General Information

 

The property, 110 hectares in extent  has been called “one of the most beautiful fly-fishing destinations on the planet (Robert Brandon Kirby - Fly Fishing in Southern Africa). 

 

 NATURAL HISTORY

 

Uniquely, the property is an enclave situated inside the perimeter game fence of the World Heritage Maloti/Drakensberg Park, which comprises  almost a half a million hectares of wilderness area stretching from Bushman’s Nek in the SW and running in an unbroken line against the escarpment right through to past Bergville, in the north. This is the largest wilderness conservation area in Kwazulu-Natal and is home to a wide variety of game, including a number of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibia which are highly endangered and/or threatened.

 

 

BIRDS

Yellow breasted pipit - Anthus chloris

White stork -Ciconia ciconia

Bald ibis               -ceronticus calvus

Cape vulture -Gyps coprotherus

Bearded vulture -Gypaetus barbatus

Gurney’s sugarbird -Promerops gurneyi

Wattled crane -Burgeranus carunculatus

Black stork -Ciconia nigra

Martial eagle -Polemaetus bellicosus

 

 

REPTILES

Water monitor -Varanus niloticus

Dwarf chameleon -Bradypodian sp

 

AMPHIBIANS

Semi-burrowing treefrog - Leptopelis xenodactylus

 

MAMMALS

Serval -Felis serval

Aardwolf -Proteles cristatus

Oribi -Ourebia ourebia

African striped weasel -Poecilogale albinucha.

 

Other cryptic, nocturnal  and seldom seen animals that occur in the park include; vaal rhebuck ,brown hyena, African black-footed cat, bat-eared fox, aardvark(African ant-eater)and the Cape claw-less otter, water mongoose, lynx, porcupine and the majestic black  eagle.

 

More commonly, visitors  might expect to encounter  eland, common and mountain reedbuck, grey duiker, chacma baboon, black-backed jackal and the ubiquitous  spotted-neck otter, families of which may often be seen frolicking in the lake. We also have a nesting pair of fish eagles that have made the lake the centre of their territory.   (A complete bird list is available on our website and to guests on request).