Mabalingwe Newsletter June 2022

RESORT NEWSLETTER JUNE 2022

Celebrations | Resort News | Resort Upgrades | Sightings | Notices

From flash floods of near Biblical proportions in the Mabalingwe valleys, to feisty felines hanging out on stoeps like they have stalked off the pages of a Herman Charles Bosman story; it has certainly been an epic first half of 2022. This summer season, as folk arrived through the Mabalingwe Gate, the hushed “Oohs” and “Ahs” of amazement and wonder at the extravagant green lushness of the Reserve had barely subsided before the louder, higher pitched “Awwws” and “Aaahs” over all the new arrivals began.

One could barely go a few hundred metres without being delighted by the antics of a row of teeny warthog piglets rushing by, ‘aerials’ straight up in the air; or a miniature herd of ‘impi’ lambs bouncing and cavorting along in all their new-born glory! We are, as always, privileged to be able to enjoy and share – together with you – in the many seasons and rich offerings of this magnificent biosphere and we are delighted, now, to catch you up on some news from your splendid Mabalingwe Nature Reserve.

Christmas @ Mabalingwe

The airwaves were buzzing with rumours of sightings of Father Christmas in the Waterberg on Christmas Eve and the Team were fortunate enough to catch bushveld Santa (together with some rather over-sized elves!) in the act, delivering Christmas gifts on the Resort on Christmas Day!
We celebrated this most wonderful time of the year with several options to suit the Festive fancies of all our guests. The Le Fera Team hosted a delectable spit braai, with all the trimmings, at Vulture’s View Bar on Christmas Eve and what a marvellously merry event that turned out to be!
On Christmas Day, our guests had the option to join the gathering at the Entertainment Area at the main swimming pool, for a typically South African laid-back day of fun-in-the-sun and a yummy Boerie Roll braai, with ice cold draft beer on tap; or join the Le Fera Team for a scrumptious traditional Christmas Lunch Buffet at the Le Fera Restaurant.

New Year @ Mabalingwe

Guests checking in on New Year’s Eve received a complimentary bag of fire wood, ensuring that every unit would have a fire burning to see the New Year in. The Le Fera Team were also on hand at their pop-up welcome kiosk, offering an array of enticing goodies to tempt and delight checking-in guests of all ages.
Those looking to spend New Year’s Eve in good company headed off to join in the fun at Kalahari Oasis, where our fabulous Team hosted an epic New Year’s Bring & Braai.
On New Year’s Day, guests were treated to a Breakfast of Champions New Year Breakfast Buffet, also hosted at Kalahari Oasis, which was an absolute feast and a tremendous success.

Valentine’s Day

We do not mind admitting that we have a soft spot for a bit of romance, so any excuse to set the mood! We welcomed guests checking-in over this period with a special gift – a bonbonniere filled with handmade Macadamia Honey Nougat. Le Fera followed suit on the romance front, hosting their stunning “A Love Affair Dinner” from 12 to 14 February – decadent, creative, completely romantic, and oh-so-delicious!

Human Rights Day

While Human Rights Day is commemorated in our Country to remind us of the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa, this Human Rights Day, the Resort Team decided to do things differently. The “Because We Care” campaign was born and the entire staff compliment got involved in doing a litter collecting shift on 21 March, which resulted in a massive litter clean up throughout the Resort areas and the entire Reserve. Wow! What a wonderful initiative! Well done Noël and Team!

Easter

While heavy rainfall over the Easter weekend - with torrential downpours on the Saturday and Sunday - nearly rumbled the Easter Bunny's plans entirely, quick thinking on behalf of our 'egg'cellent Entertainment Team ensured loads of fun activities could still be enjoyed in the comfort of the Restaurant space and the Easter pinata was a huge 'hit'!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is one that's very close to our hearts and this year we took so much pleasure in spoiling the mums! We are very grateful to Malan and Seuns for graciously offering us an excellent deal, which enabled us to treat our moms to a stunning Margaret Roberts lavender plant, which we lovingly presented wrapped in hessian with a card and a Mabalingwe ribbon.

The Le Fera Team pulled out all the stops to provide a fabulous Mother's Day feast and the lunch buffet was choc-a-bloc with happy families treating mom to a special meal.

Apart from being nasty and unsightly, litter of any sort is a hazard to the environment and the creatures that live there. While we acknowledge that having a tissue or empty cooldrink tin accidentally blow off a game drive vehicle is something that can easily happen to any of us, we ask that you please take every precaution to prevent unintentional littering and also request that our valued Shareholders join us in this aspect of caring for our Mabalingwe and actively pick up any litter spotted on the Reserve whenever you may come across any and dispose of same in an appropriate way.

If you are already vigilant in this regard, thank you very much and to the rest of our Shareholders, thank you in advance for your support and participation.

To understand more about why this is so important and just what an enormous impact litter can have on an environment, read our Blog article here.

