Welgevonden Private Game Reserve

Media Portfolio www.bigpicture.co.za

Welgevonden Private Game Reserve is located on the

Waterberg Plateau in Limpopo Province, bordering Marakele National Park, an easy three hour drive north of Johannesburg. The 37 500 hectare reserve supports a diverse flora of rolling wooded mountains scored by deep rocky ravines and striking gorges giving way to grassy plains. The vegetation, together with the area’s high altitude, temperate climate and malaria free environment, create an ideal year-round safari destination.

Welgevonden is home to over 50 different mammals, including the Big Five. Six of the mammals are Red Data species. The pangolin, cheetah and lion are regarded as “Vulnerable”, the brown hyaena, honey badger and serval as “Near-threatened”.

The mountain reedbuck is the only endemic mammal so far recorded at Welgevonden. There are rare and unusual species too, such as aardwolf and aardvark – all best seen at night. The grassy plains abound with antelope from the largest eland to the diminutive duiker. It is the diversity of habitat on the reserve that encourages such a wide range of wildlife as well as over 250 bird species, including rare blue cranes.

Guests at Welgevonden Private Game Reserve enjoy unlimited traversing through the reserve and experience an environment where biodiversity conservation and game viewing are managed in harmony. Welgevonden protects an unique and special environment and the reserve’s management is deeply committed to ongoing conservation research and development. All landowners of both commercial and noncommercial lodges adhere to an unwavering commitment to the reserve’s conservation and management policies.

The evocative wilderness area offers an exclusive, intimate experience of the African bush with only a limited number of guests having access to the reserve at any one time. No private vehicles are permitted, which ensures minimal human impact and the ultimate wilderness experience. Historically, wildlife on the reserve has never been hunted so game viewing is always up close and personal. There is also ancient and delicate Bushman rock art on Welgevonden.

Welgevonden is certainly one of the finest places to watch wildlife, sense wilderness and touch the spirit of true Africa.

Contents

Country Life Magazine

'Secret Waterberg' - October 2011

Diners Club Signature Magazine 'The cat's whiskers' - January 2011

Getaway Magazine

'The possibility of wilderness' - February 2011

Saturday Star Newspaper

'Conservative approach benefits animals and discerning guests ' - August 201 0

The Star Newspaper

'Every scene was a postcard' - June 201 0

Gotravel24.com

'Enter the world of Welgevonden' - April 201 0

Khuluma Magazine Useful Links: Welgevonden Private Game Reserve www.welgevonden.org Waterberg Biosphere www.waterbergbiosphere.org UNESCO World Heritage 足 Waterberg Biosphere < click here > History of the Waterberg < click here >

Find us: Directions <click here> 24, 12' 6.70 S 27, 54' 9.15 E

'Wuff-tactics' - May 201 0

t e r c e S

WATERBERG

Publication: Country Life Magazine Published: October 2011, pages 54 足 59

a s i g r e b r e t a W d l i w e v e r h e t s e In r e m a g e d t ’ a u v o y pri t a h w m o r f t n . s e r k r e f o f i w d t i d n a – t c e e xp Publication: Country Life Magazine Published: October 2011, pages 54 ­ 59

SECONDS BEFORE THE MALE LION appeared, impala had been floating through our headlight beams like horned ghosts. Then Stuart Hill switched off the lights. "We don't want to give the predator an unfair advantage," he said as night swallowed our sight. A sixth sense — born, maybe, of my distant forbears being hunted by big cats — told me the lion was walking round the front of the Land Cruiser and along its side, no more than a metre away. I imagined it selecting who to eat like a kid at a lollipop stand. There was a grunt, then the sound of something being dragged. Stuart turned on the spotlight to reveal the beast with its jaws clamped round the throat of a large male impala, its limpid eyes black with terror The lion moved off, straddling the antelope with strides like a bandy sailor, then dropped it to face the challenge of circling pride members. A female moved in and received a smack on her nose. She flattened, snarling, her ears back and her tail lashing. First come, it seemed, first served. We watched the stand-off until the pride settled down to eat, then headed back to Metsi Lodge for dinner, organised by Stuart's wife, Tamsin.

Until a few weeks previously I'd never heard of Metsi, run by the hospitable Hills, or even Welgevonden, the sprawling private Waterberg game reserve in which it's situated. That's partly because I live at the other end of South Africa, but also because the reserve is still cloaked in the quiet privacy of its origins and mysterious remoteness. The Waterberg is a vast place, covering around 1 5 000 square kilometres. It's a montage of mountain peaks, haughty sandstone shoulders, plateaux, steep valleys and rivers — many rivers, hence its name — stretching for more than 1 50 kilometres west to east across Limpopo. Because of its inaccessibility it has, for hundreds of years, kept at bay the ravages of commercial farming and settlement. The only town nearby is Vaalwater, just a straggle of shops and garages along a single main street. Beyond the town not much has changed since the famous Afrikaans naturalist and poet Eugene Marais went to ground there nearly 1 00 years ago to try to kick his morphine addiction — and gave us his extraordinary books, The Soul of the White Ant and The Soul of the Ape. Publication: Country Life Magazine Published: October 2011, pages 54 ­ 59

Welgevonden began in 1 987 when a local landowner, Pienkes du Plessis, began acquiring surrounding farms to form the basis of a nature conservancy. With the help of the Rand Merchant Bank he developed an ownership model where each custodian would have freehold title to 500 hectares, along with traversing rights to the whole property They were allowed to build a discreet private camp in harmony with the surroundings and with a maximum occupancy of 1 0 people. Only specialised game-drive vehicles were allowed.

