SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
took the children to a couple of animal sanctuaries – first the Cheetah Outreach then Eagle Encounters where, along with watching displays by magnificent birds of prey, they got to hold baby tortoises and pythons. Best was being in a cage with owls flying around – very Harry Potter.
Happy feet, smiley faces
So far, Cape Town had been a delight, despite a wind that whipped the sea into such a swell that swimming with sea lions was ruled out. And, heading east along the coast on the Cape Whale Route towards Hermanus, I worried that the wind would ruin things further. However, at Gordon’s Bay, the children giggled as the surf challenged their footing and windtormented sand pricked their legs. Even when we went to see the penguins of Stony Point Penguin Colony in Betty’s Bay the
Benedict enjoys his very own Harry Potter moment at the Eagle Encounters centre
saw a sight for sore eyes – a pod of whales “breaching” – leaping out of the water and slapping back into the waves. Our destination the next day was Camp Jubalani in Kapama Private Game Reserve on the edge of Kruger National Park. It is renowned for its herd of 14 elephants and the children loved interacting with them, gorging on elephant facts.
The children got to hold baby tortoises and pythons. Best was being in a cage with owls flying around – very Harry Potter
A spiritual experience
wind couldn’t dent the children’s wonderment at getting so close to creatures they’d only seen in Happy Feet. We then drove into Hermanus, which is a famous haunt of southern right whales, and checked into the charming Marine Hotel. Out on the shore in the evening, the children surf-jumped and one of my abiding images is of the girls standing, arms aloft, in defiance of the crashing waves only to scatter laughing in the spray.
A whale of a time
The next morning, the wind was replaced by bright sunshine and from the hotel we
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I had two key highlights, the first being the darting and notching of a rhino. The children were given roles in the process – Anna was to place a blanket over its eyes, the boys stuffed socks in its ears as muffs and Isabel was in charge of monitoring the rhino’s respiration. It was an almost spiritual experience to subdue such a prehistoric and vulnerable animal. For my eldest daughter, Isabel, it was all too much; tears streamed down her cheeks. My second highlight was my children’s
The gang heading out on safari
Left, we all had a job to do during the Rhino darting, above, the Table Mountain cable car
response to our adventure. They were emotionally and intellectually energised and Isabel was so moved by what she had seen she wanted to help African wildlife. “Daddy, how can I make a difference?” she asked. Our guide Kevin interjected: “You have, just by coming here. ISP