The Great Greys

Author Gareth Crocker on African adventure stories and the mystique of elephants…

The froth of Gareth Crocker’s cappuccino has barely settled and already the former community newspaper editor has gone straight for the truth without flinching. “Ironically, I cannot stand African adventures stories,” he confesses. “They bore me. I think ten pages describing a tree is too much.”

It’s ironic, because Journey from Darkness is about as great an African adventure as there is: two brothers searching for their roots in Africa and embarking on an epic quest with the ‘Great Grey’ Shawu, a rare desert elephant trekking an ancient ancestral path to Bechuanaland, with the threat of poachers ever in her shadow.

Gareth’s frankness about the genre doesn’t at all detract from his love of the bush, but instead stems from his belief that the “story is king”. He was determined to take a different approach and, at the back of the book, he shares the ten things he’s learned about writing saying, ‘There are too many stories out there that, while written well, should never have been written in the first place.’

Interestingly, the central plot of the book is actually Gareth’s father’s creation. Llewellyn Crocker co-authored the book and Gareth credits much of Journey from Darkness to his father’s “remarkable imagination”. When they were writing the book a few years ago, Llewellyn was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. Today he’s in remission, but at one stage Gareth says he remembers his father telling him that he could quite happily follow in the character Derek’s footsteps.

“Male elephants are known to roam huge distances, and my dad said he’d love to walk behind one of them until he runs out of juice and just settles under a tree to die. It sounds a bit macabre, but I get it. He’s always had this idea in his head of journeying behind elephants, and that’s really where the story came from.”

Beyond an emotional connection to Shawu’s loss and a more vivid picture of poaching than newspaper statistics could ever hope to mimic, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why Journey from Darkness truly is like no other African adventure story you’ve ever read. A good way to start would be to take away the setting of the border between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana and strip the story down to a few core themes like war, poaching, man’s depletion of natural resources and the duality of light and dark within us all. That leaves the magic and mystique behind Shawu and Derek’s quest into the great unknown, which provide for a large part of the book’s charm.

Derek risking death by dehydration and starvation to follow Shawu and see her safely over the border is as crazy as it is incredible. It’s a leap of faith, or “grand gesture”, as Gareth calls it, which the reader quite happily lives through vicariously.

“I suppose I am a ridiculous romantic at heart, but I love grand gestures,” he says. “I love the fact that Derek believes in Shawu’s intuition and believes that she will understand that he’s willing to help her.”

If the late, great Lawrence Anthony’s The Elephant Whisperer was ever converted into a work of fiction, the result would surely be Journey from Darkness. Both works deal with fascinating facts about elephants like their mourning, their ways of communicating with man and one another and their willingness to help other animals in distress, and both pay tribute to the majestic ‘Great Greys’ of the bush that have so much to teach us, if we’re only willing to open our minds and listen.

*First published on www.countrylife.co.za

*Journey from Darkness is published by Penguin Books. Visit www.penguinbooks.co.za for more information.

From Aardvark to Zuma

Illustrator Alex Latimer’s latest South African alphabet book does not disappoint. I chatted to him about the creative process behind it all…

  

You’ve illustrated and written The South African Alphabet, and now your latest creation is From Aardvark to Zuma is a concise, pocket-sized version –how are the two books different?

My original idea was to create From Aardvark to Zuma - sort of an illustrated, humorous encyclopedia of all things iconically South African. Penguin liked the idea, but suggested I do an alphabet book version for children too. The humour and the scope of detail I originally intended is missing from The South African Alphabet - but there's a certain charm in being able to teach kids the alphabet using local animals and plants and people rather than imported ones. I think the two books complement each other nicely.

You say on your website that with The South African Alphabet each illustration in the book had to start with the same letter in both languages – did you have the same problem with this book?

From Aardvark to Zuma hasn't been translated into Afrikaans, so I was spared having to deal with that problem. What I managed to do in The South African Alphabet was close to impossible, so doing the same for From Aardvark to Zuma, with many more elements involved, would certainly be have been impossible.

