-toxic, BPA-free, environmentally conscious, durable, foldable, easy to clean, dishwasher-friendly and has no metallic after taste. The simple truth is that 500 million plastic straws are used and discarded every day in the US alone, and each year one million seabirds and 100 000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic It is a fact that in our lifetime, our oceans will be home to more plastic than fi sh, a shocking statistic. Find them at www.silistraw.co.za.
Awesome autumn This autumn, H&M is collaborating with Morris & Co, the quintessentially British interiors brand founded in 1861 by William Morris, one of the most infl uential designers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The collection features some of the most recognised archival prints in romantic yet tailored designs and will be available in South Africa from March 28. RM-NE151409NG Salsa staff Sascha and Dana van der Westhuizen Mexican fiesta Salsa at i’langa Mall in Mbombela offi cially opened its doors with a celebration of note. Miguel Pregueiro entertained guests with Spanish versions of popular songs and the fi esta was topped off with a feast of traditional Mexican dishes as well as Salsa’s speciality craft tequilas and cocktails. To fi t in with the Mexican theme, guests had their faces painted as if it were the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead, and wore sombreros.
Welma and Lily Steyn
JP and Elsje Erasmus
Front: Stephen and Tershia Goetze with (back) Liza Bernard and Melissa Goetze Nothando Mkutshwa and Portia Sambo Miguel Pregueiro
8 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 The Janse van Rensburg family: Jacques, Ronelle, Roneque and Rocque
Jacques Lombard with Lilly and Claud Kruger
Kyle Thompson and Jacques van Zyl
RM-MU181709NG
Colletha Noppé, Greg Rattray, De Wet Potgieter, Cas Colbe and Julia Burger Sue and Steve Royle Iona and Peter Wendelspiess A literary success Lowvelder’s recent Pen in My Hand took guests all the way back to the digger’s period in Pilgrim’s Rest. Hosted at A Bica Coffee Shop in Mbombela, the speaker for the evening was author and historian René Reinders who spoke to Gerrit Haaroff about her book, Pilgrim’s Rest Who’s Who: 1873 to 1881. The pair discussed various people mentioned in Reinders’ book. It is available at Kruger Lowveld Tourism’s information offices at Crossing Centre.
Pam and Peter Hughes Ute Fourie and Yvonne McHeath Sheryn Nader and Margie Blount
Gerrit Haaroff, René Reinders Eunice Malatji, Duncan Ballantyne and Marius Bakkes and Christinah Mpinga-Nkosi 10 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 Ashley Betteridge Lara Burgess
Eunise Swanepoel Lauren Mallett Love all animals The annual Valentine’s Smooch a Pooch and Cuddle a Cat day at Pro-Life Pet Rescue, Rehabilitation and Adoption Agency was a roaring success! The animals loved the attention, the book sale drew many an interested buyer, and the visitors got to spoil a rescue dog or cat for the day.
Vanessa and Samantha Bekker Marli and Mia Kuyber Photo: Belinda Erasmus 12 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 Khensani Ngobeni and Ashanti Lwazi Mkize and Gugulabambo
DermatologistFLA Khensani NgobeniWL is a successful career andESS family woman all in one. Get it visits her to fi nd out how she manages. hensani was born in Bushbuckridge as The family moved around quite a bit. For to manage these conditions. And because the second of fi ve daughters and grew a while, they stayed in Giyani, capital of the experience is the mother of wisdom, and in up in a house where books, reading then Gazankulu, and she matriculated at conjunction with the fact that she sees herself and academics formed an inseparable Giyani High School. After fi nishing matric she as a teacher by nature, it’s not surprising that Kpart of everyday life. Her mother, Theodora, studied a BSc (Dietetics) degree at Medunsa. she chose this fi eld. was a teacher and encouraged her Khensani found her way to dermatology “In medicine, knowledge is power - not daughters’ love of knowledge and guided in an unexpected way. “When I did my only for practitioners but also for patients,” them in reaching their full academic internship as a dietician, I had to advise a she explains. “A patient needs to fully potential. She still lives in the Lowveld. seriously ill cancer patient on dietary needs,” understand her condition as well as possible Her father, the late David Ngobeni, was a she says. “The patient kept on saying that he solutions before she can begin to heal. I jurist and many Lowvelders will remember is in pain and needs a doctor, not a dietician. have a passion for explaining these things him as the former Chief Magistrate for I felt utterly helpless and inadequate.” This to desperate people seeking answers to dire Mbombela. He was a man of stature and made Khensani realise that she would rather skin conditions.” was held in high regard by all. Chief Justice assist patients on a diff erent level and she It is plain that she is passionate about Mogoeng Mogoeng wrote at the time of enrolled for a degree in medicine. what she does. Not only does Khensani talk his death in 2014: “I know for a fact that he After fi nishing her MBChB degree she enthusiastically about her profession, but was a gallant fi ghter for justice and he still decided to specialise in dermatology. Medical she is also actively involved in a community had an immense contribution to make in specialisation puts immense pressure on project to create awareness and knowledge this regard. We applaud David’s indomitable students and is nearly unbearable at times. regarding albinism. This subject really gets spirit and contribution to ensuring that our There were many days when Khensani her talking and she fi ercely fi ghts against people have access to justice through his wanted to quit, but perseverance and marginalism and rejection of the vulnerable service to our judicial system which spanned tenacity are defi nitely two of her most people belonging to this minority group. almost 40 years.” positive characteristics. You cannot help but wonder how she copes It is clear that Khensani was raised by two But why did she choose the skin as her with the demands of running a medical strong-willed parents of fi rm principles and fi eld of knowledge? Khensani herself has a practice on the one side and being a mother it is no wonder that she has a successful problematic, sensitive skin prone to eczema on the other.
