In this issue:

Summertime….. 1 15 November 2008

Year End Bring ‘n Braai 1 11/ 2008 W ildlife 2 Serval / Antelope Staff 2 Summertime… and the living is easy! December Vacation 2

The Ridge W etlant 3 The rains have been a long time coming this year, and while we have been waiting we have had some very hot and at times very windy days. In spite of the dryness, the veld 3 Drakensberg Boys Choir is looking beautifully green and the areas that were burnt in winter are now flushing a rich emerald green. 3 Village & Street Signs Most of the spring flowers are now past their best, and we look forward to the summer show. At present the ’s are magnificent (see article and photo on page 5). 3 Entrance Gate While one normally associates the term ‘big sky country’ with wide open plains or flat- lands, we enjoy magnificent skyscapes here in the berg, especially in the build up to a Fire on the Estate 4 storm or after a cold front. Late afternoons, once the heat has subsided a bit, we take a front row seat on the patio for the spectacle of the day…...sunset. Rainfall on the Estate 4 The mountains as we see them from the estate, from left to right are Champagne Cas- tle, Cathkin Peak, Sterkhorn and Amphlett, backed up by The Litter and Dragon’s Back. From The Ridge (Village 1) we also have a good view of the mountains of Injisuthi to Merwilla Lumbea / Scilla 5 Natalensis the South, an area that receives a lot of snow in winter, and has a myriad waterfalls tumbling over the huge rock walls in the rainy season. From parts of Porcupine Hill 5 Mountain Splendour Ma- (Village 2) iNtunja, also known as Gatberg can be seen to the West. While this appears nia W eekend to be a hole in the mountain it was apparently formed when a rock pillar collapsed Architectural Review 5 sideways creating a large opening. Committee These mountains have amazing moods and Cathkin’s face in particular changes from the morning when it is drenched in sunlight to a dark and somber profile as the sun moves west.

W ho do you contact? South Africans, generally, seem to prefer the bushveld and beach to our mountains, but those who share in the wonder of the spectacular scenery, clear unpolluted air and Estate Management: amazing opportunities for outdoor activities just can’t get enough of the berg magic. Gappy Smythe This is the last newsletter for 2008. The Trustees and Management Team wish you all ( 082 850 4227 a wonderful holiday season and if you are in the area, please join us for the braai. [email protected] Denise

Levy / Account Queries: Jane Cronje Year End Bring ‘n Braai ( 0861GEMS11 [email protected] 18:00 on Monday 29 December 2008, on the patio of the Admin Building Fax 086 697 0750 All home and land owners who are in the area are invited to the annual year end braai. If you have family/guests with you they are most welcome to join us. Newsletter: The Estate will provide fires, puthu pap and sauce. Denise Preiss Please bring your food and drinks, crockery and cutlery. If you have folding chairs and ( 082 379 1536 tables please bring them along too. [email protected] This is a great opportunity to meet your neighbours! Fax 086 636 2263

Please advise Denise whether or not you will be attending, and how many will be in your group. (082 379 1536 or [email protected]) Page 2 11/ 2008

W ildlife

Serval (Felix Serval) Zulu name: Ndlozi Status: Currently unprotected, but it is now being reas- sessed. Weight: 9 to 11kg Height: 80 to 97cm

This shy cat occurs on Cathkin Estates, frequenting the suitable grassland areas – especially in The Falls (Village 3) and Village 4 (still to be named). I have seen plenty of droppings but have only caught a glimpse of a serval once during a night drive on the estate. They are solitary animals, feeding mainly on rodents and birds, although, snakes also form part of their diet. They have large ears and an acute sense of hearing, which they use to good effect when hunting (especially rodents in the long grass) . A typical hunting stance is shown in the above picture. Due to various factors such as development and more intensive farming practices, the habitat of these animals (grassland and shrub areas) has been radically reduced and this has resulted in serval numbers being threatened. Serval are also targeted by farmers, as they are perceived to be problem animals responsible for killing calves, sheep, goats and poultry. Sanctuaries like Cathkin Estates are important in order to assist in the long-term survival of these beautiful cats. Antelope

This time of the year sees the antelope dropping their lambs and calves.

The total of young born on the estate since the start of spring is: Eland 6, Zebra 2, Blesbok 4, Red Hartebeest 3, Black Wildebeest 2 and Bushbuck 2.