Is this book for adults or children or both?

I originally aimed this book at adults simply because there's a lot of humour in it that I think kids would miss. But I've seen kids read and enjoy it, so I'd have to say both.

Were there any illustrations in particular that you struggled with?

As you can see from the drawings, I had this idea that all the animals would have their eyes right on the edge of the outlines. This worked fine for most animals, except for birds. I struggled to figure out how to solve this, but I'm quite happy with the solution - which was to follow Picasso's lead and mix 2D and 3D so that both eyes are on one side of the head. (It sounds weird, but I think it works.)

Were you ever stuck for ideas that epitomised each letter?

As you'll see, the beginning of the alphabet has loads of elements - B in particular with Boerewors, Braai, Bakkie, Biltong, Bles Bridges etc... But as I got closer to the end of the alphabet there were letters that I really battled with. X,Y and Z were particularly difficult.

Your book is tinged with a lovely mix of nostalgia and pride. Evoking a proudly South African feel through these pages almost makes the actual alphabet seem like a vehicle with which to convey what South Africa and South Africans are all about.

 I think you're absolutely right. The alphabet is really just a way to arrange these South African elements - it's a vehicle that allowed me to make a book about and for South Africans and South Africa. 

Can you tell me a bit about your creative process? Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you work from photos? What mediums do you use and how has your style changed over the years?

I did often use photographs as reference - not to copy, but just to remind me what Desmond Tutu wears or how the stripes of a quagga are arranged. I drew all these animals and plants and people in pencil and then scanned and coloured them on my computer. My style hasn't changed that much over the years - I've found a style that I like and I've refined it.

You’re obviously very proudly South African. Please share some of your favourites with us:

·         Favourite holiday spot? Anywhere far from a city on the Eastern Cape coast.

·         Favourite type of holiday – bush or sea? Sea.

·         Favourite indigenous plant/flower? Anything that doesn't die in my garden. September bushes are at the top of my list right now.

·         Favourite animal? I like aardwolfs - crazy-looking hyena-like insectivores.

·         Favourite local dish? I love a really good bobotie - though they're very hard to find.

·         Favourite weekend pastime? Braaiing with friends, swimming in the sea, hiking up mountains.

*First published on www.countrylife.co.za.

*Alex Latimer’s From Aardvark to Zuma is published by Penguin Books. For more information, visit www.penguinbooks.co.za.

Where to eat, stay and play in Clarens

Valley Cats A lazy breakfast under the trees at Valley Cats is an experience n ot to be missed. While you’re waiting for your hearty cooked breakfast to arrive, there are beautiful mountain views to admire and great people-watching to be found in the vicinity of the town square. 083 507 0195

The Highlander Besides a cosy fireplace and a bustling bar section showing the latest rugby match, the Highlander is legendary for its pizzas (try  The Highlander pizza) and its moreish duck and cherry pie. 058 256 1912

The Clarens Brewery Head to the brewery for a taste of their finest hand crafted beers.  There’s also a delicious cherry flavoured cider on offer, for those with a sweet tooth. 082 901 4700, www.clarensbrewery.co.za

Outrageous Adventures After all that eating, you’ll be looking for a way to burn some calories and what better than a day of rafting on the cool Ash River? Rain or shine, I never leave Clarens without paying tribute to the Ash River, even if it is by way of an unladylike exit from a river raft! Outrageous Adventures have a great team available to take visitors on a half or full day of rafting. Don’t let the cold be a deterrant, they have windbreakers and wetsuits available, and a chocolate and colddrink pit stop after some of the more hair-raising rapids with equally hair-raising nicknames like ‘the washing machine’. Contact Kallie 083 485 9654, kallie@outrageousadventures.co.za

Clarens Xtreme Clarens is associated with good food and an abundance of art galleries, but it’s also an adrenalin junkie’s dream. Clarens Xtreme arranges activities as mild as archery and as extreme as quad biking, abseiling, zip lining and mountain biking. 082 563 6242,
www.clarensxtreme.co.za

