Table Mountain’s status as one of the new seven wonders of the world has bee confirmed by the New 7 Wonders Foundation which is based in Switzerland and ruled under Swiss law.

National Geographic, together with Cape Town and Durban, will be marketing the two cities for a period of 14 months, staring April 2012 and ending June 2013. It will include a series of TV vignettes, print and online editorial, a social media and digital campaign, and an event in either London or Washington DC. There will also be a one-hour documentary about the two cities.

Family safaris are tailor-made at each lodge and are recommended for children eight years and older.

Dare to Explore guests who have visited Mowani Mountain Camp in Twyfelfontein Namibia, will be interested to know that the camp has been refurbished. 

All the tented rooms were rebuilt, thatched and enlarged by 30%, ensuring more comfort and space, and three standard tents were converted into view rooms. Each room now also has a larger bathroom and viewing deck….all the more reason to visit this most unusual destination again!

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), where cheetahs are successfully bred in captivity before they are released in the wild, has launched a new workout regime for its cheetahs.

The animals can suffer from a build-up of ammonia, which can be toxic to the brain. The key to minimising the negative effects of ammonia is exercise and, as a result, HESC introduced the ‘lure machine’, a device that lures the animals into fitness. The device is made from a mop, ball and a piece of meat.

After some initial scepticism, the cheetahs follow it across the ground…not a full sprint yet, but as they get used to the device, they will hopefully be lured into a much faster pace. The centre is planning on bursts of about 300-400 metres at a time, which will replicate conditions in the wild.

Pending the successful outcome of the device, HESC is considering inviting visitors to observe the workout regime from a distance.

This year’s Wacky Wine Weekend, Robertson Wine Valley’s biggest annual wine festival, takes place from June 7-10. 

Forty-eight wineries will showcase their wines and each day will have its own signature wine theme.

A number of exciting activities include ‘meet-the-winemaker’ tastings, educational wine presentations, brandy tours and tastings, wine and food pairings, fun wine competitions, river cruises, tractor trips, cheese and olive tastings,  a mountain bike challenge, the Robertson Farmers’ Market and local performing artists. There will also be a wide range of children’s activities including fishing, farmyard tours, jumping castles, pony rides, a treasure hunt and face-painting.

A zero-tolerance policy has been implemented for drinking and driving, and visitors are requested to make use of the Buddy Bus or Designated Driver Programme. The Buddy Bus facility enables groups of seven or more visitors to hire a chauffeur-driven minibus.  The service will be available from 08h00 until 19h00 and guests will be collected and returned to their accommodation. B

Drivers who register for the Designated Driver Programme will be rewarded with a host of complimentary goods, including free coffee, soft drinks, coupons and special deals. Register at the Wacky Wine Weekend office, any of the Valley’s tourism offices or participating wineries.

Wacky Wine Weekend Bus-In one day packages are also available ,  with transport departing from the Waterfront, Tygervalley, Stellenbosch (Butterfly World) and Paarl, to Robertson. For visitors from further afield, great Fly-In Packages that include flights, car rental and accommodation are available.

A R90 passport, valid for the whole weekend, must be purchased at any of the participating wineries, and all other activities will be ‘pay-as-you-go. Many of the activities need to be pre-booked directly with the respective wineries.

Wacky Wine Weekend oysters and wine feast

The astonishing spectacle of a leopard savaging a crocodile has been captured for the first time on camera.

A series of incredible pictures taken at a South African game reserve document the first known time that a leopard has taken on and defeated one of the fearsome reptiles.

The photographs were taken by Hal Brindley, an American wildlife photographer, who was supposed to be taking pictures of hippos from his car in the Kruger National Park.

The giant cat raced out of cover provided by scrub and bushes to surprise the crocodile, which was swimming nearby. A terrible and bloody struggle ensued. Eventually, onlookers were amazed to see the leopard drag the crocodile from the water as the reptile fought back.

With the crocodile snapping its powerful jaws furiously, the two animals somersaulted and grappled. Despite the crocodile’s huge weight and strength, the leopard had the upper hand catching its prey by the throat.

Eventually the big cat was able to sit on top of the reptile and suffocate it. In the past, there have been reports of crocodiles killing leopards, but this is believed to the first time that the reverse scenario has been observed.

Mr Brindley said : ‘I asked many rangers in South Africa if they had ever heard of anything like this and they all said no.

“It just doesn’t make sense. The meat you get out of a crocodile is just not worth the risk it takes a predator to acquire. The whole scene happened in the course of about 5 minutes. Then the leopard was gone.

“I drove away, elated in disbelief. It may have been the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

Also at Bouchard Finlayson, a beautiful barn owl has spent the entire summer watching as guests experienced the joys of Bouchard Finlayson’s wines..

On Hermanus’s “best kept secret” Hemel-en-Aarde wine route, in the barrel cellar of the Bouchard Finlayson wine estate, lucky guests are presented with a soiree at the end of each month…