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News from Zululand
This evening still holds the remnants of the steady rain which has been falling over the last three days. A soaking, gentle rain which eases into the parched, winter soil. This unusual winter rain has lead to the most wonderful and varying colors in the surrounding Bushveld. The contrast between some trees, in the throws of winter having lost all their leaves, to those which still retain golden brown foliage and then the shrubs and bushes which have had a new lease on life and sport brilliant green leaves. Quite an ensemble and pleasing to the eye. The days feel incredibly short, arriving with a burst of brilliant pink and orange hues through the morning mist and fading just after 5 with a chilly cool shadow. This does tend to make you appreciate the warm, crackling fires in the evenings a little more and the deep sleep which ones succumbs to during these winter nights.
Bush Cuisine
Chocolate Fondante
5 extra-large Eggs
5 egg yolks
½ cup castor sugar
320g dark chocolate broken into pieces
250g unsalted Butter
½ cup cake flour
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease metal moulds or cupcake tray.
Beat egg yolks and castor sugar until thick and fluffy.
Melt chocolate and butter together over a pot of boiling water or on low heat in the microwave. Add to the egg mixture.
Sift cake flour over mixture and fold in. Fill each cup to ¾ full.
Place moulds in a roasting pan with a little water and bake for 10 minutes. The outside should be firm and the inside runny. Cut open and serve with a variety of fresh berries and a dollop of cream.
Keep it…truly magical!
So many of you have met Estelle and Rudolph, and as they are quite unforgettable we thought you might appreciate these…
News from our Tracker
We have been very fortunate to have had three days of nice rain and the Bushveld/ vegetation is in very good condition for this time of the year. The flowering Mountain Aloe’s add a little bit of colour to the bush with their brilliant orange flowers. They are attracting beautiful birds hungry for their nectar, such as the Scarlett Chested and White bellied Sunbirds, Black Collard Barbets, etc. Zululand must have one of the best winter climates with the temperature during the day still reaching 30 degrees and the nights only slightly chilly. A leopard killed a waterbuck right next to the hide and a week later a red duiker was found in the same spot. A new black rhino calf has been born in the last couple of months which remains an excitement achievement, as with only 3000 black rhino remaining in the world, each one counts in a big way! In conclusion, we have had an incredibly successful winter, a far cry from the drought stricken seasons of the past, and the animals are looking fat and healthy with plenty of food and water still available.
Kite Spider (Gasteracantha)
This little creature, which might normally have you running in the opposite direction, should grab your attention with its unmistakable, bright decorations. The Kite Spider is often wider then it is long with a flattened, shiny, hard abdomen with patterns of red, orange, yellow, black or white. It has a number of spiny horns on it’s side and back and is found mostly in forests, trees and plants. The Kite Spider is diurnal and web bound once it has captured prey. The spider will, in true spider form, wrap it’s victim in silk before biting through to kill the insect. Although lethal to little insects it remains harmless to man, so you may calmly dress in silk!
The Red Duiker
This delicate, small antelope is a deep, chestnut red and tawny on the underside. One of the few species of antelope where both the male and the female have horns, short and straight. The tiny duiker is found in forest and thickly wooded ravines or in the coastal bush in warm areas. They are browsers and also enjoy fruit and pods. The male and female red duiker will share a home range but remain solitary. Like all forest dwellers, they suffer habitat destruction and this is why they are marked as RARE in the Red Data Book.
Funny Bones
A woman walked into her kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.
“What are you doing?” she asked
“Hunting Flies” he replied
“Oh, are you killing any?” she asked
“Yep’ 3 males and 2 females” he replied
Intrigued she asked “How can you tell?”
“3 were on beer cans and 2 were on the phone” he replied
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Feel free to drop us an email with your favorite jokes to add into future newsletters. You can send them to
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Brain Teaser
Thank you to everyone who responded to our May competition! The winner of our Leopard Mountain competition for May is Hayes Cunningham! Congratulations - you have won yourself and a partner a free night at the lodge including dinner, bed & breakfast as well as game drives!
Last Month’s competition was:
In flocks we fly
With big red and yellow eyes
We follow big beasts to have our daily feasts
Because of chemicals and spray
We might have all been gone one day
Who would have said….my beak is red
And we eat the ticks off buffalo’s heads
When danger lurks we sound an alarm
To keep all antelope from harm
What am I?
A Redbilled Oxpecker!
.........You could be the lucky person to win yourself and a partner a free night including dinner, bed & breakfast and game drives at the lodge. Simply answer the riddle below to be entered in our lucky draw and email us the answer to
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(competition closes 20th July 2008 & conditions apply):
This week’s competition:
I’m a lion-hearted bug, just as small as a seed
My trap is a cone, on ants I feed
I walk in reverse and attack with some speed
Dissolving their insides for my own greed
When I grow up I get wings and can fly
Only wanting to reproduce before I die
What am I?
News from the Lodge
As promised…a photo of Rudolph and Estelle on their big day! The newly weds are back home after a wonderful and relaxing honeymoon and can now give sage words of advice to all our engaged guests that come to visit! It is wonderful to have them back.
Matthew and Thomas have fitted in well at their new school in Mtunzini… Thomas claims he already has a girlfriend and spends the whole day in class staring at a shy, 4 year old, little sprout of a girl! This is perhaps why it might be best to let your sons grow up in rural Africa where there are no girls until they are 20!
Prudence and Ferdie have settled in so well and are learning the ins-and-outs of our lodge quickly. Baby Abby chases Phoenix the cat around endlessly and is an absolute delight. We are so pleased to have them here!
Lastly, a big thank you on my behalf (Sheila), for all the delightful comments and responses to this newsletter. It has been an absolute pleasure relaying stories from the most homely and luxurious lodge I have ever come across. It is so wonderful to hear from those of you who have stayed here previously and make the effort of entering our competitions and commenting on our stories. You are the reasons we like to share this place and our hearts… and you make it easy! Thank YOU all for making Leopard Mountain unforgettable for me. It is part of my heart and I carry it with me wherever I go. Huge thanks to the Vivier family for making me part of your lives. Best wishes to you all and many wonderful holidays!
We have a new gallery up on our website - have a look at it here!
Best guest comments of the month:
Thanks for your hospitality, kindness, all the great game drives, the wonderful food, the fun we had together. We will definitely be back next year. Thanks again. We’ll keep in touch.
Absolutely stunning setting! Terrific food as well! Stunning views, great place, good food, what more???
We really enjoyed our stay here. The view is just beautiful, as is the whole lodge. The units are beautifully done into every detail. We especially like the hammock. Dinner at the fire is a lot of fun as is breakfast on the porch. We very much liked the friendly staff and hope to be back one day.
Thank you for this incredible piece of heaven! Friendly staff, excellent food, beautiful chalets and the view is out of this world. The bird sounds are unbelievable! Will be back soon.
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