The Great Mabalingwe Floods of Summer 2021

In just two days, between Christmas and New Year, Mabalingwe recorded over 280mm of rain. The monumental downpour resulted in flash floods throughout the Reserve, flooding roads and low water bridges.
There was extensive damage to roads, and even Resort entry and exit was obstructed. The situation could not have been turned around and especially not so quickly, had it not been for the #StrongerTogether attitude of the Mabalingwe Nature Reserve Staff, all of whom joined in and tackled the challenge head-on and quickly created detour routes, rerouted roads and filled in ditches, to ensure guests could continue to traverse the property and game viewing roads safely and could exit and enter the premises as required and as desired.
Thank you, Team, we appreciate you and we ‘see’ you!

Certified Hospitality Warrior

We would also like to take this opportunity to share some exciting news with you, and congratulate our employee, Klaas Shiburi, who has been awarded a Hospitality Warrior Certificate by the Managing Agent, because of the excellent feedback he receives from our guests. Those of you who own timeshare units in Kubu Camp will likely know Klaas, who has been responsible for the care and upkeep of the Camp for the past 10+ years. Klaas has been at Mabalingwe for more than 15 years and is an extremely proud ‘Mabalingwean’, but he has especially made Kubu Camp ‘home’ and takes immense pride in his tasks and duties there.
Congratulations Klaas and thank you for taking such diligent care of our valued Shareholders and guests! You embody the true spirit of hospitality.

Le Fera Restaurant and Vulture's View Bar

Weekly Specials, Special Occasions, Sunday Brunch and much more.
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Kalahari Oasis
Bush Pub

Special Occasions, Drinks Specials, Private Functions and much more.
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Mbali Day Spa
- Mabalingwe

Monthly Specials, Signature Massages, Little Princess Packages and much more.
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Mini Golf, New Look

We are in the process of sprucing up the Mini Golf course with a fresh look. We have opted for a two-tone feel, to replace the old, outdated multi-coloured look.

Recreational Ablution Facility

The Recreational Ablution block has also been repainted with the new two-tone look, providing for a fresh, updated feel to the amenity.

Bathroom Light Replacements

We have begun the process of systematically replacing all bathroom lights throughout the Resort with new LED fixtures, enhancing the light emitted within these rooms.

Braai Grids and Ash Pans

Mabalingwe is synonymous with BRAAIs, be it a Boma Braai, a Bush Braai or a “By die Huis” Braai. With your home-away-from-home braais at your chalet during your Mabalingwe stay in mind, we have commenced with an ongoing project to replace all the braai grids and ash pans.

Patio Chairs

The plastic patio chairs have been replaced with new, steel patio chairs. A total of 560 patio chairs have been replaced.

Patio Chair Cushions

With the replacement of the patio chairs, new patio chair seat cushions have been provided too, for comfortable seating. The cushions have been covered with suitable outdoor material, to withstand the environment, and contain high-density foam cushions to ensure longevity. The 560 cushions have been placed in the units and are stored in the pantry cupboards, ready for your next visit.

New Additional Signage

Various Resort signage has been replaced, as required. Various additional signage has been introduced, especially in regards to swimming pools, cautions not to feed any animals and notices advising that one may not collect wood on the property.

New Satellite Station

A new satellite station is being constructed and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2022.

Important Notice Fridge Magnets In Units

Fridge magnet notices containing important general information for guests were created and placed in all the units.

Patio Railings

End caps have been fitted on all patio railings at all units in order to ensure the comfort and safety of our shareholders and guests, as well as in the interest of the longevity of the railings.

Ingwe Pool Railings

The old wooden latte fence at Ingwe swimming pool has been removed and replaced with new steel railings.

Resort Laundry and Phiri 93 Rebuild

Fire Damage Rebuild Completed
The completion of the rebuild of both the Resort Laundry and Phiri 93 was a special occasion of a different sort, but entirely worth celebrating too!
Both projects were completed mid-December. Phiri 93 was re-opened for occupation just in time for Christmas with our first guests checking-in on Christmas Eve! The Laundry was opened and operational in December too and the laundry team were delighted to be back in their own facility and up and running again.

Blood Drive

Mabalingwe Nature Reserve is proud to have hosted what we hope will be the first of many SANBS Blood Drives at the Resort, to offer much-needed support to this worthy cause. A total of thirty donors volunteered for the occasion, making the event a success. We hope to grow support for a regular Blood Drive event amongst our Team, and our guests, as well as from within the other greater Mabalingwe entities and residents. What a fabulous initiative from our Resort PRO, Isak Viljoen, who also organised the event. Well done Isak, we look forward to many more successful Blood Drives at Mabalingwe!

Bush and Veld Clearing around units

With the assistance of Working on Fire, the Resort Maintenance Team has completed the all-important bush and veld clearing around our accommodation units in all the timeshare camps. The Teams also completed the fire breaks within the Reserve, in good time ahead of ‘fire season’.

