Long Tom Pass - The road to Lydenburg!

...Continued from The Road to Hoedspruit!

I know it's been a while and I have been promising to write a chapter a week but as we all know in this wonderful world of blogging, sometimes :) we just run out of time. NO EXCUSE WIZARDMAN! MAKE TIME. But it's no excuse and I'm back so here's chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Long Tom Pass - The road to Lydenburg

A little bit of bad news for the folks who are driving from Gauteng, the road from Bronkhorst to Long Tom Pass is, "gow you say", CRAP! It's boring and the one town that you do pass, namely Witbank, well leaves much to be desired. Witbank is an old mining town and will stay that for as long as South Africa is around.

I'm unfortunately for now going to skip the road to Hoedspruit! But trust me, stay tuned for that chapter, because Hoedspruit, it's one town you don't want to miss. But for the purpose of this Chapter and to not bore you all, we'll stick to Lyndenburg.

So drive, put your pedal down and get through those dry lands, because once you reach Long Tom Pass, you're in the most beautiful and picturesque part of Southern Africa. The Long Tom Pass down to Lydenburg once you've R531 from the R36 is an incredibly windy and mind blowing pass.

Long Tom is the nickname that was given to the old Creusot Cannons used by the Boers in the Anglo Boer War. Long Tom is where the final cannon was shot.

At over 2000 metres above sea level coming over the pass you finally reach Lydenburg. Take a night or two and sleep in this little town.

Situated at the foothills of the Long Tom Pass on the Highveld escarpment of Mpumalanga, Lydenburg is a town of history and a town for all seasons. With it's magnificent climate and surroundings Lydenburg is the perfect little outdoor adventure paradise for the whole family. Dad's and son's you'll love it. Not so sure about the mom's and sisters but hey, once you're in Hoedspruit, it'll make up for it!

Activities encompass fly fishing and unspoilt nature with panoramic views. Visits to Mashishing Township and the Lydenburg Museum. (Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve Tel: (01323) 2121 )

If you're a historian or just a plain lover of South African history and culture you'll revel in this old little town. The museum is filled with artifacts from the Boer War. In fact if I'm not mistaken and my memory doesn't deceive me, there's a actual Long Tom cannon. They have replicas of the Lydenburg Heads and terracotta animals and human heads dating back 500 AD from the the Later Iron Age.

If you like trout fishing, trust me, you'll love Lydenburg. It's has the perfect weather and perfects streams and dams for the best trout fishing in Africa. With millions of little guest houses to choose from and some really cosy little log cabins this place is a must for one night!

If you're looking for a place to stay check out SA Venues

Stay Tuned for Chapter 3(Choppers road to Orighstad)...

Raptors View Lifestyle Village!

Raptors View Lifestyle Village is situated in the town of Hoedspruit, which combines small town atmosphere with the benefits of a city. Residents are minutes away from shopping, restaurants, medical facilities and schools.

The Drakensberg escarpment offers some of the most beautiful landscapes to be found anywhere in Africa. Hoedspruit is the gateway to the Kruger National Park, as well as other magnificent attractions such as the Blyde River Canyon, Gods Window and the famous Bourke's Luck Potholes.

Pastimes such as game viewing, scenic drives, fishing, horseback riding,biking, hiking, white water rafting and hot air ballooning are locally available. Nearby, the Air Force Base Sports facilities include access to a awesome little 9 hole golf course and a floodlit driving range, tennis, bowls and many other sports.

Hoedspruit offers the perfect retreat for those wishing to settle in the tranquility of the African Bush.


Raptors View Lifestyle Village will offer facilities such as a secure environment with a 24-hour emergency call button, nurse-on-call, security patrols, community centre and recreational facilities. Above all, Jordan Properties will provide you with a home of the highest quality workmanship situated in a safe and beautiful environment.


Raptors View Lifestyle Village consists of 48 tow bedroom units and 10 studio units, all with lofts. The site is services by an internal ring road that provides access to dedicated carports and guest parking.

For more information contact Wizard Property

THE OFFICE - Hoedspruit Comes of Age

I just heard that THE OFFICE is opening soon in Hoedspruit!

I also heard the THE OFFICE will be offering very upmarket serviced actual and virtual offices that are serviced with all facilities for the man and woman on the go.

About time, office space is so scarce and also quite dumpy in most cases, so this is very refreshing. Serviced offices, I like.

So this means I will have offices whenever I'm in Hoedies and places to meet my clients and "I also heard" a place to sleep. This is very cool my dears!!!!!

It also means, skatties, that I can have my personal PA or secretary 24/7 and I can be on the road, while all my worries and business are taken care of - PROFESSIONALLY

Housed In RAPTORS SAFARI JUNCTION - Listen I saw this place the other day and really like what I see.

A stunning looking SPA being built called African Summer Spa. Beautiful new Interior shops, a great bike and outdoor kinda shop and plumbing, a VERY sexy vet practice and more I'm was impressed.

Your Sorceress from the heart!!!

Hoedspruit jou doring jou - You surprise me more and more.

South African Local Phrases...

What I've noticed after having had a BLOG for around 3 months is that my writing style, although not at "journalistic levels" does include a whole lot of South African slang. The problem with this after analyzing(analysing) the amount of visitors I have from South Africa compared to those I get from the rest of the world is that probably don't understand half of what I'm saying... Read the http://sa-property.blogspot.com BLOG for more of my KAK slang!

