BUSHVELD GETAWAY

We had a wonderful week last week with my daughter and her husband visiting us from the UK. A short and very busy visit, but so wonderful to have them here. She has posted some photos and details on her blog the linen cupboard - so I will not go into more detail re the wedding. This week has been hectic getting up to date after a few days off last week.

I am still having errors on my blogpage and can not load photos, but my daughter promised to load the photos from her computer.

I decided to tell more of our wonderful bushveld holiday home in Marloth Park, Mapumulanga, which borders on the Crocodile river which is the border of the well-known Kruger National Game Park in South Africa. Marloth Park is a holiday township with free-hold stand and is situated on the Crocodile River on the southern boundary of Kruger National Park. Marloth Park is about 450km from Johannesburg - thus take us about a 4,5 hours drive from Johannesburg, Gauteng.


Marloth Park is unique in that the wild animals are allowed to roam freely around the unfenced houses. The holiday township is quite big with about 4'000 stands with park areas in between the stands. The rules are quite strict and the homes has to blend in with nature. Animals roaming freely in Marloth Park include Impala, Kudu, Zebra, Nyala, Bush Buck, Reed Buck, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Warthogs, Duiker, Zebra, Mongooses, baboons, monkeys and bushbabies. There is also leopard and hyienas in the park - but they are not seen very often. We also have our own small private game reserve in the holiday township called Lion Spruit, which has Impala, Kudu, Lion, Buffalo, Rhino, Giraffe, Zebra and many other. The Crocodile river is about 200 meters from our house and Elephant, Rhino, Lions, Leopard, Water buck and Hippo's can also often be seen down at the river when we go on our morning or afternoon walks. There is a fence between us and the Kruger National Park, but we still have beautiful views of the river and the animals as you will see in my photos.


This photo is of the zebras standing by our patio.
Bird watching or ‘birding’ in Marloth Park is wonderful due to an incredible diversity of birdlife. Marloth Park is actually the closest a person can get to the Garden of Eden.

We try to go to Marloth Park on a regular monthly basis and then stay there for 3 -4 days. We would love to retire there one day. When there we always go to the Kruger National Park for a morning or day game drive - the Crocodile gate of the park is only a 30 minute drive from our house.

We are very fortunate and very blessed to have a home in this beautiful natural surroundings. Both my husband and I are nature lovers and this home was just the ultimate for us.

The weather in the area is usually very warm throughout the year. Summer temperatures about minimum 15>20 degrees Celcius and maximum 35 > 42 degrees. Winter temperatures min 5>10 degrees and maximum 18 > 25 degrees.

My daughter will add some photos of our house and the animals in Marloth Park.


Not forgetting about the food - cooking in Marloth is the best. There I have the time, energy and patience to cook. Our dinners mostly is done outside in our "boma"-area which is very popular in the South African bush. Meals are mostly a "braai" - which is in English a barbeque. Meals will consist of a home-made bread, "roosterkoek" (small round pieces of bread dough baked on the open fire on grid), one or another salad, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes (baked whole with the skin) and then one or another meat dish. Meat dishes will be usually grilled on the open fire eg fillet steak, "boerewors"(a South African speciality sausage), lamb chops, "sosaties"- different kebabs. In the next few blogs I will share some special South African "braai"-recipes with you. This is where we "braai" at the house.


My special and very easy bread recipe is a Beer Bread - this I even make when on a camping safari in one of our favourite game parks such as Etosha Game Park in Namibia, Botswana Game Reserve or the Kgalagadi Game Reserve.

* * * * * * * * * * *

BEER BREAD

Ingredients:

500 gram Self-raising Flour
5 ml salt
1,5 bottles Beer (300ml size)
250 ml grated Cheddar / Mozarella cheese (or combination of both)
5 ml Dried mixed herbs

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in a lined bread pan @ 180 degrees celcius for 45 minutes.

For variation:

- Bake without the cheese and herbs

- Replace the cheddar cheese with 125 ml Blue Cheese - this is outstanding with a very unusual taste.

- Add a tin of either sweet corn / cernel corn.

* * * * * * * * * *


When camping I use a large round black cast-iron pot - very popular for use when camping. The one I use have a flat bottom with no legs.

This is an example of how the pots with legs look:



"Potjiekos" are made in these pots and are a subject I will save for another time.

Have a wonderful blessed week until my next blog post.