Nedbank Golf Challenge 2011

Will you be there to see who lifts the crystal golf ball trophy?

Get to the ultra green Gary Player Country Club course at Sun City this December. Some of the highest ranked players from around the globe will be striving to claim the $4 385 000 purse. Past events have showcased the world's best golfers. Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Bernhard Langer, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Retief Goosen - the name-dropping list just goes on.

Formerly known as the Million Dollar Challenge, this premier event is the richest golf tournament in South Africa and one of the most popular tournaments on the South African Tour. Scores of spectators are expected at Sun City this year.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge aims to be as environmentally-friendly as possible. The Sun City resort is poised to make this marquee event the first carbon neutral golf tournament in Africa. That alone is worth teeing off for.

The tournament is from 1 to 4 December 2011.

Where to stay?

Amritz Private Lodge and B&B

Driving 29 kilometres from Sun City to the west, you suddenly discover peace and tranquillity in a private environment where the bush was touched with luxury without ruining the natural beauty of the bushveld. Leave the city behind for a 60 minutes’ drive from Pretoria and 90 minute from Johannesburg.

We offer two four bedroom houses, each with their own bathroom (not all en suite), decorated to reflect the African, bushveld style. Each house has a shared lounge area, offering TV. Each house has a shared kitchen area with a fridge and microwave. Each room is furnished with an air-conditioner, tea, and coffee making facilities. We offer one double, one family and six twin rooms in total.

No smoking in buildings, but allowed on all deck areas. Walk out onto the wooden deck to enjoy the peaceful scenery of the bush surrounding and you will enjoy the most beautiful bird life, or just stroll through the bushes and release your soul and find peace in A God’s given bushveld paradise.

At sunset, enjoy a social braai, meeting other guest at the boma, while a camp fire creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Braai-packs and side dishes are available on request at an additional cost, dinner is available with pre arrangement as the kitchen closes at 5 pm.

Wake up to enjoy a memorable real farmhouse breakfast served in our cottage style dining room that leads out onto a wooden deck. As a bonus, you will get to know the real farm life with sheep and goats grazing around the camp. Do not be surprised when a peacock calls from outside your window or guinea fowls surprise you around a bush. There are also Antelope, Bushpigs, Ostrich and Emu.

KwaThabisile Game Lodge

KwaThabisile Game Lodge is situated in the Leeuwkloof Valley Conservancy, a 400 hectare game reserve within 1 hour from Johannesburg and 30 minutes from Pretoria, and offers self catering accommodation in fully equipped units, in an "Out of Africa" environment.

In the heart of Gauteng, Dinokeng ‘a place of rivers’, and Leeuwkloof valley, is a game lodge surrounded by wildlife roaming in a 400 hectare game reserve. This is KwaThabisile Game Lodge where Alexandra welcomes you to her Out of Africa. Wake up in the morning to game grazing peacefully under your bedroom window. Wander over to the pond or laze by the pool and enjoy sunset drinks overlooking the valley and into the bush watching the animals graze.

Enjoy the sounds of birds sing in our valley, see and hear the night come to life. At KwaThabisile you can experience nature even though you are close to many other enriching activities such as nearby Cullinan and experience ‘All of Africa in a day’.

Accommodation

The accommodation is ideal for groups of friends and families, small conferencing, productions and weddings. The old Thabisile farm house was originally built by the Italian Prisoners’ of War. It has since been converted into self catering units, 2 of which can be interlinked. Though it is mainly for self catering, if you would like meals to be included we can pre-arrange a package for you, menu, picnic, or braai.

ANTELOPE
Antelope unit has 2 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms (each with 1 King size bed or 2 Single beds). Fully equipped kitchenette open plan to lounge and dining area and large veranda overlooking the valley and dam, with sunset views. Private, but has interleading double door to the Bushbaby unit.

BUSHBABY
Bushbaby unit has 2 bedrooms, 1 with en-suite bathroom (each with 1 King size bed or 2 Single beds) and the other has its own separate bathroom. Fully equipped kitchenette open plan to lounge, dining room and veranda. Has a large boma with view of the valley and sunset. Has immediate access to swimming pool.

