Historical history on your way to Karreekloof

Prieska – the place of the lost she-goat

Prieska is situated on the south bank of the Orange River at the foot of the Doringberg and it was originally named Prieschap, a Khoisan word meaning “place of the lost she-goat”. It is renowned for its semi-precious stones. The Schumann Rock Collection, including semiprecious stones and Khoisan stone implements, can be viewed at the municipal offices.

The area between Prieska and Vioolsdrif is often called the “Rock Garden Route” – where the rare halfmens and succulents of the Lithops family can be found – and the Ria Huysamen Aloe Garden outside town contains a large array of succulents.

Attractions in and nearby Prieska include:

Die Bos Nature Reserve with indigenous trees, shrubs and abundant birdlife, picnic spots, angling and suspended bridges across the Prieska River.
Fort on top of Prieska Koppie, built with tiger’s eye by the British during the Anglo-Boer War
The Memorial Garden in town which contains the graves of British soldiers killed during the Anglo-Boer War.

Prieska Museum

Wonderdraai where a horseshoe-shaped island is formed by the flow of the Orange River and makes it seem as if the river turns to flow uphill.

Battle of Magersfontein

The Battle of Magersfontein, just outside Kimberley took place during the Anglo-Boer War on 11 December 1899. The Boers scored a decisive victory in what became known as Britain’s ‘Black Week’.

The Battle of Magersfontein was a triumph for the Boer forces, a disaster for the British army, and came close to wiping out Scotland’s proud Highland Brigade. During the second South African War, the Boers had besieged Kimberley and its 50 000 inhabitants since November 1899. Supplies were scarce in the diamond-mining town and relief was imperative. The British public and press were demanding action. British forces advanced north along the railway line in an attempt to relieve Kimberley, but a Boer force was in their way at Magersfontein.

https://www.places.co.za/html/prieska.html

http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/battle-of-magersfontein/

http://www.thesolomon.co.za/magersfontein-battlefield-museum.html

The Northern Cape

The Northern Cape is South Africa’s largest province and a must-see destination.

Exploring a land of ancient deserts, deep canyons, winding rivers and unique flora, the Northern Cape promises an unsurpassed experience.

The Northern Cape is all about wide open spaces, a magnificent coastline and a number of unequaled National Parks offering the tourist a very different experience of the South African experience.  Northern Cape’s sheer size, clear skies, elaborate sunsets, dazzling starry nights and incredible silence is mesmerizing.

The ideal habitat for some of the country’s most beautiful and exciting predators and prey. Experience the solitude of the landscapes, the heat of the sun on your shoulders as you explore the game reserves and parks of this fascinating part of South Africa.

The Northern Cape has always been a family-friendly destination and the region has a distinct and rugged natural beauty.

The Northern Cape’s natural beauty is enhanced by its enigmatic wildlife. From the “Small Five” to the Big Five, watching wild animals at close range is something truly unforgettable.

Just thinking of the Karoo and its endless wilderness plateau, unique flat-topped koppies, warm hospitality, wide open spaces and mysteries.

Each region will capture the imaginations of those who dare to explore its rugged mountains, endless flatlands, and undulating dunes. There’s an outdoor adventure activity or experience for everyone.

Karreekloof a unique Game Lodge

What makes Karreekloof so unique? A place rich in so much history late evening stories around the campfire already play a major role in shaping the piece of earth.

With its wide plains, windmills that are continuously turning around with every day’s mercy. Animals that each find a unique piece in the field to multiply their survival. Plants that can still display their beautiful side through heavy days.

One of the most beautiful characteristics of Karreekloof is the unique Shepard’s Tree. These trees grow in dry areas. The Latin name is Boscia Albitrunca and if I translate the Afrikaans name, ‘witgatboom’, to English, it literally means a tree with a white bottom:) A good name for these trees, as their trunks are white, of course. What makes them so beautiful, are their trunks that bend and turn and have the nicest forms, picture perfect.

With the white walls from home to storage each with their own characteristics and rounded new ‘facelift’, you can get ‘lost’ in thoughts drinking an early cup of coffee on the porch watching the steam slowly evaporating from the cup into thin air.

Appreciate the silence without any noise in your ears, breathe in the fresh air and just blast away from your everyday work.

Every place on earth is unique in its own way, every human being is different. Not all animals and plants have the same characteristics. People can make decisions and choose where the wheels of their cars should turn. May the unique Karreekloof ‘village’, as we call it, take your breath away when driving through our gates.

“I hope you spend your days but they all add up and when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup.”

 

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Is the animal kingdom not incredible? From the most beautiful to the beauty of imperfection, the biggest to the unique smallest.

Sometimes we stand amazed, can the human population not look beyond the smaller picture and look at the beautiful picture perfect surroundings. Could it be that the busy and crowded lifestyle of humanity keeps them from listening to the sounds of nature that surrounds them!

The best therapy on earth is to get in touch with nature. The odors of fresh veld flowers, soil that becomes wet with the cleanest of waters. Springboks that pronk just to show off a little. The enjoyment that bird life can give while drinking and playing in the hand-dug soil dams. A warm sunny day, the silence of the field where big and small animals search for a little bit of shade to shut an eye for a while.

