Press

Getaway Magazine Cover – June 2013 – Richtersveld National Park

Thanks to Getaway for publishing my photo on their June 2013 cover...that's my Ford Everest going down Helskloof Pass in the Richtersveld National Park, with a full moon descending in the desert sky. Ah, how I want to be back there, right now!

Getaway Magazine – June 2013 – Richtersveld National Park

The incomparable Richtersveld...the place where I first fell in love with wilderness. This is South Africa's wildest terrain, and some of the most beautiful and unforgiving. My multi-page feature in Getaway attempts to describe the indescribable magic of the Richtersveld.

Getaway Magazine – May 2013 – Golden Gate National Park

One of the smaller national parks in South Africa, Golden Gate in the Free State province offers something in every season of the year, and is considered one of the prettiest protected areas. Comprising mostly montane grasslands, Golden Gate has the highest altitude of any national park in the country, and supplies much of the fresh water for the region. Located just a few hours from Joburg, the park has some of the best and most diverse accommodation...from an Alpine-style hotel to log cabins perched on top of a mountain side.

Getaway Magazine – April 2013 – Mapungubwe National Park

Mapungubwe National Park is fast becoming one of the most popular national parks in the country. This is the place to come if you're looking for a sense of history, grandeur and intrigue. Mapungubwe is the site of Southern Africa's oldest formal civilisation, dating back to AD 1200, and walking tours to the burial site on top of the eponymous hill are highly recommended. As part of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, which includes conserved land in neighbouring Botswana and Zimbabwe, the national park in South Africa offers visitors a fantastic sense of Africa as it once was, with a surprising amount of wildlife.

Wild Magazine – Autumn 2013 – Karoo Parks

On a recent trip for an article in Wild Magazine through the Great and Little Karoo regions of South Africa, I visited four of the best protected areas in this semi-arid region. Karoo National Park, Mountain Zebra National Park, Camdeboo National Park and finally Anysberg Nature Reserve. Each is surprisingly very different from the other. Who said the Karoo was monotonous? In fact, at one stage, before farmers and fences cut off the migration of antelope like springbok and eland, this semi-arid land would be covered from horizon to horizon with huge herds of wild animals. Today, these herds have gone, but it's still a
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Getaway Magazine – March 2013 – Addo Elephant National Park

My magazine feature in Getaway Magazine on Addo Elephant National Park. This protected area is most famous for the conservation of the last elephants in the Cape, which were reduced to just a handful by hunters. Today there are several hundred, but the park offers so much more than just elephants; it encompasses seven different biomes, including mountain fynbos, spekboom, coastal forest and dunes, Nama Karoo and several islands offshore that are marine protected areas. Consider too that the park is the most accessible, authentic Big 5 destination in the south of the country, making it a must-visit park for travellers on the Garden Route.

Sawubona Magazine – February 2013 – Tembe Elephant Park

My three page article in South African Airways' inflight magazine on Tembe Elephant Park - one of the wildest, and least known of South Africa's reserves, and one of my favourites. The elephants are some of the biggest tuskers in Africa, and the lion population is doing really well too. A highly recommended reserve for the wildlife connoisseur and novice alike.

Cape Times Newspaper – February 2013 – Anysberg Nature Reserve

My monthly column in the Cape Times on Anysberg. This Karoo reserve just south of Laingsburg off the national N1 road was a surprise to me. There is a surprisingly large amount of wildlife for a semi-arid region, and the sense of wilderness is impressive. But it's the stars that captivate first and foremost. Their is NO light pollution anywhere, because the 800 square kilometre reserve is situated between two mountain ranges, making it one of the best places in the country for peering through a telescope.

Getaway Magazine – February 2013 – West Coast National Park

The huge tidal lagoon of West Coast National Park is the diamond in the jewels of this ecologically-unique protected area. There is plenty to admire - the interplay of cold ocean, shallow tidal flats, spectacular spring wild flower displays and an impressive list of marine and terrestrial bird species that includes the largest population of endemic black harriers in the country, as well as one of only six remaining Cape gannet colonies on earth.