CHAMELEON
Chameleon unit has 2 bedrooms (each with 1 King size bed or 2 Single beds) with 1 bathroom sharing. Fully equipped kitchenette, open plan to lounge, dining room and veranda. View of gardens and bush. The thatch roof house was previously built as dormitories for children. It has since been converted into open plan units that have been tastefully decorated.

DUIKER
Duiker unit is an open plan bedroom (2 double beds), lounge, dining area. There is a separate but fully equipped kitchenette and a separate bathroom with shower and bath. This unit has a view into the bush from the bed itself.

ELAND
Eland unit is interleading with the Duiker unit (must be booked with Duiker). Unit has upstairs,1 king size bed with view into the bush with balcony overlooking swimming pool and sunset view. Downstairs has a large fully equipped kitchen with dining area and lounge with veranda.

FLYCATCHER
Flycatcher unit is an open plan area with 2 double beds, fully equipped kitchenette, dining area and lounge. Unit has a separate bathroom with shower.

GIRAFFE
This is the original barn that has been converted into a cosy but stylish open plan unit. The unit consists of 2 single beds and can be dressed with king size linen bedding for couples. It includes an en-suite bathroom, a fully equipped kitchenette, lounge and dinning room area. The verandah overlooks the giant Monkey Thorn tree, gardens and swimming pool. The private braai facilities, paraffin lamps, torches and open fireplace provide a feeling of complete peace when you need it most.

All units are equipped with fans, hot water bottles, mosquito net, towel, hand towel, torch, paraffin lamps, candles, matches, fire wood, salt and pepper, oil, vinegar, rooibos tea, five roses, Nescafe, Ricoffee, Cremora, and pamphlets of things to do in the area.

Communal area

Swimming pool, deck chairs, and umbrellas, fabulous views overlooking the valley, and into the bush with great sunsets. Versatile function room with DSTV, games (Ping-Pong table, trampoline, darts, petanque, rumicub, crocket, swing ball, frisbee, backgammon, cards, pellet rifle) and mini-library. Boma for group bookings is ideal for evening get-togethers around the fire.

Activities: on and off-site:


Walking and hiking trails viewing game, bird watching, fishing, and identifying trees, shrubs and insects. Game drives, horse riding, 4x4 trail, fishing, canoeing, game drives, observatory, conference, team building, weddings, meals, golfing, rowing, boating and cultural tours. One can visit Cullinan village founded in 1903, Roodeplaat dam, Mandela village, Ndebele village as well as other cultural experiences or places and activities of interest. You may want to try one of the nearby Spas for a relaxing massage.

The game include: 


Over 240 grazers including kudu, zebra, blesbuck, impala, wildebeest, eland, waterbuck, duiker, steenbuck. Also warthog, porcupine, jackals, caracal, mongoose, vervet monkeys, bushbaby, baboon, reptiles, snakes, frogs, and tortoises. One can also see 200 species of birds sighted in our area.

Gillooly’s Farm - Johannesburg

Take a break from the hustle and the bustle of Johannesburg and enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside on your doorstep. Gillooly’s Farm is just what you need after a hectic week in the concrete jungle.

The owner, James Gillooly, sold the farm to the city council in 1944 and it was named after him. Situated in the east of Johannesburg in Bedfordview, it is a 44ha piece of land that is famous for its walking trails, birds, recreational areas and wonderful restaurant.

With more than 50 bird species at the farm like White-breasted Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, African Darter, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, White Stork, Egyptian Goose, Yellow-billed Duck, House Sparrow and Cape Wagtail, Gillooly’s is a must-see for bird lovers and aspiring bird watchers.

Apart from the birds, the farm also has a large man-made lake, which is home to a number of fish species like the Common Carp, Blue Kurper and Sharptooth Catfish (Barbel).

On a sunny South African day, families can enjoy a braai at the farm, which can be arranged by the staff. For those who are into cheese, crackers and champagne, there are a number of picnic spots around the dam where families can relax and watch the birds, while the kids play.