Text: Liezel Lüneburg Lüneburg Liezel Text: story to tell. and acne and has learnt through experience Good medical specialists are in short supply March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 13 and usually extremely busy. Khensani is no exception and she describes the balance Miyelani, Zanele, Thembelihle, Theodora (mother) and Khensani between work and family as a complicated act. She and husband, Lwazi Mkize, a neurosurgeon, have three children - Ashanti is 15, Gugulabambo nearly three and Dan II eight months. Both Khensani and Lwazi practised in Pretoria, but when her father died in 2014, she relocated to Mbombela to be with her mother. At fi rst, they commuted between cities but Lwazi quickly fell in love with the Lowveld and he decided to also move his practice to Mbombela. It is easy to imagine that Khensani needs to keep quite a few balls in the air at any one time, and you may wonder how she does it, but this vivacious, passionate woman clearly puts a high premium on family. “Both career and motherhood should be seized without compromise - when at work, I give everything and when at home, my family has my undivided attention,” she says. Saturday is family time and they love to venture on trips exploring the beautiful surrounds. Chill time is just as important, and Khensani loves reading, especially books by new South African authors and biographies. “The truth is, it’s not easy to be both a successful mom and medical practitioner, but defi nitely doable. I need to focus on being hands-on,” Khensani muses. “I try to be at home to bath the little ones and to drive Ashanti to and from school. You will not believe me, but the time spent in the car is special in its own way. “We talk about what is going on in our lives and get to know each other better. I have realised how important quality over quantity time with my children is, and enjoy every minute in their company to the fullest.” Treat your skin with love and respect • It is important to use a mild cleanser which veggies and fruit is vital to a healthy skin. It goes without saying that Khensani is does not contain too many chemicals. When • The concept of “beauty sleep” is no myth! best qualifi ed to give valuable advice on choosing a cleanser, the state of your skin A good night’s rest is not only important skincare, especially to those who struggle and skin type must be considered. for physical and psychological well-being, with sensitive skin prone to outbreaks and • Wear sunscreen! I know that South Africans but also vital to healthy-looking skin - it is extreme dryness: hear this ad nauseam, but it can not be repaired, regenerated and restructured while • Try not to put on too much make-up as stressed enough. Our country has the second resting. it clogs pores and consequently the skin highest incidence of skin cancer in the world • Any form of overindulgence can be bad struggles to breathe. Cosmetics also tend and not respecting the hot African sun is one for your skin, for instance excessive alcohol to worsen eczema and acne. Women who of the reasons for this. Many people do not intake. Smoking is also bad for you! wear too much make-up over time age much realise that numerous patients succumb to faster than those who go easy on cosmetics. skin cancer every year. GET IN TOUCH Through the years I have encouraged women • Hydrate the skin suffi ciently by applying a Contact Khensani at her medical to realise that they are beautiful without trusted moisturiser and drink enough fl uids. practice on 013-753-2770 wearing too much make-up. • A well-balanced diet consisting of enough
14 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 RM-MO161509NG
November 2016 Get It • Lowveld 15 Earning your wings
anagement saw the importance leaving animals little wild space and perils family than colleagues. of a rehabilitation centre for the faced at every turn, such as ever busier roads Frith has always loved wildlife since she was care of orphaned and injured and dangerous power lines. a child visiting the Kruger every year. “I have birds, a need which has grown “The main thing is that this is a team effort,” had an interest in wildlife since as far back as Mwith the establishment now taking in and says Frith Douglas. “We couldn’t do it without I can remember,” she muses. “I don’t think of caring for all species of wildlife. No easy our small and awesome group of people.” The this as a job, but more of a vocation, a calling. feat, considering the urbanisation of land team consists of Frith and Magdali Theron, Our motto has always been ‘Why wait for
Text: Mellissa Bushby Text: and rapid growth of human development, with six other members who are more like something to be on the brink of extinction
Front: Frith Douglas, (middle) Londi Mtshweni, Lindiwe Mabena, Vusi Mahlangu, Brian Chinhuto, Magdali Theron (back) and Mishak Letswalo
16 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 No trip to Dullstroom is complete without a visit to the remarkable Dullstroom Bird of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre. Established in 1997, the initial objective was to educate people about the plight of raptors, promoting awareness of these incredible Earning your wings creatures as an increasingly threatened group of birds. We find out more.
before doing something about it’. All species are interlinked, not just the pretty, cuddly, money-generating ones. We believe we need to work on all species to keep the balance. "When Mark Holder (original owner) found out he had cancer and would not be able to return to the centre, we were approached to see if we would like to take over. The alternative was that it would be closed and the birds euthanised. We could not let that happen, so although we are permitted to rescue, rehabilitate and release all species of indigenous wildlife, people tend to see us only as a bird of prey centre, and we jumped at the chance to keep what he had achieved alive and going. We are in our fifth year now and still going strong!” The centre’s resident birds, current count 110, are non-releasable and have been given sanctuary on a permanent basis. “They are all physically, mentally or emotionally damaged," she says, sadly. “Physically where they have come in with injuries that means they cannot survive in the wild, but can still have quality of life in a captive situation. They act as ambassadors for the species or are involved in breeding programmes where their offspring can be reintroduced to the wild. “Mental/emotional damage is when they have imprinted on human rescuers and therefore do not know what they are. They see themselves as humans and will never breed or survive in the wild as they will always seek out human company rather than their own kind. People may mean well, trying to help, but misinformation and ignorance often lead to us having to make hard decisions at the end of the day." The rewards, when they come, are incomparable, and we consider every release a success story. “Some of the birds of prey are in our care for up to two years to get them fit and ready for release, and to see them go eventually is the best feeling there is,” she smiles. “One of our spotted eagle-owls, Molly, is a surrogate for all our orphaned spotted eagle-owl chicks and she successfully raises at least 15 to 20 per year for us. By putting
March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 17 chicks in with her, they do not become imprinted, so their chances of a successful release are greatly increased. We treat, rehabilitate and release between 150 to 200 birds every year, which for a small centre like ours is a great achievement.” Obviously, they are wild and not used to people or confinement, which makes them frightened and unpredictable. “They present a challenge, because they become dangerous if they feel threatened, but to gain their trust and work alongside them, helping them to get fit and flight-ready is immensely rewarding. At this stage, Magdali uses falconry techniques on the birds, building up a relationship with them for up to a year before releasing them.” Frith is more back of house in the clinic, where she deals with the sick and injured birds, either getting them to a point where they can be worked using falconry or placed in outdoor enclosures to regain their strength before being sent out for soft release. As is so often the case, funding, which is imperative for the survival of organisations such as this one, is scarce. “Funding? Photo: Gerhardt van der Watt der van Gerhardt Photo: ‘Why wait for something to be on the brink of extinction before doing something about it’
