Wedding bliss at Thonga beach lodge, Mabibi

I recently attended an awesome private wedding at Thonga Beach lodge which was simply put awesome.  We had three nights and four days with the wedding party and in so doing were privileged to some of the best breakfasts, lunches and dinners never mind the Wedding lunch on the deck on the beach.

Taking over the 24 people / 12 roomed lodge was a fantastic idea and the management team and staff just blew us away with their "No problem" attitude.  And the demands were high.

The wedding on the beach, snorkeling in the sanctuary, mucking about in the waves, tranquility, African fish eagles, yellow billed kites, turtles, whales and an amazing diving setup just make this the ultimate wedding.

The Thonga Lodge is committed to the heritage of the Mabibi tribe and all the staff are involved in this project.

The 250 odd clan or tribe have children that walk to and from school each day for 15 km each way and I am hoping that i can find like minded people who are interested in setting up a Mabibi Trust to raise money to buy a mini bus for the school children.  My goal is to raise R 25,000.00 by July 2012 which will go to a second hand minibus.  So if anyone is interested and has some ideas please email me and lets see if we can do something.  Use it or lose it!

So this is next to the inland fresh water lake Lake Sibaya which has no rivers running into it.

Do yourself a favour go see Thonga Beach lodge - at least once in your lifetime.

Paris Hotels

Well sometimes its great to get out of the bush and slum it in a city - and the only city to do this in is Paris, where the women are sophisticated, the Paris Hotels are awesome and the food is......french je ne sais quoi!

Love to buy a place in the bush - what do the banks offer?

So you have now been for a weekend away and have just fallen in love with the bush and always wanting to own your personal piece of bush heaven, you meet with a great agent who finds you exactly what you want.


The only problem is you need some finance assistance, because sure you have a deposit in pounds or dollars and getting that across is quite simple because you can arrange a free money transfer from England to South Africa and all you need is a mortgage for the balance.  But what are the restrictions, what are the costs and how do you get a home loan on a piece of vacant land or on your bush house or bush lodge.


So here are some thoughts and scenarios' but if you want details email a property finance specialist today!


Vacant Land - well Nedbank do not offer loans on vacant land. ABSA and FNB offer 60% loan and Standard bank offer 65% and 75%.  The rule of size is maximum 8,5 Hectares but under certain circumstances up to 20 Hectares may be considered.


Bush House or Bush Lodge - well depending on the value and lloan required and whether you are a non-resident (50% max) or a non-resident with work permits (80% max) to SA citizens (up to 100% depending on the property value) - once again speak to your property finance specialist. The rule of size is maximum 8,5 Hectares but under certain circumstances up to 20 Hectares may be considered.


If this is a commercial undertaking then a different loan is applied for and the maximum loans are 60% but you will pay a raising fee of up to 2% and even then there is no guarantee of getting a loan.  Business plans, financials and forecasts together with the seller and buyers pedigree is required.


So can you do it, yes!  Is it easy no!  Speak to your property finance specialist first!  All good!

Property and the Kruger Park - take a break

Time to take a break, go ahead you deserve it.

Ever imagine a place where the air is crisp and clean, the grass is green, and the sky is starlit with sparkly diamond like stars. Imagine soft sunsets filled with the sounds of chirping birds and nothing but contentment.

When i spoke with Barbara from Century 21 Wildlife properties she had this to say:

"Stop imagining because such a place exists! The Kruger National Park is a wonderful place where you can unwind from daily tension and enjoy nature at its best. Forget about stress caused by city life, and embrace the overwhelming feeling of rejuvenation and tranquility.

Being in the Kruger National Park makes you feel a lot healthier.  Think of reducing your everyday tension, stress and anxiety levels. It’s almost sounds too good to be true, but believe it or not, getting away and going to quiet places is good for you!  Thats why you should own your own bushveld property".

When was the last time you actually had time to clear your mind and have time to yourself? If you answered daily then good for you! However most folks barely have “me” time, simply because life is just way too hectic. Little do we realize how unhealthy and bad this is for us not only mentally but emotionally as well.

