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Speaker 1: Well, you actually don't have to book any flights at all.

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Speaker 1: For today's edition of Wonder the World, I mentioned last

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Speaker 1: month that I had spent the night on top of

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Speaker 1: Table Mountain in the Overseers Cottage, and so many listeners

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Speaker 1: emailed me about it that evening, asking for details. How

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Speaker 1: did you book, how much did you pay, how did

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Speaker 1: you get there, how many people were you etc. You know,

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Speaker 1: I thought, perhaps it's best we do an on air

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Speaker 1: segment about how to access this opportunity, because it was

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Speaker 1: something I had heard reference before but never thought of

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Speaker 1: doing until friends who were coming from Australia former South

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Speaker 1: Africans coming home for a visit, invited us to join

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Speaker 1: their group and we had the most magical evening up there,

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Speaker 1: even though we couldn't see a thing of the sparkling

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Speaker 1: city lights. We were sitting in thick cloud. It rained

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Speaker 1: the whole way down the next day, and you know what,

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Speaker 1: it didn't matter. It was such a special experience. And yeah,

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Speaker 1: contrary to what some of you believed, it was not

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Speaker 1: a media freebie. I was not there as a guest

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Speaker 1: of sand Parks or experiencing some kind of special privilege.

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Speaker 1: I was just an ordinary traveler who happened to be

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Speaker 1: lucky enough to be invited to join a group who

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Speaker 1: had booked the Overseers Cottage. It is accessible to everybody,

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Speaker 1: so today we're going to explain how it works, what

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Speaker 1: you'll pay, how you'll get there, how far in advance

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Speaker 1: you need to book, etc. And what you need to

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Speaker 1: take with you and not take with you if you

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Speaker 1: are going up to spend a night there.

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Speaker 2: It's a huge.

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Speaker 1: Pleasure to have with us on the line. Sandpark's regional

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Speaker 1: general manager bunganiam Nissi to tell us more. Thank you

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Speaker 1: so much for joining us on the show, and welcome

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Speaker 1: to cap Talk.

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Speaker 3: Hi Grafton and Pipa and gruffn In to your listeners.

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Speaker 1: It's a pleasure to have you with us, Bongani. Let's

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Speaker 1: just start with a bit of history of the Overseers Cottage.

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Speaker 1: I believe it was built over one hundred years ago.

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Speaker 1: Can you tell us a little bit more about how

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Speaker 1: it came to be there?

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Speaker 3: Yes? Absolutely. Just a quick one is that Overseer's Cottage

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Speaker 3: it's really a historic mountain escape, combining heritage, adventure and

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Speaker 3: spectacular views from the top of Teble Martin. And of

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Speaker 3: course it offers our visitors a rare chance to stay

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Speaker 3: of night in a secured area of the park just

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Speaker 3: to experience the blend of history, nature and of course hiking.

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Speaker 3: And of course it was established way back in the

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Speaker 3: eighteen nineties as a base to construct the reservoirs up

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Speaker 3: the Table Mountain at the time, so this was like

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Speaker 3: basically created to house the workers that were building the

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Speaker 3: woodhead and Hally Hutch and reservoirs up the Table Mountain.

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Speaker 1: Okay, So those dams which you can still see today

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Speaker 1: and are very close to the overseas cottage are the

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Speaker 1: reason that the cottage exists. So over one hundred years old,

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Speaker 1: the original building, which is the most gorgeous stone construction.

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Speaker 1: And over the years, Mugani, I know it's been used.

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Speaker 1: It's been used as an accommodation basis, part of the

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Speaker 1: Hori Quaker Trail. It's been used by scouting parties for

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Speaker 1: many many years.

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Speaker 2: For how long has.

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Speaker 1: It actually been available to the general public to book

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Speaker 1: to just go and spend a night in.

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Speaker 3: So ever since the park was established. It has been

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Speaker 3: used since then, since the park took over way back

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Speaker 3: in nineteen ninety eight, and it's been used basically Following

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Speaker 3: the use of it as a worker base, it was

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Speaker 3: repurposed as a self catering mountain retreat for part of

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Speaker 3: National Park. I think you can still see the history

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Speaker 3: from the material that it was built with, which is

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Speaker 3: basically the local sandstone, and that you will imagine that

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Speaker 3: you know, in those days it was really more practical

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Speaker 3: to build whatever you needed from your local material. I

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Speaker 3: think the engineers those days were it is spot on,

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Speaker 3: you know, by what it looks today, and that is

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Speaker 3: still standing.