What does that mean?” Frith laughs. “No, seriously, we are not government-funded, and when you are contending against much bigger organisations with ‘marketable’ species like rhinos, big cats and so on, it is near impossible to secure funding to expand and improve. At this stage, we meet our running costs with money generated from the centre, but we have to save for any special projects like new enclosures and upgraded facilities. With fuel prices rising, we are also not always able to get out to rescues, as we use our private vehicles which are old and not fuel-efficient. One of our major challenges currently is that our food supplier for the birds has relocated to the Free State. We now have to purchase a freezer trailer so that we can fetch food on a monthly basis without it going bad on the journey.” All our income comes from the kind support of the community
18 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 and business sector. The establishment generates income through entrance fees, sponsorships, and activities such as fishing, photographic days and handling experiences. We also sometimes THE get our owls to fly wedding rings, or birds do film shoots or away exhibitions (when possible).” Looking after these animals is crucial. Africa’s vultures are being decimated by illegal and accidental poisoning, the muti trade and of course senseless electrocution on power lines. “The end result is a potential ecological catastrophe for the continent, and a threat to human health. Vultures have a poor public image but play a fundamental ecological role, providing vital and efficient 'ecosystem services' and effectively cleaning up the environment. “Africa is home to 11 of the 23 vulture species worldwide. Once common and widespread across the continent, four of Africa’s vulture species are rated as ‘critically endangered' and at risk of extinction, while three are listed as 'endangered' by the IUCN (International Union of the Conservation of Nature) in 2019. In Asia, several populations of vultures have declined by up to 95% over the past few decades. Unlike the Asian Vulture Crisis, where the collapse of populations had a single main cause (veterinary drug, diclofenac), there appear to be multiple drivers for the situation in Africa, with the importance of each varying between species and regions.” Apart from the raptors, there are a few other animals that for various COMPANY reasons are non-releasable and are given sanctuary. “At the moment we have eight tortoises, a blue crane, a grey duiker, an African serval and a couple of garden birds,” Frith smiles. A visit to this incredible initiative is a must. “Come and see what we do. You can sponsor a bird or an aviary, and learn the ways of these wonderful creatures, it is through education that people learn to love SWITCH – AND GET MORE ... and therefore preserve.” The centre opens to the public at 9am, and the morning flying demonstration starts at 10:30am, while the afternoon free flight If you already have a home loan, why not consider display starts at 2:30pm. switching it to the one company that is 100% GET IN TOUCH dedicated to home loans? It’s likely that your property www.birdsofprey.co.za or 082-899-4108 has increased in value, and by switching your bond to us, you could access the extra value in cash.
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NELSPRUIT: 013 752 7103 www.sahomeloans.com Photo: Gerhardt van der Watt der van Gerhardt Photo: Terms and Conditions apply. Please refer to our website for further details. SA Home Loans is a Registered Credit Provider. RegistrationNovember 2016 Number Get It • LowveldNCRCP1735. 19 JT ONE Floral slogan print sleep T-shirt, R160, Woolworths | Soft chambray sleep shorts, R160, Woolworths | DREAMGoing to bed is an adventure and you should OUTFIT Sleep mask, R99, dress up for the occasion! Spice up your H&M. sleepwear with a few new comfy, quirky and modern items. Here are some of
Fluff y mule slippers, our favourites you can add to your R181,57, Woolworths shopping list. | Nightgown with printed design, R249, H&M Bouqet bloom kimono gown, R249, Cotton On | Pom-pom velour band slippers, R180, Woolworths
Matthys Ferreria Matthys Flamingo print band slippers, R100,82, Woolworths | Navy rib Wear the right PJs for lace tank top, R199, Cotton TIP a good night’s sleep On | Boyfriend Jersey shorts, R249, Cotton On It’s important to wear loose and breathable sleepwear. | Sleep mask, R99, Always opt for cotton, silk or organic fl owing materials. H&M Silk is an excellent thermoregulator, it keeps your body warm when you’re cold and cool when you’re hot. Another great option is bamboo. It is both moisture wicking and hypoallergenic. Look out for the Premium Sleep Bamboo range at Cotton On. Matthys Ferreria Matthys Photography: Elbé Meyer. by Compiled 20 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 DREAM OUTFITMickey Grey Marle sleep recovery pocket Mouse cotton tank (made from sleep T-shirt, R220, bamboo viscose Woolworths | Black fabric) R249, Marle sleep recovery pants, Cotton On | (made from bamboo viscose Sleepwear fabric) R349, Cotton pants, R179, On | Pom-pom mule H&M slippers, R161,40, Woolworths
Tropical viscose gown, R379 | Smart foam slippers, R170, Woolworths
Fluff y sleep mask, R99, | Nightgown with printed design, R229 | Over-the- knees socks (two pack), R149, Stockists H&M • H&M i’langa Mall, 086-069-0707 • Cotton On i’langa Mall, 013-742-2055 • Woolworths i’langa Mall, 013-742-9100 March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 21 HEALING BY NEEDLE Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine used to treat a wide range of conditions. A specialist in this field, Sanna Atherton of White River, explains how it works.
anna was born in Jyväskylä, where her Sanna will run solo again. family still lives. It is the largest city in It is interesting to note that acupuncture is in Central Finland and is known as the many cases the first choice when it comes to “Athens of Finland” as it plays a major addressing pain or illness in the East, Europe roleS as an educational centre. It is thus no and the United States. This is not so in South surprise that Sanna loves knowledge. She Africa and locals still seem to be sceptical also believes in natural learning and her two about alternative medicine. children, Luuka and Maya, are homeschooled. Acupuncture is a key component of ancient She qualified as a practical nurse, traditional Chinese medicine and a complete, specialising in mental health and substance interesting and rather complex system. “The abuse and left Finland in 1998 to work in human organism is formed of multiple layers,” England, where she met her South African Sanna explains. husband, Bradley Atherton. “To address disease and pain, there is Sanna worked as a carer in London and it is nothing more knowledgeable to guide there where she first became acquainted with the healing process than the body itself. acupuncture. “I had a sore back because of Acupuncture stimulates the body on many stress and a friend suggested acupuncture. levels: the brain responds to each needle It was the very first time I tried alternative and can direct blood to the affected area. As medicine and immediately fell in love.” the brain responds, the body is stimulated to She enrolled for studies at the Academy manufacture and release cells that migrate of Oriental Medicine in London and later on to the injured tissue, area or organ to initiate did her clinical practicals in a government repair.” hospital in Beijing. The language of acupuncture uses the Sanna and Bradley moved to White River at word qi or chi to explain what practitioners the end of 2006 and for a while she practised are working with. In Western terms qi is acupuncture from home in order to be with simply medicine’s equivalent to adenosine her children. She established the Shen Centre triphosphate, which transports chemical at Bahati Centre just outside town in 2015 energy within cells for metabolism. It also and expanded relates to nitric oxide, which helps to nourish her clinic with and move blood. ‘To address disease and pain, there is nothing partner Luis According to Sanna, pain is the most Damas in May common reason why people seek treatment. more knowledgeable to guide the healing 2018. Luis has Analgesics are not expected to heal pain, only decided to leave to manage it. Acupuncture, on the other hand, process than the body itself’ South Africa for Europe can assist the body in healing muscles and in the near future and nerves, where most pain originates.
