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Wednesday, March 6, 2013
THE LAKE COWICHAN GAZETTE
www.lakecowichangazette.com
main points of interests. Here’s what David had to say about their experience:
David Kidd
David Kidd with guides (looking at zebra remains).
Travel notes from Africa Instead of walking with the Cowichan Lake Retreads group, David and Beth Kidd have been travelling in southern Africa this winter.
Aside from visiting Maun, Botswana’s “tourist capital” and the country’s fifth largest town, they went on a safari-hike to the Okavanga Delta, one of the country’s
We are in Maun, at the entrance to the Okavanga Delta in north west Botswana. It’s about 8 a.m. and we climb up into a safari truck and head out of town. We travel down sandy, bumpy village roads through a gate in a fence that is designed to keep wild life separate from village animals, to the edge of the water where mokoros (canoes) and community men await us. The safari company has a contract with the community to provide the canoes and men to pole them, offering a unique experience for visitors while generating income for the community. We get seated in the canoes and head out down a lane between sedges and water lilies into the Okavanga Delta. We have learned that this delta is formed when water flows down a large river from the Angola highlands and spreads into three main streams in a huge delta-like area. Most of the water never reaches the sea and evaporates. Ironically, in the summer rainy season, the water level is lowest and gradually increases as the winter season approaches. We are poled through the sedges and open water for some time. At one point we are about 50 metres from a group of four hippos. We see little heads in the
water and from time to time they emerge a bit higher and snort. Eventually we park on land and set off on a hike. As we head out over the land, we see a variety of birds around a pondlike area. In the distance, we can see animals but are not sure what they are. Our guides assure us they are zebras and decide we should move much closer so we can see the stripes. This we do, and quietly watch a herd of about 40 zebras. As we head back toward the canoes we are shown a set of elephant bones bleached white and very large. A little further on, the skeleton of a zebra that has succumbed to lions in the last week or two. Our hike takes about two hours in the midday sun at about 35 C. We head back to the canoes where a picnic lunch sent by the tour company awaits us, and then back across the delta waters again to the waiting truck. All together a unique boating and hiking experience in southern Africa. The next morning at 5:30 a.m., we are loaded into the safari truck for a trip out to the Moremi Game Park. By the time we reach the park’s gate for breakfast, we have already seen giraffes, elephants and a leopard close up. We continue on into the park for many kilometres, and many more viewings of wild animals. —Submitted by David Kidd
Bantam Lakers beat Cowichan Valley and move to semi-final playoffs
Elodie Adams photos Top left: Jason Toperowski took the top prize at the 18th annual Russell Smith Fishing Derby in Lake Cowichan. Toperowski’s trout weighed in at 2.95 lbs. The weigh-in and dinner was held at the Cowichan Lake Legion on March 2. Above: One of the youngest entries in the derby, Josh Anderson, arrived at the Cowichan Lake Legion, where the weigh-in was held, just before the 5:30 deadline to weigh in his catch, at .98 lbs.
Left: Gwen Evans was the official weigher for the entries in the 18th annual Russell Smith Fishing Derby
Annual Frost Bite derby hooks local anglers ELODIE ADAMS
The rain didn’t seem to be a deterrent for the 82 participants who entered this year’s Russell Smith Fishing Derby on Sunday, March 2 in Lake Cowichan. The Cowichan Lake Legion was full of convivial chatter as those who had already returned with their catch warmed up with drinks in the Legion’s lounge. At about five minutes before the 5:30 p.m. weigh-in deadline, Jason Toper-
owski arrived and handed his catch to Gwen Evans, the official weigh-in girl. “Two point ninety-five,” she announced. “That tops it so far.” Most of the entries were considerably smaller, ranging from one to two pounds in weight. After Toperowski, who got the first cash prize, came Bill Robertson, placing second with a 2.51-pounder, and Steve White, whose catch was 2.29. “We usually get between 65 and 100 entries,” said organizer Jim Scholey, a
fisherman himself who knew Russell Smith. “Russell was a character around town who used to be a fisherman,” he said. “And when he died, the Elks started a fishing derby in his name, then the Legion took it over.” As well as cash prizes for the first five entries, there were plenty of draws to choose from, as well as a hot dinner, good companionship, and talk about the next fishing outing on the lake.
The BRI Security Bantam Lakers were in action on the weekend in Nanaimo in sudden death playoffs, where if you lose you are out, and if you win you move onto the next round. They played the Cowichan Valley 2 team and the game was scoreless right through the first period and most of the second period, until CV 2 got the first goal of the game with 39 seconds left in the second period. After two grueling periods where the boys had played their hearts out, they did not give up and were able to muster up enough energy to tie the game up at 11:20 on the clock in the third period (a great goal by Kale Eddy, assisted by Nathan Bath). We then pulled ahead by one at 8:12 with an unassisted, but beautiful goal by Nelson Wagner, then ahead by two at 5:20 on the clock with a goal by Nolan Fothergill, assisted by Austin Henry-Maille and a fourth goal that put us ahead by three with only 59 seconds left — and shorthanded — by Bath. We ended the game with a 4-1 win and are looking forward to our next play-off game Saturday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. at the Nanaimo Ice Centre against Oceanside 2 (Parksville). If we win that game, we will move on to the final game for 1st and 2nd place, which will be held on Sunday, March 10, in Nanaimo. —Submitted by Kristy Convery, Bantam manager