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Speaker 1: Strong, absolutely standing strong, wind resistant, rain resistance in the

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Speaker 1: case of the night that I was there, fan Ghani.

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Speaker 1: And also worth mentioning that there are actually two cottages.

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Speaker 1: So there is the original main building and then there

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Speaker 1: is a little annex just a few steps away which

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Speaker 1: adds some additional accommodation. Am I right in saying a

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Speaker 1: maximum number it can accommodata between those two cottages is sixteen?

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Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely, So we've got the two cottages, the one

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Speaker 3: accommodating up to ten people, and we've got the one

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Speaker 3: that you just mentioned now, which is the dizer that

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Speaker 3: slips up to six. Essentially what we're looking at, yeah,

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Speaker 3: it's you have a base rate for four people. So

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Speaker 3: if you were to book it, I think for the

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Speaker 3: first six people you pay a specific amount and then

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Speaker 3: if you of course more people with children, you have

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Speaker 3: an additional fee that you can pay. And I think

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Speaker 3: ideally it's best for a family or a group of

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Speaker 3: people that are hiking together to use it. It's not

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Speaker 3: ideal for different families and so on to book it.

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Speaker 1: Yes, you need to book it for exclusive use, not

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Speaker 1: share it, because all of the facilities are shared, the kitchens,

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Speaker 1: the showers, the lose et cetera. So it does make

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Speaker 1: sense for those who want to know the sums. I

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Speaker 1: mean it works out to be a very affordable rate

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Speaker 1: per person. If you take full capacity sixteen people, the

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Speaker 1: rate is just over ten thousand rands for the night,

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Speaker 1: which works out to six hundred and twenty five round

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Speaker 1: a person for sleeping in a proper bed with linen,

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Speaker 1: provided there are hot water geasers, proper working showers, proper

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Speaker 1: flushing loose. So although it's very rustic accommodation Bongani, it's

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Speaker 1: very comfortable rustic.

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Speaker 2: Do you think that's a fair description.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely, But I think what's also very interesting before you

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Speaker 3: even get there. I mean, it's got everything you need

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Speaker 3: the lighting. We've got an inveta there, so you really

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Speaker 3: are going to experience nature, the rusticness, but you're still

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Speaker 3: sleeping in comfort. I think, you know, people who don't

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Speaker 3: like hiking and camping, this combined hiking and luxury, but

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Speaker 3: also with some trunk quil. You know, exclusivity that you

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Speaker 3: can only find, you know, here in Terble Mountain. I mean,

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Speaker 3: where else in the world would you have a cottage life.

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Speaker 3: You know it, you know, it's basically hard to find,

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Speaker 3: but it's also it's a germ that people hardly know about.

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Speaker 3: So I think, you know, talking about it here, you

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Speaker 3: know it will even make it more inaccessible because I

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Speaker 3: can tell you these people I have not even gotten

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Speaker 3: a chance myself to get to leave them because it's

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Speaker 3: forever booked. Yeah, forever booked. It's so it's so famous,

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Speaker 3: and yet it's it's what it.

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Speaker 2: Is, you know.

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Speaker 1: I got very lucky, as I said, friends of ours booked,

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Speaker 1: and they booked about six months in advance.

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Speaker 2: In fact, I think they.

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Speaker 1: Booked their entire trip to South Africa around securing a

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Speaker 1: date at the Overseers Cottage and we got.

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Speaker 2: To join in the fun.

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Speaker 1: We will talk in a moment for those who are

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Speaker 1: asking about the different hiking routes by which you can

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Speaker 1: reach it. But just before we leave, the sort of

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Speaker 1: the facilities themselves, Bongani. As you've mentioned, it's it's comfortable

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Speaker 1: accommodation in proper beds. Some of them are bunk beds,

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Speaker 1: some of them are single beds you will be sharing.

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Speaker 1: There are a couple of rooms that have just two

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Speaker 1: beds in them, and then some have two double bunks.

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Speaker 1: Some will have four single beds for example. I do

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Speaker 1: just want to mention one thing, which is that the

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Speaker 1: annex accommodation with the extra six people, it's very a

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Speaker 1: very steep staircase to reach it, So do bear that

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Speaker 1: in mind if you are group booking for a group

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Speaker 1: with should we say, sort of varied ability and accessibility challenges.

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Speaker 1: If it's a group of elderly hikers, for example, you

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Speaker 1: will need to put them in the main cottage and

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Speaker 1: those with more sprightly knees in the annex. We put

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Speaker 1: the youngsters upstairs and they were absolutely fine, but it

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Speaker 1: is a very steep stairway to reach the beds in

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Speaker 1: that second cottage.

