Does your old man hit the gym more often than you do? Maybe he still runs your local marathon and goes hiking every weekend. This could make buying a Father’s Day present a little tricky. If your dad is the active and adventurous type then an expensive watch or a bottle of single malt might not cut it. It’s time to think out of the box, steer your mind away from those slow-down-and-take-it-easy gifts and do something a little more manly. He’ll appreciate it …
Roadtrip. Photo by Rachel Robinson
1. Road tripping Route 62
Like yourself, your dad has always harboured dreams of going on a road trip. Unfortunately, things like work and you (yes, you, kids) have kept him too busy to do it. For a great road trip that will soothe the memories of all the road trips he missed out, take Route 62: from the vineyards of Paarl through the Breede River Valley and the Klein Karoo to Port Elizabeth. There are some great accommodation options on Route 62, farm stalls, awesome scenery and entertainment (check out South Africa’s Route 62 : bikers and sex shops). After this your old men will come back feeling younger.
Route 62 info
Tel +27 (0) 23-616-3563, email [email protected], www.route62.co.za
Kayaking. Image by Evan Haussman
2. Kayaking in St Lucia
Kayaking is a great way to exercise competition between yourself and your old. Imagine the two of you, powered by adrenalin, paddling against each other down a stream for bragging rights at the dinner table. The coolest part about the kayaking against each other is that regardless of who wins, you ‘ll both leave the water feeling rejuvenated.
Since Father’s Day coincides with the height of winter season in Southern Africa, your best bet is to head up to St Lucia in KwaZulu Natal. South Africa’s sub-tropical east coast guarantees (or at least promises) warmer waters. If you make the trip to the Zulu Kingdom, visit St Lucia Kayak Safaris for a kayak trip on Honeymoon Bend (R290 a person for a guided 2,5 hour tour) and check out these affordable accommodation options in St Lucia.
Honeymoon Bend Kayak Safari info
Tel +27 (0) 35-590-1233, email [email protected]
Go for a drive. Image by David Taylor
3. Take a test drive
Your old man may not know all about the latest features on your new Audi, but that doesn’t mean ho wouldn’t love to take it for a spin. Book a test drive from one of your local dealers in that new BMW M1, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, or even an Aston Martin. If he is not a fan of power steering and speed, then go retro and hire a classic car for a weekend from Classic Wheels South Africa.
Classic Wheels South Africa info
Tel +27(0) 71-596-1320, email [email protected], www.classicwheels.co.za
Find the right road
With driving comes the task of finding which roads to tackle. The Western Cape has an awesome collection of great scenic driving routes and if you’re not in the Cape check out South Africa’s most spectacular driving routes for more options.
Braai. Photo by Jan Braai
4. Have a braai
The idea of having a braai with your dad on Father’s Day might appear stale and overdone. To make things interesting, take the braai away from home. A trip to your local dam or his favourite outdoor escape will inject some flavour into the afternoon.
How to be the braai master
Your dad has been placing steak on fire long before you were born, so he might appreciate you taking over braai master duties for the day. Then again, it may be the perfect opportunity for him to show you a thing or two. Take a few tips from our resident braai master, Jan Braai. He’s got some rather interesting ideas on everything from fire-lighting for dummies to the history of the hamburger and some seriously cool braai recipes to boot. Whatever you end up with on the grid you can be sure few drinks, good meat and lekker chat will go down well with your old man.
Gardening. Image by Chiot's Run
5. Gardening
Gardening is a great way for dads and their children to work together. However, nowadays it is no longer a common sight. Due to hectic information age lives, dads never really get the chance to pass their gardening know-how to their children.
If you never learned how to grow plants from your old man, then take a bag of cabbage seeds home. Offer to clear the beds and turn the soil as he schools you in the art of sinking seeds into the ground. He might even appreciate you taking some notes and arriving with your own plants at the next family gathering.
Sailing. Image by Justin Fox
6. Go sailing
Getting your dad his own boat for the day is an ideal way to get away from everything and relax out on the deep blue ocean. Of course, a pre-requisite to this is learning the basics of sailing. The Ocean Sailing Academy offers lessons for individuals and crew interested in challenging the Atlantic Ocean. Prices for for a RYA day-skipper ticket start at R695 a day.
Ocean Sailing Academy information
Tel +27 (0) 21-425-7837, email [email protected], www.oceansailing.co.za
Horse riding. Image by Claudia Hodkinson.
7. Hit the trails on a horse
In classic western films, fathers not only give their sons horses but also teach them how to ride them.Nowadays most men can only brag about conquering treacherous terrain with the aid of machines (a.k.a 4x4s).Go old school this Father’s Day, leave your 4×4 bakkie at home and hit the trails on horseback.
Horse riding booking and information
SA Trails
Tel +27 (0) 82-533-4545, email [email protected], www.satrails.co.za
Wild Coast Horseback Adventures
Tel +27 (0) 43-831-1087, email [email protected], www.wildcoasthorsebackadventures.com
Learn something new together. Photo by epSos.de
8. Learn something new together
The word ‘manly’ conjures up images of large, macho males with stiff necks headbutting each other. The truth is, you don’t have to arm wrestle your dad to have a manly Father’s Day. Something as simple as learning something new together could be a manly way to spend Father’s Day. If your old man has an unexplored interest in photography, science or art or whatever it might be, ‘get into it’ with him this Father’s Day.
Hiking. Photo by Mandy Ramsden
9. Hiking
There’s always a sense of unity and camarederie amongst individuals who’ve just sumitted a mountain. A hike on Father’s Day could cement your relationship with your old man, or simply mend a broken one. This is because hiking provides that awesome feeling of teamwork. It’s not a matter of ‘conquering terrain’ but also working with your partner. Check out our list of
South Africa’s 10 best winter hikes and check out our
hiking page for tips, suggestions and more hiking routes.
Zip sliding: Image by Adventurist
10. Zip sliding
Zip sliding provides that adrenalin shot that sticks with a man for years. It’s the sort of extreme adventure that your old might call ‘the crazy stuff that kids do nowadays’. Run the idea past him and if he is keen head out to the world’s longest zip slide in Sun City. The Unreal Zip 2000 (cost from R395 a person) is two kilometres long and elevates you to a height of 280 metres while you are flying over the treetops at 120km/h.
Unreal Zip 2000 information
Tel +27 (0) 14-577-1544 / 3382, email [email protected]
Main image from US National Archives
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