Latest news from Khaya Ndlovu

Here is some recent news from Khaya Ndlovu as discussed in the Home Owner's bulletin.

Veld Assessments

A consultant will be carrying out a veld assessment on Blue Canyon from 28^th – 30^th March and from 2^nd – 5^th April.  Together with the soil profiles and rainfall data, which have  already been provided, this will enable a report to be compiled specifying our carrying capacities for different species on the conservancy.

Tim has arranged for an assessment of the habitat quality and carrying capacity for black rhino to take place in May.  This is a necessary first step in exploring the possibility of Blue Canyon conservancy taking part in the black rhino expansion program, where excess animals are taken off a reserve and relocated in other suitable reserves.  Locally, Selati and Balule are already taking part in this project.  We need to be sure that we have sufficient quality habitat for a viable population of black rhino to thrive.

   
Anti-poaching

The anti-poaching unit continues to do a first class job and has been boosted by the addition of two extra men this month.  

 Repair work on roads, gates and crossings

Having been given the go ahead by the Khaya Ndlovu directors to hire appropriate equipment, the warden for the Blue Canyon Conservancy, Tim Parker,  has had a hard week repairing river crossings and grading roads. The grading is now complete and all river crossings except the Riversdale cutline crossing are passable now. They are very sandy though and Tim recommends that only experienced drivers should attempt to cross in anything other than a 4x4.  The repair work on the north traverse gate is complete.

 

·         Crocodile Release

On Saturday 17^th March, home owners gathered at Hippo Dam to watch the release of four 3 year old crocodiles, donated by Brian Jones from Moholoholo.  It was mid morning when they arrived and very hot so the release had to be accomplished quickly to avoid having the animals become overheated.  The first three crocs seemed happy to exchange the crate for the water but the last one needed a firm pull of its tail to encourage it out.  Ironically, the large 3 meter crocodile that had resided in Khaya Ndlovu since the floods decided to leave the conservancy altogether – it was tracked moving around the Raptors fence line, across Leadwood and into the Bavaria Estate.  We think he is probably heading for the Blyde River.  

 

Brian surprised the home owners by announcing that he had brought a second species for release that day – a very large male serval that had been hand reared on Moholoholo but was now ready for life in the wild.

·         Other Sightings

Tim checks the GPS signals from the collared cheetah (one of the two males which hunt together) and reports that they  have been moving around the whole conservancy and  were on the cut line on Monday morning. 

The nine wild dogs are regularly seen on both sides of the Raptors fence, passing with ease over the Sandspruit where the fence is still being mended.

Hyena tracks have been seen near Hippo Dam and a side striped jackal has also been seen on the Eastern loop.

·         Bird Movement

The natal robin has been heard calling along the Sandspruit – since these robins only come this far north in the winter, this is a sure sign of the changing seasons.  Interestingly, all the summer migrants are still on the reserve, whereas further south, they have already gone.

An extract from Lisl Bennet's Blog- Life in Hoedspruit

A Summer’s Day

There it is again, the distinctive screeching. So loud they may as well be in the bed with her; ‘keke keke kekreech, keke, kekreech!’ A whole group answers the call from nearby and then the daily dawn chorus breaks out with full enthusiasm – on the part of the birds not the audience.

‘No,’ she thinks sourly, ‘not a chorus, a bloody cacophony!’

It’s ridiculous, she’d come to the bush to escape the noise of the city and now it’s this every god damned morning. ‘How do people live in the bush?’ And if it isn’t the guinea fowl in the mornings, it’s those woodlands-whatever-kingfishers with their repetitive, ‘Tweep, trrr!’ providing a continuous sound track through every bleeding hot day of summer.

She drags herself from a sweaty bed and walks barefoot through the house, the cool cemcrete floors a welcome relief. Pouring herself a cold juice, she shudders at the thought of a hot cup of coffee that used to jumpstart her day. The screen door squeaks as she steps out onto the deck to be blessed by the fresh morning air. It won’t last long. ‘Perhaps that is why it’s necessary to be woken so early,’ she murmurs to herself, ‘so that the cool crisp memory of this fleeting moment of freshness can sustain me as I swelter through the rest of the day.’

