We received hundreds of creative entries in our pay-off line competition. In fact we were so impressed with your catchphrases that we left the final decision up to Wild Card fans. After two weeks of voting there’s a clear winner:

“Wild Card – Explore. Conserve. Enjoy.” by Andrew and Danja Cawood

This slogan sums up the goals of the Wild Card. It offers members the opportunity to visit parks and reserves, while the membership fee goes towards preserving our natural heritage.

Winners Andrew and Danja Cawood are newlyweds from Pretoria and did the brainstorming for the Wild Card slogan on the train back from the Cape at the end of their honeymoon. Even though they have been members since June only, they are enthusiastic about the wonderful wildlife world unlocked by the card. We asked them about their favourite park memories, trips for the future and what they think about the Wild Card.

Do you remember your first visit to a national park?
Danja: I went to the Kruger with my grandparents when I was 10. It was one of my most memorable holidays. We got up early each morning to watch game and grazed all day long on Skukuza pies, Strawberry Whirls and peanut puffs (clearly my mom wasn't there to supervise). In the afternoons we played plenty of board games and then rounded it off with a braai feast.

On the last day we had seen all of the animals that we wanted to see except the elusive leopard. I prayed so hard to see one and then, as we drove down one of the roads, there stood a leopard, right next to the road. It stood perfectly still until we were right next to it, within touching distance, and then dashed off. I remember feeling so blessed and I was hooked...

Andrew: Kruger was also my first park visit – a family holiday with friends of ours. I remember not liking the malaria pills we had to swallow! I also remember enjoying seeing all the crocodiles in the river where we crossed over to enter the park.



Do you have a favourite destination among the Wild Card parks?

Andrew and Danja: Kruger remains a firm favourite for us both. We also stayed at Storms River Mouth on our honeymoon and would love to return there.  
 

Where would you still like to go?

Danja: I would like to spend a week or two to recharge my soul with the total silence and brilliant stars in one of the parks in the Karoo, such as the Karoo National Park, the Camdeboo National Park or the Tankwa Karoo National Park. 


Andrew: The Postberg 2-day hiking trail is on my To-Do list, so a trip to the West Coast National Park is in order sometime.



Which elusive animal is still on your tick list?


Danja: A hedgehog
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Andrew: An aardvark. I have seen plenty of holes but never the inhabitant!



Which three things do you always take on your trips to the bush?


Danja: A notepad (you never know when inspiration may hit you), a good read and plenty of snacks.

Andrew: Headlight, camera and guitar

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What do you think makes the Wild Card special?

Andrew and Danja: With the Wild Card you start planning your next nature getaway as soon as you exit the previous park. It takes you to the next level of nature enjoyment and makes nature accessible for everyone: young and old, experienced and newbie. Through the newsletters, blogs and magazines you catch a glimpse of nature as it was intended: unspoiled, intricate, beautiful and quite contagious.

For their prize Andrew and Danja will visit Golden Gate Highlands National Park and will stay in the Golden Gate Hotel. Recently renovated, the hotel offers breathtaking views of the Brandwag buttress while the stylish new interiors reflect the changing seasons.

Picture of Golden Gate by Joep Stevens.

Golden Gate is one of the few places in South Africa where the seasons play out dramatically. In autumn the grasses turn golden, reflecting the amber and honey hues of the sandstone mountains. In winter the peaks are dusted with snow and some years, like winter 2012, the entire resort is transformed into a winter fairyland. Andrew and Danja can look forward to the fresh greens of spring and may be lucky to catch some bulbs bursting into flower.