The Kruger National Park allows you to have that “me” time, which everybody needs. City life tends to make us forget about the finer things in life, the things that really matter. The long summer days spent outdoors with those you care about, the lazy winter evenings drinking hot chocolate and taking long relaxing bubble baths. These are the things that might not seem important at all, but these things need to be done for your own wellbeing. So when you are ready to buy a property in Hoedspruit next to the Kruger Park get a specialist to find you the one that suits your dreams.

Whenever things feel like they just piling up and not getting any easier, remember you can make it better by letting go and heading to the wonderful Kruger National Park.

Annie and Remax Wildlife Properties

So Annie gets her gun - well done

the best property agent in Hoedspruit area and a fair deal for your bush properties and offering  100% home loans - annie and her team awesome- well done and welcome!!

When did you learn life was easier buying in the bush!

Hi Geoff,


The bush sells itself, but is nice to know I may have influence.

So, How much do you need to raise? For properties zoned as Agricultural farms (like this one) and over 25ha it becomes quite difficult to raise cash and unfortunately takes longer than a normal home loan.

So yes 90 days may be needed. But to be fair houses and stands can take that long at times as well. It all depends on how quickly we can information to the bank regarding your financials, tax, banks account statements etc.


I utilise the services of Global Fundi for financing advise and while they do not raise finance for larger farms can offer excellent advise and recommendations. They can also assist to bring finance into the country at very favourable rates. I will ask them contact you, as he can explain the best options for doing so.

Kevin the seller was thrown a curve ball this morning!

He has been on a waiting list for buffalo calves because he would like them to get stuck into the long grass to reduce fire hazard. 6 became available and will cost him R16,000 each totalling R96,000. Obviously if he sells the farm he does not want to add more game to the offering and the value of this game cannot be included in the asking price. He wants to know if this will be a deal breaker. I would be a pity for him to loose such an opportunity stock is not easily available. The average auction price in 2010 for 56 auctions was R35,000 for a fully grown buffalo. They want to BOMA them on Friday and have Vets and staff lined up to do so. Let me know your thoughts?
Wish all deals were this cool!!

Renting a House in the Bush - Looks can be Deceptive

Some of the older buildings in areas like Hoedspruit town may scare potential tenants because they may look rundown, but experts claim that branding areas as “unsafe” for living is unfair as some of the older buildings have a much more efficient maintenance and service record than some of the newer buildings.

so a great read: The 7 Secrets to Successful Apartment Leasing: Find Quality Renters, Fill Vacancies, and Maximize Your Rental Income

As the rental market in the Bushveld and country becomes more competitive, an increasing number of people are keenly reviewing the upkeep of the building they intend to live in as one of the most important factors to consider.

“There are many options to choose from. Why should I go to an older place, which may have problems right from start? At the end of the day, it’s all about safety and convenience,” said a resident of Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate, who is now looking to move out of the area to town.

However, experts say that a simple glance of the building should not be the only factor to assess whether the place is safe or unsafe.

According to one source, some buildings in older areas of the city are in a much better state than others in newer locations, which may come as a surprise to many.

“You could well find a property in Old town that has a quicker, more responsive and efficient maintenance service than in some buildings in New areas such as Wildlife estates. Similarly, two identical buildings next to each other in the same area might well be receiving very different maintenance services,” he told us.

“The difference comes with the landlord and their commitment to their customers – the tenants. With this comes the ability to charge higher rentals. So, in the case of the buildings mentioned above, one charges a higher rent to deliver a better service,” he added.

According to another expert, some old buildings in Town are perfect examples how good maintenance can extend the life of a building.