22 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 But acupuncture does not only treat. Sanna suggests that anyone could benefit as it is also preventative. “Health is tied to the body’s ability to adapt and if a person’s health is good, illness could be prevented before it occurs,” she says. “In ancient China, doctors focused on health and not on sickness.” This sounds logical and one wonders when this outlook changed and why. Acupuncture is done by inserting very thin needles into acupoints and most people feel little or no pain. The chosen points are based on the problem. The treatment could be just about anywhere in the body. “Hundreds of acupoints have been identified and there are about 80 in the hand alone,” Sanna says. “Many of these are located on one of the main meridians. These are pathways of information transmission that run throughout the body.” After the needles are inserted, the patient rests while the body does its work. Most patients fall asleep or relax deeply. Do not feel discouraged if you are afraid of needles! Sanna practises acupressure and cupping, which is not as powerful as acupuncture, but can also be helpful. This technique involves pressing or massaging the acupoints to stimulate energy pathways. Acupressure, works well for smaller children who are not ready to be punctured by needles. All of us are in need of a more holistic approach to health and well-being in general. Acupuncture seems to be a good alternative or supplement to conventional medicine and worth the try.
GET IN TOUCH Contact Sanna on 076-695-5261 for more
Text: Liezel Lüneburg. Photography: Hennie Homann Photography: Lüneburg. Liezel Text: information or an appointment Sanna Atherton
March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 23 Some like it hot!
Chipotle chili sauce
24 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 Our climate is just the right kind of hot to produce the right kind of heat - the tantalising, shifting-in-your-seat kind that can only come from chillies lighting up your tongue. We speak to three passionate sauce fundis about creating a uniquely Some like it hot! Lowveld chilli-fl avoured experience. Mozambique for many years, chillies are Tin Giraff e chipotle part of my DNA!” he laughs. chili sauce A chance meeting with a Mexican at a dinner party one night sparked Charles’ Grown in the Lowveld, then dried and interest in chipotle chillies, as their smoky smoked, the chillies that make up Tin fl avour is unlike most of the other hot Giraff e chipotle chili sauce off er something sauces on the South African market. He diff erent to the traditional fare South clarifi es that chipotles are not a type African palates are accustomed to. It was of chilli, but rather jalapeños that are this diff erentiation that fi nally convinced smoked and dried. Charles Deane to embark on his lifelong “I played around with the recipe and dream of producing his own sauce. experimented with drying and smoking Charles spent much of his life farming for about fi ve years before fi nally going in the region and always harboured a into production. desire to add value to the tomatoes and “I built my own smoker and drier and chillies he produced, thus creating his have been importing oak bisquettes from own condiment. “And having lived in Canada for the smoking process. The Text: Lindi Botha. Photography: Tanya Roos Tanya Lindi Botha. Photography: Text: wood makes a major diff erence to the fl avour, so it’s important to use the same kind and for the same duration to keep it consistent.” While the smoky, earthy fl avour of Tin Giraff e sets it aside from most other sauces on the market, Charles admits that this is both fortunate and problematic. “Chipotle is still relatively unknown in South Africa, while in America and Mexico it’s all they eat. So creating a market for the sauce takes a little longer.” Fortune, however, favours the brave and after one taste, the sauce sells itself!
WHERE TO GET IT: Bagdad Farmer’s Market, Halls Farm Stall and SUPERSPAR at Crossing and Riverside FLAVOUR PROFILE: Smoky, warm and earthy HEAT LEVEL: 7/10 ENJOY WITH: Steak, chicken and nachos or add to any dishes for a smoky, spicy fl avour
GET IN TOUCH Charles Deane on 082-306-5771
March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 25 produce it and today they also grow all of WHERE TO GET IT: Selected SPARs Epa! vinherb garlic the ingredients on their farm in Waterval in the Lowveld and Perry’s Bridge chilli pesto Boven. Farmer’s Market Raymond says much of their success is FLAVOUR PROFILE: Fresh, green and Fresh and zesty, this Epa! pesto is lemon- due to the direct sales approach they have lemony based, rather than vinegar, uncooked taken. “Initially we tackled all the local HEAT LEVEL: 7/10 and incorporates only raw ingredients farm and craft markets to see if this would ENJOY WITH: Pizza, pasta and stir-fry grown in the Lowveld. Owner Raymond be a viable business. Now, in addition Noppé explains that the idea behind the to supplying existing clients, we sell our GET IN TOUCH uncooked product range is to minimise products on a national level at all of the Raymond Noppé on 082-611-6690 the eff ort of food preparation and to major expos, festivals and markets.” have an easy frying, cook-in, marinade, basting, salad dressing and table condiment all in one! The sauce has become well known in the region over the past seven years, with production consistently increasing. Its success has been a bit of a fairy tale as it was never expected to become a full-time operation. “My wife, Marilu, started off ering her own home-made sauce to patrons at our restaurant in Mozambique and it soon became obvious that hers was preferred to the original, local peri-peri sauce. “People then started asking for it in bottles and the orders spontaneously started rocketing to the extent where we had to keep a diff erent set of books just for the sauces!” The Noppés then set up a factory in the Lowveld to
Marilu and Raymond Noppé Epa! vinherb pesto
Sakkie, who runs an estate agency, relates With his involvement in the annual Marula Marula peri-peri sauce how he sold his fi rst house to a gentleman Makiti held in Mbombela, Sakkie decided to who made his own chilli sauces. Having a make a marula chilli sauce from the wild fruit As if chilli sauce couldn’t be more of a love of the kitchen instilled by his mother, shooting up all over town. With growing proudly Lowveld product, Sakkie van Rooyen Sakkie was intrigued and the two became popularity, production now takes place year- has created a marula infusion that off ers a friends. “Sadly he passed away before sharing round and is sold throughout the Lowveld. fruity, tangy variant that will lighten up your his recipe and later his wife asked me if I Sakkie notes that the whole family is taste buds and leave you wanting more. wouldn’t give it a go to try and fi gure it out. involved in the production and it has What started as a hobby has turned into After about a year of trial and error I came become an entrepreneural learning the family’s side business that will hopefully, pretty close. I then gave her the recipe and experience of sorts for the children. His eventually fund the kids’ tertiary education. continued playing around on my own.” father is responsible for sourcing the 26 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 ingredients while Sakkie and his mom are in charge of production. All the ingredients are found locally and he notes that producing a natural sauce with a long shelf life, but without additives and starches, is paramount. “My wife designs the labels, my sister has them printed and the children must stick them on the bottles. Even the youngest niece - at fi ve years old - has something to do: she has to pick up all the papers after the labels have been stuck on! Everyone is paid their dues and when all the work is done for the evening, we all sit and share a meal. It’s a wonderful family operation that brings us all together,” Sakkie smiles.