Cape Times Newspaper – January 2013 – West Coast National Park

One of the highlights from the past year was flying over West Coast National Park with my friend Jean Tresfon who owns a gyrocopter. What a spectacular way to see this beautiful national park. My column in the Cape Times elaborates. For more photos check out my blog here.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – January 2013 – uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park

The mountains of uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal are one of the country's last true wilderness areas, where it's possible to lose yourself for days on end without seeing anyone else, except maybe for a few Basotho horsemen. I was privileged to explore this magnificent protected area for three weeks, and my article in Leisure Wheels is just a small introduction to this vast mountain range.

Getaway Magazine – January 2013 – SA National Parks and Nature Reserves

I wrote the article on the readers' favourite national parks and nature reserves for the January 2013 issue of Getaway. Some great destinations in the list, including Kgalagadi, Richtersveld, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, Addo Elephant, Tankwa Karoo and Garden Route National Parks.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – December 2012 – iSimangaliso Wetland Park

iSimangaliso Wetland Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal on the sub-tropical coast is one of my favourites. My article in Leisure Wheels Magazine's December 2012 gives a broad overview of this enormously diverse reserve that must be visited by everyone at least once!

Getaway Magazine – December 2012 – Kogelberg Nature Reserve

One of the most botanically-diverse areas of the world, Kogelberg Nature Reserve an hour's drive east of Cape Town rivals the tropical rain forests for number of plant species per hectare. It's also stunningly beautiful, and has some of the best eco-accommodation in the country. One of my favourite places in southern Africa.

Cape Times Newspaper – November 2012 – Addo Elephant National Park

A short column for the Cape Times, this time on Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where the beautiful private Gorah Elephant Camp is located.

Getaway Magazine – November 2012 – Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

My heart was captured by Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal. It's one of the three oldest game reserves in Africa, and although it's situated in a densely-populated rural area, it still retains a very wild spirit. My nine-page feature in Getaway tries to capture the essence of this very special and beautiful protected area.

Getaway Magazine – November 2012 – Partners of Year in the Wild

A four page article describing some of the partners that have helped me make Year in the Wild possible, including Total, Ford, Goodyear, Evosat, Frontrunner, Garmin, EeziAwn, National Luna Fridges, Conqueror Trailers, K-Way, Cape Union Mart, Lacie, Vodacom and Safari Centre in Cape Town.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – November 2012 – Mkhambathi Nature Reserve

My four-page article for Leisure Wheels Magazine, on the small but special Mkhambathi Nature Reserve on the Pondoland Wild Coast.

Getaway Magazine – October 2012 – Garden Route National Park

The Garden Route National Park is an amalgamation of three former national parks, the Knysna National Lake Area, and Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks. One article doesn't do it justice, but I try in this nine-page feature article for Getaway Magazine.

Cape Times Newspaper – October 2012 – Kogelberg Nature Reserve

My column in the Cape Times on Kogelberg Nature Reserve in the Western Cape profiles the enormously diverse flora that exists here, rivalling the rainforests for diversity of species per hectare. The reserve also boasts some of the best accommodation I have seen on my journey to the country's protected areas. Check out CapeNature's site.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – October 2012 – Kruger National Park

A four page feature article that I wrote and photographed for Leisure Wheels Magazine, on the northern section of Kruger National Park. For me, the north of Kruger is more interesting than the south, and certainly it feels wilder.

Getaway Magazine – September 2012 – iSimangaliso Wetland Park

A nine-page page feature article which I wrote and photographerd for Getaway Magazine, on iSimangaliso Wetland Park, one of my favourite reserves in the country, mostly because it's so incredibly diverse.

Wild Magazine – September 2012 – Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

One of the three oldest game reserves in Africa, declared in 1897, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in central Zululand in KwaZulu-Natal is one of the wildest places I've been to, even though it's relatively small and situated in a highly-populated rural area. My article for the Spring 2012 edition of Wild Magazine attempted to portray the effect that African wilderness can have on people.

Cape Times Newspaper – September 2012 – Great Fish Nature Reserve

My time with rangers Buyisile Mkulungu and Siyanda Mgidlana in Great Fish Nature Reserve was one of the highlights of Year in the Wild. Every morning and afternoon, they track black rhino in the remote, dense spekboom thickets of the central Eastern Cape. My column in the Cape Times endeavours to capture the essence of their work.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – September 2012 – Tembe Elephant Park

A four page feature article that I wrote for Leisure Wheels Magazine on the wild Tembe Elephant Park, in northern KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa.

