Somabula Social Weekend Past Events

This was an open invite to all Land Rover owners, but it ended up being a Defender weekend... Wow, what a sundowner with a breath-taking view over the reserve! Late afternoon on Saturday up on the hill whilst the Boks gave the French a drilling!

We, Andre and Jeanne, arrived early Thursday afternoon and was later joined by Chas for the evening. As we entered the reserve, we encountered giraffe, eland and zebra.

We pitched camp, had a rustige braai, watched the stars and listened to the call of jackal - beautiful! It felt as if we were very far from home somewhere deep in the bush, yet we were so close to home. We chatted for a while around the camp fire and retired for the night. Tomorrow the rest of the group would join us.

Early on Friday morning we awoke with the smell of smoke from a camp fire. It was Chas stoking his big kettle!

Chas left to fetch his wife Annie from the Gautrain station in Hatfield. They were back within an hour!

The sound of nature was suddenly overwhelmed by a rumbling V8 - it was Ansie and Christo in their V8 Defender 110 with caravan-on-tow, and their son Justin and girlfriend Carna in a Defender 90. As soon as they set up camp, Christo announced "nou is ek blerrie honger", so Ansie quickly fixed a salad lunch and cracked a red wine. This was a good red wine with no bottom - the vat lasted the whole weekend!

Later on Friday, much later, we were joined by two more Defender 110's, Jaco and Hein. Andre brought his 44-gallon drum braai and camp fireplace with. What an evening! Lekker gesels, cracking jokes around the camp fire with jackal calling in the background.

The plan-of-action for Saturday was discussed around the camp fire. Rustig wees en sit en "IS", as Ansie put it. Very early on Saturday Jaco and Hein left for their office in Sandton at a BMW dealership - shame! Chas fiddled with his Defender 130 and Annie went for a long brisk walk in the reserve. She had to train for a hike coming up soon. Ansie and family went down to the dam for some bird watching and ended up taking a long walk as well, and Andre and Jeanne left for a sightseeing trip to Sammy Marks museum. This is a stunning museum, and a guided tour of the house with all original imported furniture must be on your bucket list.

Back at camp the Blignauts, Jaco and Hein decided to go for an afternoon game drive. They ended up on top of the hill overlooking Somabula - what a stunning view! Andre and Jeanne, and Chas and Annie joined the rest a while later. Andre took a different route to the top and saw some eland on the way up. Ansie was desperate to see the eland as well. We enjoyed a couple of sundowners... It was almost dark when the group finally left to find the eland. Ansie was satisfied...

The Saturday evening was an evening to remember, more jokes, bush TV (camp fire), lekker braai, kuier en gesels! Andre had small stainless steel dishes and put some hot coals in it. He placed the coals under the camping chairs to give the girls some comfort from the cold. Hein baked a savoury bread and shared it amongst us – steaming hot bread, melting butter and jam! Blixem, what a treat!

What an enjoyable weekend with Land Rover friends!