STRESS-FREE BUSH BREAK
Escape to Mabalingwe
Without a doubt the most stressful situation I ever had to go through so far was getting myself ready to take the family on a holiday at a place hidden far away from the comforts I enjoy in the suburbs.
Let me break down what was involved here: 1) getting the guts to ask the boss for some time off, 2) getting the right car for the trip, 3) preparing the family for a long drive, 4) dealing with an unnecessarily overpacked car.
Even on the road to our destination, the stresses of Joburg tracked us down on a heavily congested N1 – it took over three hours for us to travel what should have been a two hour drive – with work calling in to make some changes in order to print out the quality you see in the paper that you’re holding right now.
Despite the tiring drive and the hold-up, we finally arrived at our destination – I added on an extra 10 minutes since I drove right past the huge Mabalingwe (not to be confused with the name Malibongwe) sign and entrance. This meant the Joburg stress was finally off my shoulders and I could detach myself from the fast life and connect myself with the bush life.
The area is located within the outskirts of Limpopo. That place that you’ve heard plenty jokes about? The one where the witchcraft is so sublime that it rivals that of Satan himself? Yes, that place. I suggest you ignore all the rumours.
We arrived pretty late at about 11pm (two hours after the time we were supposed to clock in) but a cousin who arrived just moments before that deadline managed to book us in.
We unpacked every bag and stacked the fridge to the hilt. We also took a moment to rest and throw down a cold beer before heading towards my cousin’s chalet to fill up our stomachs under the night light of the beautiful Milky Way belt.
So let’s cut to the chase. Why Mabalingwe? What’s so special about this place that a person who’s used to the suburbs – like me – would be happy with spending some time there?
Well, it was my first time in the bush, and I’m talking real bush! As in the moment I woke up and walked to the braai area, we had bush pigs and some strange animal I recognised from the first Mr Bones movie with the little horns taking a stroll down the trail with its little gang.
The place is nestled on a mountain and the only thing you have available to keep you connected to civilisation is a prepaid air-con system and a little flat screen TV (which I only realised was there once the kids connected their little gaming console to it).
Before we began enjoying what the place had to offer, we travelled about 25km or 30km out to get some goods in the small town of Bela-Bela. While the others got some goods to make a potent alcoholic punch, I looked for meat that was shot and packaged by hunters just to get a closer connection with the bush.
Ever heard of an animal called blouwildebeest? Ever eaten one? If not, then you haven’t lived my friend. This is not that typical meat you can get from your butcher at Pick n Pay.
Before I get into how well my family makes food, I have to explain what it’s like going on a game drive.
For all those who have a SUV at their disposal, including those which are 4x4 capable, stop wasting your hard-earned money by driving these around in your town. Let me explain.
My kids are accustomed to travelling in a low-riding sedan, which creeps slowly over little speed humps. This time, they got a chance to tackle some road that made the urban speed humps look cute. Not only did they enjoy how the Ford Everest tackled going up or down some daunting rocks but they got to see some of their now-favourite animals, like mongoose and squirrels.
We probably spent most of our time parked and looking out for animals. Since there are giraffes, elephants and the occasional leopards around (which, unfortunately, we did not get to see) it became a game of who would be able to spot the animals first.
Before nightfall, we hit the trail back to the entrance gate where the kids spotted some horses. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to use this opportunity to prove that sometimes women can be wrong with their judgment (since us men are always wrong about everything) but I did tell my wife that trying to pet a horse that’s not so tame could end badly. Luckily no kids were harmed when the horse started trotting towards my three girls trying to scare them away.
Moving on with the story, we got back home and lit a fire. It was still winter but not so cold that I would refrain from wearing some shorts and a “wife beater” top.
In fact, I could have hung out by the fire without a shirt on because there is no one else besides the trees and wildlife to see me as the chalets are not close to one another. I’m sure that the only thing my neighbours were probably able to get from us was the smell of the marinated game meat that filled the air.
And as I’ve mentioned, my family knows how to cook and since the place is self-catering, I’d suggest you go to town with what you can make to feed your family and friends. You don’t have to worry about bringing goods from Gauteng or wherever you would be travelling from, since the town is not that too far if you’re willing to take some time off your day to make the trip.
We had a huge pot of biryani, a chocolate mint tart, another Indian dish that I can’t name and some good old pap. What more do you need? Oh yes! The cold beers.
Riding around on game drives is not the only things you could do, by the way. Have you ever played putt-putt? How about enjoying a swim in a heated pool? Or what I should ask is, when last were you able to kick back and relax, leave your stress behind two hours away from Joburg?
This is why I would encourage those like myself to leave the local chisa nyama and a dop with the gents during a Fifa tournament and actually get out, either with your friends or your little family.
And if you have one, put that SUV to use in a place it was built for.
It was my first time leaving home for a place like this. And, mind you, I have a phobia of insects – in this case the arachnids – so if I see a little spider I’m not ever going to shut my eyes. But sometimes they’re worth ignoring. Sometimes, for the sake of resting and leaving your problems behind, maybe a place like this will help refresh you before you get back to the daily grind.