Setting out for the day, she waits impatiently as the car ahead of her dawdles along. Granted it’s doing the speed limit, but really how can anyone actually drive that slowly? She has a few quick errands to run before her first meeting but nothing happens quickly in a small town. The shop assistant actually expects an answer when she asks about her day, petrol attendants stop for a chat. No one has far to go really, everyone knows everyone so everything just happens at a more casual pace. She sighs as the tapping of her foot fails to make the queue move faster.

Her meeting takes place at a restaurant with a view of the mountains in the distance. The clients from out of town wax lyrical about the bush, the birds and the quiet.’ What do they know?’ She snorts. But their gushing approval makes her open her eyes. She looks down the main, well the only, road of town and appreciates the lack of traffic. The bright red of the flame trees outside the police station highlight the misty purple haze that seems to gather over the bush as it waits for the humidity to turn into rain.

The day finishes early as people retreat from the huge heat of the day and she wonders why she was in such a rush that morning, there seems to be nothing to do but head home. On the drive she takes off her seatbelt. ‘Well really what can happen when you drive this slowly?’ she smiles wryly to herself. Her window is rolled down as she casually navigates the curving dirt road through the nature reserve that is her so-called driveway. A small herd of waterbuck raise their heads to watch her pass and with a flick of an ear indicate their disinterest.

The characteristic dark sweet smell of the thatch rushes out to meet her as she opens the door to her house - a blessedly cool relief from the heat of the day. ‘Ah yes,’ she thinks, ‘home sweet home.’ She kicks off her shoes immediately and then shrugs and continues undressing. A trail of clothes marks her path from the door to the pool. A warthog sleeping underneath the deck takes exception to her exhibitionism and snorts a small dust cloud making off into the undergrowth.

It’s so hot that she doesn’t bother with a towel. The air soon dries her and the wet footprints she leaves through the house. She slips into a cool cotton dress, pours herself a G&T and settles into her favourite chair to watch her daily show – a silent sunset that reminds her, on a daily basis, why she chooses to live here.

At Century 21 Wildlife Properties we meet dozens of people looking to move to Hoedspruit. If you’re looking to change your lifestyle we can help you to find the ideal house, farm, wildlife estate, game farm or lodge. Visit our website or contact us for more information.

Rhino poaching Update

Four Kruger National Park officials have been arrested in connection with rhino poaching in Kruger National Park. All four officials were stationed in the Pretoriuskop section of the park. The arrest comes after a joint investigation by SANparks and SAPS. It is believed that the four officials were responsible for the death and de-horning or two white Rhino in the Pretoriuskop region.

43 rhino have been poached in the Kruger National Park this year in total, while 11 have been poached in the Pretoriuskop region. 80 rhino have been poached in South Africa already this year, with 50 arrests being made countrywide.

Based on recent events in the KNP, SANparks has established a crime line to enable the public to report any information they may have regarding poaching. You can call 0829083053 or e-mail antipoaching@sanparks.org

Hoedspruit has experienced a decrease in poaching since the de-horning program has been put in place but Rhino remain a vulnerable species and continuous efforts need to be made to ensure their survival.

Education is also vital. Rhino revolution held their first big meeting this year and hosted a variety of speakers which shared their knowledge with those present. Funds have also been raised through the sale of “save a rhino, hunt a poacher” stickers, Rhino revolution T-shirts and the sale of a book, Bongi’s Quest, written by local author, Chris Daniel.

Southern Cross Schools is also trying to raise awareness by having Rhino Revolution Wednesdays where the children are allowed to wear Rhino Revolution T-shirts and caps to school.

If you would like to be involved or would like to contribute in some way, you can contact Rhino revolution on 0823859812.

February newsletter

What a start to the Year! It’s been full of sales, disruptions, and activity. But what would life be like if every day were the same?