Of particular interest is the recovery of the Oribi that had escaped and was seen on the Wits End property. We man- aged to get it back by dropping the fence and with help from additional labour we herded it back in. I think this was the animal that was out for a while so we are very relieved to have it back on the estate. Also the young ram has been seen chasing his favoured female and the Field Rangers say they think one animal is pregnant. Four Oribi were counted on the estate at the beginning of November.

Gappy

Staff December Vacation We welcome Simon Zungu as Gappy & Mags and their family will be enjoying the Senior Field Ranger on the a well deserved holiday in Haga Haga from 5 to estate. 18 December. We wish them a safe trip and Simon is a skilled tracker and hope they will return to the valley relaxed and field guide and he has worked enthusiastic for the year ahead. on private and government game parks. Ian Stewart (stand 50) will be available during this period to assist with any problems. His English is good and he will be used to lead guided walks Ian’s contact details will be available in the office. Photograph courtesy of Tim Smythe Page 3 11/ 2008

The Ridge Wetland

Work has commenced on the wetland area adjacent to the main access road of the Estate. This project was agreed with Peter Stockil at the 2007 AGM to replace the dam that was to be built in the village (1). The wetland is fed by a natural spring as well as run-off rain water.

Phase 1 was the filling of the donga which was done with a TLB and trucks. Rocks and soil were used, with strategically placed logs to stabilize the surface. This phase is now complete

Phase 2 was the cutting of a foot path to create a circular walk in such a way as to make both a short and a long circuit that cross the stream. This is complete.

Phase 3 is the building of the first weir which while allowing seepage will cause some flooding of the area above and thereby increase the area of the existing wetland. This is almost complete. The success of this weir will be monitored before building a second weir further upstream.

This is a very pleasant walk, particularly for people interested in .

Phase 4 is the planting of trees. The trees have been ordered for collection this week. Planting will commence on 17 November. The selection is as follows: Celtis Africana (White Stinkwood) 9, Acacia 6, Halleria Lucida (Tree Fuschia) 10, Cyathia Dregei (Common Tree Ferns) 4. In addition 10 Buddleja Salvifolia (Sagewood) are to be transplanted from elsewhere on the estate. Photograph courtesy of Ernest Preiss

Note: the wetland walk is the second trail to be cut on the estate. The first starts at Porcupine Hill (Village 2) and offers wonderful views from the top of Ndanyane.

Do yourself a favour and walk these trails….. Make use of our wonderful open spaces.

If you have a 4 x 4 take a drive along the eastern and southern sides of the estate on the 4 x 4 route. Do take care though as the surface is very rough and during and after rain the clay surface becomes extremely slippery. If you don’t have a 4 x 4 and decide to walk the route you will probably see more game and birds, and be all the better for the exercise. There are some really nice spots to relax, so take a picnic lunch or tea and relax on ‘OUR’ estate.

Drakensberg Village & Street Names Walls have been built and rocks which will carry the names, have been posi- Boys Choir tioned at each intersection, but we still await the signs. Bookings have opened for the an- Once the signs are erected we will at last be able to move away from erf and nual year end Celebrate 2008 con- village numbers in our addresses. certs. This has been a very slow process, as it is now almost two years since you par- Concerts take place in the school ticipated in the naming exercise. auditorium and reservations can be Maps showing village and street names have been circulated. If you have mis- made through the school on 036 laid your e-mail and attachments and would like another copy please e-mail 468 1012 or on e-mail to book- Denise at [email protected]. [email protected] Dates: 5—7 December, 2008 Note: Regular concerts are held on Entrance Gate Wednesday afternoons during the The saga of the building of the entrance gate to the estate continues. school term. Details are available Latest reports were that construction was due to have commenced last from the school. week…….?!

