Welgevonden Private Game Reserve

Media Portfol io

www.bigpicture.co.za

Welgevonden Private Game Reserve is located on theWaterberg Plateau in Limpopo Province, bordering Marakele National Park, aneasy three hour drive north of Johannesburg. The 37 500 hectare reserve supportsa diverse flora of rol l ing wooded mountains scored by deep rocky ravines andstriking gorges giving way to grassy plains. The vegetation, together with the area’shigh altitude, temperate cl imate and malaria free environment, create an idealyear-round safari destination.

Welgevonden is home to over 50 different mammals, including the Big Five. Six ofthe mammals are Red Data species. The pangolin, cheetah and lion are regardedas “Vulnerable”, the brown hyaena, honey badger and serval as “Near-threatened”.The mountain reedbuck is the only endemic mammal so far recorded atWelgevonden. There are rare and unusual species too, such as aardwolf andaardvark – all best seen at night. The grassy plains abound with antelope from thelargest eland to the diminutive duiker. I t is the diversity of habitat on the reservethat encourages such a wide range of wildl ife as well as over 250 bird species,including rare blue cranes.

Guests at Welgevonden Private Game Reserve enjoy unlimited traversing throughthe reserve and experience an environment where biodiversity conservation andgame viewing are managed in harmony. Welgevonden protects an unique andspecial environment and the reserve’s management is deeply committed toongoing conservation research and development. All landowners of bothcommercial and noncommercial lodges adhere to an unwavering commitment tothe reserve’s conservation and management policies.

The evocative wilderness area offers an exclusive, intimate experience of theAfrican bush with only a l imited number of guests having access to the reserve atany one time. No private vehicles are permitted, which ensures minimal humanimpact and the ultimate wilderness experience. Historical ly, wildl ife on the reservehas never been hunted so game viewing is always up close and personal. There isalso ancient and delicate Bushman rock art on Welgevonden.

Welgevonden is certainly one of the finest places to watch wildl ife, sensewilderness and touch the spirit of true Africa.

Country Life Magazine'Secret Waterberg' - October 2011

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

Getaway Magazine'The possibi l ity 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' - Apri l 201 0

Khuluma Magazine'Wuff-tactics' - May 201 0

Contents

Useful Links:Welgevonden Private Game Reservewww.welgevonden.orgWaterberg Biospherewww.waterbergbiosphere.orgUNESCO World Heritage WaterbergBiosphere< click here >History of the Waterberg< click here >

Find us:Directions<click here>24, 12' 6.70 S27, 54' 9.15 E

http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?mode=all&code=SAF+03

http://www.waterbergnatureconservancy.com/history_of_the_conservancy.10.html#History%20of%20the%20Conservancy

http://www.welgevonden.org/about/directions.htm

Find us:Directions<click here>24, 12' 6.70 S27, 54' 9.15 E

Publication: Country Life MagazinePublished: October 2011, pages 54 59

WWAATTEERRBBEERRGGSSeeccrreett


WWAATTEERRBBEERRGG

II nn tthhee wwii ll dd WWaa

tteerrbbeerrggii ss aa

pprrii vvaatteeggaammee r

reesseerrvvee

dd ii ffffeerreenn tt ffrroomm

wwhhaatt yyoouu ’’ dd

eexxppeecctt–– aanndd i

i tt wwoorrkkss..

II nn tthhee wwii ll dd WWaa

tteerrbbeerrggii ss aa

pprrii vvaatteeggaammee r

reesseerrvvee

dd ii ffffeerreenn tt ffrroomm

wwhhaatt yyoouu ’’ dd

eexxppeecctt–– aanndd i

i tt wwoorrkkss..


SECONDS BEFORE THE MALE LION appeared, impala had been floating through our headlight

beams like horned ghosts. Then Stuart Hil l switched off the l ights. "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 l ike a kid at a lol l ipop stand. There was a grunt, then the sound of something being

dragged. Stuart turned on the spotl ight to reveal the beast with its jaws clamped round the throat

of a large male impala, its l impid eyes black with terror The lion moved off, straddl ing the

antelope with strides l ike a bandy sailor, then dropped it to face the challenge of circl ing pride

members. A female moved in and received a smack on her nose. She flattened, snarl ing, her

ears back and her tai l lashing. First come, it seemed, first served. We watched the stand-off unti l

the pride settled down to eat, then headed back to Metsi Lodge for dinner, organised by Stuart's

wife, Tamsin.