There are now around 51 lodges, all of which are unobtrusive. The purchasing power of this unique and wealthy landowners' association has enabled the restocking of the reserve, which includes the Big Five and one of the largest privately owned elephant and rhino herds in the country.

Some lodges have been opened to the public, so, having just discovered that Welgevonden existed, I decided to see what it was about. I left my car at a discreetly signposted gate west of Vaalwater and was picked up by Johan Kruger, a ranger from Makweti Safari Lodge. After half an hour of fenceless bushveld, pregnant with wild potential and plenty of rutting impala, the lodge appeared unexpectedly at the lip of a river-fed gorge. There were warthogs lounging in the driveway and a herd of zebras grazing just off the edge of the stoep.

Lodge managers Jacques and Marieza van Wijk led me down a scrunchy gravel path to a cabin which had luxury inscribed into every panel and pillow. It even had a private plunge pool and a view of hills that rolled forever into shades of misty purple. No radio, television or cellphone reception. The only activities possible were eating, sleeping, game viewing and lounging in the pool. This was going to be a tough few days.

Any idea l had that all this wilderness looked after itself because it was ...well ... wild, was rapidly Publication: Country Life Magazine Published: October 2011, pages 54 足 59

dismantled by Welgevonden's conservation manager, Andre Burger, who came over for tea and some wickedly decadent cakes.

^ Makweti Lodge is unfenced so there's always the possibility of a predator dropping in for dinner, though the boma fence would deter all but a leopard. > Andre Burger, Welgevonden;s conservation manager, has seen the reserve develop from a good idea to a world-class park.

"Welgevonden isn't quite what you see," he said.

"You have to manage systems to stay wild. If you put a fence round anywhere, no matter how big, you change relationships, so you have to intervene to restore the balance. ' When elephants were introduced from the Kruger Park in 1 994 they initially hammered the place. They hit the choice trees, removing some species and changing the structure of others, taking the sweets out of the system. Then they settled down and bred like bunnies, we had to use contraception to put the brakes on their reproduction. This entailed darting all the breeding cows from a helicopter once a year. The contraception programme has been so successful we skipped some cows last year to allow them to breed. I mean, what's a herd of elephants without floppy-trunk babies about?”

“Same with lions. You have limited prides so there's no cub mortality and the males all survive because there are no territorial fights. We tried contraception with the lionesses but then they lost interest in the pride. So instead of the pride catching a single wildebeest, each lioness caught one and the wildebeest population crashed. Lions can eat you out of house and home — after a while you wouldn't see any animals.”

"So you have to manage these things to retain a sense of place. Regrettably, the background to wilderness is human intervention. It's a contradiction, but there you are."

If wild Welgevonden was something of an illusion, it was a good one. My trip to Metsi Lodge further south a few days later produced doe-eyed giraffe, white rhino (of which there are plenty, but don't tell the poachers), a sizeable herd of buffalo, two magnificent kudu bulls and the regular scrum of impala, wildebeest and zebra. They all looked unmanaged and the perky rhinos unmanageable.

Metsi is quite unlike Makweti, which is really a boutique hotel. Its owned by French-born, London based businessman Marc Pereire, who lets out the whole lodge when he's not in residence.

Publication: Country Life Magazine Published: October 2011, pages 54 ­ 59

It has several luxurious cabins strung along a boardwalk connected to an airy living area, pool and deck. The only barrier between you and things that might like to eat you is a thin electric wire around the perimeter that's switched on at night. As the stars came out that evening, we tucked into fine cuisine prepared by Tamsin while listening to Stuart's tales of life in the bushveld. I looked at their three young children bouncing around, then at the thin wire protecting them and thought about the lions. I guess wherever you live there's a danger of being mugged by something.

Early next morning I awoke to see an elephant walking backwards across the lawn just beyond the deck. For some reason discernible to only the elephant, it had decided the shoots of grass it was delicately plucking were better behind it than in front, but was too lazy to turn around. The reversing pachyderm startled an impala ram, which snorted and bounded away, but a pair of warthogs on their knees with their backsides in the air ignored it and went on mowing contentedly. It was a comfortably tame scene, just a little different from the dogs and hadedahs on my lawn back home.

Positively bucolic.

But as I headed back to Johannesburg after breakfast, I remembered the lions, the terror-filled eyes of an impala about to be dismembered, and the feeling when the lights went out. Humans might be powerful en masse, but alone in the wild we're easy meat.

Perversely, somehow, it makes the wilderness deliciously compelling. www.welgevonden.org tel +27(0)1 4 755 4392

Publication: Country Life Magazine Published: October 2011, pages 54 足 59

^Zebras are fat horses at the worst of times, but at Welgevonden they're sleek and breeding. ^Metsi Lodge is owned

by London-based Marc Pereire and can be hired if he is not around. < Metsi's luxurious chalets are connected by wooden walkways that give you a vague sense of security as you make your way to bed on a dark African night.

Publication: Diners Club Signature Magazine Published: January 2011, page 50, 51, 53, 54

Publication: Diners Club Signature Magazine Published: January 2011, page 50, 51, 53, 54

'WHAT ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT, ARMAND?'

We remain dead quiet despite the noise coming from the Land Cruiser parked behind ours.

Armand, our game ranger, casts a reluctant look into the bush and then checks his rear-view mirror. 'Do you really want to know, Choert?' he asks, his eyes flicking to the 1 0 guests in his colleague's vehicle.