“Maintenance is becoming a more and more talked about subject in Hoedspruit and surrounds. In theory, the economic life of a building should be 100-years plus. However, if the buildings are not properly maintained throughout, their life expectancy can reduce vastly,” said  the Head of Valuations from one of the leading banks.  And ABSA, Standard Bank, FNB and Nedbank feel the same.
“Good examples of this can be seen in Nelspruit and other bush type towns.  Traditionally, in markets, landlords mostly enforce the upkeep of their buildings (commercial) through the provision of a full repairing and insuring lease to their tenants or through a service charge provision for residential. Proactive maintenance also improves the financial performance of a building over time, hence tightly worded leases being the norm in mature markets,” he said.

However, many residents in general complain their landlords are not bothered about the upkeep of the apartment or home once they lease it out.

"I’ve been in this house for just six months but there are so many problems here. Right from the AC to the water motor to sewage.  It has been giving me trouble. My landlord lives in London and wouldn’t care to even reply to my e-mails. He should get me an annual contract from a maintenance company but he’s not willing to spend a single Rand,” said a resident of Raptors View, (one of the oldest  and most established freehold bush communities in Hoedspruit).

For such tenants, experts advise a through check-up of the place before a contract is signed.

“Clients should be careful and conduct due diligence no matter where or what they lease. If it is a new building, it is advisable to see who the owner is (or are in the case of owners association properties) and if they have other properties, then check how their reputation for performing maintenance stands with these other buildings. For older properties, try and speak with existing tenants - visual appearances can be very deceptive so it is always best to investigate further,” said our bush expert.

On the other hand, A. or  Residential Sales & Leasing, Expert, believes that it is not possible to instruct clients. “I do not see any reason to advise tenants to be careful. I believe it is all down to taste, budget and expectation requirements of the individual on which building they would choose,” she said.

“[Moreover], I do not know of any building deemed unsafe due to age; as long as a sound maintenance team is in place, all buildings should not be a threat for health and safety. In some developments, gyms or pools are not maintained well but that could be for many reasons, e.g., the developer is not receiving all the service charges paid, etc,” said A.

“A lot of the homes are simple structures and even pre-fabricated. Some of the older buildings even on the freehold market are showing signs of age after just 5-7 years. This is a concern as in other, more mature markets, homes over 100 years of age are very common, but the climate here is harsh and life expectancy of buildings are reduced as a result,” she added.

For those new in Hoedspruit, experts list areas with oldest buildings but rule out that they are unsafe.

“Areas such as Town, Big 5 areas etc have some of the oldest remaining properties. However, our Municipality (Theoretically) regularly checks all buildings in the area and will require an owner to repair, reinstate or renovate their properties should there be elements that are assessed to be unsafe, from the structure and items stored in emergency stairwells (in flats) all the way down to depth markings for swimming pools. If a larger, long-term commitment is being made, such as for a commercial or industrial property, then a company could be considered to provide a technical assessment of the building fabric and features prior to making a decision,” added our experts.

Food for thought! For more info look at this book and buy it now it is great and will get you going.

Hoedspruit and winter approaching

I always like to hear from Hoedspruit as i own property their and have been trying to sell one of them.

So this was an email I received the other day from a friend of mine.

Dear

XXXXXX

It seems as if Autumn is over and winter has arrived but strangely so as here in Hoedspruit we are still having hot and humid days to contend with though it is getting cooler in the evenings.

With a few extra showers, the rain has kept the bush green for longer, which is always a good selling point in this area and the leadwoods and other trees are looking super.

Although for some  the market may still seem depressed we are getting a lot of Internet enquiries regarding properties in Hoedspruit, some great walk in clients and hopefully more of these enquiries will result in the clients making appointments to view properties on offer and our sales continue to climb.

Please be assured of our commitment to find a suitable purchaser for your property and of our assistance at all times.

Best wishes

C

So now my place is sold! Thanks

Visiting SA - DO NOT DRINK and DRIVE Never!!!

So we want you to come to SA and spend your hard earned FOREX ;Well, I'm like most of you, a beer here, a glass of wine or two there, and I always drive the car, because I brag to being a better driver drunk than a Stone cold passenger when my spouse drives!..Sounds familiar.

