Explore the Drakensberg mountains with PathFinders_SA!

The purpose of PathFinders_SA is to provide more people with the opportunity to experience the majesty of the mountains and all they have to teach us. They achieve this through offering guided adventures in the Drakensberg, South Africa: their guides are qualified and registered with CATHSETTA. PathFinders_SA offer both calendar hikes (pre-planned adventures that any individual or small group may join) as well as customised group trips. We are able to guide anywhere in the Drakensberg, and are not limited to a few commercial routes. However, here are some of their community favourites:

Mnweni Circuit
Duration: 3 days
Distance: 30km, 1500m elevation gain
Level: intermediate
Cost: R2000pp including permits, guide and tents

Mnweni Circuit

Mafadi
Duration: 3-4 days
Distance: 52km, 1800m elevation gain
Level: intermediate to advanced
Highlights: Highest peak in South Africa
Cost: R2500pp including permits, guide and tents

Pillar Cave
Duration: 2 days
Distance: 5km
Level: beginner. Suitable for children
Cost: R1200pp including permits, guide and dinner and breakfast on the mountain

Pillar Cave

Rhino Peak
Duration: 1 or 2 days
Distance: 21km
Level: intermediate (2days), advanced (1day)
Cost: R1000pp including permits and guide

Rhino Peak

Didima Circuit
Duration: 3 days
Distance: 35km
Level: intermediate to advanced
Highlights: Tseketseke Hut and Roland’s Cave
Cost: R2200pp including permits, guide and tents

Roland’s Cave

Amphitheatre Adventure
Duration: 1 or 2 days
Distance: 12km
Level: beginner to intermediate
Cost: R2500pp including permits, shuttle to the start and guide

Amphitheatre

For more information or to book your next adventure, connect with us:

Website: www.pathfinderssa.com
Instagram: @pathfinders_sa
Call: 071 411 0768
Email: pathfinderssa@gmail.com

Less than a month to go until Monster Jam® races back to South Africa.

American-based Feld Motor Sports, Inc, a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, and leading local promoter, Showtime Management, together with partners McDonald’s South Africa (SA) and SuperSport together with regional radio media partners KFM 94.5, 947 and East Coast Radio are pleased to announce the full Monster Jam truck and driver line-up.

Monster Jam starts in Cape Town at the DHL Stadium on Saturday, 22 April followed by FNB Stadium Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 April and ending at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 06 May for one exciting event only at 6pm in each city. In addition, Monster Jam also features breath-taking Freestyle Motocross (FMX) exhibitions. This is unbeatable full-throttle fun for the entire family. The popularity of Monster Jam in South Africa has resulted in Pit Party tickets being sold out across all three cities in record time! Event tickets are still on sale exclusively from www.showtime.co.za or www.ticketmaster.co.za the official Monster Jam SA ticketing agent. But hurry, get into gear, seats are selling fast!

The line-up of eight Monster Jam trucks features multiple fan favourites such as the legendary Grave Digger®; Max-DTM, the futuristic SUV celebrating 20 years of Monster Jam action; mighty Megalodon®; the raging bull, El Toro Loco®; Monster Mutt® Dalmatian remembered for its massive floppy ears; the ever-popular Zombie™; regular Monster Jam World Finals competitor®, Blue Thunder®; and making its South Africa debut, Earth Shaker®. The design of the Earth Shaker truck pays homage to the trucks, machines, and construction crews that build Monster Jam tracks all over the world. Even the driver’s fire suit was created with a construction crew theme.

The all-star international drivers competing in SA are 2019 Monster Jam World Finals Speedster Champion Matt Cody (Grave Digger); Blake Granger(Max-D), the 2019 Monster Jam World Finals ATV Racing Champion; off-road short course champion and rising star Monster Jam star, Brandon Arthur (El Toro Loco); Myranda Cozad (Monster Mutt Dalmatian), Chelsea VanCleave (Zombie), successfully transitioning from racing dragsters to racing Monster Jam trucks; Tony Ochs (Earth Shaker) winner of the 2019 Arena Freestyle of the Year trophy; and Camden Murphy (Blue Thunder) winner of the 2022 Monster Jam Fan Favorite Driver of the Year. Charlie Pauken, who previously drove Grave Digger at the 2019 Monster Jam SA tour, returns to South Africa behind the wheel of Megalodon. Charlie won the 2010 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle trophy driving Monster Mutt and has also won Monster Jam Stadium Series Championships in 2018 and 2020.

Monster Jam drivers are trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 4,500 kg machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 110 kilometers per hour to produce jaw-dropping, live motor sports action seen around the world. Now across all Monster Jam events, fans in every city will have the chance to vote for the winner in the two-wheel and freestyle competitions by real-time, in-stadium fan voting on their smartphones.