WHERE TO GET IT: In farmstalls around the Lowveld FLAVOUR PROFILE: Fruity with a good balance between acidity and sweetness HEAT LEVEL: Mild: 6/10, Hot: 8/10 ENJOY WITH: Pregos, prawns, as a chicken marinade and over slap chips
GET IN TOUCH Sakkie van Rooyen with his marula peri-peri sauce Sakkie van Rooyen on 083-632-2904
RM-WE151309NG UNIQUELY LOWVELD
Autumn deliciousness The Lowveld is renowned for being one of the top fruit and nut producers in South Africa, and with good reason. Mellissa Bushby tells us more.
e have a balmy temperate also widely grown in our region. and minerals into every bite. It has the to tropical climate, which Lowvelders love to take full advantage of perfect balance of sweet, savoury, peppery is perfect for the growth of this bounty, and many a street corner drips and crunchy goodness, with just a hint of subtropical fruits such as avos, with seasonal bags of fruit or nuts, filled to chilli. And remember, the beauty of salads litchis,W mangoes, oranges, lemons and the brim with Lowveld sunshine goodness. is their versatility, so feel free to mix and bananas. And autumn is coming our way, which match. Recent experimentation includes the means a glut of oranges and avos. Instead of chickpeas add a sliver or two advent of exotic kiwis, agave and granadillas. Oranges are perfect for juicing, making of Parma ham or thinly sliced biltong, or In 2010 more than 11 000 hectares of land reduction sauces, adding to chocolate, grilled chicken pieces, scatter a handful were used for planting bananas, making eating as is or jazzing up a salad. Avos are of cranberries or pomegranate seeds over Mpumalanga the top fruit producer in South simply marvellous, thinly sliced in a salad, the top, omit the orange segments and Africa. Indeed, our country is one of the top chopped up and tucked into a wrap, fanned add grapefruit, swap the spinach leaves three citrus exporters in the world, vying for out on pizza or roughly mashed with salt for rocket, and dress with a sprinkling of second place with Turkey, while Spain is in and lemon to make guacamole; these toasted sesame seeds. first. irresistible fruit are also packed with health This salad thrives on the addition of nuts, While our fruit exports are so impressive, benefits. so chopped macadamias or pecans add our macadamia nut production is as stellar. Autumn also means cooler weather, but flavour, crunch and texture. You can even We are currently the largest producer not by any means cold in the Lowveld, so add a few dollops of salad mayonnaise or a of macs in the world, 95% of which are indulge your senses with a delicious, hearty drizzle of olive oil and balsamic. Anything exported, mainly to China. Pecan nuts are salad that packs flavour, protein, vitamins goes!
28 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 Autumn deliciousness Lowveld salad Ingredients • 200g baby spinach leaves •1x 410g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed • 1 avo, cut into bite-size chunks • 2 oranges, 1 peeled and segmented, the other cut in half • A teaspoon of dried chilli fl akes, or 1 chilli, deseeded and fi nely chopped • Sea salt and cracked black pepper. Method • Toss the spinach onto a serving plate and scatter the chickpeas evenly over and among the leaves. • Tumble the orange segments and avocado pieces over the spinach and chickpeas. • Squeeze the juice from the orange halves over the ensemble, and scatter the chilli fl akes on top. • Season with salt and pepper. • Serve with chunks of still warm, crusty RM-RE217909NG ciabatta or sour bread. coloursVibrant Look at these colourful, mesmerising patterns! Aren’t they just gorgeous? We show you how to easily create beautiful pot stands.
he eff ect is achieved by using How to At this stage the ink will keep on mixing Sharpie markers and rubbing although it has already dried once. alcohol - the project is not diffi cult 1. Wipe the tile to ensure that the surface at all. It is also fairly inexpensie. is clean. 4. You could add layer upon layer of ink and TPot stands are but one of the uses for these alcohol. Experiment! colourful tiles. You could try smaller tiles as coasters and paperweights or frame a larger one as a beautiful decor item. As with most craft projects, the possibilities are endless 2 and you can really be creative and try diff erent variations. 5 The end product makes for a beautiful, creative gift and will warm any loved one’s heart. Not only because of the beauty, but also the fact that it is handmade. 2. Now use the Sharpies to colour the tile with bold and contrasting colours. The markings can be rough as the ink is going You will need to fl ow together to form a wholly diff erent • White tiles - any size, depending on pattern. what you want to use the end product for 5. Remember that trial and error is nearly • Sharpie pens - we have tried others, but always eminent when tackling a craft project. these work best Do not give up too easily! In this case the ink • Rubbing alcohol, available at can be washed from the tile if you are not pharmacies wholly satisfi ed with the result. • Pipette or dripper • Hard as Nails gloss varnish 6. When you are happy, let the ink dry
Liezel Lüneburg. Photography: Odette Hartzenberg Odette Photography: Lüneburg. Liezel by Compiled • Anti-scratch felt pads. properly. Take note that it is not colourfast 3 and smudges easily. 3. When the tile is covered, carefully drip 7. Although it is not necessary, we have small drops of alcohol onto the tile. The baked the tile at 180°C for 30 minutes to try colours will fl ow together to form the most to improve the colourfastness of the ink. beautiful patterns. Do not use too much as it will just make a mess. Rather go slowly. 8. When the tile has cooled down, You could even use less drops at a time and cautiously apply the Hard as Nails according allow the ink to dry before adding more. to the instructions on the container. Although
30 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 the tile has been baked, the colour can still 9. Now let it dry properly. smudge. We tried a brush and sponge, but light application with a fi nger works best. You 10. Stick the anti-scratch felt pads on the can also spray the tile with art fi xative before four corners of the tile to avoid scratching. applying the varnish - this really works well to prevent the colours from smudging. 10 8
11. And it is ready to use as a pot stand!
More ideas • Also try using ceramic plates and other ceramic products for the project. It could make a beautiful decor piece. However, we would not recommend serving food stuff on the plate. • Try writing on the tile after the fi rst layer of Hard as Nails has dried and then add another layer or two. Let us know how it works! • Every single end product will BUCO has collaborated with Get it to feature a look diff erent and you can be as creative as you wish in choosing creative project every month. Visit Celia Swart at BUCO09-NN the decor section for more creative ideas - she is the colours and the shapes. more than willing to help and quite creative.