'Just tell me what you guys are looking at,' comes the reply.

'It's an ... ingwe.' The Zulu word for leopard sounds odd in Armand's Afrikaans accent. Young female, about 30m into the bush.'

"What's that?' someone whispers, but Choert doesn't wait to hear more. He throws his Land Cruiser into reverse and makes his way back up the path he has just come down, his bewildered guests bombarding him with questions, straining to see in the darkness.

The ingwe in question glances back at us briefly and with a flick of her tail she's gone. 'It always happens like that,' says Armand as we drive the last few hundred metres to the lodge. 'They never hang around for long.'

My quest to see a leopard in the wild began after I saw my first lion. It wasn't a case of ticking the Big Five off a list. I just happen to like cats. Big ones, small ones, it doesn't matter. Five years later I have seen nearly every wild feline, from caracal to cheetah, but leopards have always remained elusive. Ask any game ranger and he or she will tell you that they don't go looking for leopards on game drives because the cats are so shy and rarely seen. If you happen to come across one, it's just a happy coincidence.

But a place like Welgevonden Private Game Reserve is full of happy coincidences. An easy three-hour drive from OR Tambo, this relatively new reserve is only 1 7 years old and already it's holding its own. Offering superb accommodation, excellent game viewing and meals to salivate for, it's making its mark as one of the must-see bush breaks near Joburg.

Running one of the biggest elephant management programmes in the country, if not the world, Andre Burger, the reserve's conservation manager, is passionate about preserving the environment. 'So how is your elephant contraception scheme going?' I asked him one evening while enjoying a delicious dinner of lamb shank followed by Cape brandy pudding. Elephant populations are an emotive subject. With few natural predators, an unmonitored herd can double in size every 1 0 years, making culling an unfortunate solution. The team at Welgevonden is dedicated to managing the problem through a comprehensive contraception and collaring programme, choosing to vaccinate its cows against pregnancy using PZP (porcine zona pellucida), a harmless and reversible contraceptive administered with darts. 'Well,' Andre said, 'The females have received their doses, so we are making progress.' Perhaps not as much progress as he thinks- we had spotted a baby elephant earlier that afternoon.

He smiled. 'Elephant populations are interesting - their hierarchy and social structure is integral to how they live. We realised long ago that part of being an elephant is being in a group with a matriarch, some younger females, a few bulls that join during mating season and one or two babies. you can't take that away from them. That's what being an elephant is all about. So we always allow one female to fall pregnant, so that they have a little one to make up their structure.'

It is this kind of dedication and attention to detail, both to its guests and to the environment, that sets Welgevonden apart.

Publication: Diners Club Signature Magazine Published: January 2011, page 50, 51, 53, 54

Makweti Lodge, where we spent the first part of our stay, is cleverly situated next to a watering hole. It is a favourite spot for elephant, zebra, warthog and, of course, thieving monkeys, who want nothing more than to steal your morning muffins or, for some unknown reason, the shower caps from the outdoor showers.

All the lodges offer two game drives a day, usually lasting about three hours each (or more should you spot something really interesting). The morning drive starts at around 6:30 am and comes complete with your choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate and rusks or muffins. The afternoon drive at 4 pm includes sundowners and tasty snacks. Don't be surprised if your ranger pulls out a gas braai and starts a cookout right there in the bush - they really do go all out for you.

The following morning we headed out with our ranger, Lazarus. We'd heard the lions were on the move, but by the time we found them they were lazing in the sun doing what lions do best sleeping. Lion documentaries are the bane of any ranger's existence, because a year's footage is compressed into a half-hour slot filled with bloody kills, frantic mating and fierce confrontations. Tourists often arrive here expecting an action replay of these scenes, only to come across a group of bone-idle carnivores more concerned with their sunning regime than the grazing kudu.

As if to emphasise their lethargy, a male lion rolled on to his back opened one sleepy eye, snorted derisively and then went back to his sunbathing. The two cubs, on the other hand, were more than happy to pose for the camera as they frolicked around like oversized kittens.

Rangers have a rule that they always need to tell a bad joke and Lazarus did not disappoint.

Deadpan, he told us that warthogs always run with their eyes closed and their tight skin has to stretch to allow their eyelids to cover their eyes, forcing their tails up into the air. It's testimony to his convincing story-telling ability and hopefully not to our lack of knowledge that it took a few minutes before a Dutch tourist shouted incredulously from the back of the vehicle: 'He's having us on!'

We spent the night at Ekuthuleni Lodge, the lions sleeping practically on our doorstep. Few of Welgevonden's lodges are fenced, so you're not allowed to wander around unaccompanied after dark, not even to nip back to your room for a jersey.

Ekuthuleni really does have superb scenery as it is located on a grassy plain that is a hot spot for lion, waterbuck, impala and even the occasional cheetah. It's quite literally game viewing at its finest from your front porch, so we decided to forgo the evening drive and instead got comfortable out on the deck, drinking fine wine, snacking on biltong and admiring the African sunset.

Dinner was ostrich medallions in a red wine reduction followed by a rich and decadent chocolate mousse. The full English the following morning was equally impressive and I was shocked to hear that Anna and Cena, who did all the cooking, were not Michelin-star chefs. They could easily give any high-profile celebrity chef a run for their money.

Our final stop was Clifftop Lodge, where we would have to say our sad goodbyes and head back to life in front of a computer screen in a city office.

