Vaalwater’s Pride

By Nelius Mostert 

We were just finishing our December issue and I was still recovering from the scars I had sustained from my “rat race”, when Jenny de Villiers called and invited me to visit her and her family on their farm Blinkwater, just outside Vaalwater.

So that Friday at two o’clock I turned my trusted 2.4 diesel north on the N1, my wife, Trudie, and our two-year-old daughter, Shamoné, with me for company. Our timing was perfect, for there was almost no traffic and we settled in for a comfortable cruise. We had only really started to enjoy the scenery when we took the off-ramp at Kranskop toll gate and turned towards Nylstroom (Modimole) and Vaalwater ... Read more 

  PRIVATE ESTATE 

Weiter Raum has its origin from the German words 'Weiter Raum' meaning 'wide open spaces' which refers to the lovely high lying and open typography of the Estate. 

This upmarket, exceptionally huge property is situated in the malaria free Marico Busveld with its breathtaking views.

The 1693 ha. consists of 54 full title stands spread across the fully fenced property on which there is a diversity of bird and animal life.

The pre-determined guidelines set up by the Home Owner's association assists you in setting up and building the dream home you always wanted...Read more

Herman Brand tells about his visit to Nyalarus, game farm of Nicholas de Klerk.

Just outside the town of Marble Hall, about 7 kilometres down the Groblersdal road, you turn off the main road onto a dirt road that runs through citrus orchards. Suddenly the orchards open up to 268 hectares of game farm called Nyalarus. Here Nicholas de Klerk, his wife Anita, their family, and their staff worked together to build the dream they all shared. On these 268 hectares there are 16 different species to hunt with bow and arrow.

Species on the price list are blesbuck, blue wildebeest, bushbuck, bushpig, grey duiker, eland, gemsbuck, impala, kudu, nyala, ostrich, red hartebeest, steenbuck, warthog, waterbuck and zebra. Two things that really strike you are the quantity and the quality of the animals. Firstly, you might think that there are way too many animals for the size of the property, but ecological studies have shown the veld at Nyalarus to have excellent carrying capacity – higher than most other game farms. Yes, as on most farms the effect of the dry winter months is visible on the condition of the animals, but not to an extent that causes worry. Then you see the quality of the trophies. Understandably, Nicholas is very proud of the trophy animals that roam the bush at Nyalarus. It’s a long time since I’ve been on a farm ... Read more

This time of the year we bow hunters start getting that “feeling” that it is going to be a good season. You wake up one morning and as you open the door and step outside you smell it. Fall is in the air and the hair in your neck rises, sending a chill of excitement down your spine.

Memories of past hunts come flashing by. You can smell the wetness of the grass and the leather of your armguard, and you feel the familiar smoothness of the bow in your hand and the comfort of the string pressing on the inside of your arm.

I have known about Pieter McCord and Ibala-Bala for some years now. Rean Steenkamp, publisher of Africa’s Bowhunter, told me a lot about this place he visits at least twice a year. As a matter of fact, over the last three years he has invited me time and again to accompany him. But on the one hand I never seemed to be able to synchronise my diary, and on the other I never want to join a group of hunters of more than about six. Their groups are already larger than twelve and crowds are what I want to leave behind in the city... Read more

Africa’s Bowhunter recently visited Cheetah Safaris, a 5000-hectare game reserve 260 kilometres from Pretoria. Publisher Rean Steenkamp gives a review of his stay on the ranch and how he shot a blue wildebeest with his recurve. “This rain is worth thousands of rand” said Hendrik Liebenberg, while sitting with me in the blind. “We might not get a shot at any animal because of this, but this rain will take the farm deep into the winter.” However, an animal did come – the next afternoon, about an hour before sunset. Actually quite a number had come in, but they did not stay long enough or did not present a flank for an ethical shot ... Read more