About midday, a time when birds are usually not terribly active, a rowdy squabble broke out just outside my room. An avian battle was in progress over who was going to get the choicest nectar from the aloes in bloom.
Somehow it seemed rather appropriate. We were staying at Three Tree Hill Lodge, which looks straight on to Spioenkop, the mountain on which the famous Anglo-Boer War battle took place in January 1900.
That war was the result of Britain eyeing the spoils of gold and diamonds in this country . . . and now the birds were engaged in the same kind of greedy fight.
Access to the site of the famous battle, with its evocative memorials recalling the carnage of that day, is a prime drawcard for Three Tree Hill. Sitting on the balcony of my cottage gave me plenty of time to absorb the atmosphere . . . only this time amid peace.
Even at night, under the full moon, with the jackals yipping and howling and the gentle breeze across my face (mid-May and still able to sleep with the windows wide open) the atmosphere was all-absorbing. Maybe it was because we had been told that sometimes in the dead of night you can still hear the tramp of army boots...
The path followed by the British as they wound their way in the dark towards Spioenkop, the night before the battle, lies in the valley below the lodge, so a nightly ghostly visitation seemed quite possible!
Simon and Cheryl Blackburn took over Three Tree Hill Lodge about six months ago. The two have previously worked at the famous Singita Private Game Reserve adjoining the Kruger Park and in 2004 moved to Botswana to work for Kwando Safaris.
Three Tree Hill was previously part of the David Rattray stable - the famed historian had shares in it.
It's only about nine years old, but it looks just like a turn of the last century home. War memorabilia line the walls of the huge, airy main lounge and dining room. Ceiling fans circulate slowly. It is easy to imagine British gentry indulging in after-dinner port and cigars. Books about the war lie scattered invitingly and three huge hounds sprawled on the floor all add to the scene of colonial indulgence.
Completing the impression is the fact that all the buildings' outer structures are of galvanised iron, painted green. These could be thrown up within a short period of time to house officers. They certainly had spacious quarters.
The Blackburns, however, believe that guests need more than just battlefields to keep themselves entertained... and there is plenty on offer for those who find history dry and uninteresting, but want to chill in a pleasant setting.
The Spioenkop Game Reserve adjoins the farm on which the lodge is situated, and Simon took us walking over the hills and back alongside the game fence. The moon was rising as we headed homeward and the scene could not have been more evocative: the silver orb reflecting through the thorn bush and shimmering the grasses, and there a rhino and her calf browsing.
The evening was so balmy that as we passed the swimming pool I remained behind, stripped off and skinny-dipped beneath the silvery light for a full 15 minutes.
This helped build up an appetite - something I really needed as the food is magnificent. Unusual salads at lunch time, steaks direct from cattle on the range (courtesy of a Bergville butcher), rich, creamy soups, home-grown vegetables, home-baked bread. After two days I could barely button my pants.
The next day we all hiked up to Three Tree Hill itself (from which the lodge takes its name) where Gen Sir Charles Warren had his headquarters during the Battle of Spioenkop. Here Omri Nene, the lodge's guide and all-rounder, recounted the capture of Churchill while we snacked on rusks, biscuits and coffee under the trees.
At the end of the day we imbibed liquid refreshments, with a view of the Drakensberg and Spioenkop Dam below, a fitting end to the day.
To recreate a family atmosphere, the Blackburns and Nene take turns to dine with their guests at night. My hosts were in fine form with many tales to tell.
Simon is a man on a mission. An ardent kayaker, he once tried to break the Guinness world record for 24 hour surf ski paddling along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal but had to abandon it after battling sea sickness in the first 10 hours of his paddle.
He also plans to paddle a surf-ski around the African coast - a journey of about 32 000km - to raise funds for charity. Although his intention to do this before 2010 has been put on hold, this dream has certainly not been shelved.
We were too busy chasing other stories in the area to check out the whole visitor experience, but Cheryl and Simon ticked off on their fingers things for guests to do.
One of the favourites is to drive to Witsieshoek and climb the chain ladder to the top of the Drakensberg amphitheatre, another is to hike alongside the Tugela River in the Tugela Gorge in the Royal Natal National Park; or take in the delights of Cathedral Peak or Champagne Castle.
There are many rock art sites to explore and those eager to spend their money can head for Ardmore Pottery, the Wattle Hut's candle-makers and weavers or Thokosiza's centre where San art takes pride of place.
Guests are despatched with a packed lunch to ensure they suffer no hunger pangs along the way.
The bedrooms too invoke memories with tissue boxes and mosquito repellent divvied up with pictures of British officers or ordinary soldiers. I tried the Scrubb's amonia in my bath, guaranteed to "invigorate in hot climates".
I also vowed I would survey the humble bottle of Bovril in my fridge with new eyes when I got home. Expounding its qualities an advertisement on my bathroom wall read, "In the South African War, Bovril gave vigour to the fighter, strength to the wounded and sustenance to the enteric.
"It was an important part of the emergency rations and one of the principal supplies of both base and field hospitals throughout the campaign. Bovril is Liquid Life."
- Three Tree Hills is offering one reader a special of R795 a person a day, inclusive of three meals, teas, guided walks, and laundry until the end of July. Phone 036 448 1171 or 082 379 1864.