Clifftop, as one might gather from the name, is built on a cliff and the view is spectacular. Each suite has its own deck complete with a splash pool and outdoor shower. Despite the high altitude we were warned not to leave our doors open or we may end up with some unexpected house guests of the marsupial variety. It wasn't long before we saw how serious a warning this was, > Publication: Diners Club Signature Magazine Published: January 2011, page 50, 51, 53, 54

< when a young velvet monkey arrived on the deck he played peek-a-boo with me from behind a chaise lounge, while a baboon tried to figure out the best way to raid the minibar.

As we headed out on die last game drive of our visit, Armand asked me what I most wanted to see and I mumbled something about a leopard. He told me exactly what I expected to hear, with the additional titbit that there are only 23 of them on the entire 36 000 ha reserve. My chances weren't good, but would some hippos do instead? How about a rhino? There's one who sleeps just outside Clifftop Lodge. His name is old Faithful because he never moves. But leopards, No. Sorry. No can do. We did see the hippos, and Old Faithful put in an appearance too (although he was asleep and far less exciting than his gassy namesake). Even a barn owl and a scrub hare showed up, but after we were done with our snacks (Armand did in fact pull out a gas braai), we decided to head home. We'd been told we would be dining in the wine cellar and our beef medallions were calling to us.

As we rounded the final bend to the lodge, there she was, leaping out of the bush on to the road less than 1 5m in front of the car. A young leopard, barely-bigger than a fully grown caracal. She crouched in front of us, her ears back before slinking into the bush. 'Do you know what you're looking at?' Armand asked, a huge smile on his face.

I did! 'Wow, she really is a pretty one, easily the prettiest I've seen,' he added. I knew he had said this purely for my benefit, but I couldn't help but agree with him. She was beautiful.

We watched her for a minute or two before she disappeared altogether and Choert and his group of 1 0 went after her. They didn't find her.

Maybe it was just a happy coincidence, but as I fell asleep that night listening to the sounds of the bush, I allowed myself a sentimental moment. As the site of my first leopard encounter, Welgevonden would always be the cat's whiskers to me.

Use your Diners Club card to enjoy a bush break at Welgevonden Private Game Reserve.

To find out more or to book a stay, call 01 4 755 4392 or visit www.welgevonden.org

Images: Gallo/Getty Images & Supplied Words by Melanie Daly Publication: Diners Club Signature Magazine Published: January 2011, page 50, 51, 53, 54

The possibility of

wilderness

The news that you can now tweet from the top of Everest and get Facebook updates in its death zone got me thinking about wilderness. Is a tweetable place really wild?

I remember dialling home from Antarctica and thinking, 'Am I really in the most remote place on Earth?'

Wil.der.ness (wldr足ns) n.

1. An unsettled, uncultivated region left in its natural condition, especially余 a. A large wild tract of land covered with dense vegetation or forests余 b. An extensive area, such as a desert or ocean, which is barren or empty, a waste余 c. A piece of land set aside to grow wild, undisturbed by human activity 2. Something characterised by bewildering vastness, peril or unchecked profusion.

You can look up wilderness in a dictionary, no problem, but can it still be found in the world? Even in the unchecked profusion of central Sahara, the huge emptiness of the Pacific or the barren whiteness of Antarctica, human disturbance drifts over as industrial pollution, plastic waste swirls in vast gyres and global warming melts the polar ice.

In the distant past, our ancestors knew nothing of wilderness; it was simply where they hunted and huddled from the unpredictable elements and sabre-tooth cats. When they settled down as pastoralists and agriculturalists, it was merely land not yet tamed.

The idea of wilderness, it turns out, is relatively modern, coinciding with the loss of wilderness from the excesses of humankind's expansion in the 1 9th century. We only realised what wilderness was, it seems, when we began losing it.

I was puzzling over this irony with Andre Burger, conservation manager of Welgevonden Private Game Reserve, surrounded by the apparent wilds of the Waterberg. His job entailed an interesting paradox - to manage wilderness.

'People who come here to see nature raw in tooth and claw wouldn't believe the background work it takes to maintain a wild sense of place,' he said. Too many elephants can flatten a place,

Publication: Getaway Magazine Published: February 2011, page 46, 47

too many lions will eat you out of house and home. Elephants can roam more than 300 kilometres, so how big must an area be to be wilderness?

'We gazed out over seemingly pristine bushveld from the veranda of the elegant Makweti Safari Lodge as tea and delicious apricot tart were served. Andre looked at it and chuckled. 'Wilderness in its purest sense is no longer really possible. Our footprint is everywhere. But we're part of this planet, part of its natural processes.

'In a place like Welgevonden, we try to maintain biodiversity and species richness. But more importantly, it's about maintaining relationships in the system, understanding the matrix of life and managing that to the best of our ability. We're not God, we make mistakes. But over time, you build up a feeling for the place. You start to understand the web and to work with it.'

Wilderness, it seems, is not so much a place but a matter of degrees and depends on how you perceive it. Every step of early civilisation - up to and including the Industrial Revolution - was a struggle by humankind against wilderness. In the early days of colonialism, wilderness meant beyond the frontier - something that had to be driven back. There lay danger and heathens. It would have been very hard indeed to persuade people to protect what was thought of as a frightening wasteland of demons and beasts.

As Europe and America urbanised and wild lands were lost, however, thinkers such as John Muir and Henry Thoreau began campaigning in defence of wilderness, not merely to protect the environment but because, they said, without it we'd lose our sense of place in the world.

