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Into the bush with kids – Zululand, South Africa 

Bonding with nature, yourself and your family comes naturally in the bush. On arrival at Amakhosi Safari Lodge in the heart of Zululand, I instantly regretted not having brought my children with me. This is why...



Having travelled extensively through the Afican wilderness I often wondered how much of a hazard it would be to take kids into a Big Five Game Reserve. Would cheetah be savagely attracted to the irresistible smell of defenceless young blood? Or would my greatest concern be to keep the children busy so that we could all enjoy our stay in the bush, and could I possibly enjoy some me-time too?


Sharing a passion

"During hunting trips I would spend hours observing game in their natural habitat" says Ben, co-founder of Amakhosi Safari Lodge in the Amazulu Private Game Reserve. Ironically, it is he who insisted that this 12000 ha Big Five area become an eco-friendly reserve where the only thing you will ever shoot is a picture! The bush has had a definite grip on him. Once a month he indulges his passion and spends two days travelling to enable him to enjoy a little less than a week photographing game. "It's more than that," Ben stresses "It is little by little, during my many explorations into the bush that I learnt to tune into my natural surroundings and absorb the peaceful, yet exciting atmosphere of the veld. And now I love sharing the experience."

When I ask him how he feels about his three children joining him during school holidays, he smiles. "At first my wife and I felt a bit uncomfortable at the thought of possible danger, but as we realised how much they benefit from the experience and how much they enjoy it, we got over our concerns."


From microscopically small to incredibly big, an incredible diversity of life animates the bush.




Early morning in the veld is surprisingly cold. Everyone gets up at 4:30 a.m. with a quick tea and rusks. As the sun starts rising we leave the safety of the lodge on foot. Our guide briefs us on how not to run in the unlikely event of a close encounter with an upset member of the big game family. "Acting like prey would only trigger their hunting instinct," he explains.

We discover, step by step, an amazing world of extraordinary insects, colourful birds and all sizes of game. All playing their part in the cycle of life. My respect for the ants grows as they carry courageously the dissected remnants of a beettle far, far way. "We wouldn't take children on a bush walk, purely for safety reasons. It's an immense responsibility for a guide and you don't know how a child will react in a potentially life-threatening situation," explains Alwyn, the lodge's manager, as I tell him how much my children would love to be here. "However, there are many ways to create an exciting experience for the young ones. Chances are that a three to four hour game drive is too long for them to sit still, so we'll first try to organise a separate vehicle for families with children and then plan the drive around their needs. Many stops and opportunities to get out of the 4x4 and have a close-up view of what's going on in the sand - like identifying a lion spoor - make it incredibly exciting for the whole party." Ultimately, this close encounter with nature reveals the magic of life and how we are all part of it.

Alwyn and his guides have taken many youngsters into the bush. "You'll find that often children have a specific interest, like reptiles. Or most of them like to see the animals they know from their cartoons : elephant, giraffe, name it. And we enjoy sharing little things like making a rope from trees."


Abundant birdlife

The reserve is home to more than 420 species of birds; our guide knows them all. "Did you hear that high pitched noise, like a blacksmith hitting metal with his hammer?" he asks as we stretch our necks in delight. "It's a Blacksmith lapwing nesting on the ground, there nearby the water. It will viciously defend it's nest against anything that comes close by." How? I wonder. "By 'bomming' continuously until the threat backs off!" he explains further.

Not so long ago, his knowledge was tested by a thirteen year old fanatical birder who bombarded him with endless, yet interesting questions. We listen to the sounds of the bush and enjoy being surrounded by nature. Everything has a meaning.

From one of the viewpoints we see the Mkuze river meandering through a blend of savannah, wetlands and mountains. The sweet smell of wild jasmine delights our senses. We learn how the Weeping Boer-bean or Huilboerboon possibly has its name from the flowers that produce copious amounts of nectar, which overflows and drips or weeps from the flowers.

As we enjoy the changing scenery we discover animals that each have their favourite grazing or hunting grounds. How would it feel to cross a lion's path and look the king straight in the eye? A little further we move closer to a group of giraffe. They are wary of us and keep their distance, unlike buffalo or elephant who demand that you get out of the way!


Let's go frogging!



Clearly, we are profoundly affected by our incredibly diverse bush experience. As it turns out, we're not just surrounded by passionate people, Alwyn shows all the symtoms of a fanatic. As we drive early evening under a starlit sky, deeper and deeper into the veld until we stop at a waterhole and incidentally chase away a drinking rhino, I truly wonder if the man has lost his mind. He switches off the lights of the roofless 4x4 (I won't be able to find refuge in the vehicle), switches on his headlamp, leaves his riffle standing against the front wheel and heads off, armed only with rubber boots, towards the water. Remembering how his pregnant wife doesn't seem worried in the least by his frequent nocturnal bush outings, surely everything's under control, I tell myself as I follow him in the dark. The others stayed behind at the lodge, preferring a sundowner to mud.

"Yes, we've got our little Tinker Reed Frog with us tonight. I can hear two rapid staccato taps, over there, between those reeds," whispers Alwyn and slowly we 'slop-slop' closer, the mud sucking our boots. And there it is, a tiny 3 mm bright yellow frog loudly calling for his mate. "How do you know who's who?" I ask. "They might change colour, but each species has its own distinct call." I count at least 12 different sounds, so we're well surrounded. "Don't touch them," I hear as I stretch out my hand. When in water frogs breathe largely through their skin, by touching it you might damage the aqueous film where oxygen is dissolved and passed into the blood." Totally entranced by their extravagant colours and designs, their big eyes and toe pads, I almost leave the roaring sounds of the bush behind me together with my fear for water spiders.

