We experienced a very busy Christmas Season this year, the best ever with over 400 bed nights for the month of December :
December 2007 - 261
December 2008 - 254
December 2009 - 284
December 2010 - 384
December 2011 - 434
Which is the true one ? Top or bottom, left or right, upside-down ? All the same, in the early morning. They are all for real, not like the day after the night before. When you book make sure which one you want, or you get all four.
There is more to taking pictures than just a camera and a click. It is the person behind the camera who is taking the picture. He/she decides whom or what to snap. Furthermore it is not enough to only know your camera. More often than not a few vital principles of photography are ignored, i.e. using the flash, focussing properly, levelling the camera, using a tripod, playing with the ISO setting, making sure of your memory capacity, and charging the battery. These are but a few basic rules but they are essential for taking quality photographs.
Over time we have collected some good photographs at Treeferns Trout Lodge which made us aware of the excellent opportunities we have for professional photography of a great variety. We therefore remind our visitors to not forget their cameras. You are certain to find good use for it if only for that big trout waiting for you. Beautiful views, plants, birds, insects, water scenes, and rock formations will bring the best out of your photography.
There are everywhere so many opportunities for pictures and stories that one can’t afford to be without a camera. Every picture tells a story or conveys a secret message. Likewise every story has a picture. Only be there at the right moment. Photographs are real life experiences that never lie. The big trout shot is the moment of truth for every fly fisher. In our line of business trout fishing photography is particularly challenging requiring much skill. Regrettably taking photographs of fish is also the biggest killer among them !
We manage our web site ourselves, i.e. we publish, change and load stories and pictures as we like.We have found the Sony Cybershot D3302, 8.1 mega pixels, ideal for our purpose. Our guests have also contributed abundantly to our treasure of photographs, some of which we have used on the web site. We thank all of you for sharing your big moments with us. Keep on doing so, please.
We do not claim that the photographs that follow are good quality, for they have been selected more or less at random mainly for variety :
Hospitality is all about the relationship between host and guest whether he or she be family, friend or visitor. The word “hospitality” is derived from the Latin “hospes”, and “hospice” as we know it means home, guest house, hospital. There is no limit to hospitality, it is showing respect for one’s guests, and caring for them like family. Genuine hospitality is providing in the needs of your guests no matter what it costs, eg. washing baby’s nappies, replacing a flat tyre, jump start a stubborn engine, pulling a vehicle out of the mud, making a fire, catching a fish, gutting, and even cooking it. It also comprises service, quality, and affordability. It costs nothing to be polite and friendly, and it is the best investment one will ever make.
In the business of fly fishing and trout fishing hospitality is particularly appreciated by the fly fisher as he or she is people oriented concerned about people and their environment, the caring type.
Some countries practice a code of hospitality, just like we South Africans take pride in our south-african hospitality.
We at Treeferns Trout Lodge are not claiming that we comply in all respects, but we strongly believe in the ethics of hospitality, and we try our best to make our guests feel at home in the spirit of giving is better than receiving.
Thanks, Morne and troops, for your unselfish and dedicated service.
We woke up on Monday morning at our accommodation at Treeferns Trout Lodge – in the heartland of the Highlands Meander. You can read about our previous experiences in Part 4 here.
Monday morning was still misty.
The mist lifted often and one started to get the impression that the sun would want to come through.
We walked up the hill and took some photographs when the sky was clear enough.
Here we see a picture of one of the lodges, also nestling against one of the dams.
We took a walk down the path winding all the way down the valley, next to the dams.
The ‘Big Dam’ is a beautiful dam and very close to being the last dam in the sequence of dams. That was when it started to rain again. What a run back to our cottage……
That was also the last rain. The mist then started to lift and the sun started to come out.
George came to say goodbye and gave us directions of the best way back to the city.
Firstly this is the most tranquil and quiet place you can imagine. Be prepared to enjoy it.
Bring with something warm – a jacket is a good idea. I would suggest two “something warm’s” in case one gets wet.
Bring a hat with – I forgot mine.
