EVENTS

worth travelling for this month

A battle of beasts

‘These cars are awesome – what you dream about as a kid.’ That’s F1 champion Jenson Button talking about the supercars that take part in rallycross. It’s the fastest-growing motorsport in the world, showcasing vehicles that may look familiar (Audi, VW Polo, Peugeot, Hyundai, Ford Fiesta) but which can go from

0 to 100km/h in two seconds (faster than F1 cars). The current world champion, Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson, is among the

25 drivers who will be zooming around the 1km Killarney Raceway circuit in Cape Town this month at the World Rallycross of South Africa. It’s the final race of this year’s FIA championship and the only one in Africa. Tickets R220–R750 pp.

24–25 November. fiaworldrallycross.com

Cycle the city

Joburg’s biggest bike race, the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge, takes over the city to allow almost 30 000 cyclists to cruise freely. The route includes Jan Smuts Avenue,

Zoo Lake, Rosebank, the CBD and the M1 past Sandton via Kyalami.

This year it will be done in reverse, so those last four killer hills in the final 10km will now be at the start. For budding cycling fanatics, there is a Kiddies Ride (all finishers get a medal and T-shirt), and the MTB Challenge the week before follows urban trails on private land, with a family friendly 8km ride on offer too. All events start and finish at Riversands in Fourways; the Lifestyle Expo (free entry) is at the TicketPro Dome. 10–11, 16–18 November. cyclechallenge.co.za

Thrills around the world

A teenage sherpa who has climbed Mount Everest 21 times; native traditions of the Canadian Arctic; in the hoofsteps of elusive mountain ibex; kayaking across Iceland (and over massive waterfalls, pictured below); skiing skateboarderstyle through town … these are some of the adventures to enjoy at this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival, a visual feast of adrenaline-pumping athleticism and some of the most stunning scenery. For local thrills, the winner of this year’s Cape Union Mart Adventure Film Challenge, Always Dream by Hayden Brown, stars MTB champ Greg Minnaar and the beautiful Drakensberg. At Ster-Kinekor in Joburg, Pretoria, PE, Durban and Cape Town. Tickets R84 pp. 26 October–4 November. banff.co.za

Delicious delights

Binnelanders actor Ben Kruger once cooked 50 different potjies in one day (a world record). He’ll be presiding over the potjie competition at this year’s Taste of Tzaneen

Fest. The theme is ‘Baskets Full of Blessings’ – and, indeed, this Limpopo town produces most of our avos, mangoes, bananas and tomatoes. Visitors can enjoy the best of local produce at the artisan market (do visit Bayhound’s Coffee Kennel, a shop made of tin and wood on wheels). There’s also a wine-tasting safari and harvest-table lunch, but it’s not only about filling your tummy – there will be a bonsai exhibition, local crafts, live music, an Anglo-Boer War Skirmishes tour and cycad auction (pictured), plus the new Manorvlei MTB Challenge. Various costs for selected events. 2–3 November. tasteoftzaneen.co.za