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

  
 

December 2004

  
 

Read about events at Djuma Game Reserve
 

Vuyatela

Bush Lodge
 
 

for more information visit www.djuma.com

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This newsletter is archived in the Drumbeat section of our web site
Editor: Pippa Moolman
 
       
 
The above images are from the live Internet cameras that Djuma runs on the AfriCam.com web site. All images from the Djuma Safari Cam are by Helen - "virtual game ranger" and those on the Vuyatela Cam mostly by Pippa.
 
Editorial
Thanks to the La Grand family and the Peakes
Just as the last newsletter went out, we received a couple of boxes full of school supplies for the crèche. For our new readers, Djuma Game Reserve is actively involved with community development in the rural areas bordering the reserve. We believe that the only way to sustain our pristine wilderness areas is to look after the neighbouring communities. We do this not only by employing seventy people, but we have also built two schools and a media center with the help of the Buffelshoek Education Trust.
However, we still rely the help of our guests through cash donations and pre-school supplies for the day to day running of the crèches. Having said that, the teachers and staff at Djuma would like to thank Aline & Christiane Le Grand, from Paris, France and Caroline & Christione La Grand from Tinteniac, France. We would also like to thank Timothy & Mary Peake, from Davisburg, Michigan in the USA for their kind and generous offerings. These gifts are very much needed, and appreciated.

 
 
Bush Lodge  
Galago

A warm welcome after a fun-packed November with the bush providing its usual magic again. Thankfully it rained in the early part of the month, transforming the bush from its dry winter coat to a lush dense green with a hive of activity all around. The bugs are out! The termites are suicidal! The frogs are so happy... they let us know this all night long!! Basically, the bush at present is one endless wildlife orchestra. The early rains have brought much needed relief from the endless heat and started the spring ball rolling. The impala lambs have appeared and the woodland kingfishers have returned - their enthusiastic trilling away heralding the migratory return of many other species. Amongst other seasonal visitors we have seen is the Steppe Buzzard, returning all the way from Russia and the Lesser Spotted Eagle from Eastern Europe. The game spotting from the Lodge - in and around the water pan - has been fantastic, with several afternoon drinking sessions for large herds of Buffalo. At night we have had sightings of Lions, Hyena and Leopard (the leopard we call 2-2) all taking a quick drink before continuing on their nightly missions. We did have an exciting moment at dinner one evening with our guests (Steven and Kiki from Holland, as well as Tripp and Laura from Washington D.C.) when whilst we were seated in the boma we spotted the female leopard, KalKol, casually walking through the middle of the camp taking a short cut to the drainage line below Liane's house. Chris and Morris, with Mr. Aas and his daughter Daniela from Norway, spent a few days looking for Lions and were finally rewarded with a sighting of 13 of them on the Kruger boundary. This is one of the largest prides to be sighted in recent years and we are all hopeful that they become frequent visitors to the area. Life and Lynneth have returned from their leave with their newborn baby boy called Olly who has all the ladies going oooh and aaah. Edward is back with us for two months having spent sometime in Europe working in France at a Chateau. Chris and Kim went to Johannesburg as the Bush lodge representatives to the ?0th birthday of Suzi Holtzhausen (our culinary consultant extraordinaire) and the feed back is that they kept the Bush Lodge reputation high with Kim singing on the stage and Chris being hot property on the dance floor. The party went on and on and on...our lips are sealed!! Liane spent some time in England watching some rather embarrassing rugby from the South African team - congratulations to those more fortunate!
We wish everyone all the best for the forthcoming festive season. May you all have a peaceful and happy Christmas and we look forward to being in touch again in the New Year.
Seasons Greetings
Liane, Kim, Edward and all at Bush Lodge

What a month this had been with just under 90mm of rain! The bush is so lush and green that we have almost forgotten the last two lean seasons. Baby animals and birds are all over the place; along with the woodland kingfishers' calls resonating throughout the balmy day, there is no doubt summer is here. It is a tough call wondering if the impala lambs or the zebra foals are cuter, but maybe we will have to wait for young wildebeest to start falling to make a reasonable decision! Throw in the tiny monkeys for the cuteness factor, and we are back to square one!
The predators are fat and healthy, mostly due to the abundance of impala lambs. Guests of Lex Hes were lucky enough to see a lion take a lamb on an evening drive. The following morning they saw the cheetah mother with her three sub-adult cubs take no less than two young impalas. There seems to have been a merge of two large buffalo herds, their numbers easily in excess of 500 strong, and what a sight they are. Naturally, there are also scattered dagga boys (buffalo bulls) around the big herd, which makes bush walks all the more exciting. We have also been seeing more and more rhinos lately, not only the great beasts themselves, but their scrapings along the roads and their ever-growing middens. Leopard sightings have been erratic, but when we do see them, it will be two or three different individuals over the course of a drive.
With that being said, all the signs are here for a truly festive season.
May the African stars continue to light the way and the Galago team wishes all our visitors a happy Christmas and New Year.
   