Getaway Magazine – August 2012 – Mkhambathi Nature Reserve

Few people know about the small Mkhambathi Nature Reserve on the Pondoland coast in the Eastern Cape. But it is one of the most beguilingly beautiful in our country, and I can't wait to go back. My nine-page feature article in Getaway on Mkhambathi was published in the August 2012 issue.

Africa Geographic – August 2012 – Article on botanist and author Meg Coates Palgrave

I had the privilege of interviewing botanist and author Meg Coates Palgrave, an indefatigable botanist who is the editor of Trees of Southern Africa, the definitive "bible" of trees in the region. Meeting Meg is like paging through the book - both are truly impressive in their scope of information and knowledge (the book contains about 1 600 species), but she's quick to point out that much of her botanical training came from her late brother-in-law Keith, who in fact was the initiator and editor of the first few editions, before Meg assumed the role. There are not many people who can identify any southern African tree - and its scientific name, ecological role and cultural significance - as easily as we can read the morning newspaper. Meg is one of them.

Cape Times Newspaper – August 2012 – Kruger National Park (Pafuri)

The floodplains of the Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers in northern Kruger make this region one of the best for birders. The fever tree forests are also perfect backdrops to herds of elephant and buffalo. My column in the Cape Times newspaper on Pafuri was published in August 2012. There are only a few places to stay in Pafuri, but the best is Wilderness Safaris' Pafuri Camp.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – August 2012 – Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site

My article for Leisure Wheels in August 2012 was on the Baviaanskloof, an Eastern Cape park that is one of the most diverse places on earth, and a real adventure for 4x4ers and nature lovers.

Getaway Magazine – July 2012 – De Hoop Nature Reserve

The under-rated De Hoop Nature Reserve on the southern Cape coast is one of the most beautiful wild places - and one of the most naturally-diverse - in South Africa. I wrote and photographed a nine-page feature article for Getaway Magazine in their July 2012 issue.

Cape Times Newspaper – July 2012 – Tembe Elephant Park

My monthly column in July for the Cape Times was on Tembe Elephant Park, the home of the largest tuskers in South Africa, and some of the biggest in Africa. One of my favourite wild places in the country, and one that must be visited by wildlife connoisseurs. (1.4MB)

Leisure Wheels Magazine – July 2012 – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

A nine-page feature article in Getaway Magzine on the incomparable Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, published in July 2012

SAFM Radio – June 2012 – Interview with Sisanda Jonas

I was interviewed on SAFM Radio, the national radio station, by Sisanda Jonas, who asked me various questions about Year in the Wild, and the parks and reserves of SA. About ten minutes long.

Cape Times Newspaper – June 2012 – iSimangaliso Wetland Park

No other protected area in South Africa conserves more species of animals than iSimangaliso Wetland Park on the north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal coast. A place of superlatives...it was the subject of my article in this Cape Times column which I wrote.

Getaway Magazine – June 2012 – Karoo National Park

The glorious Karoo National Park, featured in a nine-page article that I wrote and photographed for Getaway Magazine's June 2012 issue.

Vodacom Facebook Page – May 2012 – Kruger National Park

My most rewarding photography so far on my Year in the Wild has been in Kruger National Park, the most famous of SA's nature reserves. I was lucky to get some great photos of a young leopard. Vodacom posted my photos to their Facebook page, spreading the message of conservation and biodiversity in our country...thanks Vodacom for your help!

Leisure Wheels Magazine – May 2012 – Namaqua National Park

A three-page feature article in Leisure Wheels Magazine on Namaqua National Park.

Vodacom Facebook Page – May 2012 – Tembe Elephant Park

My loyal sponsor Vodacom posted my photos and blogs from Tembe Elephant Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal, where some of the biggest elephants in Africa thrive. It's a relatively unknown place, but one that must be visited by nature lovers. You won't be disappointed...especially if you see iSilo, the elephant with the biggest tusks in southern Africa.

Getaway Magazine – May 2012 – Agulhas National Park

A nine-page feature article on Agulhas National Park, published in the May 2012 issue of Getaway Magazine. (1.76MB)

Cape Times Newspaper – April 2012 – Mkhambathi Nature Reserve

The relatively small but immensely beautiful Mkhambathi Nature Reserve on the Wild Coast in Pondoland of the Eastern Cape was the subject of this column of mine for the Cape Times newspaper.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – April 2012 – Cover article – |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

My fourth Year in the Wild article for Leisure Wheels Magazine, with a great cover photograph, on the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld National Park, another of my favourite wild places in South Africa. Published in the April 2012 issue.