Unti l a few weeks previously I 'd never heard of Metsi, run by the hospitable Hil ls, or even

Welgevonden, the sprawling private Waterberg game reserve in which it's situated. That's partly

because I l ive at the other end of South Africa, but also because the reserve is sti l l cloaked in the

quiet privacy of its origins and mysterious remoteness. The Waterberg is a vast place, covering

around 1 5 000 square kilometres. I t'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 inaccessibi l ity 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 natural ist 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.


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 special ised game-drive vehicles were allowed.

There are now around 51 lodges, al l 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 l ip 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 pil low. I t even had a private plunge pool and a

view of hil ls that rol led 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 al l this wilderness looked after itself because it was . . .well . . . wild, was rapidly

dismantled by Welgevonden's conservation

manager, Andre Burger, who came over for tea

and some wickedly decadent cakes.

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

"You have to manage systems to stay wild. I f 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

initial ly 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 entai led darting

al l the breeding cows from a helicopter once a

year. The contraception programme has been so

successful we skipped some cows last year to

al low them to breed. I mean, what's a herd of

elephants without floppy-trunk babies about?”

“Same with l ions. You have limited prides so

there's no cub mortal ity and the males all survive

because there are no territorial fights. We tried

contraception with the l ionesses 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. I t's a

contradiction, but there you are."

I f wild Welgevonden was something of an il lusion,

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 tel l

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 unl ike Makweti, which is real ly a

boutique hotel. I ts owned by French-born, London

based businessman Marc Pereire, who lets out

the whole lodge when he's not in residence.


^ Makweti Lodge is

unfenced so there's

always the possibi l ity

of a predator

dropping in for

dinner, though the

boma fence would

deter al l but a

leopard.

> Andre Burger,

Welgevonden;s

conservation

manager, has seen

the reserve develop

from a good idea to a

world-class park.


I t has several luxurious cabins strung along a boardwalk connected

to an airy l iving area, pool and deck. The only barrier between you

and things that might l ike 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

l istening to Stuart's tales of l ife in the bushveld. I looked at their

three young children bouncing around, then at the thin wire

protecting them and thought about the l ions. 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. I t

was a comfortably

tame scene, just a

l ittle 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 l ions,

the terror-fi l led 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 compell ing.

www.welgevonden.org

tel +27(0)1 4 755 4392

^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 MagazinePublished: 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-viewmirror. 'Do you really want to know, Choert?' he asks, his eyes fl icking to the 1 0 guests in hiscol league's vehicle.

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

'I t's an . . . ingwe. ' The Zulu word for leopard sounds odd in Armand's Afrikaans accent. Youngfemale, about 30m into the bush. '

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

The ingwe in question glances back at us briefly and with a fl ick of her tai l she's gone. 'I t alwayshappens like that, ' says Armand as we drive the last few hundred metres to the lodge. 'Theynever hang around for long. '

My quest to see a leopard in the wild began after I saw my first l ion. I t wasn't a case of ticking theBig Five off a l ist. I just happen to l ike cats. Big ones, small ones, it doesn't matter. Five yearslater I have seen nearly every wild fel ine, from caracal to cheetah, but leopards have alwaysremained elusive. Ask any game ranger and he or she wil l tel l you that they don't go looking forleopards on game drives because the cats are so shy and rarely seen. I f you happen to comeacross one, it's just a happy coincidence.

But a place like Welgevonden Private Game Reserve is ful l of happy coincidences. An easythree-hour drive from OR Tambo, this relatively new reserve is only 1 7 years old and already it'sholding its own. Offering superb accommodation, excellent game viewing and meals to salivatefor, 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 theenvironment. 'So how is your elephant contraception scheme going?' I asked him one eveningwhile enjoying a delicious dinner of lamb shank fol lowed by Cape brandy pudding. Elephantpopulations are an emotive subject. With few natural predators, an unmonitored herd can doublein size every 1 0 years, making cul l ing an unfortunate solution. The team at Welgevonden isdedicated to managing the problem through a comprehensive contraception and collaringprogramme, choosing to vaccinate its cows against pregnancy using PZP (porcine zonapellucida), 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 muchprogress as he thinks- we had spotted a baby elephant earl ier that afternoon.