Visit our store for great specials. PPC Cement @ cost - one day only - 29 AUGUST 2015 Buco white river 10 hennie van till street, white river Saturday! tel: 013 750 2090 Find us on www.buco.co.za Circle-wiseTraffic circles are problematic to two kinds of people: those who THIS IS HOW A TRAFFIC know how it works and those who don’t. The latter frustrates the CIRCLE WORKS former and, according to social media users, the uninformed are • In South Africa, traffic travels the norm. clockwise around these circles. • When entering the circle, always yield to the right. • When entering from (6) in the left lane:
You may not enter the circle at (6) and turn right towards (3). Going clockwise, you will pass (9) and (12) before exiting at (3).
If you intend to exit the circle at (9), approach the circle positioned in the left lane. Indicate that you will turn left and do so.
If you intend to exit at, (12), (3) or (6), lane changes may be required. Use your discretion in choosing a lane. Adhere to road signs. If possible, keep left. To enable other road users to exit the circle before you do, indicate and turn into the inside lane. When approaching the exit you want to take, indicate that you will be moving into the outer lane. After doing so, indicate that you will turn left to leave the circle.
South Africa: 0800 87 22 64 or 082 881 4444 or Mozambique: +258 84 34 34 34 6
32 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 Enter your little one’s masterpieces in our monthly Circle-wise Moms! kid’s travel-related activity competition.
EXCITING PRIZES UP FOR GRABS EVERY MONTH! Find the post on our Facebook page, it will be active from the 5th to 25th of each month. No need to enter names or ages, you enter on their behalf and will be notifi ed via Facebook on the 25th should your little one be the lucky winner.
March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 33 Enough to go around Refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle. When thinking about the five Rs, household waste and its management generally comes to mind - what we do with our glass bottles, plastic bags and tin cans. But what about clothes, kitchenware and knick-knacks? Books, records and furniture? Whether you are planning a spring clean or shopping spree, pop into one of these second-hand shops and charity stores for a thrifting experience.
eated in the Nelspruit SPCA Charity Shop - filled to the brim with bric-a-brac and chatty shoppers, Bets Bellingham says, “We had this wroughtS iron ornament mounted against the wall here. The iron was extremely thick and it gathered at a point where you could place a big globe in it. When the ornament came in, I gave it one look and thought, ‘This is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen’, but within half an hour it was sold.” She soon realised that the shopper had a vision in mind for the “wrought iron thing”. Her house is a converted barn and the decoration would fit in perfectly against a wall at her entrance. One man’s trash is indeed another’s treasure. Bets has been working in the shop for the past year and she has seen some interesting purchases during this time; from torn books to a manual cake mixer that “looked like it Bets Bellingham at the Nelspruit SPCA Charity Shop came from the ark”. Being a hairdresser most her life, she has never even sold a bottle of
34 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 Enough to go around
shampoo; but she quickly figured hasn’t sold by then, I make it half out a way to successfully source and price. After two more weeks, I add sell second-hand goods. The store it to a special where if you buy 10 solely relies on donations and Bets items, you get one free”. The goods says she begs on their Facebook that really don’t sell, they donate page at least three times a week. to welfare and other charities - “I advertise everywhere I can. The absolutely nothing goes to waste. support is good, but it slacks off for Bets’ methods seem to be a while; especially when I stop with working. She says the shop’s the crazy letters,” says the Pink Lady, profits increased from about R500 as she is also known. to R25 000 some months, which “I once wrote that I am locking up goes towards expenses like vet the shop and going to Siberia. I’m costs, pet food, cat litter, cement buying a one-way ticket, because for the SPCA’s driveway and a nobody wants to give donations. tiny salary for Bets to cover her The next day, we received three travel expenses. “There was hardly donations and two replies saying anything at the Nelspruit SPCA, but ‘I once wrote that I am locking up the shop and going to Siberia. I’m buying a one-way ticket, because nobody wants to give donations’
people will give me jackets and since Bets started working there gloves for Siberia. And that’s where it changed completely,” one loyal it all started,” Bets laughs. From customer, Emsie van Zyl, exclaims. kooky scenarios to deliberate Emsie also runs a second-hand spelling and grammar mistakes, she shop from her home, called soon realised that customers missed Whispering Grace, situated on the her letters when she stopped Plaston Road, just outside White writing. “They started calling me River. She focuses on fixing and on my private phone, asking what repurposing previously loved items happened to the letters!” and sells clothing, accessories like Bets says books, clothes and scarves and handbags, gift sets, crockery sell the fastest. They were trinkets and plants in her small given 5 500 books from a second- nursery. She renovates decorations, hand book store which closed upgrades handbags and creates down, and they still have 4 000 left cake stands from interesting plates at R10 to R30 per book. She also and glasses. “I always try to see the offers deals even zanier than her potential in items. My daughter letters: pensioners can buy always says she is truly proud of 10 books for R20. Because me - I can make something out of everything is donated, she believes nothing,” Emsie elaborates. “I love the prices should be kept low. the creativity involved, because Emsie van Zyl at Whispering Grace “When someone donates an when you start it just keeps
Text and photography: Mia and photography: Louw Text item, I keep it for four weeks. If it flowing”.