Well if you visiting our shores as a traveller or even if on holiday - find some responsible driver, taxi backup for ALL YOUR EVENTS when there is booze.

The situation is serious here - the law itself states NO DRINK and DRIVE but it is what happens when you are arrested that really takes its toll.

So for the rule:

DON'T DRINK and DRIVE (That includes me)

This is a recent story that just puts it into perspective in SA and how things can go.

14 March 2011


Dear Family and Friends

I am sending the same email to everyone because I just can’t bring myself to repeat this story over and over and so that everyone is on on the same page with the same information.

On Friday 11 March 2011 at 10pm I was pulled over in a roadblock and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. I had met my friend Jenny at a nearby restaurant to have a very civilised dinner and a catch up. I had three drinks and two glasses of water, something I know every single one of us has done on many occasions. I knew full well at the time that I shouldn’t have had the third but I did. We left just before 10am because I needed to get a decent nights sleep for Andrew’s birthday party on Saturday morning. I felt 100% percent when I was pulled over and told that every person stopped would do a breathalyser test. The police woman said she really wasn’t concerned about me but now that I had been stopped we would have to go through the procedures. I did the breathalyser and was just over the legal limit of 0.24. I was put in a police Quantum and with 8 paralytic men and taken to Honeydew Police Station. I phoned Bradley immediately who threw the kids in the car and arrived just in time for the kids to see me being taken out of a police vehicle.

I honestly thought that Brad would speak to the nice police officers and the nice affluent lady from Ruimsig would be sent home. 18 hours of pure unadulterated hell ensued. I was put in a room with drunk, foul mouthed men and the start of the paper work began. I was then taken in the Quantum again with these men to the Randburg Clinic to have blood tests. I was convinced we would be killed from speed and wreckless driving. I am grateful to the policewoman who stayed with me and kept the men away from me. The person who took my blood was practically illiterate and when I asked him to put gloves on he said he wasn’t afraid of my blood. I told him “buddy I’m scared of yours”. It was all done properly, I took photos of the blood kit and documents which the cops found very interesting as everyone else was sprawled out of the floor not knowing the day of the week. Bradley had taken the kids to my mom at this stage and was outside with my friend I had dinner with and her husband who is a lawyer. We were then taken back to Honeydew where we were told it would be a few minutes and we could pay our bail and go home. It’s now midnight.

Apparently to post bail you need a detective and there were no detectives and only one small cell which couldn’t accommodate the “detainees”. I was finally separated from the men and put in an office with 8 policemen sorting out crates of booze from a shebeen. They had great fun making jokes with the “lovely white lady”. At 4am three more women were brought in, 2 motherless. Just for the record, of the 23 arrested, I had the lowest count. The cops also found this amusing as I should “never have been detained”.

At 4am Honeydew police station decided they couldn’t find a detective and just couldn’t process us. We (4 ladies) had to hand over everything, including cell phones and even our belts and shoelaces and were told we would be taken somewhere much more comfortable for us. Somewhere where we would be with criminals like ourselves. We were frog marched to a proper police van and thrown in the back. Stinking filth would be a mild description. The cops told us they were taking us to the veld for some fun which white ladies enjoy. There are no words to describe the fear and degradation. We were taken, sirens screaming and ramping pavements to “shake us up” to Randburg Prison. We were reprocessed and told once again that as criminals we had no rights.

Us 4 ladies were put in a cell in the prison with 6 other women. Prostitutes, drug addicts, a shebeen owner etc etc. We were treated shockingly but I am grateful to God I was not harmed in any way. I have learnt a lot about myself and how truly strong a person I am. I was more than ready to take on a stoned drug addict who didn’t like my face. There are no words to describe the hell I have seen and experienced. The prison movies I have seen are mild. There literally is writing on the walls in blood and no where to sit or lie but on an ice cold concrete floor. No food and no water. The fear and conditions mess with your head so badly, I desperately wanted them to call me and get me out but at the same time I was so terrified of being alone with a policeman I would rather have stayed in the cell. All this time Brad was outside with Gavin and other family members gathering. Gavin woke up people, there was even a Judge on the phone. They could do nothing!! I was finally granted bail and released after 2pm.

