Drakensberg Diaries: Chute and Shoot to Thrill; Canoeing in the Drakensberg Foothills
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 $10000 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. Brian & Janette Kemp own an award-winning Drakensberg accommodation establishment on the Giant's Castle road in the Central 'Berg. Halls Country House is a 4-star country retreat in the foothills of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
|
|
 |
 |
Paddle Your Canoe
At some time in your life you have been on a river in a canoe and hopefully you had a paddle. You know about being up the creek without one.
University of Wisconsin - Madison - Concrete Canoe Competition Winners for 5th Straight Year
Engineering students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison win the 20th Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition in Seattle for the fifth year running, making them descendants of a long line of champions.
Malone Auto Racks to Offer Malone Canoe & Kayak Racks to Consumers Through Nationwide Retailer
ORS Racks Direct announced today plans to inventory and offer canoe racks, kayak racks and sports gear storage system products by Malone Racks.
T'ai Chi For Kayaking And Canoes Racing
Kayaking and canoes involve paddling and water. T'ai Chi, a style of martial arts, is practiced on land with neither water nor boats. The two seem unrelated but did you know that T'ai Chi benefits water sports players like enthusiasts of kayaking and canoes racing? Paddling requires moving gracefully, strongly, and balanced on rough waters. It also puts much strain on the arms and the back, if done incorrectly. T'ai Chi improves and enhances paddling skills because the exercise and the sport follow the same principles.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness In Minnesota - A Great Vacation And Travel Destination
An absolutely amazing vacation destination in Minnesota is the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. There are amazing physical features, like gouged rock, that have been carved into the land from huge glaciers that once existed in the area. The glaciers created canyons, cliffs, hills, crags, huge rock formations, beaches, rocky shores, and thousands of lakes and streams as well as islands and lots of trees. This area is wilderness at its best and it is so peaceful and beautiful that anyone who has the opportunity should stop by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota.
Jokeroo.com Moves into Partnership with Canoe Inc
Canadian based Jokeroo.com has partnered with Canoe.ca, a Quebecor Media company in a content syndication partnership. The syndication will be provided for Canoe's latest video portal which is slated to launch within the month.
Canoe Buying Guide
The origin of canoes is as old as civilization itself. The American aborigines were said to be one of the early users of canoes. They use tree trunks as the main part of the canoe or the hull, fastened with sap, and stitched with tree roots. These primitive types of canoes were popularly known as dugout canoes.
Wenonah Canoe and Initio Advertising Announce Client Partnership
Wenonah Canoe, a leading manufacturer of high performance canoes and kayaks announced it has retained Initio Advertising, a Minneapolis full-service advertising agency. Initio will be providing a wide range of marketing services for Wenonah, including market research, brand strategy, advertising, collateral, interactive promotion, and public relations.
Buying Used Canoes Made Easy
When choosing a used canoe to purchase some of the more important considerations you will have to make are the uses you expect out of your canoe. When you have that in tow, you can then look at the following to make sure you get your money?s worth when seeking a canoe to purchase.
Canoeing
If you've never tried canoeing before then it's high time that you did. Basically, canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves paddling a canoe or kayak either as recreation, transportation or as a sport. Enthusiasts stress that canoeing only uses a paddle to propel your kayak or canoe and human muscle power, nothing more.
|
 |
|
