The winter months has allowed for controlled burning on the reserve. Due to the drought, burning has not been an option for the past few years to ensure there has always been sufficient food resources for the game.
Initial reactions from guests would be “a runaway fire?” the answer is no we have done some very large blocks allowing for the removal of the yellow thatching Grass, the reduction in excess wood or fuel which would cause problems with runaway fires and with the aim of opening up the area to sunlight, new species of grass to come up and heat the soil which aids in germination. In burning it will also attract many of the plains game and open up the area allowing for better game viewing.
The first rains have finally come through with about 22mm for the month of September and this will create new growth. New bright green sprouts have started to emerge through the burnt landscape – symbolising the beginning of the bushveld vegetation turning from black and brown to an array of lush greens.
During this winter we burnt around Springbok Lodge this year as we had not burnt this area for many years.
Pictured above: View from one the tents looking into the reserve where the veld is burning in front of the lodge.
Lodge News
These pictures show Sundowners view point that overlooks the valley and the area that has been burnt
On the ground
This photo was taken by one of our guides whilst out on drive. The animals have started to flock to the areas where it has been burnt to nibble on the newly green spurts that are emerging.
On the 31th August we had our first thunder storm, which was great news for the veld, as it will start to regrow.
The picture on the right shows how some of the trees have started to already turn bright green, which we will be seeing a lot of in the days to come.
We experienced some really HOT days during September – leading us to believe that Summer was here and Spring had not made an appearance – on some days the temps reached 40°C…but it was just a Summer teaser … as not long afterwards the temps returned to their normal late 20’s during the day – the kind of temps we have come to expect at this time of year!
Exciting news from our side – we are in the process of getting ONLINE bookings and ONLINE payments available to our guests. We’re just tying up the last loose ends and then we’ll be available for you to contact us via our website and via the internet through other online portals. For those that are unfamiliar with the online process we can still be contacted via the phone or email as before ☺️
It’s hard to believe that we are into the last quarter of 2019 … it’s the home stretch for our Class of 2019 Gr 12’s and its also the right time to start planning your company year-end getaway and your New Year vacay – those who snooze, sadly, lose … so don’t get caught napping …contact Melissa on our reservations desk reservations@thespringobklodge.co.za to check availability for your next stay – you might catch her on a good day and be on the winning side of a LIMITED Early Bird Booking Special Offer (T’s & C’s apply)…