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilised people,' Muir wrote, 'are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.' Satan's home was gradually becoming God's temple.

The truth is that, although we've become increasingly domesticated into urban life, we're still wild in claw and feather, in glide and pounce and fury. In her book Wild, Jay Griffiths says: The human spirit has a primal allegiance to wild-ness, to really live, to snatch the fruit and suck it, to spill the juice.' We need to go back to the wild to be ourselves.

It's surprisingly easy to be wild. You just find a nice cool, comfortable wilderness and sit still in it for five minutes. Perfectly still. The natural world quickly comes back in around you - birds take up the songs they'd left off, small creatures scuttle through the grass. Soon the strangeness dissolves.

The longer you sit the better it gets, until you blend in, are accepted and become part of the land. You can eventually merge so perfectly that other creatures will pay you no more heed than an antelope or mongoose. You can become the creature you are, part of the delightful matrix of life on Earth. All it takes is the courage to do it. Unfortunately, those things that eat antelope may also decide to eat you - but that's what makes the place a wilderness.

So to rephrase the dictionary's definition:

wil.der足ness (wldr足ns)n.

1. An unsettled, uncultivated region of your heart left in its natural condition 2. Something characterised by the bewildering vastness of your being

Words by Don Pinnock Getaway Magazine Publication: Getaway Magazine Published: February 2011, page 46, 47

Conservative approach benefits

Waterberg biosphere has it all, game, flora, bird life and rock art and Bush Spa is situated in the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve and our visit there was not so much to visit a commercial, albeit a five-star lodge, but to discover what the conservancy and the owners are trying to achieve.

SHIBULA LODGE

Set in the Waterberg, a two-and-a half hour drive from Joburg, this region has been declared a biosphere by the UN. The lodge, which can accommodate a maximum of 1 6 guests, is one of 1 5 commercial lodges on this extensive property.

Aside from the commercial lodges there are also 52 private lodges in the conservancy. The owners of all the lodges work hand in hand in order to maintain, as well as improve, this biosphere. This is being done by manipulating certain areas to improve not only the game viewing but also the food source for the animals. As a Big Five malaria-free destination, it is one of the best areas in the region for attracting local and international tourists. But it is not only the game that attracts guests. Two recently discovered rock art sites, as well as many other historic and prehistoric sites, draw guests from academia as well.

And what would a bush visit be without a relaxing spa treatment? While my wife indulged in an African wood back massage, I decided to work off some of the meals we had enjoyed on the treadmill in the gym while watching squirrels playing on the thatch roof. And talking of meals... for once our waistlines were not assailed by the usual lodge meals of vast quantities of red meat and starch. The portions were not overpowering and the food was well prepared and presented.

Basil, the lodge manager, did say that many of the guests had commented favourably on the portion sizes. Shibula was named in honour of a black rhino from Namibia that was on display in a European zoo. Rescued and relocated back to Africa, she was the first rhino to produce calves after her release. The lodge is situated at the base of a cliff face that seemed to be home to a large troop of baboons as we could hear them screaming as they settled down for the night. For birders the area is home to about 350 species as well as many raptors and owls.

The jacuzzi on our back patio was an ideal spot to relax in while watching the baboons cavorting on the cliff face. Sitting there, I even had a cheeky squirrel pay me a visit. Although Welgevonden is situated in a non-malaria area, having a mozzie net around the bed just added a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;finishing touchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to our well-appointed bedroom. The use of succulents around our accommodation enhanced the ambience of each suite. But what is the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve trying to achieve when it comes to conservation in this area?

An early morning visit to a rock art site is just one of the ways in which the propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management is creating awareness among guests. The drawings at this particular site are believed to go back almost 3000 years, with the more recent work being done at least 300 years ago. (I defy any modern paint to last that length of time in exposed conditions.)

Publication: Saturday Star Travel Published: 7 August 2010, page 6, 7

animals and discerning guests - plus its mosquito free. Writes David Batzofin.

The second part of our Welgevonden adventure took us to Makweti Safari Lodge, which can accommodate a maximum of 1 0 guests and is a haven of peace and tranquillity. Originally designed as a family home, its various nooks and crannies are filled with interesting art and artefacts. The curio shop is one of the best we have seen during our visits to a variety of lodges The staff were friendly and attentive and we were shown around the facilities with pride. The Inbaba Lounge and its outside deck are one of the highlights of Life is purr-fed for this lion at the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg area. the lodge. The deck overlooks a waterhole and our arrival was greeted by a family of warthogs rooting around in the mud. A quote from the guest information package reads: ‘We recommend that on sighting a lion or leopard you retreat to the lounge area.’ This understated calm seemed to be mirrored in the staff as well. Picture - Makweti Safari Lodge The main lounge, dining room and bar are housed together in a building that looks out over an almost endless valley. Guarded by an oversized hand-carved door, this space is light, airy and comfortable. The accommodation and its decor is pure African, with no detail being left to chance. (All the light switches are marked for easy identification.) Tea, coffee, water and biscuits are supplied on a complementary basis for guests. Makweti is a member of the Chaine De Rotisseure and the meals reflected the reason for this proud association.

On our second early morning game drive, Johan, our ranger, provided us with a sighting of lions that had eluded us the day before. Unfortunately the pesky pachyderms we kept our eyes open for on return to camp continued to elude us.

The brunch which awaited us soon took the place of the elusive grey ghosts and our group tucked into fresh fruit, cereal and pancakes followed by a delicious hot breakfast of sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs.