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

I t is this kind of dedication and attention to detai l , both to its guests and to the environment, thatsets Welgevonden apart.


Makweti Lodge, where we spent the first part of our stay, is cleverly situated next to a wateringhole. I t is a favourite spot for elephant, zebra, warthog and, of course, thieving monkeys, whowant nothing more than to steal your morning muffins or, for some unknown reason, the showercaps from the outdoor showers.

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

The fol lowing morning we headed out with our ranger, Lazarus. We'd heard the l ions were on themove, but by the time we found them they were lazing in the sun doing what l ions do bestsleeping. Lion documentaries are the bane of any ranger's existence, because a year's footageis compressed into a half-hour slot fi l led with bloody kil ls, frantic mating and fierceconfrontations. Tourists often arrive here expecting an action replay of these scenes, only tocome across a group of bone-idle carnivores more concerned with their sunning regime than thegrazing kudu.

As if to emphasise their lethargy, a male l ion rol led on to his back opened one sleepy eye,snorted derisively and then went back to his sunbathing. The two cubs, on the other hand, weremore than happy to pose for the camera as they frol icked around like oversized kittens.

Rangers have a rule that they always need to tel l 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 tostretch to al low their eyelids to cover their eyes, forcing their tai ls up into the air. I t's testimony tohis convincing story-tel l ing abil ity and hopeful ly not to our lack of knowledge that it took a fewminutes before a Dutch tourist shouted incredulously from the back of the vehicle: 'He's havingus on! '

We spent the night at Ekuthuleni Lodge, the l ions sleeping practical ly on our doorstep. Few ofWelgevonden's lodges are fenced, so you're not al lowed to wander around unaccompanied afterdark, not even to nip back to your room for a jersey.

Ekuthuleni real ly does have superb scenery as it is located on a grassy plain that is a hot spotfor l ion, waterbuck, impala and even the occasional cheetah. I t's quite l iteral ly game viewing atits finest from your front porch, so we decided to forgo the evening drive and instead gotcomfortable out on the deck, drinking fine wine, snacking on biltong and admiring the Africansunset.

Dinner was ostrich medall ions in a red wine reduction fol lowed by a rich and decadent chocolatemousse. The ful l Engl ish the fol lowing morning was equally impressive and I was shocked tohear that Anna and Cena, who did al l the cooking, were not Michelin-star chefs. They couldeasily give any high-profi le celebrity chef a run for their money.

Our final stop was Clifftop Lodge, where we would have to say our sad goodbyes and head backto l ife 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. Eachsuite has its own deck complete with a splash pool and outdoor shower. Despite the high altitudewe were warned not to leave our doors open or we may end up with some unexpected houseguests of the marsupial variety. I t wasn't long before we saw how serious a warning this was, >



< when a young velvet monkey arrived on the deck he played peek-a-boo with me from behind achaise 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 tosee and I mumbled something about a leopard. He told me exactly what I expected to hear, withthe additional titbit that there are only 23 of them on the entire 36 000 ha reserve. My chancesweren't good, but would some hippos do instead? How about a rhino? There's one who sleepsjust 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 hewas asleep and far less exciting than his gassy namesake). Even a barn owl and a scrub hareshowed up, but after we were done with our snacks (Armand did in fact pul l out a gas braai), wedecided to head home. We'd been told we would be dining in the wine cellar and our beefmedall ions were call ing to us.

As we rounded the final bend to the lodge, there she was, leaping out of the bush on to the roadless than 1 5m in front of the car. A young leopard, barely-bigger than a ful ly grown caracal. Shecrouched in front of us, her ears back before sl inking into the bush. 'Do you know what you'relooking 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 saidthis 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 groupof 1 0 went after her. They didn't find her.

Maybe it was just a happy coincidence, but as I fel l asleep that night l istening to the sounds ofthe bush, I al lowed 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, cal l 01 4 755 4392 or visit www.welgevonden.org

Images: Gallo/Getty Images & Supplied

Words by Melanie Daly

The news that you can now tweet from the top of Everestand get Facebook updates in its death zone got methinking about wilderness. Is a tweetable place really wild?I remember dial l ing home from Antarctica and thinking,'Am I real ly in the most remote place on Earth?'