Accommodation There is no shortage of accommodation options in Clarens. See our Classifieds on page 127 for some ideas.  The team at Mountain Odyssey is always ready with pages of accommodation options to suit your requirements (free of commission). I’ve spent a wonderful birthday long weekend enjoying the cosy ceramic fireplace and views of Mount Horeb from the beautiful Drumrock Chalet 7 on the outskirts of town, but every time I visit Clarens I try to stay in a new place. 058 256 1173, www.infoclarens.com

Contacts There are many Clarens websites, so it’s best to surf them all and see what strikes your fancy:

www.clarens.co.za, www.clarenstourism.co.za,
www.infoclarens.com, www.clarensfreestate.co.za

*Article first published in the October 2012 issue of SA Country Life magazine.

Long, lazy Sunday lunches in the Cradle (Part 2)

The Other Side Restaurant, Lanseria (087 630 0742)

There is no such thing as a quick Sunday lunch at The Other Side Restaurant on Monaghan Farm. For starters, the view of this sustainable living estate's rolling hills is mesmerising (who would have thought, just 20 minutes outside Joburg).  Then there's the charming adherence to old traditions to contend with – that of hearty Sunday lunches made to enjoy at leisure.

The Other Side Restaurant takes the concept of slow food quite literally.  Three courses come out almost exactly on the hour, which means that if you want to truly enjoy their Sunday buffet, you're committed to a three-hour lunch.

It's more than worth it, however.  A rich spinach and chickpea soup kicks off the feast and thereafter it's a gentle wait and one long, cool and crisp Pimms and lemonade before the generous wooden buffet table is swiftly covered in steaming bowls of all shapes and sizes.

At R205 per adult (R90 per child eating the buffet, or R70 for a pizza or pasta, and dessert), the buffet is a bit of an indulgence, but money well spent nonetheless. Pork chops with apple and sage sit alongside hot pots of hunter's chicken stew.  To complement this is an array of side orders, from sticky garlic potatoes and Borliotti bean fritters to spiced lentils with cucumber yogurt. Now you start to understand why there's a break between courses.

Lunch might have been a tough act to follow, but the orange and ginger tart with fresh cream and poached pears in red wine didn't let us down. A fact strengthened by the kids choosing these sweet temptations over the pony rides and jungle gyms that had them captivated.

*Article first published in the September 2012 issue of SA Country Life magazine.

Long, lazy Sunday lunches in the Cradle (Part 1)

Leafy Greens Café, Muldersdrift (082 882 7300)

If any restaurant can dispell the idea of raw, vegan food being dull and dry it's Leafy Greens Café in the Cradle of Humankind. The weekend lunch buffets are not only educational (you'll eat foods at Leafy Greens Café that you've never heard of), they're also as pretty as they are delicious.

Even if you're not sure what you're looking at, the best approach is to grab a plate (it's R50 for a small plate or R95 for a big plate) and start choosing whatever dishes most strike your fancy.

You'll find colours for all seasons laid out in front of you.  Warm, winter rusty hues present themselves in the form of dehydrated onion bread and dried 'biltong' mushrooms, while fresh green salads, a big bowl of guacamole and a platter of perfectly rolled vegetable spring rolls add a splash of summer
to the vibrant spread.

Moving on to the 'main course' section of the buffet, we were greeted with a surprisingly moreish buckwheat vegan pizza as well as an entire hot tray of dishes dedicated to ward off the cold on a particularly gloomy winter's day. The artichoke soup and golden brown croutons was something unique, but the winning dishes of the day were without doubt the crumbed spinach croquettes, spicy chickpea curry, rice musaka, baked cauliflower in coconut cream and comforting tomato pasta.

 

It's not often that you walk away from a restaurant feeling significantly healthier than when you first walked in, but that is certainly the case at Leafy Greens. Their menu is entirely constructed around what is seasonal and thriving in the organic veggie garden on the premises, and the passion their very knowledgeable staff members have for healthy eating is quite contagious.

*Article first published in the September 2012 issue of SA Country Life magazine.