Andrew’s birthday party was cancelled, I have had to explain this situation to my children and see the terror my mothers face. I put Bradley through unspeakable anguish. I can’t even scratch the surface of how this has affected my family.

The reason I am telling you all of this and not keeping it to myself is because it’s not in my nature to ever shut up as you well know, and it would just eat away at me carrying a secret like this. I take full responsibility that I broke the law and will face the consequences. I will not dodge prosecution or “make evidence disappear”. It’s unfortunate that I am the one who has had to learn this lesson while almost every person I know does the same thing regularly. I believe that this has happened for a reason and possibly that reason is for my friends and family to catch a wake up and realise that this can happen to anyone. I don’t know how strongly I need to say this, I need you guys to listen to what I have to say and take it very seriously. I never want anyone I care about to have to go through what I did. I am getting trauma counselling and am a complete mess. Please trust me it is worse than any movie and any nightmare. I am not being dramatic in any way that when I say if I could video what I saw and experienced, no one of you would ever touch a drop again. The big hero men who thought it was all so amusing initially, left the prison broken. Me as a female was exposed to unspeakable things. I have witnessed people taking drugs next to me and going completely mental, I have used a steel filth encrusted toilet in front of a room full of people, I have been told my Nigerians and Zimbabweans that their only wish is to “f^%$ me until I die” and i have laid on a filthy concrete floor completely helpless. And that's the mild stuff.

I want every single person to think about this and stop what you are doing. Do not ever get behind a wheel after so much as one drink, its not worth it. Male, female, young, old, black, white, affluent or not. No one is excluded from this stuffed up system that is policing our country. It doesn’t matter how little or how much over the legal limit you are, you are a criminal in their eyes and will be treated as such. Ladies, your civilised dinner parties, book clubs and play dates in the afternoons with your children could honestly land you experiencing what I did. Guys a beer or two after work, same story. I will be going to court and I will have a criminal record.

I am not saying don’t drink, I am asking you all to drink in the safety of your homes and to never ever under any circumstance get behind a wheel after drinking anything. It’s just not worth it. You don’t know your limit, everyone is a different weight, size and everyone reacts differently. Just don’t take the chance, ever.

I apologise for this letter sounding like the ramblings of a mad woman but I felt I needed to tell everyone while it was still fresh. I haven't told a tenth of what happened. I am not ashamed by what happened and I cannot let my experience go without doing something constructive to prevent others from having to go through the same thing. I won’t punish myself for the rest of my life and I will still have a drink or two but I swear I will never again get behind a wheel after so much as one sip of alcohol. I have a long road ahead of me to sort my head out and many months of court cases and trauma ahead, make sure this doesn’t happen to you.

Lauren

Hey Lauren, good on you we all need a flippin serious wake up Call.  Catch a taxi man!!!!

Wilbur Smith and the rhino

This is a factual account written by Wilbur Smith. I'm pretty sure you'll all enjoy the read! He is a great author after all...


The plight of the Black Rhinoceros is, of course, due mostly to the value of its horn and the ferocious poaching that this engenders. However, a contributory factor to the declining rhino population is the animals disorganized mating habits. It seems that the female rhino only becomes receptive to the male's attentions every three years or so, while the male only becomes interested in her at the same intervals. A condition known quite appropriately as "Must". 

The problem is one of synchronization, for their amorous inclinations do not always coincide. 

In the early Sixties, I was invited, along with a host of journalists and other luminaries, to be present at an attempt by the Rhodesian Game and Tsetse Department to solve this problem of poor timing. The idea was to capture a male rhino and induce him to deliver up that which could be stored until that day in the distant future when his mate's fancy turned lightly to thoughts of love. We departed from the Zambezi Valley in an impressive convoy of trucks and Land Rovers, counting in our midst none other than the Director of the game department in person, together with his minions, a veterinary surgeon, an electrician and sundry other technicians, all deemed necessary to make the harvest. 