You can look up wilderness in a dictionary, no problem, butcan it sti l l be found in the world? Even in the uncheckedprofusion of central Sahara, the huge emptiness of thePacific or the barren whiteness of Antarctica, humandisturbance drifts over as industrial pol lution, plastic wasteswirls in vast gyres and global warming melts the polar ice.

Wil.der.ness (wldrns) n.1. An unsettled, uncultivatedregion left in its natural condition,especially;a. A large wild tract of landcovered with dense vegetation orforests;b. An extensive area, such as adesert or ocean, which is barrenor empty, a waste;c. A piece of land set aside togrow wild, undisturbed by humanactivity2. Something characterised bybewildering vastness, peril orunchecked profusion.

The possibi l ity ofwilderness

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

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

I was puzzling over this irony with Andre Burger, conservation manager of Welgevonden PrivateGame Reserve, surrounded by the apparent wilds of the Waterberg. His job entai led aninteresting paradox - to manage wilderness.

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

Publication: Getaway MagazinePublished: February 2011, page 46, 47

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

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

'In a place like Welgevonden, we try to maintain biodiversity and species richness. But moreimportantly, it's about maintaining relationships in the system, understanding the matrix of l ifeand managing that to the best of our abil ity. 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 youperceive it. Every step of early civi l isation - up to and including the Industrial Revolution - was astruggle by humankind against wilderness. In the early days of colonial ism, wilderness meantbeyond the frontier - something that had to be driven back. There lay danger and heathens. I twould have been very hard indeed to persuade people to protect what was thought of as afrightening wasteland of demons and beasts.

As Europe and America urbanised and wild lands were lost, however, thinkers such as John Muirand Henry Thoreau began campaigning in defence of wilderness, not merely to protect theenvironment but because, they said, without it we'd lose our sense of place in the world.Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civi l ised people, ' Muir wrote, 'are beginning to find outthat going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks andreservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains ofl ife. ' Satan's home was gradually becoming God's temple.

The truth is that, although we've become increasingly domesticated into urban life, we're sti l l wi ldin claw and feather, in gl ide and pounce and fury. In her book Wild, Jay Griffiths says: The humanspirit has a primal al legiance to wild-ness, to really l ive, to snatch the fruit and suck it, to spil l thejuice. ' We need to go back to the wild to be ourselves.

I t's surprisingly easy to be wild. You just find a nice cool, comfortablewilderness and sit sti l l in it for five minutes. Perfectly sti l l . The natural worldquickly 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, unti l you blend in, are accepted andbecome part of the land. You can eventual ly merge so perfectly that othercreatures wil l pay you no more heed than an antelope or mongoose. Youcan become the creature you are, part of the delightful matrix of l ife onEarth. All it takes is the courage to do it. Unfortunately, those things thateat antelope may also decide to eat you - but that's what makes the placea wilderness.

So to rephrase the dictionary's definition:

wil.derness (wldrns)n.1. An unsettled, uncultivated region of your heart left in its natural condition2. Something characterised by the bewildering vastness of your beingWords by Don Pinnock

Getaway Magazine

Publication: Getaway MagazinePublished: February 2011, page 46, 47

Conservative approach benefitsWaterberg biosphere has it al l , game, flora, bird l ife and rock art

SHIBULA LODGE and Bush Spais situated in the WelgevondenPrivate Game Reserve and ourvisit there was not so much to visita commercial, albeit a five-starlodge, but to discover what theconservancy and the owners aretrying to achieve.

Set in the Waterberg, a two-and-ahalf hour drive from Joburg, thisregion has been declared abiosphere by the UN. The lodge,which can accommodate amaximum of 1 6 guests, is one of1 5 commercial lodges on thisextensive property.