When the day begins to cool and the shade of the trees starts to turn, it’s then when the animals get a new life and everything just gets even prettier.  All that we as humans can do is to protect and appreciate what is so unique to us.

The animals that run on the plains of Karreekloof with their own unique personalities are better than the best entertainment in the world.

Protecting ecosystems and nature means protecting animals.

As the saying goes, nature is red in tooth and claw. Existence in the wild is harsh and unforgiving, far removed from human ethical concerns or modern standards of physical comfort. Humankind is just another animal out in the bush – not a very tough one, either!

The message is simple:  Love and conserve our wildlife

 

Appreciate your employees

Whether an employee is an introvert or an extrovert, it is important to recognize them for their hard work.

Remember how you felt the last time someone told you what a great job you were doing? That’s why it’s so important to make time to praise employees for a job well done.

Recognition makes people feel really good about themselves. It also motivates employees to keep up the good work. Positive reinforcement sets an example for everyone in your organization, showing them the kind of work, you value most.

We are all wired differently, and not every social style needs public recognition, but even the most introverted person appreciates recognition for a job well done.

We all have a basic need to feel valued and loved.

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life.  Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” – Margaret Cousins –

Appreciation is a fundamental human need so start appreciating!

Wildlife Tourism

Nature tourism is based on the idea that the destination and purpose of travel is nature itself.

Specialized forms of nature tourism focus on e.g. specific groups of plants or animals. Wildlife tourism is an element of many nations’ travel industry centered around observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats.

Wildlife photography is about capturing a split second when the light and the animal behavior come together to create an emotional image.

The beauty and also the curse of wildlife photography is that one cannot change almighty Nature. One cannot change the weather and the light, where the wild animals want to go, what they want to do, and when special things happen to them.

When that moment comes, we know we have conquered nature. Maybe this is what some people mean when they say “becoming one with Nature.” Yet one does not need to travel to these grand locations to see wildlife. If you look closer, you will see that it is all around us.

Nature is not always sunshine and rainbows. Yet if you keep looking—enduring rain and wind—miracles can happen.

“The wonderful thing about nature photography is that you are continually humbled and amazed by the delightful surprises that come from it—and horrified and disappointed when it doesn’t work as you predicted.” – Jim Brandenberg.

The Power of Nature is in Your Hands!

Aardwolf Facts

Aardwolf is a mammal that belongs to the family of hyenas. There are two subspecies of aardwolf that can be found in southern and eastern parts of Africa. Aardwolf inhabits open plains with enough rainfalls and sources of food. It avoids forested areas. These interesting animals are often killed by farmers due to misconception that aardwolves attack their livestock. Besides killing, aardwolves are threatened by habitat loss. Luckily, population of aardwolves is large and stable. They are not on the list of endangered species.

Main Characteristics

Aardwolves are a member of the hyena family. They have a body length between 55 and 80 cms (22 – 31.5 inches), a tail length between 20 and 30 cms (7.9 – 11.8 inches) and they weigh between 8 and 10 kgs (17.6 – 22 lbs). Their fur is buff or yellowish/white in colour and they have 3 dark, vertical stripes down each side and diagonal dark stripes across their fore and hind quarters. They have a mane of hair on their back that stands up when they feel under stress. This makes the Aardwolf look larger and appear more threatening. Their front legs are slightly longer than their hind, giving them a slightly downward sloping body. Their tail is bushy and they have dark eyes and a dark coloured muzzle. Their front teeth resemble those of hyenas but their molars are like small pegs. To compensate for this their food is ground up by their muscular stomach.

Habitat

Aardwolves are found on the open, grassy plains of east and south Africa. They are solitary and they rest in burrows during the day before becoming active at night. Their territory is between 1 and 4 square kilometres (0.6 – 2.5 sq. miles), depending of food availability, and they mark it with urine, dung and secretions from their anal glands.

Diet

Aardwolves mainly feed upon termites, in particular snouted harvester termites. They also eat maggots, grubs and any other soft bodies insects. Sometimes, but rarely, they will feed on small mammals, birds and carrion. Aardwolves don’t dig into the nests of termites, they just pick them up with their tongue. They can consume as many as 200,000 termites during one night.

 

 

Breeding

After a gestation period of approximately 90 days, 2 – 4 cubs are born in a den. They leave the den at 6 – 8 weeks old and between 9 and 11 weeks they begin to forage with their mother. By the time the cubs reach 16 weeks old they are weaned. Aardwolves reach sexual maturity by the time they are 2 years old.  Aardwolves are monogamous and both parents raise the cubs together. The primary duty of the male is to guard the den from predators. The breeding season is at different times of the year, depending on location.

Predators

Humans and dogs are the main predators of Aardwolves.

Subspecies

There are two subspecies of Aardwolf: 1. Proteles cristatus cristatus They are found in south Africa. 2. Proteles cristatus septentrionalis They are found in east Africa.

Interesting Facts

Aardwolves are also known as: Maanhaar Jackal Protelid  Aardwolf is the Afrikaans word for “earth wolf”

Similar Animals: Brown Hyena Spotted Hyena Striped Hyena

http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/carnivores/aardwolf.htmlhttp://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/aardwolf_facts/525/