Page 4 11/ 2008

Fire on the Estate

A fire was started on the SAPPI land below the southern boundary of our Estate on Thursday 2 October. This fire, which had been deliberately lit crossed into Cathkin Estates and quickly spread towards Ndanyane (the pimple-shaped hill that dominates our ridge line). Fire fighters worked hard to contain the fire within the block. Shortly after the fire had been started the wind came up and soon reached gale force strength carry- ing burning debris into the Stockil plantations and resulting in approximately 8 hectares on Cathkin being burnt. On a posi- tive note this did have the effect of destroying a lot of alien plants. There was however some damage to the forest mar- gins on the southern slopes, which is not permanent but is unfortunate as we were trying to bolster the vegetation & pro- tect the natural forests. Photograph courtesy Ernest Preiss The fire in the Stockil plantation then crossed the boundary again into the SAPPI forest. Approximately 60 hectares of SAPPI forest were destroyed. Considerable effort was put into containing and extinguishing this fire, which included a surveillance plane, two crop sprayers, a fire-fighting helicopter as well ground teams from SAPPI and Cathkin Estates. The helicopter scooped water mainly from Sunset Dam in Porcupine Hill, but several ‘buckets’ were also taken from dams on Inkungu and the Gibbings farm east of the estate. The electric fence was damaged along a length of approximately 1 km and roughly 1000 insulators had to be replaced.

Rainfall Comparison for the Estate by M onth as at 17 November 2008

Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total 2007 142 70 42 29.5 1.5 38 0 3.5 65.5 228.5 64.9 295 980.4 2008 288 224 223.5 82.5 3.5 15 0 4 33.5 54 178 1106

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0 January February M arch April M ay June July August September October November December

2007 2008 Page 5 11/ 2008 M erwilla Plumbea / Scilla Natalensis

The beautiful blue-flowering bulbous , Scilla natalensis, is now known by the name . This is after DNA analysis showed that the from sub-Saharan Africa and India do not share a common ances- tor with the European and Asian species of Scilla. One of its common names, the ‘blue squill’ surely refers to the long plume-like inflorescence of violet-blue to pale-blue flowers. The flowers appear before the leaves – emerging from the which itself is only half submerged in the ground. The bulb is covered with dark brown to purplish scales. Another common name is the ‘blue hyacinth’, as it belongs in the family Hyacinthaceae. Merwilla plumbea grows up to a metre tall, and can occur in large colonies in the Drakensberg, where it grows on cliffs and rocky slopes up to 2000 m. It is fairly widespread on the east side of southern Africa, occurring throughout the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Swazi- land and Mpumalanga. Its bulb is used as soap and it also has numerous traditional medicinal uses, including the treatment of internal tumours. Warmed fresh bulb scales and slightly burned bulb scales are used as oint- ment for boils and wounds, and to treat fractures and sprains. It is also used in a preparation for cattle suffering from lung disease. Because of its popularity as a muti trade item, the plant is threatened and is on the Red Data List as ‘Vulnerable’ for KwaZulu-Natal. Merwilla plumbea flowers from September to November and is visited by bees during the day. The flowers have a honey-like scent in the early eve- ning. The light-weight beige, wrinkled seeds form in capsules and are dis- persed by wind when mature. Although the seeds germinate readily, they do not last long unless refrigerated. The plants will grow well in a garden rockery or even in a container. They need a sunny or semi-shaded position in well-drained soil enriched with compost. Photograph courtesy Ernest Preiss Sources Germishuizen, G. & Fabian, A. 1997. Wild flowers of northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg. Notten, A. 2001. Scilla natalensis Planch. = Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.) Speta. S.A. National Biodiversity Institute. www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/scillanatal.htm Pooley, E. (2003) Mountain Flowers: A field guide to the flora of the Drakensberg and Lesotho. The Flora Publications Trust, Durban. Glynis Goodman

M ountain Splendour Architectural Review Committee M ania Weekend All house plans must specify the roofing material and the colour to be used prior to any approvals being issued. This annual event will be taking place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 No- Home owners are please to note that each village has been designated a spe- vember. cific colour tile: It includes a number of mountain bik- • The Ridge (Village 1) Standard Brown ing and trail running races, all of which • Porcupine Hill (Village 2) Antique Amber and Standard Brown pass through our estate. This year they • The Falls (Village 3) Antique Amber have added a 10km family ride aimed • The Peaks (Village 5) Antique Amber at beginners, children, parents and even grandparents (whoopee!) Obvi- Septic tanks need to be fed to keep active. A variety of products are available from Afgri in Winterton or hardware shops e.g. SanniTree Bio-enzyme granules. ously while it is great fun to partici- pate, it is also very interesting to Many houses have timber window frames & doors, and most have pergolas watch! and laminated beams. Please be aware that in this harsh climate woodwork Anyone interested in participating needs regular sealing and feeding if it is to survive. Check your house! should contact Iain Don-Wauchope as Please be aware that trenches to septic tanks may not be closed until the ARC soon as possible on 082 577 6841 or has conducted an inspection and authorised closure. [email protected]