Easter - Gautengers escape to the country!

Andries, Lorette and Irma arrived Thursday evening to a blazing log fire in the Bakoni fire place taking the autumn chill from Machado House's elegant Victorian rooms. They stopped over on their way to the Kruger Park. As ever, the relaxing olde worlde charm of Machadodorp village waylayed them, and resulted in them setting off a good couple of hours later than planned on Friday morning. Andries and his wife have just moved from Johannesburg’s Wit University to Pretoria , Andries working as Associate Professor in Pretoria University’s Department of Sociology. They discussed the interesting cultural differences between the students of each University. The attractions they loved in Machadodorp include Milly’s trout pies, the distant chuffing of trains and the church clock’s bells drifting through the village night air. A soft mist surrounded us as we chatted in the morning.

Later on Friday morning we welcomed Aesha and Mahmood Nathoo just in time to get to Mosque. The Machadodorp Mosque is also in Taute Street, so they didn’t have far to go. The wind had built up a little and this reminded Aesha of Port Elizabeth where they both grew up. Geluk unit was their base for exploring the beautiful Emakhazeni Highlands of Mpumalanga. They took a tour to Badplaas through the beautiful Skurweberg pass, and enjoyed the fresh garden herbs in the Absolute Leisure gardens. Mahmood is a vegetable gardener of note in between his work in finance, so we exchanged a few vege growing tips!

Around lunch time the Grobler family arrived – Daniel and Muriel plus 3 year old Gené & 1 year old Louis. Gené just loved her room in Bakoni. After the long drive from Midrand the kids were brimming over with energy, and garden gates had to be closed rapidly to keep them from disappearing off down the street. Muriel was keen to browse the local junk and antique shops, so I recommended Flippy Taljard’s and the Highveld Emporium, as well as the Windmill Bargain Centre in Belfast. I also recommended they ask Flippy and Alta for a peek into their teddy bear room. Flippy, ever the eccentric Machadodorp artist, has covered the entire walls and ceiling of their bedroom with soft toys which he won from vending machines some years back. This room is a child’s dream come true!

Early afternoon saw the arrival of the Du Toit family from Jo’burg, Karen and Craig and their three boys. The boys, also full of energy and excitement, were straight up into the loft bedroom of Duckworth’s Dargle negotiating as to who would get to sleep there. Then, safely down the ladder again, the toy cupboard became the centre of attention. Pogo sticks and croquet set were tested in the garden while Mum and Dad unloaded the car. Dad Craig admitted to being a 1000 bounce pogo champ from when he was a kid, so their 5 day stay will see him and the kids honing their pogo skills along with some fishing and family bonding time. Happy holidays Du Toit Family! Please send some family pics for the blog.

The Back Road

On my way to Machadodorp and with a meeting in Middelburg, I made an economical route change decision and exitted the N4 highway at Emalahleni (Witbank) thus avoiding the Forty Rand toll fee at the Middelburg toll gate. A warm feeling stirred in my Scottish bones as I contemplated the Forty Rand I was saving. Along the way a few inconspicuous signs indicated that the road to Middelburg was closed, but this being South Africa I paid no attention and continued. Others were doing the same so no point in believing road signs. At around 15km of the 30km journey, where the road crosses the river, I saw ahead of me some mayor road works. I had heard that one of our friends at Middelburg Tourism Office was unable to get to work because during December’s heavy rains the bridge between Witbank and Middelburg had been washed away, and here I was at that very washed away bridge!

No sweat! As ever, an enterprising local farmer had made a plan, and a detour across a big grassy field (I missed a turn and found myself in a homestead surrounded by chickens) took me to a queue waiting to cross the river on a makeshift bridge. A farm worker stood at the front of the queue with a dented old bucket, and was handing each driver a 500ml bottle of orange juice, dropping the payments into the bucket. “Twenty Rand for a bottle of juice” he said as I arrived at the front. “I’m going to Middelburg, and I don’t need juice,” I said, a little indignant. “That’s Twenty Rand... ” he said, “...and you get a free orange juice.” I paid, got my free juice and laughed the rest of the way to my meeting. This is a must for foreign visitors and family outings! A real life “Boer maak ‘n plan” experience. And he’s half the price of the Middelburg tollgate!

Silvia & I had the juice with our Wacky Wednesday lunch!

Ghost Sightings of Machadodorp and the Mpumalanga Highlands

It has long been believed that ghosts abound in our Mpumalanga Highlands. Ghost enthusiasts and clairvoyants sense that the conflicts of bygone years result in wandering, unresolved spirits still locked in this world searching for answers. An old man has been seen repeatedly at the Machadodorp Police Station near the cells, sitting waiting. This used to be the village hospital, so it is believed he waits for a loved one in the hospital. In the main street of Machadodorp, now called Butana Jele St, a headless man is said to cruise at night. This ghost was reported in the newspapers in the 1940s. He was believed to be a wild red haired Scots soldier who was cheated out of some money during the South African wars. During the fight over the cash he was decapitated, and now wanders the streets with his head under his arm. Some red coat soldier ghosts are believed to appear close to Lydenburg, now Masheshing, from an even earlier era of history. Then there is the Afrikaans nurse who fell in love with a wounded British soldier. They meet nightly under a tree - now blown down - which was next to the military hospital in Waterval Onder. A ghost is reported at the Dalmanutha Station one night only annually, when the train goes by. This is the anniversary of the night that a stationmaster was murdered and his body buried in a shallow grave at the station. A poltergeist ghost catches out sleeping policemen at the Machadodorp police station, taking their guns from their holsters and placing them on the counter. And at one of the waterfalls close to Waterval Boven where a honeymoon couple's tragedy occurred, they are often see reunited. At Green Pastures Farmhouse an elderly lady watches over sleeping visitors.

And now I am rather excited to report that during March an Absolute Leisure guest reported that he sensed the presence of a ghost watching over him as he slept. Perhaps the old lady from Green Pastures has come to visit!? Now don't all rush over to check out this ghost sighting! It’s the first report of a ghost at Absolute Leisure since the cottages were started 7 years ago!

Girl Power building a New Power Station for Machadodorp....

These two beautiful young women are Sivu (right) and Sizi (left) staying at Cat's Whisker, Absolute Leisure Cottages, Machadodorp.  Sivu is busy building our new power station for us in Machadodorp, and Sizi, her sister, is visiting from the Cape where she is studying Ministry. It is so special to know that woman power is building our new power station.  Ok ..... so she does have some help from the guys, but this Mpumalanga Highlands Lass is proud to announce once more that South African women rock!