Totally exhilarated we get back into the 4x4, but soon after we left the waterhole Alwyn stops abruptly and disappears into high thick reeds. I'm not allowed to follow because of the crocodiles. And there I sit, all alone, engine off and no keys, in absolute darkness. The frogs call out loud like a marching army. I'm overwhelmed by the magnitude of the experience.  This is definitely not a child rated activity! Alwyn didn't find the red-legged Painted Reed Frog he was hoping for and we drive back to the lodge. In fact, he does take families with children out frogging. "Definitely, but only to the small waterholes where there are no potential hazards," he adds.


Visiting the local Zulu community


On the next night, the dancers from the Kwasheleza community in the Hlomo-Hlomo area will act out manoeuvres of past victorious battles, but also sing about the ancestors and weddings. Their performances are a vital source of revenue for the inhabitants of one of the poorest parts of the country. Most kids just have one nutritious meal a day, so for the youngest dancer, who is just about six, the meal at the lodge will be a treat.

One of the guests and her teenage daughter join Alwyn to fetch the dancers and greet their families. As part of the newly set-up community project, guests at Amakhosi Safari Lodge are encouraged to visit the Kwasheleza and the neigbouring Maqonqo communities where many of the lodge's staff live. The project hopes to contribute to school fees and it's a great opportunity to learn about this proud Zulu culture as it is today, and not as a living museum with people dressed up in animal skins.


Life in the bush can be challenging

In between early morning and late night, there aren't really any uninteresting times of the day. All right, I could have a nap at noon, but then there is the tempting swimming pool...  or I could treat myself with a massage on my private terrace overlooking the slowly flowing river. More bonding with nature or do I just don't want to miss out on anything?


And I haven't as yet even slept under the stars...

So, after having checked out it all, I can confidently state that next time I'll  bring my children with me. They're just about 4 and 5 years old, and crazy about beetles and basically anything that moves. Alwyn and his wife live at the lodge with their two toddlers Emma and Ine, so surely it can't be all that hazardous.

But what I really like about the lodge is that their river suites have lounges that can easily be converted into a second bedroom for the children, and that while I'm having an aromatic full body massage, a babysitter will happily entertain my kids. And my husband? Also spending some me-time, fly-fishing perhaps?




Did you know that...

• frog legs used to be (and possibly still are) a delicacy served with cream sauce in France, Belgium...
• the frog is an amphibian of the order Anura, meaning 'tail-less' stemming from the Greek an-, without + oura, tail. The first true frogs evolved during the early Jurassic period, about 200 million years ago (during the time of the dinosaurs)
• many frogs contain toxins varying from irritants to hallucinogens, convulsants, nerve poisons and vasoconstrictors
• frogs feature prominently in folklore and fairy-tales, usually portrayed as benign, ugly, clumsy and with hidden talents. Think of The Frog Prince and Kermit.

Why frogging is seasonal

Frogs breed in temporary rain pans. There, the development of the eggs is quicker and there are less predators such as herons. As frogs are cold blooded, they need heat. So, they sit under rocks, waiting sometimes for up to 9 months before they come out. During their 'hibernation' they slow their heartbeat down to 2 - 3 beats per minute, staying barely alive.

And then the rain comes and with it, the explosion of life and yummy insects. October is 'show time'.



IZINDLU - the traditional beehive houses

Where the actual building is the man's responsibility, it comes to the women to harvest the thatching grass to cover te circular structure. The grass is harvested when the stems are long and still fairly pliable. Young saplings are also used to weave doors, fences, mats and ropes.

Traditionally there are no windows in the home and the only door used to be low. Oral tradition suggests that doorways were low to ward off intruders. Any person entering the house would have to stoop, placing him at a disadvantage.

As with many things, the 'izindlu' also undergo changes. Depending on income, the houses become rectangular and thatch roofs are replaced by corrugated galvanized roofing.

 

The Crowned Eagle, a merciless hunter

A very powerful eagle, the Stephanoaetus coronatus, hunts mainly monkeys and small forest antelope. It kills by severing the vertebrae of its prey or will drive its very long dewclaw through the back of the monkey's scull.

Crowned Eagles prefer forest areas, but in the Amazulu Private Game Reserve they are also found in riverine forest. The reserve currently has three breeding pairs.



AMAZULU PRIVATE GAME RESERVE : WHERE, HOW & HOW MUCH

Take a warm jersey or windbreaker for early morning game drives, suntan lotion, a cap or hat, binoculars and camera.

Amakhosi Safari Lodge lies in the heart of the reserve, 4,5 hrs driving from Johannesburg or 5 hrs driving from Durban and 2,5 hrs from St. Lucia Wetlands and Sodwana Bay.

Babysitting during game drives or relaxation time can easily be organised.

The lodge only caters for 2 families with children at a time, offering a time away with the kids without being in a 'kiddies resort.'

Amakhosi Safari Lodge offers special rates to Kids of Nature supporters.


Text Petra Vandecasteele - Photography Paul Godard


[This feature was published in the South African Country Life Magazine, October 2006]

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