The great art of braaing starts with three men standing around a fire, sipping beer and staring at the meat on the braai, turning it backwards and forwards. They never leave it alone. They are just drawn to it like moths to a flame. The braai is a man-magnet. And since “Defending the Caveman” there hasn’t been a better portrayal of men’s ri(gh)tes. This happened last weekend at Beaverlac, a wonderful campsite in the Cederberg.

 

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This account of a lion attack at the Tashinga National Park appeared in the Zimbabwe Daily Mirror

I reproduce it to highlight the dangers of camping in open camp sites in Africa, but also the heroism when a group of people pull together to save a life. The victim is a family friend and I cannot begin to imagine the horror everyone went through.

Turbo Charge - Lion Attack at Tashinga

It was mid morning on a Sunday when the TurboCharge fleet of sixteen boats arrived at the Tashinga National Park at the mouth of the Ume River. We were greeted by the sight of a magnificent bull elephant in the camp calmly feeding himself. Our first mooring spot was too exposed to potential weather so we moved around the corner into a bay where the sight of previously buried garbage floating on the bank was very off putting. The water had come up to such a high level that previous garbage pits were now under water. Within minutes a gang of Turbochargers were collecting the rubbish and storing it in dustbin bags. There was no sign of any other people. We relaxed and marvel led at the tranquillity of the place and of how wonderful the campsite must have been in its day. There were ablution blocks that were still working and were clean and there were various campsites within the area.

 

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