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Speaker 2: Bongani.

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Speaker 1: In terms of the sort of the shared living and

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Speaker 1: catering spaces. There's a very comfortable lounge with a fireplace

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Speaker 1: for winter nights. There's a well kept kitchen with sort

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Speaker 1: of large catering. They're big pots, big frying pans. It's

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Speaker 1: designed for a big group to share and really have

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Speaker 1: fun cooking their meals together. There are brie facilities as well,

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Speaker 1: so it is it's basic. But all that you need

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Speaker 1: was there in our experience, Bogani. The one thing that

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Speaker 1: isn't there is electricity, so we do need to warn

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Speaker 1: everybody that you need to take your lanterns, take your

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Speaker 1: head torches, take some candles with you. That's half the

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Speaker 1: magic of the experience is watching the sun go down

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Speaker 1: and then as it gets dark, lighting up the torches

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Speaker 1: and candles. But apart from that, a very well equipped facility,

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Speaker 1: linens and towels provided, et cetera, so you don't have

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Speaker 1: to carry anything like that with you, and Bogani, on

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Speaker 1: that note, you don't even have to carry your catering

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Speaker 1: supplies either, because part of the experience of booking the

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Speaker 1: cottage is that you will have porters drive your catering

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Speaker 1: supplies up to the top four you not.

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Speaker 3: So that's absolutely correct. And I think the point that

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Speaker 3: you're highlighting there is that even those who do not

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Speaker 3: hike regularly, they able to meet at Constantia Nec parking area,

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Speaker 3: which there will take a six kilometer hide, which is

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Speaker 3: very short a minute. It will take you about two

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Speaker 3: to three hours, of course, if you're taking it slow,

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Speaker 3: which is what we encourage, because it's not about just

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Speaker 3: getting to the cottage. The views are spectacular, so we

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Speaker 3: want people to enjoy the scenic view of the mountains

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Speaker 3: as they continue to their destination. And of course the

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Speaker 3: patronage that you're talking about, I mean the Potterridge. So

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Speaker 3: that's what we do. And I think also what's very

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Speaker 3: good here is that we provide drinking water. I mean

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Speaker 3: someone would ask, you know, do they have drinking water

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Speaker 3: up there? We provide you with a twenty five liter

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Speaker 3: drinking water, but if you need more you can bring

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Speaker 3: your own, which of course we will bring it for you.

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Speaker 3: And wood and we're only using charcoal because of the

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Speaker 3: polified as bora short water beetle that is taking our trees.

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Speaker 2: And that that's interesting.

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Speaker 1: So the reason for the only charcoal rule, we were

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Speaker 1: not sure if it was fire related, but it's actually

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Speaker 1: to avoid contamination by.

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Speaker 2: The shot of borer beetle. That's very interesting to hear.

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Speaker 1: So if you are going to bry we had lovely

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Speaker 1: bury rolls on the brie, but it'll be a charcoal

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Speaker 1: bright at the top. That's right, okay for anybody coming

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Speaker 1: in midway to this conversation on the line with us

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Speaker 1: is bonganiam Nissi, who is sand Park's regional general manager,

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Speaker 1: chatting to us about how you get to experience what

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Speaker 1: I experienced in the middle of February spending a night

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Speaker 1: on top of Table Mountain in the Overseers cottage a

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Speaker 1: really really fun thing to do with the group of friends.

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Speaker 1: In terms of getting there, as Bongani's reference, there is

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Speaker 1: a very easy route from Constantianek and our party. Half

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Speaker 1: of us did the easy route because we were under

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Speaker 1: time pressure, and I think we got to the top

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Speaker 1: in well under two hours. The other part of the

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Speaker 1: very fit and younger members of our party came up

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Speaker 1: from Kirsten Bosh and I think went up Skeleton Gorge

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Speaker 1: and across, so had a slightly steeper and more challenging climb.

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Speaker 1: But obviously you can come up any route you want

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Speaker 1: as long as you've got enough time to make your

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Speaker 1: way across to the Overseers Cottage, which is located very

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Speaker 1: close to the Devilliers Alexander Victoria Dams and the Woodhead

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Speaker 1: and Heally Hutchinson Reservoirs now Bongani. One of our listeners,

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Speaker 1: Warren is asking, saying, when we walked past the Overseers Cottage,

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Speaker 1: we noticed that there were big nose swimming signs on

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Speaker 1: all of the dams.

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Speaker 2: Can you explain why you're not allowed to swim there? Please?