If you fish trout – what a suggestion: bring your trout fishing kit with – and prepare to spend a lot of time next to the water.
If you have children:
There is no radio or TV. (There is a TV in the lapa). Bring a radio with and some games for the kids, should it start to rain.
Remember to bring a camera with which reminds me of some more flowers:
We want to thank Chris and George for the hospitality we experienced at Treeferns Trout Lodge.
We all (including the children…..) enjoyed the quiet environment and came back rested.
We left at 11:00 on Monday morning and had a safe drive back to the city.
Looking back over the weekend, I think to myself “What an experience – three seasons in one weekend”. We have seen summer with a sunny day, winter with cold and rain and (my highlight) real UK weather with mist, fog and a little rain. I will have to come again…..
Thank you all.
Basson Family
When I woke up on Sunday morning at Treeferns Trout Lodge, I wasn’t prepared for the next season. Read more about our previous experience in Part 3 here. It felt like I was really in Belfast, Ireland.l
At one stage in my career, I worked on a contract in the UK. My wife went with and we stayed in a small town Hitchen.
The mist made me feel like Hitchen all over again.
The plan was to leave a approximately 12:00 – back to the city.
I got so nostalgic about the place, wanting to soak in the UK weather , and to relive Hitchen. I phoned Chris and asked to stay for another night.
The mist was WONDERFUL……
Unfortunately some of the children had to leave – they had THINGS to do on Monday….
During Sunday, the mist came and went – and came again. Made me long for something I did not know…..
When the mist lifted, we walked around in the veld and Petru took some more pictures – of flowers.
We walked up to the eye of the spring and watched it bubbling. Absolutely clean water.
By the evening it started raining again. We decided to go to the lapa, have a braai in the comfort of the lapa and watch Carte Blanche.
See the pictures of our last day and our experiences close to Belfast in Part 5.
Basson Family
Saturday lunch time was the start of winter at our accommodation close to Waterval Boven. You can read Part 2 of my experience here.
What a surprise. The clouds rolled in from Waterval Boven. All of a sudden it started raining and got very cold.
Chris has built about 7 or 8 trout dams down the valley of the farm. The children went down the path along the dams to see where it ended. Obviously they got caught in the rain and came home dripping wet.
After a warm shower and (fortunately) warm clothes, we had lunch.
Christian noticed the fire place and made a fire – I think it was also to get some shoes and socks dry.
Can you imagine – the rain, the cold and a warm fire place (without smoke). Because the accommodation at Treeferns Trout Lodge is spacious, it was quite pleasant to sit around the fire, watching the rain, talking and playing games (like children do).
Rain always makes me sleepy – so I took an afternoon nap.
The picture on the left hand side shows (from opposite our lodge) some of the trout dams down the valley.
Late Saturday afternoon, the rain stopped – then rained again – then stopped and so it carried on.
During one of the stops, somebody took a picture of the dam overflowing right at our doorstep. The dam wall is about 15 meters from the verandah where we sat looking out over the dam.
During one of the breaks in raining, we had a braai (in the cold with our jackets on).
We enjoyed the quite and the rain, and prepared for bed.
Little did we know about the next season surprise on Sunday morning.
Click here to read about part 4 of our experience at Treeferns Trout Lodge, close to Waterval Boven.
Basson Family
We woke up on Saturday morning at 6:00 – rather the alarm woke me up. The accommodation and beds were perfect. No sore back and no stiffness – the beds are in excellent condition. You can read our experience in Part 1 here.
Six people to get ready and fed before 8:00.The arrangement is to be ready at 8:00 to drive to the highest point on Treeferns Trout Lodge.
After my shower I went out, and what a sight on the opposite hill. Imagine a beautiful black herd of cattle, everything so quiet, only the birds doing their morning business.
Breakfast. Ready at 8:00. We get into the 4X4 and left for the viewing point.
A short walk brought us to the viewing point.
WHAT A VIEW! You can see for miles and miles. (Rather for my children kilometers and kilometers).