The extensive biodiversity, which includes the extraordinary geological and cultural features, make it a ‘must-visit’ destination.

On our last night we shared drinks with a Belgian couple out on the open plains. With a bevy of spotted eagle owls watching and a rhino mom and her calf snuffling close by we saw space debris falling from the sky while we watched a spectacular African sunset. Although it was our last night we were not sad that our trip was over, we were happy because it had happened It is moments like this when we are glad to be living in Africa.

For further information check www.welgevonden.org Publication: Saturday Star Travel Published: 7 August 2010, page 6, 7

The bedroom of our luxury suite at the Makweti Safari Lodge on the Welgevonden Private Game Reserve.

Our bathroom at Ekuthuleni Lodge had huge windows and looked out to a stream and secluded outdoor shower.

Great game viewing, spectacular scenery, luxury accommodation and superb hospitality marks a visit to the lodges of Welgevonden, a 36 000 hectare private game reserve on the Waterberg plateau north of Joburg. Rodney Louw wrote the story and Karen Sandison took the pictures.

THERE was no hooting or road rage when we got caught in a traffic jam. After all, we were out in big-sky country and the obstacle was a herd of white rhino. Four game-viewing vehicles had stopped to wait for the four rhino to move off the road. It was a perfect photo opportunity and we were to have many more at Welgevonden, which is virtually unsurpassed in Big Five sightings and is, to boot malaria-free. It is less than 300km north ofJoburg, a drive of about three hours.

There’s a bumpy, pot-holed sectionof the road between Modimolle (Nylstroom) and Vaalwater, but from there to the reserve’s main gate on the R51 0 we just needed to watch out for cattle moving across the road. Welgevonden is also accessible by charter aircraft and helicopter.

As no private cars are allowed on the reserve, we were picked up at thegate by a guide, Jonas Phago. He was kind enough to stop often for game viewing and photography, so it took almost two hours to arrive at the Ekuthuleni Lodge in the centre of the reserve. Jonas, who has been at Welgevonden for 1 3 years, was a mine of information, naming bird, mammal and tree species on request.

The lodge is set against a hilly backdrop, with a watering hole about 1 00m away on a grassy plain. It also has a sunken open-air boma and braai area. On our arrival, we were greeted by the entire staff complement of seven – that’s the maximum allowed to each concession, so everyone multitasks. Jonas was to act also as barman, head waiter and wine steward. When lunch was served - blackened chicken breast salad with potato wedges, presented enthusiastically by chef Selby Ledwaba - we knew that we were in for a weekend of pampering.

Publication: The Star, Verve Supplement Published: 8 June 2010, page 10

On the evening game drive, besides coming across the rhino, we had a close encounter with an extremely large bull elephant which mockcharged our vehicle, head rolling and ears flapping; a truly awesome beast. On returning to camp, we were welcomed with a sherry then unwound with drinks on the deck. At about 1 0pm we enjoyed a threecourse meal, the most memorable part of which was a spicy Moroccan soup. Then we retired to our chalet.

After the morning game drive the next day, we were transported to the Makweti Lodge in the north, situated in the Makweti Gorge and surrounded by giant euphorbia trees. Again we were greeted by the entire staff. Our private suite had a Victorian bath, its own viewing deck overlooking a river and its own private splash pool. Other extras included bathrobes and bedroom slippers, a fully stocked bar fridge, fruit bowl, cookies with coffee and tea and, naturally, a chocolate on the pillow. The Indaba lounge near the lodge’s main entrance is eye-level with a watering hole at which zebra, impala, warthog and giraffe often drink. Run by husband and wife team Jacques and Marieza van Wyk, Makwell is, in fact, a dual concession and so employs more than seven staff and has two game viewing vehicles, which means good personalised service.

At lunch, we had vegetarian lasagne with a Greek salad and the best lemon meringue I’ve tasted. The guests at Makweti included three couples - from the US, Germany and Holland.

Conversation at the supper table centred on the game drives and the various sightings, as well as the beauty of the Waterberg.

The drive on our second evening started off perfectly. As we were about to leave the lodge, there, in front of us, a mere 50m away, a giraffe bull browsed nonchalantly, grasping the top most leaves with a long purple tongue. He was probably making his way to the waterhole at the front of the lodge.

As our vehicle continued on the gravel roads traversing much of the Welgevonden’s 36,000 hectares, we had news over the radio of a special photo opportunity. We made our way to the appointed spot, stopping along the way to photograph a kudu bull which obliged by turning to show its regal head crowned with spiralling horns.

We rounded a bend and came across a pride of lions - a matriarch, two adult males with full dark manes, a two-year-old male sporting a stubbly mane and two year-old cubs. Restless, the cubs nudged and prodded at the rest of the pride, trying to get a response. Then they headed in our direction, followed closely by the adult female and then by the males. We held our breaths and moved to the centre of the vehicle, as they sauntered by, agonisingly close, flicking glances in our direction. The pride had moved barely 200m before lying down in the road to rest.

The cubs continued to prowl restlessly, occasionally sniffing the air as if frying to pick up the scent of prey. As dusk closed in, we watched five of the pride move off up the hill and disappear into the bush about 1 00m away. The other game-viewing vehicles left, but our guide, Jacques van Wyk, decided to linger. We sat quietly in the approaching darkness listening to the orchestra of sounds and watching the lone male rolling in the long grass nearby. Suddenly he stood up, assumed a stalking position and moved forward. After what seemed like an eternity and having advanced a mere 300m towards a thicket, he sprang forward. A squeal, a roar more squeals, then silence. A warthog had become a lion snack.

