Mother Nature’s Surprise
The rain started on the 2nd of March and ended on the 12th, we measured at the lodge approximately 320mm of rain for this period. The reserve was officially closed for 2 days, and for the guests that were at the lodge – this was an absolute treat.
We spent the first day with a fire blazing in the main lodge, boardgames, lots of chatting, reading and of course, lots of wine! What a sight it was to watch the rain roll over the valley in front of us…indescribable.
On the reserve it was a different scenario – all the river crossings were in flood, the weather bureau issued stern flood warnings for the area, major roads were closed in the Waterberg region and the only gate that could be used was Main gate.
The East gate & Bakkerspass Roads suffered severe damage and our own Schoongelegen road to West gate, promptly closed when the first rivers came down.
The excitement of our guests was contagious, as we were all part of this unprecedented event. Luck was also on our side as we managed to get some of the guests out of the property the day before the reserve closed, and those who stayed had arrangements that could be moved around.
There is now a bit of work to do on the roads in the reserve and in the area, so if you are planning a stay you will find that you get sent a different set of directions which will take you through Bela Bela and Thabazimbi, this is just to ensure that your journey is safe and hassle free!
So now, the sun is out, everything is drying off and the animals are cleaner than you have ever seen them before!
