Stressed out of body and soul, with levels teetering on the brink of a major health scare, we headed north.
We headed in that direction in search of relief, peace and tranquillity, and in a bid to recharge our batteries. Our bodies were run down. We were psychologically exhausted by hectic work schedules, unending deadlines and challenges in our private lives.
So with this massive baggage, we hit the N1. It was a Friday midday and traffic was already building up. Two hours later, nestling between the Waterberg mountains, we found just the place we needed.
About 20 minutes outside of Modimolle, a town once known as Nylstroom, we came to the Welgevoenden wild estates, home of several luxury lodges, designed to provide life-saving breaks to those stressed out by the pressures of corporate lives.
Along the fence we spotted some buck grazing and gazing at the roads, as if they were on some sightseeing tour or doing what most children do, counting the vehicles driving past.
As we hit the dirt road, the reality of the bush and its offerings hit home. Our eyes were darting around. There was a competition going on inside the car, one we usually have during visits to game parks. Whoever spots the first animal wins a prize. Antelopes are not considered "big" animals, so the couple we saw as we drove did not count in the competition.
We spotted Gate 5. You couldn't miss it. In the dust, the brass letters gleamed like stars in the night.
Our first contact with human beings at the Shidzidzi Nungubane Private Game Lodge was with Kwena, the guard at the gate. We have met many security guards, but none as pleasant as Kwena. He smiled, was articulate and made us feel quite welcome. The same applied to Armand, the game ranger, who had driven to the gate to meet us and drive us to the lodge.
No self-drives are allowed at this lodge. Once you arrive, you leave your car - 4x4 or otherwise - at the gate and you put your life, holiday and everything else in the hands of game rangers like Armand.
Twenty minutes into the drive, we had our first meet and greet from the citizens of the wild - the animals. We seemed to have interrupted a beautiful bonding session between a mother rhino and her cub. They, however, did not seem to mind. They ambled towards us, stopped, rubbed their heads and came forward. And there it was, right there in the glow of an African sunset we got our official welcome. At least we thought it was.
We whipped out our cameras and captured the moment. Mother and cub were not perturbed at all.
"They can't see us," said Armand reassuringly. They have an acute sense of smell, but the diesel fumes will make it difficult for them to pick up our scent."
So we got worried when he switched the engine off, but he said we would be okay. Two metres away from one of the biggest animals in the world, I wondered, but kept my thoughts and concerns to myself.
We reached the lodge just after sunset. And there again we were gobsmacked with the African welcome we received. Two staff members stood there, one with warm towels in a beautifully decorated clay pot and the other with welcome drinks.
We were given a quick tour of the exclusive lodge and escorted to our chalet, which we found was decorated by someone who knew how to strike a balance between urban and bush lifestyles. Each chalet has a balcony, which is your window to the wild. From here you can see the rolling Waterberg mountains and the thick African forest, which seems to go on forever.
A unique feature of the chalets was the outdoor shower. So after a long drive from Johannesburg the outdoor shower, with stars and the moon shining above, was a godsend.
Dinner was set at 7.30pm. The beauty about exclusive lodges like Shidzidzi Nungubane is that dinner is served around one long table, so guests have a chance to network and share experiences.
At our dinner table we had a young couple from Perth, Australia, who were being taken on a tour by their South African business partners. Another couple was from Germany and Shidzidzi Nungubane was just one of the many stops on their adventure to see and discover South Africa. The couple was not interested in football at all and when the world converged in Germany for the Fifa 2006 World Cup, they headed south.
Dinner on our second night was out of this world. The staff at the lodge had prepared a braai in the boma. The highlight of the braai night was watching each guest bake their bread on the braai fire. Each of us was given a piece of dough on a stick and we all had to place the dough at a strategic position and distance to allow it to bake nicely without being burnt. A perfect roll would be golden brown on the outside and well cooked on the inside. We had a few black and brown rolls - largely because of impatience - and our children showed us up. Their rolls were the best.
While we received our welcome from the rhinos, our Australian visitors and their hosts got theirs from a cheetah, which they spotted even before they drove through the gates of the game park. At dinner we made them understand how lucky they were to have spotted one of the most beautiful and yet elusive animals.
We had been quite determined to find the cheetah and other members of the Big Five club. We were not going to see the buffaloes, though, because they had been quarantined after the outbreak of a bovine illness.
We saw some white lions - albeit at a distance - but spent the entire weekend searching for a herd of elephant. We drove to almost all corners of the game park and, at the end, we were convinced that the elephants had a spy among us and knew our every movement. How else would they elude us like this?
We saw fresh spoor and dung and were convinced that we would soon see them. They gave us a slip every time.
While the elephants ducked us, the birds did not. This is one area that has vibrant birdlife and is a must for anyone hooked on bird-watching.
Midday on Sunday, it was time to head back home. As we were driven back, we realised how time had flown past. We remarked on how we were beginning to feel stressed by the mere thought of the highway traffic. But we were not too perturbed, because we knew this was at least one reason why we would come back to such a great place.
We knew we would return to a place that gave us so much tranquillity - and a chance to recharge and bond as a family. - Sunday Tribune
- Shidzidzi Nungubane Private Game Lodge is marketed and managed by the Three Cities Group. For reservations please contact: tel: 0861-000-333 or (031) 310-6900; fax: (031) 310-6969 or (031) 310-6979; e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.threecities.co.za