The next day we moved to the Shibula Lodge and Bush Spa in the central part of Welgevonden, a drive that took at least 45 minutes. We were greeted by the entire staff including manager Carl Vorster, who welcomed us with a chilled cocktail. Shibula is sited near a gorge from which a steep cliff ascends. Its watering hole, 50m from the viewing deck, is frequented mainly by waterbuck. It also has a huge boma and braai area. Our accommodation at this five starodge was the presidential suite, which consists of two rooms, a lounge with a fully stocked bar fridge and satellite TV and a spa bath and two showers, one inside and one out.

Publication: The Star, Verve Supplement Published: 8 June 2010, page 10

Established in 1 993, the reserve borders the Marakele National Park on the Waterberg plateau in Limpopo. Conservation manager Dave Powrie is extremely passionate about all the programmes in place, including those dealing with elephant contraception (to manage numbers), leopard research, monitoring of blue crane breeding and grassland management.

Welgevonden has 1 6 privately owned commercial lodges. They are sited and built in such a way that they almost merge with the landscape. With thatched roofs and wooden decks, some are constructed from rock hewn from the area. Stone pathways lead to the individual chalets.

Each lodge has its own ambience. There are lodges to suit honeymooners, couples without children and families. There are also two self-catering lodges, with guided drives optional. All have a main viewing deck overlooking a watering hole. One can relax with a glass of wine on the deck while taking in the sounds of the bush and viewing the game. The rooms and chalets are stylishly furnished and have fine linens and luxury pamper products. Most rooms have an outside shower as well.

The service is almost faultless and, as the lodges are individually managed and operated, very personal. The cuisine is of gourmet quality - three scrumptious meals a day.

All the lodges have qualified rangers, well-maintained game-viewing vehicles and twice-daily game drives. There is ample opportunity to view the wildlife and survey the natural beauty that is the Waterberg. Welgevonden Private Game Reserve satisfies all the expectations of a true African safari.

To spend one night at each lodge (Ekuthuleni, Makweti and Shibula) over an extended weekend serves only to whet oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appetite for a return visit. For more info visit www.welgevonden.org

Picture - Andre Burger, Welgevonden Publication: The Star, Verve Supplement Published: 8 June 2010, page 10

Picture - Andre Burger, Welgevonden

Enter the world of Welgevonden Nick van der Leek WELGEVONDEN PRIVATE GAME RESERVE in the Waterberg Biosphere, just 3 hours outside Johannesburg, has been shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion. The area has a special quality even to the untrained eye. Pristine dry deciduous forests cover rolling hillsides as far as the eye can see, so that eventually the hillsides collaborate to form a series of monochrome sea blue waves that stretch and soften towards the distant horizon. It is not hard to imagine that here wildlife has been allowed to thrive undisturbed by the interference of man for a very long time. What is surprising is that such unspoiled abundance exists so close to Gauteng.

Picture - Nicolene Burger, Welgevonden The folks at Welgevonden, a 36 000 hectare Game Reserve in southern Limpopo, have found the trick to both conserving the unique biodiversity, and offering a game viewing experience par excellence. For starters, visitors are expected to leave their vehicles at the gate, which means driving within the reserve is reduced to a minimum. Vehicles that are permitted are few and far between and are, without exception, a non-invasive British racing green.

A young guide called Brett met us at the gate, and a few beers later, we were winding our way through sandstone formations that were once the home of the Bushmen. Only a few minutes into the drive we saw an Eland. Moments later a huge white-chested bird broke out of the bush canopy nearby, which Brett identified as Africa's largest eagle. The Marshall Eagle, we learned, has had its conservation status uplisted recently to ‘near threatened'. From there the road lifted us onto a saddle affording stunning views of the Waterberg.

Whilst driving through the yellow flames of autumn, between silver-leafs and Pierneef's iconic mountain seringas, it is easy to see why so many animals make this beautiful place their home.

The same natural beauty applies to our ancestors making this their hunting grounds for millennia, something they paint over and over on the surrounding red rocks. It turns out that our ancestors were here going back much further than the Bushmen.

Three-million-year-old skeletons of Australopithecus africanus and Homo erectus have been found in the area, particularly around Makapansgat. And it is evident that the Waterberg is the apex of geological events that once shaped the world. The Igneous base of the Waterberg collided with the Supercontinent Gondwana, splitting it into the modern continents. The fact that an area of such significance survives today in such pristine condition is exceptional.

An amusing but true story surrounds the arrival of Dutch settlers, who were hellbent on discovering Jerusalem. Having started their journey in Cape Town, by the time they reached the Waterberg they believed they'd found Egypt and the source of the Nile [hence the nomenclature of the local settlement, Nylstroom]. Perhaps they were bewitched by the paradise they found themselves in, and started losing track of reality.

During our drive to our Lodge, we saw giraffe, impala, baboons, zebra, waterbuck and rhinoceros. Brett stopped on numerous occasions to explain spoor and vegetation. At one point he stopped to pick up the only litter we saw on the entire trip - a discarded bottle of Savannah.

Publication: Gotravel24.com Published: April 2010, http://www.gotravel24.com/theme/bush/enter­world­welgevonden

Interestingly the grasslands have very large Fig trees dotted about, which one can't help associating with ‘Hometree' in AVATAR. In fact the AVATAR allusion fits when you consider the incredible diversity of animals, not only all of the Big Five [we saw lions and rhino], but also the Small Five [an ant lion] and the Ugly Five [we saw warthogs and wildebeest].