March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 35 day’s takings and whatever they haven’t sold they might leave for the SPCA as well. “Our most successful event was in December. We had about 12 or 13 vehicles. On a bad day we make R1 000 and on a good day about R3 500 for those three hours,” Estelle adds. She has been involved in animal welfare for most her life and is thankful that her boss and human rights attorney, Richard Spoor, understands the time and commitment involved. She has recently resigned from the SPCA committee as treasurer, but she will remain involved until the end of March to hand over the responsibilities. The White River SPCA Charity Shop - Barking Bargains - has been open since April 2018 and can be found at the SPCA’s premises. For a thrift store to be successful, location is a key factor. They used to have a little shop in White River’s main road for nine months, free of rent. Even though they were open only one day a week, they made between R10 000 and R15 000 a month. Now they also rely on events to raise money. There is a two-week- long annual book sale in July and on May 30, they have an event called the Nearly New Clothing Collection. “We have done it for two years now and it is ‘There are different reasons why people buy second hand. For young buyers it is the trend, for others it is the cost’ Estelle de Villiers very successful. We host the event at Zannas for free and we collect all the good clothing at the SPCA; the really upmarket designer Besides affordability, she feels that people Centre, right next to GumTreez. “I have been stuff,” Estelle adds. They have made up to are attracted to thrifting due to the peaceful selling there for the past six to seven months R20 000 in the past with the event, which nature of the experience; customers and I really enjoy the social aspect of it,” Emsie starts at 4pm and ends around 9pm. Because take their time browsing through items, says, with a beam of contentment. Business they meticulously go through the clothing, sometimes spending an hour or two “window at the car boot sale has been picking up, select the best quality goods, wash and shopping”. “I would like to urge people to because after each month, she gets to know steam it before the evening, the price for support this kind of local business, rather her customers better. “This or that person a vintage blouse or designer dress will be than finding something cheap at mass- always wants dresses,” she explains. “So now I slightly more than at Barking Bargains. produced stores,” Emsie adds, seated on her know - I need to go look for dresses.” “There are different reasons why people cool stoep at Whispering Grace. It peeves her “You bring your vehicle, you park it, pay buy second hand. For young buyers it is the that you have to sew back buttons on newly R100 and you can sell whatever you like from trend - they can buy items like high-waisted bought clothes merely a few months after your car,” Estelle de Villiers explains. Estelle pants and interesting bits and pieces,” Ingrid purchase. “You can see the craft that went has been involved with the SPCA for about Murphy explains, while sipping coffee in into some of the older clothing items I find; 13 years and acted as the chairman for a long front of her store in Kaapsehoop - Gold Dust you can even notice it from how the label is period of that time. “I’ve been the fundraiser Trading. “For others it is the cost. There are a sewn on,” she continues. “It isn’t cheap and it for the past three years. That’s what I’m lot of people who just buy basic clothes. And doesn’t feel like plastic”. good at. We started looking for fresh ideas; more affluent ladies will look for the designer Emsie also sells her goods at the White River something new in White River that hasn’t wear at a cheap price. A lot of possessions SPCA car boot sale, the first Saturday of each happened before,” she elaborates. “And car come from people who have been overseas month, from 8am to 12pm. The sale takes boot sales are really successful in the UK.” and bought good quality stuff - they just place with the BFM at Casterbridge Lifestyle Some sellers also donate 10 to 15% of their don’t want it anymore,” she adds, before
36 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 taking another sip. smell about it - it gives me the creeps,” she Ingrid opened her business in 1998, with admits, grinning slightly. “And I know a lot a different name and premises in the misty of those clothes are made by people in village of Kaapsehoop. She started off with sweatshops - I don’t want to be a part of handmade goods like candles and baskets that.” She realises that some of her items and moving over to second-hand items, were probably produced under similar “just sort of happened,” she says. “I love circumstances, but most of her goods are old things, I’ve always had. And I’m crazy older and vintage clothing, which was about clothes.” Ingrid particularly loves given a second life. second-hand clothing, because “they are When customers are looking for fancy often different, especially vintage attire. dress wear, Ingrid has an opportunity to You won’t see someone else wearing the present her “really weird stuff”. She has same outfit”. sold a real clown suit and even had one of She has loads of regular customers; those costumes from the Borat movie - ”a women from Mbombela and plenty of mankini! Yes, I had that,” she laughs. “You young people who support the shop. often think nobody is ever going to buy “And quite a few people from Pretoria this,” she continues. “But somebody will and Joburg too Every weekend they grab it, and it will be the best thing they’ve come to town, they visit the shop and ever seen.” some customers come once a year for a big purchase,” Ingrid states, content with her supportive clientele. She sources her GET IN TOUCH clothes, books, records, crockery, trinkets Nelspruit SPCA Charity Shop: 062-968-7388 and antique furniture via word of mouth. Whispering Grace: 082-412-7860 She hand-picks people’s previously loved White River SPCA Charity Shop: belongings and pays for the stock. 071-484-2418 Ingrid Murphy at Gold Dust Trading “When I walk into gigantic clothing Gold Dust Trading: 082-835-2314 stores, I don’t know - there is a certain
HO028001R
HO028001R.indd 1 2018/12/12 02:10:48 PM READY TO RAMBLE The Lowveld is the outdoor enthusiast’s dream come true, with beautiful trails and stunning vistas that see into forever. Mia Louw dons her hiking boots and sets off on the reopened Blyderivierspoort Hiking Trail to capture the essence of the place of the rising sun.
fter being closed since 2006, the Blyderivierspoort Hiking Trail was reopened last October and is ready to be traversed. Adventurers of varying fitness can enjoy the newly renovated trail which leads through private property andA the southern part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve - boasting the third biggest canyon, and largest green canyon, in the world. It is my first time hiking in this area, but I recall my mother-in- law mentioning her experience on this route during the early ‘80s. She was in high school and came from a family of avid hikers. They would often travel all the way from Bloemfontein to explore Mpumalanga’s trails. “My brother wasn’t even in school yet, but he could walk it with some encouragement,” Louise Louw reminisces. She remembers it being freezing in the mornings - they went walking in winter - but it warmed up slowly as the sun and group climbed the sky and hills. “My mom was wearing winter woollies under her trousers, but after each day’s first ascent she had to shed that extra layer,” Louise adds. She can’t remember any showers, but recollects her family gathered in the lapa, washing off the day’s ramble in a washing tub with water heated on the fire. Thirty- something years later and I can experience it for myself... with a group of friends, running showers and during late spring. The three-day hike is 30 kilometres, but the trail can easily be explored in two days; making it ideal for a weekend break. The first day is only three kilometres and can be combined with the second day’s distance (13,5 kilometres), if you skip the first overnight hut at Watervalspruit. The self-guided hike starts at Paradise Camp - on the God’s Window Loop Road outside Graskop - and ends at Bourke’s Luck Potholes. An accompanying guide can also be arranged, which is well worth the extra knowledge on fauna and flora in the area.