 

1. Municipal Valuations

The Municipal valuations have been done for most of Hoedspruit and the surrounding wildlife estates. By admission the municipality has taken a conservative approach. Some values have gone up and others down. A paint brush approach of changing all properties proportionally has not occurred, which is a good thing. If you have not checked out your valuation already you can mail me your details and I can check it for you. Alternately contact Kedibone Sithole at the Maruleng municipality (sitholek@maruleng.gov.za). You have until the end of the month to log concerns.

 

2. Hoedspruit Floods

OK, so if you haven’t already heard Hoedspruit was hit by extreme flooding. Let’s just say that in some parts the 100 yr flood line has been exceeded. But what I want to know is where is this record kept? Our house was 3 meters (10 foot) under water, and not just gentle water, raging rapids. The house was stripped to the bone like vultures on a kill.

Now that many on Raptors View have seen the house and where the water went up to, I wonder where the flood level has been recorded, (other than mental notes and digital cameras), and I’m willing to bet that the farmers who owned the property in the past did not record the whole river system in previous years either.  Well at least not at the site where house 69 was built. My point……, well when developers say that a stand is above the 100yr flood line, on what basis are they saying this? Have they done geological reports, drilling, and simulations or are they using hearsay and gut feel? 

Now I should be careful not to paint all developers with the same brush or even a negative brush. Development requirements are now more stringent than ever, shifting from municipal approvals to DFA tribunals. Zandspruit Aero and Bush Estate for example have spent large amounts of money to ensure that their development is done correctly- meeting not only legislative requirements but also taking practical home owner issues into account. They determined the flood line from detailed aerial photographs with contours inserted and then used computer generated simulations from recorded rainfalls and floods from the area over decades, as well as possible forecasts. Obviously this has not been done on older properties or on farm buildings across the area, so it's something to be aware of when buyers consider purchasing a river property. Zandpruit stands held up very well during the recent floods and are a feather in the cap for all involved.

Hoedspruit is still not getting clean drinking water and water pressure is very low which means that some people do not have water at all. We will continue to experience problems for the next month or more.  Bad news for those who do not have boreholes and rely on the Municipality. For more in depth details follow the link:

Background to water problem

 

The floods have impacted everyone, either through experiencing bad roads, dirty water, power cuts or drinking water availability, through to the extreme cases of losing homes, belongings and businesses. There are also cases of people spending the night up in the trees with their dogs and children before being air-lifted to safety.  Within our area heavy flooding occurred along most little spruits and drainage lines, however the heavy damage and force was experienced on the Blyde River, Sandspruit River, Klaseri River and N’tsiri River. The Olifants River was extremely full but did not break its banks and was comparable but lower than in the 2000 floods. Recognized places that washed away were the Blyde Adventure camp and Jos Macs.

The Mopani District Municipality has requested R259 Million in disaster funding from the national government to deal with flood damage to roads, bridges, the agricultural sector, water provision and infrastructure.

After losing all our belongings in the floods, I can say that standing at the air force base to collect food parcels and selecting your new wardrobe from a table of donated clothing is one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. However, it is necessary and an important part in getting back on ones feet. Over 200 families have been through this and very special thanks must go out to all those who made donations and gave up their time to assist the flood victims, with a special mention and thanks to Debbie Thomson.

Debbie voluntarily coordinated the first few weeks of the humanitarian relief fund and is heavily involved in many facets of Hoedspruit including getting Hoedspruit officially registered as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve/ Region within UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program. Debby and Bushveld Connections have also once again been awarded the contract to project manage the initial phase for the development of a voluntary Carbon Off-set initiative, known as K2C Carbon.   This is being funded through UNESCO in Germany and is scheduled to be completed in April 2012. To see some of the good work being done go to her website:

http://www.bushveldconnections.co.za/

For more info and stories go to:

Flood photos from Century 21 facebook page

Aerial photos by Tom van der Meulen

Blyde Adventure Camp destroyed

Facebook Hoedspruit 2012 Flood Group

Tell us your story if you have one, we would be interested.

