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Newsletter Summer 2003

What an auspicious occasion! The very first Makanyane Safari Lodge Newsletter! Fantastic! But what news, you may ask, from a lodge 60% through the construction phase?

Good point, we don't have drives going out every day and (in spite of continuous begging) we have not yet allowed one guest to come and stay at the lodge. But the truth is that there is plenty going on, and we want to share with you our progress on site.

Building a luxury safari lodge in the middle of nowhere is almost as complicated as it sounds. First, somebody has to come up with the idea, as well as be willing to spend their hard earned money on a long-term investment. No problem, when you are building a dream - cost is not an issue. Then, you just have to get world class architects. We covered that - Bruce Stafford and his team were appointed. Then you have to get experienced and hard working builders - we covered that with Louis, Marike and their teams. Then you have to get the best people in interiors to agree to handle a project that has a million different details to consider. We covered that too. Jenny and Tessa are dreaming up the ultimate in luxury. Then sit back and watch it all happen. Simple!

Of course if everything did run smoothly life would be far too boring. We may not have too much time to spend on game drives at the moment, but we are still seeing plenty of fantastic game, usually right in the building site. The builders have been disturbed several times now by a frantic kudu or waterbuck hurtling through the building site with a pack a wild dogs in hot pursuit. After losing their prey amongst the wheelbarrows and piles of thatching grass, the dogs are always gracious in their defeat and, after a few whines of protest and those peculiar jumps they make trying to see where dinner went, they stroll off in search of a meal less inclined to take refuge in groups of workmen.

Actually, the dogs never stroll anywhere. Hyperactive as they are, they always seem to jog happily from one spot to the next, except when they are hurtling around at breakneck speed. Doesn't it make you think of the warthogs? When was the last time you saw a warthog walking anywhere? They always look as if they have just remembered a very important appointment and set off at a brisk trot, tails up, briefcase in hoof. Of course if you watch them a little longer, they seem to forget where they were heading, pause for thought and then have a good graze while they try to remember what was so important.

Thirsty elephants wandering down to the river also create interesting diversions for the builders. One in particular, a massive bull called Hercules, seems to take great delight in wandering down in the heat of the day, scattering labourers left and right before lowering his impressive bulk into the cool Marico mud. He is usually accompanied by a young askari, who seems to find the workmen's reaction to his huge friend somewhat odd, but enjoys it immensely anyway.

With all our suites we can offer you an interactive African experience - the suites lie on either side of a wide gully used by the elephants wandering down to the water. Your chances of seeing them coming down for a quiet drink, or noisy wallow, while you lie in the bath or on your bed (not to mention while enjoying your outside shower) are really good.

These distractions are not however taking people's minds away from the task at hand. The building is going well. The walls for both the main lodge and the units are now up, their sinuous lines now apparent, the flowing, organic feel to the buildings is becoming more and more apparent. The thatching is also now going ahead, the thatchers frantic to get as much done before any more rain falls. We have had our first real rains - not before time, the warthogs were getting difficult to see from head on -on the 29th and 30th of October. Following the rains, the open plains next to the lodge are now flushed with green, much to the delight of the waterbuck, kudu and impala, who are grazing in large herds on the juicy new shoots.

This activity is doubtlessly not going unnoticed by the Moselasela lionesses who frequent this area. The lionesses are in the process of raising five hungry young cubs and are always on the look out for a potential meal. The cubs, now about five months old, are growing energetically into stocky little replicas of their parents. The male cubs in particular, are very curious about everything and never fail to take a break from their rough and tumble games to try to creep a little closer to any vehicles they see for a better look. Father to these bundles of joy is one of the Batia Brothers, the coalition of two huge lions that are the dominant males in the area. The males pass the lodge site frequently, their roars seem to increase productivity remarkably for some reason.

Now that we are nearly fully into summer, the Black thorn flowers have fallen (although the Sweet thorns are still to bloom) and the Smelly Shepard trees distinctive odour has faded, as the daytime temperatures rise. The migrant birds are flooding in, and although the piercing call of the Woodlands kingfisher has yet to echo down the river this season, we are expecting them any day now. The Striped cuckoos have arrived, chasing each other through the riverside forest with their jangling calls and the Wahlberg's eagles all seem to be repairing last year's nests with great gusto.

Also with breeding on his mind is the Red-crested Korhaan, who is doing his absurd suicide courtship display with frantic intensity to the sizzling soundtrack of thousands of cicadas calling from the trees. A pair of jackals have a den close to the lodge, but the pups have not yet been brave enough to come out during the day. Much braver (although older) are the wild dogs pups born in the south of the park some five months ago. They have already left the den and are now moving with their parents in the western part of the reserve.

Meanwhile back on site, Makanyane's Executive Chef, David Stevens, has been visiting to supervise the installation of his kitchen and to begin sourcing ingredients for his mouth-watering creations.

In order to begin compiling a wine list, the other David along with our financial adviser supremo, Charlie completed an absolutely essential tour of the Cape wine lands. This was done in the strictest sense of duty of course, deviations onto the great golf courses down there were taken only to cleanse the palette.

It's not long now until opening. Can't wait!! See you then.

Garth