The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly on an early morning game drive with Jacques, from the Makweti Lodge. We heard cackling monkeys and shortly afterward a cheetah emerged, walked nonchalantly through the grass, then slumped on an open patch of red Earth. Soon after the cheetah wandered onto the road and lay there watching us for several minutes.

But it wasn't only the Cheetah sightings, or the lions that made the trip memorable. Thanks to the expert-knowledge of the guides at Welgevonden, you might get to hear a cackling mafazi [Arrowmarked babbler], or find out the traditional use of the blinkblaar wag-‘n- bietjie [Buffalo Thorn] or meet apex predators like - the Nile Crocodile.

Some of our most fascinating experiences in Welgevonden were at night - the discovery of a giant sand cricket [which sounds like a wind-up car when threatened] and an eagle owl standing in the road, blinking at us.

There is always something special about areas where our early ancestors are known to have lived, especially when these areas remain intact. Most extraordinary places these days are usually so far from human habitation that they're difficult and expensive to visit. Welgevonden [literally ‘place found to be good'] is one of those rare places that its guardians have preserved. It has to be said: it is a place worth preserving, and a place worth being in.

Since the area is forested, autumn offers beautiful colors while the advantage of a winter visit means there is less opportunity for the animals to hide. During this time the warm days are bright and clear, nights - especially during June, July and August - are cold. It's important to note that this is a private game reserve, thus only those who have made prior bookings can enter the reserve.

Welgevonden has 1 0 luxury lodges that are cleverly integrated into the surrounding landscape and insodoing they provide a wonderful opportunity for visitors to leave their troubles behind and enter the world anew.

For more information visit www.welgevonden.org

Picture - Gerhardt Lorist - Welgevonden Publication: Gotravel24.com Published: April 2010, http://www.gotravel24.com/theme/bush/enter­world­welgevonden

Look out, Lassie. There’s a new hero in town – in a massive coup for the conservation of

wild animals outside game reserves, the Anatolian livestock guarding dog has proved such a furry good guardian of goats, sheep and cattle that losses to predators have been reduced by 95 to 1 00 percent.

‘The dogs are a non-lethal, environmentally friendly way to protect your livestock,’ says Deon Cilliers, manager of The Livestock Guarding Dog Project, part of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Program. In the past, gin-traps, poisons and bullets were used.

The ancient shepherds, originally from Turkey, where they once fended off bears and wolves, were introduced in Limpopo about four years ago – to protect livestock from cheetahs, hyenas, caracals, jackals and leopards. Taking part in the project is a no-brainer: farmers are given pups (worth R3 500), plus free food (sponsored by Eukanuba) and veterinary treatment for the first year.

Training starts at eight weeks, when puppies meet their new ‘family’ of goats, sheep or cattle.

‘The dog stays in the kraal with a few of the goats or sheep for at least a monthand-a-half to two months,’ says Deon, who monitors dogs regularly. Then, at four months old the dog goes out with the herd and he will stay with them 24 hours a day.

If a predator approaches, the dog moves out of the herd and starts barking. ‘He’s got a very large bark and he is intimidating as well.’ Dogs are muscular and tough, weighing 45 to 70kg, and are about the height of an adult goat. But they’re not hunters and are never fed meat, only dog pellets, Deon says.

There are about 70 Anatolian dogs in Limpopo and they’ve been such a hit Deon says the only thing stopping him from placing more is funding.

Those who want to help can adopt a dog for R5 000. ‘They get monthly photos, reports, naming rights and are contributing towards the conservation of predators.’

011 -486-11 02 www.ewt.org.za

Publication: Khuluma ­ Kulula in­flight Magazine Published: May 2010, page 76, 77

Why do Anatolians make good guardians?

The urge is very strong in these dogs to bond with a group of something – in America, they’ve used them to protect turkeys from coyotes. It prefers to be with a herd. They actually make very good guard dogs for people as well.

Does the dog ever get lonely?

Not at all. He’s with his ‘family’ of goats or sheep, which he actually wants to be with. Some dogs sleep right on top of the cattle. They cuddle up to them at night.

Do dogs ever fight predators?

When the predator enters a kraal at night. We’ve had jackals and brown hyenas entering the kraals. Normally the dog will not kill it, but if it’s cornered and the predator wants to get into a fight, the dog is going to chow him. Two of my dogs have been in fights with leopards O the dogs came away with a few bite marks, the leopards moved off and never came close to the cattle again.

We take the dog to the vet, the dog gets stitched up, they are very hardy and very committed, and the next day they are out with the herd again.

DOGGONE GOOD Farmers and leopards can sleep easy around Welgevonden Private Game Reserve. This good neighbour has sponsored 1 0 Anatolian livestock guarding dogs, with five placed on farms on its borders, allowing predators to pad safely through farmland and conservation areas in this corner of the vast Waterberg biosphere reserve. A big bonus for leopards, free movement ensures genetic diversity and a sustainable population. Visitors can even watch the sentinels at work.

Malaria-free Welgevonden, set over 35 000 hectares of mountain wilderness and only a 2.5-hour drive from Jo’burg, is home to the Big Five.

Luxury accommodation includes Makweti Safari Lodge, which sponsored two dogs and has romantic thatch-and-stone suites from R2,200 pps per night. www.welgevonden.org

Publication: Khuluma ­ Kulula in­flight Magazine Published: May 2010, page 76, 77