I have just returned from a weekend in the Pongola Nature Reserve and I have made 3 important observations. Weekends away are important. Towards the end of 2017 I had over-subscribed myself completely. I was trying to sit on committees, attempting to run extra activities, take care of one dear old lady, be a mom […]
The Cavern – Photographic Practical Workshop 2018 Friday 15h00 – Book into the Cavern Resort. 16h00 – Sharp NB: If you are currently using Auto or Program Mode in your camera, it is vital that you attend this 16h00 program. Due to the training period required, it will not be possible to repeat this program
A unique opportunity to explore the wonderful Drakensberg Mountain plants and to spend time observing and illustrating them. These popular courses have been run since 2004. An additional day has been added (keeping the cost as low as possible) to allow students more time for painting. Please see the activities calendar for dates Enjoy the
The weather was kind, and this was the best birding weekend for several years. Nearly all the rarities put in an appearance, but on top of that there was lots of action. The Familiar Chat is normally an inoffensive little character that always identifies itself with a wing-flick. It eats tiny insects. But today it
Just recently it feels as though we have been bombarded with bad news. So many challenges appear on the horizon; a recession as our economy shrinks, unemployment on the rise and our gorgeous landscapes littered with trash. But, it’s Spring and it is the season of renewal and new energy and hope. How does one
Life happens and suddenly we are the parents and we have children and we all need and cherish our holidays… Times change and expectations are different and needs morph and suddenly things need to be adapted.The Cavern’s playroom was built in the 90’s but it was only when we had our own kids that we
It is said that a change is as good as a holiday. What happens when you have a break and a big change? Do you come back doubly refreshed and full of vigour? Well, our family breaks were almost always to self-catering places because we needed a change from food-cooked-for-us to us needing to do
Our children are all at boarding school and people often exclaim about how hard and lonely that must be… Well, the hardest time is when they all go back after the holidays and our house is dreadfully quiet. We work longer hours and try and keep busy so that the days will fly by. And
Dear Jill and Joe Public Yes, unfortunately we have had to close our gate to day visitors. This was after very careful consideration and after just one-too-many problems. What is interesting is that our regular guests have supported this move entirely. So, why would we seem to be so unaccommodating and so inhospitable? After all,
When you work in a family business, the tasks get divided up between the siblings and at times allocations happen because there is “no-one-better-suited”. Not because you’re good at it, but because the others would be dreadful. And so I have landed with the task of always talking to crowds of people (which makes me
