Free Me Wildlife rehabilitation centre continued...

Most of you have had a chance to check out the first part of my visit to the Free Me KZN Wildlife Centre in Howick. We discussed the concept of rehabilitation and I know some of you also paid some attention to how a place like this can survive without funding coming from generous people. We'll continue to give all of this some more thought...

For now here are some of the others:

Free Me - KZN wildlife rehabilitation centre

I was really lucky to visit this wildife rehabilitation centre called 'Free Me' which is about 25 minutes from my house in town called Howick. They care for all wild animals that have been injured, harmed or seperated from their parents in the hopes that they can be released back into the wild.

It is a 5 part 'series' and I'll add them one at a time...



TASK D:
We have all remember stories about 'how the leopard got it's spots" or "how the lion became the king of animal kingdom". Do you know what these types of stories are called?

-See if you can find your favourite animal fable about animals in Africa. (Remember we don't get tigers here!)
-See if you can think of 3 fable titles you think would make a good story.
-Once you have done this select the one you would most like to write about.
*Remember to consider how your story will start and end. Do fables always seem to start and end in a similar way?

CHRISTINE'S SOUTH AFRICA CHALLENGE

A challenge.: go to rorkesdriftvc.com and find details of my relative who was awarded the Victoria Cross in the famous battle with the Zulus.

A clue - he was awarded the VC under a false name - he enlisted under the name of John Williams so that his mother did not know he was in the army - but his real name was John Fielding - he even has a pub named after him in the Welsh town of Cwmbran which is where my father was born. My Great Grandmother was known by my Father as Granny Fielding - she was the sister in law of John Fielding .

If you have seen the film there is no truth in the myth that they all sang Welsh songs ,such as Men of Harlech , to repel the Zulus [ but I and Rick can sing it - we will record it for your blog - just a joke !!! ]

- Christine

Journey of contrast: Durban Airport to Pietermaritzburg

We have been looking at different things we didn't expect to see in South Africa. Hopefully we are starting to realise that what we expect to find is not always what we will actually find in reality.

We dropped my brother at the airport the other day and I filmed part of the journey from Durban to Pietermaritzburg as it really illustrates the great contrasts you find in South Africa. Look out for the rural school.

Watch the youtube clip and let me know what you think...




TASK C:

The youtube clip had a short piece on a rural school that you can see from the road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Write about what you think it would be like to attend school here. It may help to think of the different aspects of your school life and imagine what might be similar or different if you attended this South African school.

You could present your thoughts in one of the following ways:
-A diary entry of a day in the life of a student (written in the first person)
-A descriptive writing piece
- You may wish to pretend you were sent on a school exchange with a student from this school who would then attend Red Balloon for a week
-A comparitive paragraph where you highlight the similarities or differences you think you would encounter

Mall time in South Africa

Jamie asked if I would film some of the shops or the mall in Pietermaritzburg. I looked a little mad talking to myself and trying not to walk into people, but it should give you an idea of where I did my Christmas shopping this year. Have a look at the youtube clip and let me know what you think.




TASK B
See if you can write down 10 things you observed or learnt in this youtube clip on the mall.

Use these points to help you:
-Did you expect it to look like this?
-What was similar to England and what do you think was different? Make sure you give reasons
for your answers.

PS. I am looking forward to the snowman clip you are producing!

South African ski resort

South African ski resorts

In South Africa there isn’t a variety of ski resorts to choose from. There are a few slopes in the Drakensberg Mountains in the east of south Africa, where you can go to one ski resort called Tiffindell.

Tiffindell is the only ski resort in south Africa, with a a 1km long slope with a snow machine that guarantees snow over 100 days. Located in the Drakensberg Mountains, you can visit the highest pub in south Africa, at about 2720m above sea level.

About 300 skiers and snowboarders use the slopes at Tiffendell every day, with accommodation for 116 people. Off-slope hotels and hostels are available in the New England and Rhodes areas of South Africa.

A compulsory beginners course is required for first-timers. This takes place on a 60m long flat course with instructors to help you learn quickly and easily. Equipment is available for hire on-site

After a long days skiing you can put your feet up at one of the bars, sit around a fire, or watch one of the torch-lit ski demonstrations available or relax with a massage from the resident masseuse.

There are other daytime activities available if skiing is not what your after, such as walks to local frozen waterfalls and landmarks, snowman building or even just a simple snowball fight.

- Ruairi

Penguins

The south african peguin came up in lee's picture quiz I was not completely sure if africa had penguins but I got it right. The african penguins or the spheniscus demersus are the only penguin to breed in africa and are not found any were else in the world. Now for the facts the african penguin is 68cm in length and between 2.1 and 3.7kg in weight. The penguins breeding area is from Hollomsbird island, off central Namibia, to bird island in algoa bay. There are 6 breeding islands in algoa bay.

The peguins rate of decline is 2% there is probably

half the ammount of penguins than there was in the 1900. The main reason for there decline is the use of the eggs as food, the disturbance of there nest.

- Derek