 

3. Rhino Poaching

The scourge of Rhino poaching continues.  So far, almost one rhino a day, with over 50 have been shot this year. Last week three poachers with a rifle were caught not far from Hoedspruit. The one poacher admitted to killing a rhino in Hoedspruit last week. Mozambique and the SAPS are following up leads on the horn distributor.

Here is our President doing business with the end users of rhino horn daggers. Way to go JZ, good to see you are looking after our natural assets!

 

4. Plot and Plan

Many people ask me for a basic bush spot. Something they can lock up and go but come down and enjoy in the bush for weekends and holidays. They don’t want a palace in the bush, just a neat holiday house. Most people are satisfied with a rondawel in the Kruger National park, so why not a simple two bedroom home in a game reserve? Many of the houses here are considered too expensive for most. Because there is a shortage of these smaller holiday homes we have taken the initiative to get a local builder to quote us for a turnkey build that takes an economical design into consideration.  This is what he has come up with:

The home is a 2 Bedroom, 2 bathroom bush home, with open plan kitchen, scullery, lounge and patio deck. Thatch roof a minimum 150mm thick, smooth concrete screed floors autumn colored oxide, aluminum windows and door frames for low maintenance, brass plated ironmongery and concrete screed patio.

Size of home is a total of 146 square metres, with 115 square metres under cover

· Living room 35 square metres

· Bedroom 1 en suite 24 square metres

· Bedroom 2 en suite 21 square metres

· Kitchen 13 square metres

· Outside Patio 29 square metres

· Entrance 7 square metres

· outside shower 3 sq m

· Scullery/ pantry 10 sq m

· Court yard 4 sq m

PRICE for Building the House - R950, 000* this quote is valid until the end of March 2012. (As you know building prices go up)

The 1 hectare Stand cost - R350,000 This can be lower or higher, but this price is achievable

Total R1, 3 million

Smaller but clever design has the following benefits:

   ·  Lower purchase cost

· Lower maintenance

· Easier to clean (great for when you are on holiday)

· Lower cost of ownership

· Increased sale ability

Approved design for Estate Architectural Guidelines.

In very secure and safe wildlife estate or reserve, with lots of game, great for game viewing, walking and cycling. Alternately you can live among “Big 5”

Price includes underground Eskom line to house, NHBRC enrolment fees, Builders VAT, and fittings.

Optional extras and finishes can be accommodated (but at a price of course)

These could be a Pool, different fittings, solar geysers, air cons, tiles, or a separate boma area.

If you want more details (builder details, stands for sale, architect, building specs and what is included) drop us a mail.

5. Advice from Donald Trump

The secret to investing is simple, buy low and sell high. But what else do you need to look out for? Experts can probably write books about the property market and what to do. But what makes Donald Trump successful is that he cuts straight to the chase. Simplicity is a sign of brilliance.  In this 12 second insert he offers advice with regards to purchasing and how to go about doing it. Yes, all that in 12 seconds!

Donald Trump recommendation

6. Featured Property of the month

22ha in Greater Kruger (open to Kruger Park, no fences) which is located on the Olifants River

Properties like this do not come on the market every day.

Stone private lodge on the banks of the Olifants River.

No flooding on this property and it has no land claim.

Sleeps eight, Main lodge area with bar, living room and kitchen.

Two chalets, with two bedrooms en suite, sleeping 8 people.

Loft room, large pool, servants quarters, double garage and workshop

Corné van Dongen from our office lives on Balule and has made these videos for us and put them onto You Tube:

Chalet and main building

Veranda, pool, braai and river view

Olifants River

Asking price R5 million, seller is taking offers and wants to sell fast.

          

Best regards

Rob and the Century 21 Wildlife Properties team

Levy increase for Raptors View

Raptors View have increased their levy by only 5%, taking it to R1114 per month despite consumer inflation being 6.4%, significant Eskom power increases and some infrastructure damage due to the floods. In light of the challenges faced by the RVHOA Board the lower than expected increase was a result of continued increased operational efficiencies. Please find the Raptors View Home Association’s notification below:

It is now the time of the year to declare the new levy for the 2012/2013 financial year.