Standing on the farm, you can see Machadodorp, Dullstroom and Waterval Boven. A hill is in the way, otherwise Belfast would have been visible as well.
Chris showed us where the battle of Vlakfontein took place and some remnants of the fortresses that the Boers built in the Anglo Boer war.
Take note of the clouds in the picture and the sun stripe across the field. I didn’t know, but that was the start of the surprise.
I also have to brag a little with my family in the picture, Petru, my wife, the lady in the pink blouse, my daugther, Anja, hanging onto Christiaan, her friend, and my son, Cor, in the blue t-shirt and his friend, Andre.
If you look in the background you can see where the horizon is and how far you can see from this point on the farm, approximately 50 km across.
Again some pictures were taken of wild flowers.
The ‘rust’ on the rock is a ‘plant’ or ‘organism’, called ‘lichens’, that only grows in areas where the air is clean. It feeds from the moist in the air only if it is unpolluted.
The end of the sight-seeing trip was the end of season one at Treeferns Trout Lodge. What we experienced was sunny warm weather.
Season two started with rain. Fortunately Chris warned us to bring a jacket with – in case it gets cold.
Read more about the second season surprise we had at our accommodation so close to Machadodorp.
Basson Family
Our family went for a weekend to visit Treeferns Trout Lodge, close to Dullstroom. What a pleasant surprise with the accommodation when we arrived at the lodge.
We have been to various trout lodges in the area, and many were too shabby and skimpy to take your family to.
Can you imagine the surprise to find 3-star accommodation at Treeferns Trout Lodge. The lodge booked sleeps 6 people. First suprise : I really had three bedrooms with 6 beds – nice, clean and new linen.
We arrived on Friday afternoon. The sun was shining and with a beautiful afternoon we unpacked quickly and settled on the verandah of Rhebuck (left hand photograph).
What you can’t see on this photo taken from opposite the dam, is that the lodge is built right on the dam. The verandah overlooks the dam, with yellow finches nesting in the trees.
The kids enjoyed the openess of the area and immediately went for a walk around the lodge and into the mountain.
We enjoyed the sun going down with the birds settling in for the night. It was quiet and peaceful – exceptional experience (with the appropriate sun-downer).
On the right hand side you can see a little bit of the view down the valley. This is taken from the verandah of Rhebuck lodge above.
My wife went for a walk around the lodge, and I had to join her within 10 minutes. The most beautiful wild flowers. She clicked and clicked. I have added some at the bottom here. This is something that we don’t see in the city – what an experience to see some wild flowers again….
The lodge is also fitted with two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area and very spacious living area. It even features a indoor rockery and water feature and of course a fireplace.
We had a delicious braai in the evening before enjoying our beds.
Chris took us to see the surrounding area from the highest point on the farm and the area, 2000m above sea level. Best time for viewing is approximately 8:30 – depending on the mist.
We didn’t know (and didn’t anticipate) the surprise waiting for us on Saturday- and Sunday-morning with the mist rolling in making us longing for an unforgettable holiday we had in the U.K. - with our accommodation so close to Dullstroom.
Click here to read Part 2 of our experience.
Basson Family
At Treeferns Trout Lodge the accommodation for fly fishing and other guests consist of five stonebuilt chalets over-looking some of the dams, four sleeping 6 people each in three separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, and open plan kitchen-diningroom-lounge. A new chalet, called Eros, has one bedroom with double bed. Two more chalets, Panorama and Arum, have a double bed each, and the rest singles. They are fully equipped with bedding, towels, cooking-, and eating utensils, fireplace, braai, and carport. All the chalets have the necessary electric appliances, plus a micro-wave. Eskom power is available. Gas cookers and rechargeble lanterns are supplied in case of power failures. The chalets are self-catering but serviced on a daily basis. Catering can also be arranged. The accommodation is private, but also ideally suitable for groups. A thatched lapa with washing-up, braai, toilet, and DSTV is very enjoyable. The water to the chalets is reticulated from the spring, and is certified for domestic use.
For more info, and pictures on, and availability of individual chalets go to “BOOKINGS.”
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