Sunshine, ice cream and water sports
Bosveld Oase has something for every member of the family, so arrive early and make the most of your weekend..
Ask any camper in the north of our country where their favourite weekend breakaway spot is and chances are good they’ll mention one of the resorts in or around Brits. This area is a stone’s throw from Gauteng and is known for its excellent campsites that cater to almost everyone – from the peace and quiet of a game farm to the jolly vibe at a family resort.
Bosveld Oase is one of those resorts where you can check in early on a Friday. If your kids aren’t in school yet you can drive through the gates at 8 am. And even if you have to wait for the school bell to ring before you can hit the road, you can still pitch your tent here before sundown. This is a family resort, and if scooters and street cricket bother you, this is definitely not the place you should visit. Here it’s all about swimming, riding on bikes and fishing, all day every day.
Still, there’s a peaceful atmosphere in which you can experience the Bushveld in all its glory. Early in the morning, before the rest of the camp is up, the birds start singing and it’s not long before the blue waxbills pop in to say hello. Late in the afternoon, when the golden sun rests on the horizon and the bikes have been left next to the caravans, a feeling of tranquillity descends on the camp. Fires burn high and before long the nightjars start their conversations.
On the grass, in the shade
When you book at Bosveld Oase you get an email with a map of the layout of the camp and a list of available spots so you can choose your stand.
The roads to the stands twist and turn in places, so bring your map when you come and keep your eyes peeled for the stand number on the road and against the pole or lamp post next to your stand. Philemon Mareke, the friendly security guard at the gate, knows the layout like the back of his hand and he’ll point you in the right direction.
The entire campsite is level and you camp on a thick mat of kikuyu. The 114 stands are on average 15 x 15 m and about half of the camp has indigenous trees for shade. Many of the trees are between the stands, so you have shade only for
part of the day. >
The stands next to the water are always popular, and here you get the best of both worlds. You can camp next to the dam (stands 106, 107 and 111) and you have a grass patch with trees in front of you. Kick back in a camp chair in the shade and you can keep an eye on your rods to see if the bream, carp or black bass are biting.
The other stands with ample shade are 3, 6, 10, 16, 29, 37, 53, 93, 95, 103 and 113. If you don’t feel like staring at your neighbour’s caravan, stands 52–69, which are next to the fence, are a good choice. At numbers 37, 39 and 41 you can watch game with your binoculars from your front stoep. Late afternoon is feeding time and then the impala, nyalas, blue wildebeest and sable descend on the troughs.
All the stands have electricity (bring your own blue plug), a braai drum with grid, tap and garbage bin. There are lights spread throughout the campsite and unfortunately you can’t switch them off. If you have one right in front of your tent, it might be bothersome.
Decisions, decisions
Bosveld Oase has a long list of activities that will keep you entertained the entire weekend.
The waterpark at the entrance of the resort, with its 10 m high supertube, slides, heated pool, putt-putt course and big recreational area with thick grass and loads of shade trees, is by far the resort’s most popular hangout.
The supertube winds for 100 m down to the ground and by the time you land in the pool at the bottom, you’ve built up quite a bit of speed.
There are two slides that are lower and shorter for the littler ones who don’t want to try the supertube, but be warned: You can come down fast here too. So it’s best to keep an eye on the youngsters. There’s also a member of staff at the supertube and the slides’ starting points to ensure that everything goes smoothly and safely.
The pool is decorated with faux rock. Next to that is the kiddies pool, but they have to be at least hip height for their heads to stick out above the water if they have their feet on the bottom.
The big pool becomes increasingly deeper and the first step is shallow enough for the really small ones to splash around. Mom and Dad must just stay close to stop them from going deeper.