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Speaker 3: Certainly these are, of course dams used by a city

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Speaker 3: of Cape Town in order to you know, replenish their stock,

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Speaker 3: and that ideally no swimming is allowed in any of

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Speaker 3: these dams. And I think that's that's what it is.

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Speaker 3: I think across any reservoirs or dams available in Cave

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Speaker 3: Town anywhere swimming is not allowed, and in National Park

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Speaker 3: the only swimming is allowed in Silver Mine Dam, but

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Speaker 3: anyone that's used for drinking water, swimming is strictly prohibited.

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Speaker 3: I think that's the main reason for it.

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Speaker 1: You know, people, okay, obviously you also factories. I'm going

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Speaker 1: to mention safety concerns. We know that somebody sadly lost

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Speaker 1: their life to drowning up there not too long ago,

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Speaker 1: so it is something to consider as well, but weren't

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Speaker 1: the main reason being it's part of the city's water supply.

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Speaker 1: We also have a question in from Sue. I hear

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Speaker 1: you saying that you can porter your catering and bags

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Speaker 1: to the top. Can you porter people? She asks, Can

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Speaker 1: an elderly group member request a lift to the top

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Speaker 1: along with the luggage if they're not able to walk up?

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Speaker 3: Unfortunately not. I think, you know, we would really encourage

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Speaker 3: that anyone that is you know, you know, have some

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Speaker 3: limited mobility, probably take some time because I mean, the

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Speaker 3: cottage is there. If one is struggling, you can take

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Speaker 3: your time. I mean we just put it two to

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Speaker 3: three hours, but a person can start, you know, early

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Speaker 3: morning because you only check in from two o'clock, so

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Speaker 3: you can really take your time people to get there.

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Speaker 3: I mean, once you book it, it's yours and you

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Speaker 3: can stay there as long as the amount you booked

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Speaker 3: it for. So, but we're unfortunately too able to carry people.

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Speaker 3: I think that would spoil the experience. I take it before,

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Speaker 3: would agree.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, the beauty of it is doing it

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Speaker 1: slowly and stopping on rite to enjoy those views. I mean,

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Speaker 1: as I said, we did the constant uncha Neck route

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Speaker 1: and it was I think about one hour fifty including

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Speaker 1: many many stops to take photographs of the views and

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Speaker 1: stops for a bite, a nibble on the way up,

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Speaker 1: et cetera. So we took it very, very easy and

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Speaker 1: managed it in under two hours. And the whole route

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Speaker 1: from constantinek is on a jeep track, so it really

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Speaker 1: is solid going underfoot. There are one or two steeper bits.

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Speaker 1: Obviously you are zigzagging your way up the side of

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Speaker 1: a mountain, but so you must expect that. But it

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Speaker 1: is a very I think, a very very manageable hike.

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Speaker 1: Ryan messaging in to say I went up years ago.

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Speaker 1: It was the most amazing experience. It was thirty degrees

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Speaker 1: at Camp Spay and yet pouring with rain at the top,

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Speaker 1: and we went up via the Castile Port route. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: nobody in our party did that one. But that would

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Speaker 1: that be coming over from the camp Spay side Bongani.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, that's right. I mean all of these other

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Speaker 3: routes are very challenging. I recently deep the Skeleton Gage one,

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Speaker 3: which of course took me almost five hours. To get

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Speaker 3: up because that's very, very steep and absolutely challenging, so

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Speaker 3: one has to prepare themselves. But I think what's good

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Speaker 3: here is that the destination it's one to die for.

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Speaker 3: So even if you are unfit, you know the destination

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Speaker 3: would really make you feel so good and you would

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Speaker 3: know that it was definitely worth it when you get

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Speaker 3: up there.

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Speaker 2: It absolutely is.

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Speaker 1: We're talking about staying in the Overseers cottage and if

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Speaker 1: you have any questions about it, please send a very

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Speaker 1: quick what's up to seven to five six seven one

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Speaker 1: five six seven. Just a comment from Taran suggesting that

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Speaker 1: perhaps a little bit of signage is needed on the

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Speaker 1: CONSTANTINEK route. She said, wee were one or two turns

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Speaker 1: where we weren't quite sure which way to go. Okay,

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Speaker 1: point made Taran, and I know exactly which turns you're

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Speaker 1: talking about, because we also stood there. But I will

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Speaker 1: also add to that that it became quite obvious quite

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Speaker 1: quickly because it's a very busy route Bongani for those

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Speaker 1: who worry about security and walking in groups, et cetera.