One of two female Monster Jam drivers competing in SA, Myranda Cozad loves being behind the steering wheel, be it an ATV, drag racing car or her Monster Mutt Dalmatian truck! Myranda started her career in 2016 and says her driving style “has become more and more aggressive. I love to get big air and keep the fans on the edge of their seats!” Fellow female Monster Jam driver is Chelsea VanCleave, currently competing in and seeing success during her rookie season with Monster Jam. Chelsea entered Monster Jam with plenty of motor racing experience and knowledge, both behind the wheel and under the hood. Chelsea graduated Monster Jam University where she honed her two-wheel skills and mastered hitting sky wheelies.

Tony Ochs, a 7-year veteran with Monster Jam, will make his South African debut later this month. He has been able to use knowledge from his time as a certified Apache helicopter technician and as the stunt motorcycle crew chief for Feld Entertainment’s Marvel Universe LIVE! to master driving these mechanical Monster Jam beasts. Ochs is looking forward to visiting South Africa and to showing his competition skills.

Standing four metres tall and four metres wide, the custom designed Monster Jam trucks are powered by super-charged engines delivering more than 1,500 horsepower. With tyres 1.7 metres tall, a Monster Jam truck can jump as far as 43 metres in length.

South African fans will witness heated rivalries, high-flying stunts and fierce head-to-head battles for the Event Championship. Engineered to perfection, Monster Jam trucks push all limits in Freestyle, Skills and Racing competitions.

It is not long now until Monster Jam is back in SA! Limited seats available. Avoid disappointment, book now only at www.showtime.co.za or www.ticketmaster.co.za. Ticketmaster is the only official Monster Jam SA ticketing agent. There are significant risks in buying from other sources and entry to a Monster Jam event is not guaranteed.

Please note the following important information. Children under 3 years are not permitted. Strictly no unaccompanied minors. Fans are encouraged to wear earplugs or earmuffs in order to let your family enjoy the fun while reducing the exposure to high levels of noise. Professional cameras are not permitted. See entry guidelines on the relevant stadium’s website.

For more information on Monster Jam log onto MonsterJam.com, follow Monster Jam on our social media channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. #MonsterJamSA. Subscribe to the Monster Jam YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/MonsterJam

Creating special memories, The Pavilion Shopping Centre’s Undercover Parking B (Entrance 5) will be transformed into a festive wonderland with the first ever Candy Cane Christmas Village from the 15th – 23rd December taking place each night from 17h00 – 22h00.

After a festive day at the office, enjoy some late-night Christmas shopping!   The Pav will be open later than usual so you can still get in that festive shopping for your loved ones! From December 16^th to 23^rd stores close at 10pm, and on December 24^th, 26^th & 31^st they will close at 7pm.

Don’t forget, whilst at the Centre, you can take a photo with Santa, and get your gifts wrapped by the volunteers from the St Martins Children’s Home. All proceeds will be used to support the home. When stopping off to get a bite at the food court area, pop by Dingo’s Wild Creatures, and experience an interactive and entertaining exhibition of amazing reptiles.  Fun for the whole family at just R60 from Dec 15^th to Jan 15^th.

With the season of “giving”, The Pav has given you more options for shopping and to #supportlocal with the Candy Cane Christmas Village showcasing all things festive.

Shoppers can experience an authentic Christmas market featuring local makers and artisans such as Fine Twine Leather Co for all your hand stitched leather gifting needs, The Brownie Bar for all things decadent and delicious, Flourish for unique and limited small batch polymer clay jewellery and accessories, Wild Fig Decor and gifting, the award-winning Delagoa Bay for the coolest piri piri in the world and the Christmas Co SA – your one stop Christmas shop plus much more.

In between visiting the local artisans, you still have time to take the “festive selfie or 2” at the festive light lane or hop onto the 360-photo booth to capture those festive memories with your loved ones!

There is something for everyone at the Candy Cane Christmas Village, a Santa’s Workshop for the little ones where they can participate with cookie decorating, face painting. Children under 5 enter for free and for the “not so little ones”, who want to enjoy the rooftop beer and food garden whilst listening to the sounds of Durban’s finest musicians, you pay a mere R60 per person entry fee either on www.webtickets.co.za , or from your nearest Pick n Pay. There will be limited tickets at the door subject to availability.

To find out more, visit The Pavilion on Facebook and Instagram to get all the details on your festive fun, for you and the whole family to enjoy!

Below is an easy to make gingerbread man recipe for the whole family to make just to add some extra Christmas cheer

GINGERBREAD MAN RECIPE

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup

1 egg

2  1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground clove

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Melt butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan, stirring until smooth, cool slightly.
2. Whisk egg and add to butter mixture
3. Sift flour, spices and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, add butter mixture and mix until combined to a soft dough
4. Flatten into a desk, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes
5. Pre-heat oven to 180deg and line baking trays with baking paper.
6. Roll the dough out to 1/2cm thickness on a floured surface. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters and place on baking trays.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Decorate and Enjoy!