Getaway Magazine – April 2012 – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

My sixth feature for Getaway Magazine's April 2012 edition, a cover article written and photographed, on the huge Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park which straddles both South Africa and Botswana. (2.1MB size).

Vodacom Facebook Page – April 2012 – Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve

My sponsor Vodacom posted my photos from the epic Imfolozi Wilderness Trail, and the feedback from their fans was equally epic. Everyone should do the trail at least once in their lives...it will change your life, I promise. We saw the Big 5 on foot, and every night at our campsite we had lions roaring, and leopards calling...it's one of the highlights of my year.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – March 2012 – Tankwa Karoo National Park

My third Year in the Wild article for Leisure Wheels Magazine, published in the March 2012 issue, on the awesome Tankwa Karoo National Park, one of my favourite wild places in South Africa.

Getaway Magazine – March 2012 – Cederberg Wilderness Area

My fifth Year in the Wild feature article for Getaway Magazine, on the Cederberg Wilderness Area, nine pages in length. (1.8MB size).

Cape Times Newspaper – March 2012 – Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site

My column for the Cape Times in March 2012 was on the rugged and remote Baviaanskloof mountains, an Eastern Cape park that is one of the most biodiverse places on earth.

Wild Magazine – March 2012 – Richtersveld National Park quiver tree article and Cedar tree photo

As part of a feature on African trees, Wild Magazine published a little article of mine (on the Richtersveld's iconic Quiver Trees) as well as one of my photos of the mysterious and endangered Cedar trees in the Cederberg Wilderness Area.

Vodacom Facebook Page – March 2012 – uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park

Vodacom's Facebook page has more than 140 000 fans, and my blogs and photos from Ukhahlamba Drakensberg were posted to their Facebook page.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – February 2012 – Cederberg Wilderness Area and Table Mountain National Park

My second Year in the Wild article for Leisure Wheels Magazine, published in the February 2012 issue, on the Cederberg Wilderness Area, and Table Mountain National Park.

Cape Times Newspaper – February 2012 – Garden Route National Park

My seventh column for the Cape Times newspaper, published in February 2012, on the Garden Route National Park. Read the online version of this article on the Cape Times/IOL website.

Vodacom Facebook Page – February 2012 – Mkhambathi Nature Reserve

My blogs and photos of the incredible Mkhambathi Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape were posted by Vodacom to their fans on their Facebook page.

Getaway Magazine – February 2012 – Namaqua National Park

A feature article that I photographed and wrote on Namaqua National Park, published in the February 2012 issue of Getaway.

Vodacom Facebook Page – February 2012 – Mountain Zebra National Park

My sponsor Vodacom posted my photos and blogs on Mountain Zebra National Park to their fans on their Facebook page.

People Magazine – January 2012 – Feature article on Year in the Wild

A feature article published in People Magazine, on Year in the Wild. Read the online version of this article on People Magazine's website.

Cape Times Newspaper – January 2012 – Garden Route National Park – Otter Trail

My sixth column for the Cape Times Newspaper, published in January 2012, on the beautiful Otter Trail in the Tsitsikamma section of the Garden Route National Park.

Tourism Tattler – Jan 2012 – Photo spread

The South African magazine Tourism Tattler published a selection of my photos so far from my Year in the Wild, in their January 2012 issue.

Vodacom Facebook Page – January 2012 – Garden Route National Park

Vodacom posted my photos and blogs of Garden Route National Park to their huge following on Facebook.

Leisure Wheels Magazine – January 2012 – Feature Article on Year in the Wild

A feature article on Year in the Wild, eight pages long, published in Leisure Wheels 4x4 Magazine in January 2012.(1.6MB size)

Getaway Magazine – January 2012 – Augrabies Falls National Park

My third feature article (four-pages long) for Getaway Magazine, published in January 2012, on Augrabies Falls National Park. (0.7MB size).

Vodacom Facebook Page – December 2011 – Garden Route National Park

Vodacom posted my photos and blogs on the Garden Route National Park to their Facebook page in December 2011.

Getaway Magazine – December 2011 – Tankwa Karoo National Park

My second feature article for Getaway Magazine, five pages in length, published in December 2011 on Tankwa Karoo National Park. (1.3 MB size). Also, check out my 2007 article on Tankwa Karoo NP, which was also published in Getaway Magazine.