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Speaker 1: That route both on the way up and on the

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Speaker 1: way down. For us, we were amazed at how many

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Speaker 1: people were up and about both in the afternoon going

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Speaker 1: up and for us early morning because some of us

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Speaker 1: had to get to work that day, so we came home,

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Speaker 1: came down quite early in the day and there were

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Speaker 1: hikers and dog walkers and cyclists every couple of minutes.

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Speaker 2: I mean that that trail is in really regular use.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely. And I think what's very good is that

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Speaker 3: we are reviewing all our signage across the park to

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Speaker 3: make sure that where they are missing signs or broken

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Speaker 3: or need maintenance are going to be changed. And we've

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Speaker 3: also strengthened our security. We've appointed safety and security manager

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Speaker 3: for the Table Mountain, one of its kind, you know,

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Speaker 3: in the park division, and particularly to make sure that

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Speaker 3: our visitors feel safe when they come to the mountain.

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Speaker 3: I mean, where else in the world where you have

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Speaker 3: a city and you have a national park, and we

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Speaker 3: want to make sure that when people are tired and

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Speaker 3: irritated by the happenings of the city, they can escape

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Speaker 3: to the mountain. So that's why we are putting more

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Speaker 3: emphasis and making sure that the mountain is getting safer

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Speaker 3: each day.

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Speaker 2: That's good to hear.

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Speaker 1: Steve is asking if you can reach the hut from

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Speaker 1: the cable car. Again, you could if you sett off

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Speaker 1: early enough. But Bongani, that's a walk of several hours,

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Speaker 1: isn't it?

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Speaker 3: Absolutely absolutely? I think the obvious year's cottage can be

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Speaker 3: reached from anywhere, depending on how adventurous you are on

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Speaker 3: the day. And I think you know, you know, with

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Speaker 3: various groups, you can split it, you can walk through

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Speaker 3: different routes and you can get there and share stories

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Speaker 3: of your experiences from the various trails that you would

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Speaker 3: have taken.

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Speaker 1: Again, I want to say the group that we went

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Speaker 1: up with in February varied in age across probably six decades.

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Speaker 1: I think the full span might have been five or

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Speaker 1: six decades, varied in fitness levels, varied in background and

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Speaker 1: travel experience, and everybody just simply had the most magical evening,

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Speaker 1: whether you are to make a tough hike of it

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Speaker 1: or an easy walk of it. The accommodation was comfortable,

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Speaker 1: the catering facilities were plentiful. It got quite cold the

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Speaker 1: night we were there, so we were able to eat inside.

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Speaker 1: There's a large dining area. Everybody could squeeze around a

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Speaker 1: single table, which was a lot of fun and really

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Speaker 1: a very very special experience. Even though we didn't get

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Speaker 1: the twinkling lights of the city below us because it

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Speaker 1: was completely disappeared into the clouds, but have to go

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Speaker 1: back to experience that another time, Bugandi. The last thing

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Speaker 1: to ask you is, if listening to all of this,

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Speaker 1: some of our listeners are wanting to go and make

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Speaker 1: a booking right away, where do we need to send

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Speaker 1: them to make that booking?

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Speaker 3: They can go to our website, which is reservations at

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Speaker 3: Sandparks dot org. Or they can contact our number at

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Speaker 3: zero one two four to eight nine triple one. Or

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Speaker 3: they can visit our Cape Town office at Krooffneck which

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Speaker 3: is at corner Kroffneck and Signal Hill Roads, or they

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Speaker 3: can even contact us oh to one seven four one two, three,

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Speaker 3: seven to two or four. Right at the end, I

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Speaker 3: think you know what's also very good is just to

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Speaker 3: say that the prices stay the same except for the

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Speaker 3: times between the eleventh and the seteenth of January. So

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Speaker 3: the eleventh of December to the seteenth of January, that's

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Speaker 3: where you might have about between you know, between ten

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Speaker 3: or thirteen percent increase. But any other time of the

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Speaker 3: year it stays consistently the same price, and you could

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Speaker 3: pay additionally, currently about six hundred and twenty or so

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Speaker 3: additional adult This is above the six which you would

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Speaker 3: have paid and three hundred and ten rand patch out.

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Speaker 1: Okay, so we discarded rate for children as well. Good

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Speaker 1: to know, Bogani, Missi. Thank you so much for taking

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Speaker 1: the time to share all of that information with us today,

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Speaker 1: and all the best to you and your team at

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Speaker 1: sand Parks.

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Speaker 2: Thank you for joining.

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Speaker 3: Us, absolute pleasure. Thank you for having.

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Speaker 1: Us a great, great pleasure. Bunganiam Nissi is the sandpo's

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Speaker 1: regional general manager,