The local game scouts had been sent out to scout the bush for the largest, most virile rhino they could find. They had done their job to perfection and led us to a beast at least the size of a small granite koppie with a horn on his nose considerably longer than my arm. The trick was to get this monster into a robust mobile pen, which had been constructed to accommodate him. 

With the Director of the Game Department shouting frantic orders from the safety of the largest truck, the pursuit was on. The tumult and the shouting were apocalyptic. Clouds of dust flew in all directions, trees, and vegetation were destroyed, game scouts scattered like chaff, but finally the Rhino had about a litre of narcotics shot into his rump and his mood became dreamy and benign. With forty black game guards heaving and shoving, and the Director still shouting orders from the truck, the rhino was wedged into his cage, and stood there with a happy grin on his face. 

At this stage, the Director deemed it safe to emerge from the cab of his truck and he came amongst us resplendent in starched and immaculately ironed bush jacket with a colourful silk scarf at this throat. With an imperial gesture, he ordered the portable electric generator to be brought forward and positioned behind the captured animal. This was a machine, which was capable of lighting up a small city, and it was equipped with two wheels that made it resemble a roman chariot. 

The Director climbed up on the generator to better address us. We gathered around attentively while he explained what was to happen next.
It seemed that the only way to get what we had come for was to introduce an electrode into the rhino's rear end, and to deliver a mild electric shock, no more than a few volts, which would be enough to pull his trigger for him. 

The Director gave another order and the veterinary surgeon greased something that looked like an acoustic torpedo and which was attached to the generator with sturdy insulated wires. He then went up behind the somnolent beast and thrust it up him to a full arms length, at which the Rhino opened his eyes very wide indeed. 

The veterinary and his two black assistants now moved into position with a large bucket and assumed expectant expressions. We, the audience, crowded closer so as not to miss a single detail of the drama. The Director still mounted on the generator trailer, nodded to the electrician who threw the switch and chaos reigned. In the subsequent departmental enquiry the blame was placed squarely on the shoulders of the electrician. It seems that in the heat of the moment his wits had deserted him and instead of connecting up his apparatus to deliver a gentle 5 volts, he had crossed his wires and the Rhino received a full 500 volts up his rear end. 

His reaction was spectacular. Four tons of rhinoceros shot six feet straight up in the air. The cage, made of great timber baulks, exploded into its separate pieces and the rhinoceros now very much awake, took off at a gallop. 

We, the audience, were no less spritely. We took to the trees with alacrity. This was the only occasion on which I have ever been passed by two journalists half way up a Mopane tree. 

From the top branches we beheld an amazing sight, for the chariot was still connected to the Rhinoceros per rectum, and the director of the game department was still mounted upon it, very much like Ben Hur, the charioteer. 

As they disappeared from view, the rhinoceros was snorting and blowing like a steam locomotive and the Director was clinging to the front rail of his chariot and howling like the north wind, which only encouraged the beast to greater speed. 

The story has a happy ending for the following day after the director had returned hurriedly to his office in Salisbury, another male Rhinoceros was captured and caged and this time the electrician got his wiring right. 

I can still see the Rhinoceros's expression of surprised gratification as the switch was thrown. You could almost hear him think to himself. "Oh Boy! I didn't think this was going to happen to me for at least another three years".

Own your own bushveld hideaway - private sales

Raptors View Wildlife Escapes ; This is a superb re-launch of an existing development.

On the steps of everything yuou want from the bush.

We have a few private sales and special property deals available.

We know that sales have taken off and being in the bush like this is wonderful.  Rentals are always in demand so whether buying as an investment, looking for a property bargain, want a weekend getaway or just your own place in a special town. Then Hoedspruit and Raptors Wildlife Escapes in your place.

Deep in the bush surrounded by Big 5

email the owner direct and save yourself plenty.