So what I've decided to do, before I continue with my Hoedspruit BLOG articles is to help the rest of the world understand the South African SLANG! Hey, who knows, this may even make our BLOGS more popular!

So here we go: Local Phrases (Please people feel free to add comments and SLANG of your own!)

Braai
A braai is a barbecue. South African love to braai. Fish, meat or chicken, we enjoy it best when it has been over the coals.

Biltong
Similar to jerky, it is dried meat. You may choose toi enjoy it plain, or lightly salted or have it spiced up by the local butchery. Biltong is made from Beef, Ostrich, Game and a variety of wild African meats. This is a delicacy in Hoedspruit, it fact I don't think they eat anything else :)

Eina
Widely used by all, this word, derived from the Afrikaans, means "ouch". This is pronounced "Aynah".

Lekker
Also pronounced "lekka". An Afrikaans word meaning nice, is also used to express approval. The connotation of the term implies more than just approval. It also implies enjoyment.

Robot
A robot is a traffic light. Yes believe it or not!

Ag Shame
What a pity. An expression of sympathy. Often used as sarcasm.

Cool Drink
Canned or bottled soft drink.

Jislaaik
You dont' say. Used to express surprise or amazement.

Sharp
Means good or ok.

Sis
An expression of disgust. May mean "ugh" or "eewh". Used to express an extreme dislike to something.

Eh
Pronounced as "hay". Often used as an ending to sentences. For exmaple; "Thanks, eh"

Kwaai
Pronounced as "k-why". Means great or terrific. Used to emphasise your agreement to something. For example; "That's a kwaai car".

The Next Big Thing

Ok so I'm biased. Stand number 30 and a quarter of Stand number 25 biased....

But "Wild Rivers" is the best real estate I've seen in SA at the moment. Except maybe Randburg if you're looking for a two bed flat!)

The great news is that "Wild Rivers" just got better! Let me explain...

If you're lucky, you will have read or heard about the family who grew up in a remote outpost in the Kruger National Park called Machlangeni. Dad was the field ranger of the section and they raised everything from lions to honey badgers to a gaggle of bare foot daughters (all taken, sorry lads!).

The news is that this Kruger family, Kobus and Kobie, who are well known throughout the world through Kobie's writings, have bought a stand in wild rivers and will be building a house and living there permanently.

I'd be lying if I said Kobus had taken over wild life management of Wild Rivers. And you'd be a fool hardy betting man/woman if you said that he wasn't about to.

More Good News and updates of the next stage in the lives of Kobus and Kobie, and the progress of one of the best wildlife estates, to follow very very shortly!

Nice, and very very super nice!

Hoedspruit

Greetings from a warm Hoedspruit.

Aah what can I say about Hoedspruit,well its a lot warmer than the rest of the country.Our average temp over the last couple of days was about 27deg and very fresh in the evening,got to love ha ha.Sorry,you have to visit if you want to believe it and plus we have the best sunsets,have a look at the photo,need I say more?.

Blue Tailed Lizzard!

While out on Wild Rivers the other day, I managed to photograph this Blue Tailed Lizard sunning himself.

This is the male, who attracts the female with his bright blue tail, much like us males who dress up all colourful like, to impress our females counterparts. Well yes I hope it still works for you as it does for me. Thanks Bryan for letting us in on your trade secrets.

Pregnant Gizzard!

Ever wondered what a pregnant Gizzard looks like... Well here she is!
She hangs around the rockery in Raptors Wildlife Estate.



Compliments of Bryan from Jordan Properties

The Road to Hoedspruit!

Introduction

Having had such an experience driving to Hoedspruit and having met alot of people that make that town tick, I've decided to dedicate this BLOG to Hoedspruit!

This is the first part of my trip.

My BLOG will talk you through getting Hoedspruit, my findings on the way. This will be a log of my discoveries of the little shops, businesses, safari's, hunting farms and properties for sale in the town of Hoedspruit and nearby dorps! I want people to share their experiences with US. If you have businesses in Hoedspruit, if you have adventures or stories to share, PLEASE I urge you to send them through to me. I will add them all into my Chapters.

Lets begin the adventure...

Chapter 1

4:30am, dark, cold and dry!

Enough clothing packed for the weekend, a map of the Lowveld (which hopefully you won't need after this journey), a bird book, a tree book - if you're the bunny hugging, tree loving type - and enough coffee and beer for breakfast and lunch. Oh and lets not forget the binoculars and camera!

The road from Gauteng, Pretoria specifically, to Hoedspruit in the Lowveld is incredible. It's a beautiful journey and well, a relatively safe road provided you haven't dropped your suspension by 17 inches. It is however an adventure of note. I unfortunately haven't been able to get hold of the first part of the MAP so let's make it a little treasure map shall we, or rather tell you to take the N4 to Witbank. It's easy... Now there are 2 ways to Hoedspruit that I'd recommend but I'm going to explain just the one for lack of boring you.

The Beautiful Road to Hoedspruit - PASSOP VIR DIE GATTE! (Watch out for the potholes)

On the road to WITBANK you'll drive past a little town called Bronkhorst Spruit. On the right of the highway an amazing site beholds you. It's the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere and goes by the name of the "Nan Hua Temple". It's is open to the public and is a place that's is available for weekends. If you're into Feng Shui and you want to start your trip off with a 2 day RELAXATION, this is the place to do it!

If you're interested or want to read a little more about this majestic (i promise to stop using this word as soon as I find my dictionary) and wonderful place go to http://www.nanhua.co.za/

Chapter 2... Long Tom Pass - The Road to Lydenberg...