In the African night, the beat of a drum means news...

October 2007

Read about events at Djuma Game Reserve

Bush Lodge

Vuyatela

for more information visit www.djuma.com

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This newsletter is archived in the Drumbeat section of our web site

The first three weeks of September was very hot and dry. We ended the month with cooler, cloudy weather which covered most of South Africa and led to 44mm of rain.
Lodge sightings have been great, especially when White Cloth female leopard was spotted in the camp during an afternoon drive. Chris and Abel happened to be tracking White Cloth for the first hour of the game drive. Little did they know that the spoor led them straight back to camp! Clever White Cloth realized that there was a vehicle behind her when she bumped into Julie and Kim in front of her. To solve her problem, she simply turned off on the path leading to Chalet 5. In the mean time Chris was on the radio to warn the ladies to quickly turn back to the camp as White Cloth continued down her "cat walk" towards the main building. Julie and Kim didn't know which way to go and they finally they just held onto each other and retreated to safety. It must have been terrifying for them at the time, but made for a great bush tale later on when their nerves steadied as White Cloth chose to lie down close to the waterhole. This is also where most of the other action was happening around the lodge: warthogs, elephants, hyenas, and wildebeest, among others were seen seeking relief on most hot days. A large elephant bull seemed to take humour in pulling down some old trees in front of chalet 6, which offer support to our thin strands of electrified wires surrounding the camp. Luckily for him the strands are only switched on at night, so one can only guess that he knew what he was doing; yes, to annoy our maintenance men!
As the cooler weather approached from the south, so did an unknown male leopard. He was spotted at the waterhole taking a drink just before the drive returned in the evening. It was not a good day for the resident bushbuck around camp, as they appeared to be the target of his attention. He did not manage to catch one although he made several attempts. There is also a chance that he smelled the regular comings and goings of White Cloth and we look forward to possible further sightings of him. Our guests had a quick sighting of some African wild dogs at Gowrie gate. They came from the direction of Manyeleti and headed south beyond our traversing area, so we had to let them proceed without us.
Most of our September honeymooners were experiencing their first visits to the African bush. Congratulations to Catherine and Matthew, Ronald and Katherine, Andrea and Reizen, David and Penelope as well as Alan and Darcey. We believe they had wonderful time at Djuma and we would like to wish them all the best for their lives together.
On the staff front, Mandla celebrated his birthday with the Bush Lodge crew together with a farewell party for Julie, who returned to the UK. Nester celebrated her ten year anniversary at Bush Lodge. Morris also celebrated his birthday and his chef wife, Eunice, made him a beautiful cake. Everyone at the breakfast table sung for him in true Bush Lodge spirit, with guests and staff alike sharing in the occasion. Djuma Bush Lodge would like wish all of them best wishes for the coming years.
On a sadder note, we bid farewell to Chris and Kim after many years as part of our Djuma family. They will be spending some time in the UK and then return to settle in the Cape. We will be seeing Chris again as he embarks on a new aspect of his career as a private guide. We hope that Kim will come and visit when Harry is a little older so that he can learn of his bush roots. Thanks to both of them for adding a spark of fun and humour that touched everyone that got to know them.
With that said, we extend a warm welcome to Anet van Niekerk who will be leading the team. Anet is a chef by training and has managed establishments in the UK and South Africa. We also welcome James Carty as Bush Lodge's new guide. James was working in the Pilanesburg and is settling in well with the new landscape and Djuma way of life. James' girlfriend Andy Carty will be volunteering at the lodge for the next couple of months.
Until next month, best wishes from Bush Lodge.

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Djuma Game Reserve
P. O. Box 338, Hluvukani, 1363, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Tel: (+ 27 13) 735 5118
Fax: (+ 27 13) 735 5070
 

 
Webmaster: Jurie Moolman