Aside from the commercial lodges there are also 52 private lodges in the conservancy. Theowners of al l the lodges work hand in hand in order to maintain, as well as improve, thisbiosphere. This is being done by manipulating certain areas to improve not only the gameviewing but also the food source for the animals. As a Big Five malaria-free destination, it is oneof the best areas in the region for attracting local and international tourists. But it is not only thegame that attracts guests. Two recently discovered rock art sites, as well as many other historicand 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 anAfrican wood back massage, I decided to work off some of the meals we had enjoyed on thetreadmil l in the gym while watching squirrels playing on the thatch roof. And talking of meals. . . foronce our waistl ines were not assailed by the usual lodge meals of vast quantities of red meatand 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 theportion sizes. Shibula was named in honour of a black rhino from Namibia that was on display ina European zoo. Rescued and relocated back to Africa, she was the first rhino to produce calvesafter her release. The lodge is situated at the base of a cliff face that seemed to be home to alarge troop of baboons as we could hear them screaming as they settled down for the night. Forbirders 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 cavortingon the cliff face. Sitting there, I even had a cheeky squirrel pay me a visit. Although Welgevondenis situated in a non-malaria area, having a mozzie net around the bed just added a ‘finishingtouch’ to our well-appointed bedroom. The use of succulents around our accommodationenhanced the ambience of each suite. But what is the Welgevonden Private Game Reservetrying 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 property’smanagement is creating awareness among guests. The drawings at this particular site arebelieved to go back almost 3000 years, with the more recent work being done at least 300 yearsago. (I defy any modern paint to last that length of time in exposed conditions.)

Publication: Saturday Star TravelPublished: 7 August 2010, page 6, 7

animals and discerning guests

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 tranquil l i ty. Original ly

designed as a family home, its various nooks

and crannies are fi l led 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 facil ities with pride. The

Inbaba Lounge and its outside deck are one of

the highl ights of Life is purr-fed for this l ion 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 l ion or leopard you

retreat to the lounge area. ’ This understated calm

seemed to be mirrored in the staff as well .

Publication: Saturday Star TravelPublished: 7 August 2010, page 6, 7

- plus its mosquito free. Writes David Batzofin.

The main lounge, dining room and bar are housed together in a building that looks out over analmost endless valley. Guarded by an oversized hand-carved door, this space is l ight, airy andcomfortable. The accommodation and its decor is pure African, with no detai l being left tochance. (All the l ight switches are marked for easy identification.) Tea, coffee, water and biscuitsare supplied on a complementary basis for guests. Makweti is a member of the Chaine DeRotisseure 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 l ionsthat had eluded us the day before. Unfortunately the pesky pachyderms we kept our eyes openfor on return to camp continued to elude us.

The brunch which awaited us soon took the place of the elusive grey ghosts and our grouptucked into fresh fruit, cereal and pancakes fol lowed 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 ofspotted eagle owls watching and a rhino mom and her calf snuffl ing close by we saw spacedebris fal l ing from the sky while we watched a spectacular African sunset. Although it was ourlast night we were not sad that our trip was over, we were happy because it had happened It ismoments l ike this when we are glad to be living in Africa.

For further information check www.welgevonden.org

Picture - Makweti Safari Lodge

Publication: The Star, Verve SupplementPublished: 8 June 2010, page 10

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

The bedroomof our luxurysuite at theMakwetiSafari Lodgeon theWelgevondenPrivate GameReserve.

Ourbathroom atEkuthuleniLodge had

huge windowsand looked outto a stream and

secludedoutdoor shower.

THERE was no hooting or road rage when we got caught in a traffic jam. After al l , we were out inbig-sky country and the obstacle was a herd of white rhino. Four game-viewing vehicles hadstopped to wait for the four rhino to move off the road. I t was a perfect photo opportunity and wewere to have many more at Welgevonden, which is virtual ly unsurpassed in Big Five sightingsand is, to boot malaria-free. I t 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 cattlemoving 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, JonasPhago. He was kind enough to stop often for game viewing and photography, so it took almosttwo hours to arrive at the Ekuthuleni Lodge in the centre of the reserve. Jonas, who has been atWelgevonden for 1 3 years, was a mine of information, naming bird, mammal and tree specieson request.

The lodge is set against a hil ly backdrop, with a watering hole about 1 00m away on a grassyplain. I t also has a sunken open-air boma and braai area. On our arrival, we were greeted by theentire staff complement of seven – that’s the maximum allowed to each concession, so everyonemultitasks. Jonas was to act also as barman, head waiter and wine steward. When lunchwas served - blackened chicken breast salad with potato wedges, presented enthusiastical ly bychef Selby Ledwaba - we knew that we were in for a weekend of pampering.