Cape Times Newspaper Column – December 2011 – Gamkaberg Nature Reserve

My fourth column for the Cape Times, published in December 2011, on the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve. (1MB size). Read the online version of the article on the Cape Times/IOL website.

Vodacom Facebook Page – November 2011 – Garden Route National Park

Vodacom posted my photos of Garden Route National Park to their Facebook page in November 2011.

Vodacom Facebook Page – November 2011 – Otter Trail Post

My sponsor Vodacom posted my photos and blog on the beautiful Otter Trail on their Facebook page in November 2011.

Cape Times Newspaper – November 2011 – De Hoop Nature Reserve

My fifth column for the Cape Times, on CapeNature's De Hoop Nature Reserve, published in November 2011. (1MB size). Also check out the online version on the Cape Times/IOL website.

Media Club South Africa – November 2011 – Online article on Year in the Wild

An article on Year in the Wild by Ray Maota from Media Club South Africa, the press office of Brand South Africa. Read the article here.

Getaway Magazine – November 2011 – Table Mountain National Park

My first Year in the Wild article for Getaway Magazine, eight-pages in length, on the beautiful Table Mountain National Park. (1.8MB size). Also check out the online version of this article on Getaway's website.

I have written several articles over the years on Table Mountain National Park for Getaway, check out the online versions of two of them: Table Mountain Trail and Table Mountain on Foot.

Tourism Tattler – November 2011 – Cover Feature Article

A cover feature on my Year in the Wild journey, published in the trade journal Tourism Tattler. A great cover shot of the Wolfberg Arch in the Cederberg Wilderness Area, as well as an article inside the magazine. (1MB size).

News24.com – October 2011 – Feature article on Year in the Wild

South Africa's biggest news website published a feature article on Year in the Wild, written by Nadia Krige, in October 2011. Read the article online.

Cape Times Newspaper Column – October 2011 – Tankwa Karoo National Park

My third column for the Cape Times, published in October 2011, on the Tankwa Karoo National Park. (1MB size). Also check out the online version on the Cape Times/IOL website.

Getaway Magazine – September 2011 – Cederberg Wilderness Area

My photograph of the magnificent Wolfberg Arch in the Cederberg was published as the opening double-paged spread in Getaway Magazine's "Ultimate Getaways", a selection of photographs of Africa's best escapes. (0.4MB size).

Cape Times Newspaper Column – September 2011 – Cederberg Wilderness Area

My second column for Cape Times, on the CapeNature Cederberg Wilderness Area, published in September 2011. (1MB size).

Africa Geographic Magazine – August 2011 – Mapungubwe National Park

In 2011, during my research for Year in the Wild, Africa Geographic commissioned me to photograph and write a seven-page feature article on Mapungubwe National Park. (1MB size).

Cape Times Newspaper Column – July 2011 – West Coast National Park

My first column for the Cape Times, on the West Coast National Park, published in July 2011. (1MB size) Also check out the online version on the Cape Times/IOL website.

Wild Magazine – Autumn 2011 – Article on Dr Dave Cooper of KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife

During my initial research for my Year in the Wild project, I was commissioned by Wild Magazine to photograph and write about wildlife veterinarian Dr Dave Cooper's work in the reserves of Umfolozi and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. I spent a week with Dr Cooper during one of the worst rhino poaching episodes in recent years. We came across four dead rhino, each one killed for their horns. For each one, Dr Cooper had to conduct a post-mortem. But it wasn't all gloom. Dr Cooper and his team also darted and tackled a wounded giraffe which had a snare around its leg. The snare was removed and the animal lived.

Wild Magazine – Spring 2010 – Botanists working in Richtersveld and Kruger National Parks

During my initial research for Year in the Wild, I was commissioned by Wild Magazine to photograph and write about two botanists doing excellent work on trees in both the Richtersveld and Kruger National Parks. Elsabe Swart has been studying and documenting the mysterious Quiver Trees (or Kokerbome) in the desert mountains of the Richtersveld, while Michelle van der Bank is one of South Africa's leading tree expert, and has conducted ground-breaking genetic testing of trees in the Kruger National Park. I was fortunate to spend several days with both Elsabe and Michelle.