As mentioned, we were blessed with an abundance of bouncing babies this last summer season, as if washed in with all the rains ready to be nurtured on the abundant, lush spring flora. The antics of the new arrivals certainly kept guests entertained and guests, in turn, kept us entertained with many a happy sightings ‘tail’.

One of our favourite things is the happy, animated chattering and laughter of guests disembarking from a game drive vehicle after a game drive. The excitement and residual buzz of the thrill of the experience is unmistakeable and it’s such a joy,

knowing that they have had an up-close-and-personal encounter with the environment; a moment in time where the world outside is withdrawn from your consciousness and you can be present in and engaged with the natural world on this beautiful, precious Reserve.
Our talented and passionate Rangers always try and provide a fresh, immersive, and inspiring experience and always try and accommodate the popular requests; even though the fascinating and amazing often hides within what might appear small and mundane.

Our Ellies, of course, remain a beloved favourite amongst Shareholders and guests, and amongst the Mabalingwe Team, and the treasure hunt for these gems keeps the Rangers traversing from camp to camp, seasons without end. Did you know? An elephant’s brain weighs around 5kg, which is considerably more than the brain of any other land animal. Their brains also have more complex folds than that of any other animal except for a whale, which is thought to be a major factor in their intellect. Also, elephants have a more developed hippocampus – that is the part of the brain responsible for emotion and spatial awareness – than any other animal.

Please Note: All animals on the property are wild and should be treated with caution and respect at all times. Remain a safe distance from animals while viewing. Do not approach or attempt to interact with any animal. Be vigilant when out and about and be aware that animals could be in close proximity.

The size and varied habitats of Mabalingwe provide ideal conditions for a vast variety of wildlife; and our skilled and passionate Rangers are keen to accompany you on an experience that puts you in touch with Nature, on a close-up-and-personal basis, to best explore and appreciate this wonderful sanctuary.

A traditional game drive allows you to cover ground and safely observe game from close quarters and the Rangers know the bush and where which animals like to hide. Plus, these guys and gals are like walking Google-for-wildlife and very rarely does a question go unanswered. A guided walking trail allows one to observe the detail of the surrounding flora and fauna on a different scale, often focusing on the lesser known, smaller species, with a bent towards the medicinal and cultural uses of certain trees and plant species. Bird-watching Drives give the ‘twitchers’ among us a chance to head off, with binoculars (or ‘nockies’ in birding circles!) and cameras at the ready, through this birder’s paradise of many terrains and varied bird environments, for a chance to lavish our passion and add many more ticks to the old Roberts / Sasol / Newman’s (that’s a debate for another edition!).

Whatever your preference, the Reserve and wildlife really is what Mabalingwe is all about and what makes Mabalingwe so special and so worth preserving and being a part of! Do make time to spend quality time out and about in the bush on your next visit. No matter what the time of year of your stay, each experience is unique, but the sense of anticipation as you climb aboard the game viewing vehicle is the same every time. Feel the chilly early morning air on your cheeks as the vehicle moves off, hear the yipping and yelping of the jackals after dark, smell the musky scent of the huge ‘dagga boy’ before you have even spotted him on the road up ahead, while two ‘flying bananas’ flutter and chatter loudly overhead. There is nothing quite like a guided nature experience!

“Do not want to return home!”
– guestrevu, April 2022

“We've had a wonderful time and are excited to be back next year.”
– guestrevu, April 2022

“Mabalingwe is al vir meer as 25 jaar ons "plekkie in die bos" vir 'n week. Ons mis die geleentheid met uitsondering! Pragtige natuurskoon, rustigheid, goeie bestuur, volop wild, goed toegeruste hoogstaande akkommodasie.”
– Google, April 2022

“Our favourite holiday place in the bush which is always a wonderful experience.”
– guestrevu, March 2022

“We are owners for many years and every time we come, we see improvements on all levels.”
– guestrevu, March 2022

“Wonderful service, friendly staff, tons of things to do and views of one of the most beautiful places in the world!!”
– Google, March 2022

“Had time share for 30 YEARS!
Magic place, well maintained, top quality.”
– Google, March 2022

“We were once again blown away by the outstanding service and accommodation. Our first stay in Kwalata Camp was lovely. The unit is well-maintained and serviced daily and has everything you need for a very comfortable stay. We experienced an awesome 4x4 drive (with Game Ranger Carel) to the top of Vodacom Hill, where the views are just amazing. This is our happy place, and we will definitely be back soon!”
– Trip Advisor, February 2022

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Important Notices

IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
Should an incident occur during your stay, kindly contact the Manager on Duty as soon as possible, so that we may be of assistance. To report any incidents or concerns please contact us on:
014 001 7240 | 082 546 9052 | 083 272 4851

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