On the evening game drive, besides coming across the rhino, we had a close encounter with anextremely large bull elephant which mockcharged our vehicle, head rol l ing and ears flapping; atruly awesome beast. On returning to camp, we were welcomed with a sherry then unwoundwith drinks on the deck. At about 1 0pm we enjoyed a threecourse meal, the most memorablepart 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 thenorth, situated in the Makweti Gorge and surrounded by giant euphorbia trees. Again we weregreeted by the entire staff. Our private suite had a Victorian bath, its own viewing deckoverlooking a river and its own private splash pool. Other extras included bathrobes andbedroom slippers, a ful ly stocked bar fridge, fruit bowl, cookies with coffee and tea and, natural ly,a chocolate on the pil low. The Indaba lounge near the lodge’s main entrance is eye-level with awatering hole at which zebra, impala, warthog and giraffe often drink. Run by husband and wifeteam Jacques and Marieza van Wyk, Makwell is, in fact, a dual concession and so employs morethan 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 ’vetasted. 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 wellas 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 bul l browsed nonchalantly, grasping the topmost leaves with a long purple tongue. He was probably making his way to the waterhole at thefront of the lodge.

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

We rounded a bend and came across a pride of l ions - a matriarch, two adult males with ful l darkmanes, a two-year-old male sporting a stubbly mane and two year-old cubs. Restless, the cubsnudged and prodded at the rest of the pride, trying to get a response. Then they headed in ourdirection, fol lowed closely by the adult female and then by the males. We held our breaths andmoved to the centre of the vehicle, as they sauntered by, agonisingly close, fl icking glances inour 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 thescent of prey. As dusk closed in, we watched five of the pride move off up the hil l and disappearinto the bush about 1 00m away. The other game-viewing vehicles left, but our guide, Jacquesvan Wyk, decided to l inger. We sat quietly in the approaching darkness l istening to the orchestraof sounds and watching the lone male rol l ing in the long grass nearby. Suddenly he stood up,assumed a stalking position and moved forward. After what seemed like an eternity and havingadvanced 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 CarlVorster, who welcomed us with a chil led cocktai l . Shibula is sited near a gorge from which asteep cliff ascends. I ts watering hole, 50m from the viewing deck, is frequented mainly bywaterbuck. I t also has a huge boma and braai area. Our accommodation at this five starodgewas the presidential suite, which consists of two rooms, a lounge with a ful ly stocked bar fridgeand satel l ite TV and a spa bath and two showers, one inside and one out.


Established in 1 993, the reserve borders the Marakele National Park on the Waterberg plateau inLimpopo. Conservation manager Dave Powrie is extremely passionate about al l the programmesin place, including those dealing with elephant contraception (to manage numbers), leopardresearch, 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 famil ies. There are also two self-catering lodges, with guided drives optional. Al l

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

styl ishly furnished and have fine l inens and luxury pamper products. Most rooms have an outside

shower as well .

The service is almost faultless and, as the lodges are individual ly 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 wildl ife and survey the natural beauty that is

the Waterberg. Welgevonden Private Game Reserve satisfies al l 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 one’s appetite for a return visit. For more info visit www.welgevonden.org

Picture - Andre Burger, Welgevonden


Picture - Andre Burger, Welgevonden

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

The folks at Welgevonden, a 36 000 hectare Game Reserve in southern Limpopo, have foundthe trick to both conserving the unique biodiversity, and offering a game viewing experience parexcellence. For starters, visitors are expected to leave their vehicles at the gate, which meansdriving within the reserve is reduced to a minimum. Vehicles that are permitted are few and farbetween 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 waythrough sandstone formations that were once the home of the Bushmen. Only a few minutes intothe drive we saw an Eland. Moments later a huge white-chested bird broke out of the bushcanopy 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 liftedus onto a saddle affording stunning views of the Waterberg.

Whilst driving through the yellow flames of autumn, between silver-leafs and Pierneef's iconicmountain 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 mil lennia,something they paint over and over on the surrounding red rocks. I t turns out that our ancestorswere here going back much further than the Bushmen.

Three-mil l ion-year-old skeletons of Australopithecus africanus and Homo erectus have beenfound in the area, particularly around Makapansgat. And it is evident that the Waterberg is theapex of geological events that once shaped the world. The Igneous base of the Waterbergcoll ided with the Supercontinent Gondwana, spl itting it into the modern continents. The fact thatan 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 ondiscovering Jerusalem. Having started their journey in Cape Town, by the time they reached theWaterberg they believed they'd found Egypt and the source of the Nile [hence the nomenclatureof the local settlement, Nylstroom]. Perhaps they were bewitched by the paradise they foundthemselves in, and started losing track of reality.

