Monday, December 14, 2015

Christmas Greetings for the Festive Season from River Bend Lodge



NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015




A BIG THANK YOU!

We would like to begin with a very big thank you to all of you who have supported us and contributed to our best ever year!
Your support is much appreciated……and we are continually doing our best to improve ourselves and thus your valued and constructive input is welcomed.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

The Winter of 2015 will be remembered for being a wet one……one of the wettest on record for the Sunday’s River Valley.
The result was a magnificent display of yellow flowers in September that seemed to stay in bloom for ages, with some patches still being ‘on show’ at the beginning of November.
It’s really difficult to say exactly how many Elephant calves have been born this year…can we just say ‘plenty’? But to have a guess and put a number to it we would say around 20!...but probably upwards of that.
The Lions introduced into the Concession last year have settled in really well and we are getting regular sightings now.
We have experienced a remarkable upturn in sightings of the rare and elusive Black Rhino’s…..some breathtaking stuff. We urge all our readers to try and do something to raise awareness to the plight of these incredible creatures!!


There seems to have been a mini explosion in Buffalo numbers. A sighting of one of the 2 big herds (upwards of 120) grazing their way across one of the plains is a glorious sight to behold.
We were treated to some great sightings of not one, but two, families of Black Backed Jackals raising their whelps in really accessible spots along the main access road.
After the wonderful experience of watching a pair of Cape Robin Chats raising three chickens in the day room we are now really excited at the prospect of a pair or rare and threatened Knysna Woodpeckers doing the same thing in an old tree between rooms 5 and 6.





Whilst most of South Africa is in the grip of a potentially devastating drought we count our blessings on the rain for the condition of our veld. Some parts of Southern Africa are experiencing one of the driest periods on record….and we are seeing reports that the famous Victoria Falls are far dryer than usual for this time of the year.

WELCOME TO TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS

We are happy to announce the arrival of two new members of staff.
Temwani Mngoma joins us a Duty Manager / Host / Sommelier and Nomvu Dlamini joins us in the Spa to pamper those of our Guests in need of a massage!



Welcome.

THINGS “WINE AND DINE”!

Chef Zayne continues to garner praise from all quarters with some wonderful innovations and taste sensations.


We have added some great new Wines to our Wine List, which continues to provide Guests with a good overview of South African Wines. We love to list Wines that one doesn’t find in the ‘local liquor store’ and rather showcase the ‘revolution’ taking place in our Wine Industry…….so welcome to My Wyn Cabernet Franc, Elgin Vintners Pinot Noir, Graham Beck Gorgeous, Haute Espoir  Gentle Giant and Black Elephant Vintners.
Rest assured we continue in our quest to bring you great South African Wines for your enjoyment during your stay.
We have also recently brought some South African Gins on to our listing….much to the enjoyment of many of our Guests if the comments are anything to go by.

LINKS:


BEST WISHES FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON AND ALL THE VERY BEST FOR 2016.