Day 1 3 kilometres: 1 hour We parked our cars at Bourke’s Luck Potholes and were shuttled to the start of the trail at Paradise Camp. The first day’s path stretches across grassland - past perky sugarbushes and prehistoric tree ferns - and meanders through large quartzite rocks, weathered and covered This waterfall is a short in bright orange and pale green lichen. stroll from the second As Mariepskop becomes visible in the far distance, walkers descend night’s accommodation into the valley before reaching Watervalspruit Hut, which is built 38 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 READY TO RAMBLEalong a slope and behind a windbreak of trees. The hut sleeps 15 people and the “spruit” offers a series of small waterfalls and swimming holes nearby. Gemma Garmin basks in a waterhole a few steps away from Clearstream Hut Day 2 13,5 kilometres: 5 hours On the second day we wound through even larger quartzite outcrops, with the dappled auburn lichen mirrored in the aloes perched on top of rocks. With only two ascending climbs, the rest of the trail is fairly flat and easy - perfect for the entire family. During the last hour of the route, you follow the curves of the Clearstream (which is wider than your average brook) all the way to the Clearstream Hut, nestled in between pinnacles of quartzite towering over the accommodation. Just before reaching the hut (which sleeps 18 people), the route passes a narrow and high waterfall cascading down the gorge - offering a series of large swimming holes a stone’s skip away from the lodging. Start walking as early as possible to laze about on gargantuan boulders submerged in the depths of crystal-clear water. There is a bustle of tourists at 13,6 kilometres: 5 hours Bourke’s Luck Potholes, marking Day 3 the end of the three-day trail The last day’s route closely follows the Treur River and passes the Fann Waterfall 45 minutes to an hour into the ramble. The Treur (which means "mourning") was named during a Voortrekker expedition in 1844, when distraught relatives thought Hendrik Potgieter and his party were lost on their journey to Delagoa Bay (Maputo Bay today). If you embark from Clearstream Hut around 8am, you will reach the Potluck Boskombuis just before it opens at 10am, sit down at a rustic table next to the river and relish in a tin cup of warm coffee for R30. Thus far the trail has been fairly open and
Mia Louw treeless, but from here it winds through dense bush before crossing over open plains and descending to Bourke’s Luck Potholes. At the Potholes, the Treur River flows into Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency employees test the Blyde River (meaning "happy" river) the waters on day two of the
Photography: Photography: which was named after Hendrik Potgieter trail, at Clearstream Hut
March 2019 Get It • Lowveld 39 and his party returned safely to their families, back from Delagoa Bay. They did not perish after all, and their return was a joyous moment. Unfit hikers will also find happiness here - the trail ends and the trek is done.
Cost The hike costs R1 350 per person and groups of five or more will receive a 30% discount. The price includes the drop-off for hikers at Paradise Camp, as well as the transportation of bags to the huts for both nights. Need to know The huts are equipped with beds, mattresses, mattress covers, towels, cooking/eating utensils and wood for the two fire pits at both overnight stops. There is no electricity, hot water in the showers or cellphone reception at the huts and hikers need to bring their own sleeping bags and pillows. One-day option If you don’t have the time or energy for a multi-day route, you can do the Belvedere day hike, which is a 10-kilometre, circular trail. Buy a permit at Bourke’s Luck Potholes for R50 per person and walk from Potholes to the Belvedere hydro power plant and back. Visitors are advised to start the trail before noon, as it can take about five hours to finish.
The hikers’ comments Melanie van Zyl - Travel journalist “It is a great easy-going hike option, close to Johannesburg - which is where I’m from. I loved the second night, having the river and so many pools deep enough to splash in right at the camp. There was shade and picnicking on those rocks was utter Watervalspruit Hut bliss. I expected a bit more forest, but the rolling grasslands and farmlands we walked through were super scenic - from sugarbush-covered hills to rippling streams. The accommodation is different in that there are no bunk What to pack beds; it was comfy with good linen.” Map | Compass | Watch | Sunscreen | Lip balm | Hat | Sunglasses | Insect repellent | Antiseptic | Socks | Gemma Garmin - Artist/ Underwear | Warm jacket or fleece | Raincoat | Warm photographer underwear for cold nights | Good walking shoes | “People don’t have to be nervous about Head lamp | Candles and matches | Basic first aid the hike, because it is fairly simple; it supplies | Water, plenty of it | Snack foods - health was well marked and it doesn’t require bars, dried fruit | A whistle, its sound travels further for you to be that fit. For people who than calling for help | Remember to leave your itinerary if you are doing it alone.
Me (Mia Louw) at Fann Waterfall, a short walk from Potluck Boskombuis Me (Mia Louw), Alexander Higgins, Photo: Melanie Gemma Garmin and Melanie van Zyl van Zyl at the waterfall near Clearstream Hut 40 Get It • Lowveld March 2019 would like to do a hike over a few days, it is a good option if you haven’t done one before or if you are a nervous hiker - it felt safe, secure and it is fairly short. “Aesthetically, the accommodation is basic - but in terms of what it off ers, it was perfect - the rooms allow for multiple people to be on the hike at once. What is more interesting is where the huts are situated, because the scenery around them is beautiful. On the fi rst day you have an amazing view, and on the second day you are by the river. And when you are at your hut, there is a lot to do - which makes a well-rounded experience.”
Alexander Higgins - Multimedia producer “I regard myself as a reasonably seasoned hiker, and I really barely broke a sweat on the trail - maybe some people want that challenge, but I think it really allows for you to have a break. After the whole experience I felt refreshed; because it wasn’t too challenging. I found lots of opportunities to just sit, relax, enjoy the scenery, swim and to kick back - there was a lot of opportunity for downtime. “You still get the experience of being out in nature and away from things, and at the same time you come back from it feeling refreshed, rather than like you had serious exercise. The amenities were great - the rooms and bathrooms were clean - and in terms of other amenities on other walks, it is really up there with some of the best. “I found the MTPA staff really energetic and friendly and the guides were very knowledgeable and attentive to our needs. If you are a selfi e-enthusiast there are some picture-perfect moments at a number of beautiful rock pools and waterfalls - you are going to have lots of great pictures to share on your social media spaces.”
GET IN TOUCH Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency for bookings and more information: 013-759-5300/01 or [email protected]
Clearstream Hut
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