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

WELGEVONDEN PRIVATE GAME RESERVEin the Waterberg Biosphere, just 3 hoursoutside Johannesburg, has been shaped byhundreds of mil l ions of years of riverineerosion. The area has a special qual ity even tothe untrained eye. Pristine dry deciduousforests cover rol l ing hil lsides as far as the eyecan see, so that eventual ly the hil lsidescollaborate to form a series of monochromesea blue waves that stretch and soften towardsthe distant horizon. I t is not hard to imaginethat here wildl ife has been allowed to thriveundisturbed by the interference of man for avery long time. What is surprising is that suchunspoiled abundance exists so close toGauteng.

Enter the world of WelgevondenNick van der Leek

Picture - Nicolene Burger, Welgevonden

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

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

But it wasn't only the Cheetah sightings, or the l ions that made the trip memorable. Thanks to theexpert-knowledge of the guides at Welgevonden, you might get to hear a cackling mafazi [Arrow-marked babbler], or find out the traditional use of the blinkblaar wag-‘n- bietj ie [Buffalo Thorn] ormeet apex predators l ike - the Nile Crocodile.

Some of our most fascinating experiences in Welgevonden were at night - the discovery of agiant sand cricket [which sounds l ike a wind-up car when threatened] and an eagle owl standingin the road, bl inking at us.

There is always something special about areas where our early ancestors are known to havelived, especial ly when these areas remain intact. Most extraordinary places these days areusually so far from human habitation that they're difficult and expensive to visit. Welgevonden[l iteral ly ‘place found to be good'] is one of those rare places that its guardians have preserved. I thas 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 visitmeans there is less opportunity for the animals to hide. During this time the warm days are brightand clear, nights - especial ly during June, July and August - are cold. I t's important to note thatthis is a private game reserve, thus only those who have made prior bookings can enter thereserve.

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 andenter the world anew.

For more information visit www.welgevonden.org

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

Picture - Gerhardt Lorist - Welgevonden

Publication: Khuluma Kulula inflight MagazinePublished: May 2010, page 76, 77

Look out, Lassie. There’s a new hero in town – in a massive coup for the conservation ofwild animals outside game reserves, the Anatol ian l ivestock guarding dog has proved such afurry good guardian of goats, sheep and cattle that losses to predators have been reduced by 95to 1 00 percent.

‘The dogs are a non-lethal, environmental ly friendly way to protect your l ivestock, ’ says DeonCil l iers, manager of The Livestock Guarding Dog Project, part of the Endangered Wildl ife Trust’sWildl ife Confl ict Mitigation Program. In the past, gin-traps, poisons and bullets were used.

The ancient shepherds, original ly from Turkey, where they once fended off bears and wolves,were introduced in Limpopo about four years ago – to protect l ivestock 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 firstyear.

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 twomonths, ’ says Deon, who monitors dogs regularly. Then, at four months old the dog goes out withthe herd and he wil l stay with them 24 hours a day.

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

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

Those who want to help can adopt a dog for R5 000. ‘They get monthly photos, reports, namingrights and are contributing towards the conservation of predators. ’011 -486-11 02www.ewt.org.za

DOGGONEGOODFarmers and leopards can sleep easy aroundWelgevonden Private Game Reserve. Thisgood neighbour has sponsored 1 0 Anatol ianl ivestock guarding dogs, with five placed onfarms on its borders, al lowing predators topad safely through farmland and conservationareas in this corner of the vast Waterbergbiosphere reserve. A big bonus for leopards,free movement ensures genetic diversity anda sustainable population. Visitors can evenwatch the sentinels at work.

Malaria-free Welgevonden, set over 35 000hectares of mountain wilderness and only a2.5-hour drive from Jo’burg, is home to the BigFive.

Luxury accommodation includes MakwetiSafari Lodge, which sponsored two dogs andhas romantic thatch-and-stone suites fromR2,200 pps per night.

www.welgevonden.org

Publication: Khuluma Kulula inflight MagazinePublished: 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. I t prefers to be

with a herd. They actual ly make very good guard dogs for people as well .

Does the dog ever get lonely?Not at al l . He’s with his ‘family’ of goats or sheep, which he actual ly 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 wil l not ki l l i t, 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.

Documents

Welgevonden Private Game Reserve