Vuyatela

 
Well, the bush is a pretty picture of green hues after some delightful rain over the past weeks. The flamboyant tree is starting to flower over the main deck in a bright red extravaganza. The bougainvilleas around camp are looking amazing too, not to mention the jacarandas. Now, we appreciate the fact that they are not indigenous to the area, but these huge, beautiful specimens, provide cool shade and plenty of colour during the hot summer days.
We have seen the return of most of the birds that move north during our winter. The trill of the Woodland Kingfisher can be heard from early in the morning again. With the recent rains, there are baby Impalas left, right and center. The Nyalas around the lodge are also sporting a few new arrivals, as are the Waterbuck and Zebra. The general game in and around Vuyatela is out of this world. We have had numerous herds of Buffalo come for water at Gowrie dam. We have also seen the female Cheetah and her three female cubs around the area over the last while. She was seen stunning a baby Impala and handing it over to the cubs to improve their hunting skills. Helen found an awesome Leopard kill on a heavily pregnant Impala ewe just off the road to Vuyatela at Sandy Patch. The hippos at Buffelshoek dam have provided many hours of entertainment for guests enjoying sundowners. The old male Hippo in the dam at the lodge has been providing us with some great sounds from the water.
Helen Rohrs has taken up her passion for the bush in the form of our trainee ranger at Vuyatela. She has spent a month driving with Nick, Charles and Solly and has had favourable comments from guests. She will be taking over the whole safari experience as a full time guide in due course, so watch this space for an update.
We have had a lot of honeymooners on safari this month that have come to the bush to relax after their post wedding frenzies. Congratulations to all. We also had a delightful couple from Germany tying the knot. Uwe and Kati Katzor got married quietly beside the splendors of Gowrie dam. Marietjie and Solly, Andrew and Mark were on hand to witness the romantic ceremony with Pippa controlling the Vuyatela cam so that all the family and friends back home could have a look-see on the internet. Just as we started, a huge male Hippo came trotting down Central road and into the dam. We had the Egyptian geese bobbing around the water too. The ceremony took place just before sun set so the bush was alive with the most romantic light one could imagine. After a glass or two of bubbly to celebrate, Solly and Andrew drove the newly weds off into the African bush to see the sights of the wilds.
We also welcomed back some of our wonderful guests, or rather, familiar friends. Vincent and Tony were with us for two days bringing along Leon and Christina for their first visit. Jean-Paul, Zet and Dauphine Chenivier were here too, for a good rest and we also had Michael and Carla Bonner with us again along with their family. Imagine all these return guests over the same weekend, a real reunion of old friends. We also had return visits from Angela Giffin; unfortunately, her husband was working so she was on her own enjoying the sights and sounds. Anton and Marianne Wood popped in for a night to relax as well as Tony de Paiva, our computer guru, who came to stay for a weekend. Johan Lombard brought his lovely girlfriend Katrina for a visit. Veronique Breugelmans was also with us for a while taking a break from the international world of design. Sarah Pharo popped in with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend for a night after spending two nights at Bush lodge. Francois Myberg came for a weekend break with his family and Rynhartd from Ourway Travel popped in for quick nights stay as well. Great to see you all again!
Jimmy Mhlanga left with Sarah Pharo for a week in the fairest Cape. He spent time in her beautiful new home while touring the Cape Town. John and Jan Stamper, Chris's parents, along with his brother, took Jimmy on a couple of tours around the peninsula. Helen and Jade also opted for a little break to Cape Town where they met up with Jimmy at Sarah's home for a good dinner and chat. We wish to congratulate Elvis and Lilly Siwela on the birth of their daughter. Aubrey, our master tracker, is also recovering well after he broke his wrist. He will return to the tracker's seat in January.
Repairs began to our main deck at the Lodge. There were a couple of beams around the pond that needed replacing so we undertook the mammoth task of getting it all sorted out. The deck should now be ready for another five years of use!
May we all take this time to wish our guests - past, present and future - all the best for the festive season.
Mark and the Vuyatela team.
 
Join us next month and share our experiences as the seasons march on.
 
 
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P. O. Box 338, Hluvukani, 1363, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Tel: (+ 27 13) 735 5118
Fax: (+ 27 13) 735 5070
 



 
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