The January floods have posed an additional challenge to our budgeting process and we have had to make provision for additional works connected to the roads and erosion over the estate.

Nevertheless, as you will see from the chart below, we have managed to limit the basic levy increase to 5%,  a level which is well below the headline inflation rate of 6.1 % for December 2011.  (The annual inflation rate for Limpopo was 6.4%.)  We have managed to achieve significant operating efficiencies during 2011, which is the main reason why the levy increases have been kept below inflation.  At the same time we have been able to ensure that our staff are well remunerated for the excellent work that they do on the estate.  We are very grateful for the tremendous effort that they have put in over the last year, particularly during the flood crisis.

Despite the very high increases passed on by Eskom, our TOTAL LEVY INCREASE at 6% is still below the headline inflation rate.

The new levy will apply from 1st March 2012.

	CURRENT RATE 1ST FEBRUARY 2012	INCREASE VALUE	NEW RATE 1ST MARCH 2012	% INCREASE
BASIC LEVY	R753.51	R37.40	R790.91	4.96%
ASSET REPLACEMENT	R 96.49	R4.79	R101.28	4.96%
ESKOM ADMIN	R34.00	R6.00	R40.00	17.65%
ESKOM NETWORK	R37.93	R7.07	R45.00	18.64%
TOTAL	R921.93	R55.26	R977.19	5.99%
VAT 14%	R129.07	R7.74	R136.81	6.00%
TOTAL LEVY INCL VAT	R1051.00	R63.00	R1114.00	6.00%

 

Kind Regards,

THE BOARD

RVHOA

After the Floods

On January 18^th 2012, Hoedspruit was hit by heavy rain and floods.

It is estimated that 200 families were affected by the flood. Our family, (Rob, Michelle, Calvin and Martin Severin), was badly hit and lost all our possessions. Other families and businesses were also heavily affected- The Blyde Adventure Camp was completely washed out. Many people were air lifted to safety, while several farms were badly damaged. Many fences were destroyed by the raging water and the huge trees that were literally ripped out of the ground and sent down river.

In this difficult time the community rallied and an amazing amount of effort was made to help those affected and get the town back on its feet. Hoedspruit farm Watch helped with evacuating people along the Blyde River downstream from the Blyde Adventure Camp.

Roads that were damaged were closed and monitored.

The air force base was also instrumental in assisting during the floods by air lifting those in need. Various other pilots also took part in rescue operations.

Since the floods a large amount of work has been done to repair roads and bridges. A humanitarian Relief centre has been set up at the military base in Drakensig and affected families have received food and clothing with the help of the Red Cross and the South African Social Services Association.

A lot of work remains to be done but one thing has been confirmed. Hoedspruiters are wonderful people who care about their town and their community.

We would like to thank everyone that has been so helpful during this time. From the Southern Cross Schools students and borders that helped with the immense clean up, to everyone that kept us fed and clothed. We also thank everyone that donated various items to us like school clothes, clothing in general and toiletries.

As for Century 21 Wildlife, we are looking forward to a positive and productive 2012. The business is now well established in Hoedspruit and we are here to stay.

Change your life- move to Hoedspruit in the 'heart' of Limpopo

Do you want to get out of the city? Do you want to live in a beautiful area surrounded by nature? Hoedspruit is the answer!
The area is beautiful and there are various options when it comes to choosing where to live.

Raptors View Wildlife Estate is a fantastic Wildlife Estate. It boasts beautiful scenery, mountain views, dams and the world renowned Southern Cross Schools, which starts at Grade 000 and goes all the way up to Grade 12.

 Plains Game such as Impala, Water buck, Nyala, Warthog and zebra, roam freely on the estate between the houses and children are free to ride their bikes or just take walks on the secure estate.

We have several houses and stands for sale in the area and on this estate. So speak to us about an option that will work for you!

 Our featured property this week is brand new "out the box"! Click here for more details.