Wel… Dis Maandag en hier is ons by Treeferns. Dikbek, moeg en voetseer.  Nee, ek is genadiglik nie halfpad afgelaai en moes maar loop nie, maar kom ek begin by die begin.  Die mense wat weet sê mos ‘n storie moet ‘n begin en ‘n einde hê.

‘n Week gelede begin manlief karring hy wil kom visvang. Ons was al voorheen by Treeferns, maar ek steek viervoet vas.  Visvang en dit begin koud word!! Bid jou dit nou aan. Hoekom sou ek wil saamkom – ek hou nie van visvang nie en ek wil niks weet nie.  Die huweliksvlammetjie begin laag brand en ten einde laaste kom ons tot ‘n vergelyk – 4 dae vang hy vis en vier dae gaan ons wildtuin toe.  Siedaar, altwee is tevrede en huweliksvrede vier weer hooggety. Die gemors is net dat ek 6 weke terug my enkel gebreek het. Ek glo nie ek is te kleinserig nie, maar seer bly seer en as seer nog by ‘n befoeterde vrou gevoeg word is dit ‘n resep vir ‘n totale gemors. Dus… dikbek, moeg en voetseer kom ons toe 5 uur die middag by Treeferns aan.

Een troos, vier dae en dan kan ek vakansie hou… Pas afgepak en siedaar, Manlief storm reguit water toe. Is dit nou die dank wat ek kry nadat ek besluit het om saam te kom? Dikbek het pas ‘n nuwe betekenis gekry! Sommer binne die eerste halfuur is daar twee visse gevang. Manlief is seker dat gaan ‘n goeie week wees ,maar ek nie.  Net so seker as wat ek weet ‘n mot het tande, so seker is ek dat vis se kind my met beskuldigende oë aankyk as hy geslag moet word. Ek vra myself die vraag af of ek dan nou geslag word elke keer wat ek ‘n stukkie sjokolade vaslê? Nee… en hier steek ek viervoet vas – geen vis sal geslag word nie. Later die aand gaan slaap ek maar, koud en moeg… maar manlief moet nou eers die vliegies en brommers en sprinkane en die joos weet wat nog uitpak en bekyk. Het ek genoem dat dikbek pas ‘n nuwe betekenis gekry het?

Dinsdag oggend en kwart voor 6 vlieg hy uit die bed om die visse te gaan ontmoet. Vir wat? ‘n Geheime vergadering waarvan ek niks mag weet nie?  Dit is ‘n onmoontlike uur van die dag!!! Wel, die een vis na die ander word gevang, maar genadiglik weer terug gesit in die water.  Sonder ‘n sweempie simpatie vir my seer voet en baie eensaam gaan sit ek maar op die stoep (om te broei oor my omstandighede sien?). Maar algaande raak ek kalmer, begin die koppies voor my ‘n vreemde bekoring kry.  Sien ek daar ver tussen die wolkies engeltjies wat lag en speel? Is dit ‘n silwer rantjie wat ek daar aan die westekant sien? Skielik hoor ek die voëls wat opgewonde kwetter, die vreugde in manlief se oë wanneer hy ‘n vis vang kry nuwe betekenis, die eende en selfs die kat wat kom kos soek, is ‘n plesier.  Ek wonder (net soms) wat aangaan, ek is nie meer ongelukkig omdat ons moet kom visvang nie, ek kan inteendeel nie meer wag vir die onmoontlike uur soggens nie.

Toe… gebeur dit wat almal wat my ken nie sal glo nie.  Manlief draai sy rug en ek gryp ‘n visstok en laat nael af water toe. Eers slaan ek amper my arm af in ‘n poging om die lyn in die water te kry.  Komaan, hoe moeilik kan dit nou wees?  Dit lyk dan so maklik.  Dan foeter ek amper in die dam, maar haal diep asem en probeer onthou hoe hy dit doen. Uiteindelik is die vliegie of was dit nou ‘

Wel, dis donderdag en agtien visse later. Ek het my eie persoonlike vis gevang (die foto is hiermee saam vir bewys edelagbare!). Ek het vrede in my hart, my voet is baie beter en ek het viskoors!!  Niemand gaan dit glo nie – die minste van almal ek!  Dikbek begin ek die tasse vir die volgende 4 dae van ons beplande vakansie pak. Wie se simpel idée was die wildtuin anyway?

Maar ek betrap myself dat ek uitsien na die volgende visvang sessie, want ek het geleer om vis te vang is om skoon te maak binne, die blink water is God se manier om jou te leer dat die lewe soms woes is, maar as jy lank genoeg stilstaan, sal alles in jou tot ruste kom. Ek beny my man die lewensles wat hy voor my geleer het. Die natuur is so wyd soos die Heer se genade en net so groot, jy moet net hoor waar om te soek…Skielik maak die woorde van George Washington Carver vir my sin:

Ek dink aan die natuur as radioseine sonder grense;

Waardeur God elke uur met ons praat -;

as ons net op sy golflengte wil inskakel om te luister.

