Wine Collecting and Tasting
I have been collecting and tasting wine for 40 years.
Formalising my knowledge over the last 4-5 years has been particularly enriching. Learning about how to grow the vines, making the wine and then tasting them both sighted and blind has (and continues) to be a massive challenge. This includes wines from all over the world including South African wines which have improved so much over the last decade.
My friends know that they always have to bring a bottle back from wherever they have been if they travel abroad!
Nature and Camping
From an early age I have collected insects, butterflies, moths, frogs, orchids, ferns, aloes, as well as gone out bird watching and animal watching. At school I went on numerous expeditions collecting various fauna and flora for museums in Zimbabwe. So studying Zoology at University (UCT) was a natural consequence. Living at the coast has afforded me many opportunities to indulge in nature – to dive for crayfish and to share all this with my daughters as they grew up.
There’s also something special about camping and communicating with one’s family and with nature. I continue to go up the West Coast watching birds and looking at everything around me. Kruger and the Pilansberg Nature Reserve have been wonderful experiences and 4x4ing gives one the freedom to explore.
