Win a Tala weekend getaway
FUGHEDDABOUDIT.
The economy. Politics. Donald Trump, Brexit and the state of the world. The house repairs. The bills.
Just for a weekend, or a day (or however long you can), forget all your troubles and escape to a piece of paradise on your doorstep.
From the minute you drive in to Tala Collection Private Game Reserve, the magnificent silence of the bush envelopes you. And, there on your right, are zebra, eland, ostriches and greenery.
On your left is the dam where the hippos hide, and flocks of birdlife congregate.
In your heart is a little twinge of guilt that you should have done this way sooner.
There is no excuse if you live in or around Durban or Pietermaritzburg, and their surrounds, for not having visited this 3000ha wildlife haven nestled in Camperdown.
You won’t see predators, but the animals that roam here are abundant and it won’t take long to spot them. For twitchers, there are 380 species of birds.
Even on the drive to the reception, you will encounter plenty.
We were warmly welcomed (all the staff were friendly and helpful) and browsed the packed curio shop next door, before retiring to the restaurant for a pre-game-drive lunch, which was delicious and reasonably priced. Hint: have the home-baked health bread; it’s one of the best I’ve tasted.
Maxwell was our guide through the park, and taught even my well-travelled game-park visitor sister, Janet, a thing or two.
Our first sighting up close was a herd of blue wildebeest, followed quickly by a really close stop to greet a giraffe.
Pictures simply do not do justice to any of these animals. When you are confronted with the majesty of the real thing, you are reminded why it is so vital that conservation is prioritised.
The evolution of their survival skills is remarkable, the variety of these abilities and how they work together is a wonder that is easy to forget when you go about your days, often fighting for your own “survival”.
Maxwell highlighted many of these, some fairly basic general knowledge, but others that were fascinating.
Even in the 40.5ºC heat, we saw everything on our two-hour drive, including the magnificent kudu, impala, zebra, ostriches, blesbok, eland, hippo, warthog. And many babies.
Their rhino have been dehorned and have a permanent armed guard to save them from poachers. It was beautiful to see them wallowing in the mud, but as a human I apologised to these incredible beasts for the brutal actions of other humans who have forced them to be so defaced just to save their lives. That was painful.
Even though most of the animals did not seem to need to take shelter from the sun, we did.
We stayed in the Paperbark Lodge, in a comfortable, wellappointed room with terrific air conditioning.
However, it was cold liquid we needed most, so we spent an hour in the dining room nearby, slugging back iced water before dinner, which was tasty and filling.
Breakfast was also a treat, with plenty of options that satisfied both of us.
Driving very slowly around the park in a low-slung car was only a problem if you had to get out of the way of the SUVs and 4x4s that seemed to be easing around every bend, but that won’t stop us paying another visit soon. We left feeling recharged and like we had been on a much longer break.
The gate entry fees are R80 for the vehicle, R70 a person and R50 for children from three to 12. There is no charge for children up to three years old.