George Washington Carver

Eers dan besef ek, met die Vader aan die stuur, het Treeferns meer as net my voet gesond gemaak…

Nikki Wilken

Age-old Mpumalanga

The solid bedrock of Mpumalanga tells a rich story of immense antiquity; a story that projects so far back into the past that it is almost impossible to comprehend.

It involves a time scale stretching to infinity, and takes us back to when the earth was a mere 20 per cent of its present age.

Africa’s oldest known rocks come from Mpumalanga and adjacent Swaziland, exposed in the rugged Barberton mountain chains that run all the way from Elukwatini and Tjakastad to Komatipoort, straddling the Swaziland border.

Because the world’s oldest fossils have been found here the area is a Mecca for scientists interested in how the young earth worked 3 500 000 millennia ago, and in searching for new clues to the origin of life.

In a real sense, Mpumalanga represents the cradle of life.

The earth is about 4 550 million years old, but no terrestrial rocks that old have ever been found: the oldest known rocks are from Canada where, in a small area near the Arctic Circle, the Acasta gneisses have been dated to just more than 4 000 million years in age.

Click here to read the whole story written by Prof Maarten de Wit: A History Of Deep Time

Accommodation In The Highlands Meander

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.

Warning

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

Accommodation Close To Belfast

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

Accommodation Close To Waterval Boven

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

Accommodation Close To Machadodorp

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

Accommodation Close to Dullstroom

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

°Treeferns Trout Lodge is situated in the north-eastern part of South Africa, as shown on the Google Earth map below. I have sticked the pins into Treeferns Trout Lodge and surrounding towns.

If we zoom into the South African map and have a look at the Mpumalanga province and the location of the pins related to Johannesburg and Pretoria, we see:

Finally, the Google Map’s big zoom. Here we see that the pin indicating Treeferns Trout Lodge is about the centre between Dullstroom, Belfast, Machadodorp and Waterval Boven, a region with spectacular views from mountainous routes.

Exceptionally, from a view point on the farm,  one can see the towns of Dullstroom,  Waterval Boven and Machadodorp.  Only the town of Belfast is not visible, due to a small hill in the line of sight.

Imagine standing on one of the highest points in the country with  a 360° scope of approximately 40 km in diameter, circumference of 125 km, and an area of 1300 km². Awesome !  How great Thou art !

A sight to enjoy  – from the lookout point – is to view these towns at night with the town lights shimmering against the night sky.  Come and experience this unbelievable view.

You will notice on both sides of the pin indicating Treeferns Trout Lodge  farms indicated by dark blocks of  cultivated land.

Also notice the Eastern escarpment between these farms with  Treeferns Trout Lodge situated on the edge of the escarpment, which falls away hundreds of meters eastwards down to the Lowveld.

1. FAKTORE WAT FORELGEDRAG STIMULEER

a) Suurstofryke koue water

b) Stabiele atmosferiese– en hidrostatiese druk

c) Sterk noorde wind

d) Konstante temperatuur – geen skielike dalings nie

e) Aktiewe insek- en akwatiese insekaktiwiteit

f) Onthou: MATCH THE NATURAL COLOUR AND ONE SIZE SMALLER THAN THE NATURAL

1. FAKTORE WAT FORELGEDRAG INHIBEER

a) Suurstof arme en warm water

b) Dalende lugdruk

c) Windlose toestande en helder skerp sonlig.

d) Skielike dalende temperatuur

e) Afwesigheid van insek- en akwatiese insekaktiwiteit.

1. WAAROM VANG EK NIKS NIE

a) Lees nie forelgedrag nie.

b) Hengel die beste patrone sonder vertroue.

c) Kunsvlieg strook nie met akwatiese insekaktiwiteit of die forelle se wei-gedrag nie.

d) Het geen lyn in die water nie of kyk rugby tydens hatches en rises.

WENKE:

Laat vlieë toe om te sink alvorens “retrieve” begin.

Wend verskillende “retrieves” aan om die lyn eenkeer in te bring.

Winterpatrone behoort oranje te bevat.

Vlieghengel in winderige toestande is meesal produktief.

Witpatrone is effektief voor sononder en sonop, maar behoort op of hoog in die wateroppervlakte gehengel te word.

Indien forelle nie die droë vlieg wil vat nie, gooi lyn uit en laat droë vlieg stil lê. Na ‘n ruk gee die lyn ‘n pluk of ‘twitch” en bring vinnig net onder die oppervlakte in.

Hengel damkant waarteen die wind vaswaai.

Bepaal allereers die weigedrag van Forelle en hengel daarvolgens.

Lees Deel 1 van Scenario’s vir Vlieghengel hier

Various hiking routes are available in the area.

A trail down the ravine with cliffs, running water, waterfalls, rapids and cascades,  pools and indigenous vegetation offers a moderately difficult but invigorating half-day walk. Several stone ruins can be seen.
There are several rapids and cascades in the ravine through which the stream runs, creating spectacular views.