Durban - Philip Rawlins groaned in dismay – again. “How can you say the crane sighting isn’t the most amazing thing you’ve seen?”
Clearly I’m no twitcher.
I get that Matatiele is one of the few places you will find wattled, blue and grey crowned cranes together, at any time of the year – and in great numbers. Just five minutes from Philip and Elrita’s Resthaven Guesthouse we spotted around 130 cranes, then 80 a few minutes further on. I imagine birders packing their bags as they read this.
In spite of the things, places and scenery Rawlins introduced us to – which quite overwhelmed us with beauty and wonder – the highlight had to be right in the frontier town.
Every year the thousands of amur falcon (falco amurensis) adorn the power and telephone lines and roost in trees. To witness, close up, these long distance travellers converge and descend en masse, wings softly whirring, their quiet cries, the whiff of guano, was surreal and as amazing to me as, say, Victoria Falls.
Matatiele should be on the tourist map in a big way but, because it is a bit further than other places offering many similar “things to do”, most don’t look past what they see online. The reality is, for me, worth the extra mileage.
Since they established Resthaven Guesthouse in 2000, the family has bought another property across the road. There are very reasonable accommodation options to suit everyone, from business travellers to several self-contained, self-catering options. It’s the perfect base for many an adventure.
Rawlins is just the person to adventure with. His enthusiasm, his knowledge and experience and his proper 4x4 all came to the fore.
First up was indeed up – to the Matatiele Mountain Lake 500m above the town where Philip’s grandad farmed and his dad stayed as a child. At an altitude of 2000m, it’s a great area from which to view the countryside and catch plenty of rainbow and brown trout in the clear water.
What Rawlins is best known for (apart from his skill with steaks) is his Lesotho excursions.
We headed at dawn for the border post below Ongeluksnek, cosmos flowers colouring the way. We regretfully didn’t pause to visit the spectacular Mariazell Mission, but we wanted to get into Lesotho asap.
That didn’t quite happen as we had to make an early breakfast stop while mist cleared, then got stuck on an extremely slippery section until we deflated the tyres and found a lonesome tree to use with the winch, by which time the sun had dried things a bit. Fun and games.
We could have taken either of two easier passes but, hey, Rawlins figured we needed an “African massage”.
Not far after cresting the pass, we enjoyed more of his wife’s endless supply of refreshments on the shores of Lake Letsie on a broad mountain plateau populated by sheep, cattle, horses, birds and hardy, blanketed herdsmen. From there it was up, down, up, down, around – the Mountain Kingdom for sure.
Mphaki, Seforong, Semonkong were names along the way, but the splendour was most important. Maletsunyane Waterfall – the highest in Southern Africa – was spectacular (what wasn’t?) as was what Rawlins calls his “gorgeous gorge”, where the Senqu River – the Orange River once it exits Lesotho – has carved a horseshoe canyon.
Sun, magnificent clouds, rain, wind – all served to display different aspects of the views. I look now at a map of Lesotho and am surprised and disappointed to see that our trip didn’t cover more than a wee bit.
“Go In Peace” read the sign at the border. We did though my head hurt and my brain leaked like a waterlogged sponge from processing what I had seen.
Down Qacha’s Nek and tailing a narrow storm sweeping across the relatively unfolded landscape, we entered a Matatiele littered with foliage, awash with water and speckled with large hailstones – right on time to witness the falcons doing their thing.
Then a perfect steak with fresh produce (what hadn’t been flattened) in the Resthaven dining room, before turning in, sunburnt and happy.
l Call 039 7374067 or visit www.resthaven.co.za
Adrian Rorvik, Sunday Tribune