With something for every member of the family, why don’t you take a day off from city life and go for walks on the farm and reconnect with nature, while bonding with your loved ones.

Hours: Every day except Sunday and entrance is free.

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South African food

A delicious way to experience the Rainbow Nation is through its food. Contributions from the cultures that created South Africa make its modern cuisine one of the most exciting in Africa.

Boerewors

For the more daring diner, South Africa offers culinary challenges ranging from crocodile sirloin to fried caterpillars to sheep heads. All three are reputed to be delicious.

For the not-quite so brave, there are myriad indigenous delicacies such as biltong (dried, salted meat), bobotie (a much-improved version of Shepherd's pie) and boerewors (hand-made farm sausages).

Biltong

Umnqusho, a stew of roughly crushed dried maize kernels mixed with sugar or butter beans, is said to be former president Nelson Mandela ’s favourite food. Maize meal porridge, crumbly or soft, accompanies most meals. And fried chicken from fast-food outlets is widely popular.

Those who prefer to play it altogether safe will find that most eateries offer a familiar global menu - anything from hamburgers to sushi to pad thai to spaghetti bolognaise. And you can drink the tap water.

Bobotie

Restaurant guides list close to two dozen national styles, including Vietnamese and Swiss. On a single street in a Johannesburg suburb, one finds Italian restaurants, two or three varieties of Chinese cookery, Japanese, Moroccan, French, Portuguese and Indian food, both Tandoor and Gujarati.

Not far away are Congolese restaurants, Greek, even Brazilian and Korean establishments, and, everywhere, fusion, displaying the fantasies of creative chefs.

But there are niche specialities as well, and not a few surprises. Some of the world’s best curries can be found in Durban; fine French cuisine in Franschhoek; the freshest fish, caught only hours before, in Cape Town and Hermanus. Wine estates in Western Cape province offer meals, often French- or English-themed, along with wine tastings. High tea is on offer at most major hotels throughout the country: high tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town is a traditional treat.

Those in search of authentic South African cuisine have to look harder for those few establishments that specialise in it - like the justly famous Gramadoelas in central Johannesburg, Wandie's Place in Soweto, the Africa Café in central Cape Town or smaller restaurants in that city's Bo-Kaap, in Khayelitsha and Langa.

Meat

Basically, however, South Africans eat meat – and lots of it.

Lamb from the Karoo is highly prized. Game is ubiquitous: restaurants and butchers offer mostly impala or kudu, but springbok, warthog and crocodile are sometimes available. So, for the brave, is the mopani worm, the caterpillar of the emperor moth, which is boiled, then sun-dried. Ostrich goes as guilt-free red meat, low in cholesterol and farmed in the Karoo.

Potjiekos

Whatever the meat chosen, there are braais – or barbecues – everywhere: on the pavement during the week, as fast food for labourers; and in backyards in the suburbs on weekends.

What goes on the backyard grill will almost certainly be boerewors, a spicy sausage and as close to a national food as one can get. Steak houses may specialise in flame-grilled aged sirloin, but they also offer boerewors. Even celebrity chefs become involved in boerewors cookouts.

There are varieties of biltong in every café, in big cities and little dorps. Every weekend there wafts from neighbourhoods rich and poor the smell of spicy sosaties being grilled over the braai.

Rainbow cuisine

It was the search for food that shaped modern South Africa: spices drew the Dutch East India Company to Java in the mid-1600s, and the need for a half-way refreshment stop for its ships rounding the Cape impelled the company to plant a farm at the tip of Africa. There are sections of Commander Jan van Riebeeck's wild almond hedge still standing in the Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town.

That farm changed the region forever. The company discovered it was easier to bring in thousands of hapless slaves from Java to work in the fields than to keep trying to entrap the local people, mostly Khoi and San, who seemed singularly unimpressed with the Dutch and their ways. The Malay slaves brought their cuisine, perhaps the best-known of all South African cooking styles.

The French Huguenots arrived soon after the Dutch, and changed the landscape in wonderful ways with the vines they imported. They soon discovered a need for men and women to work in their vineyards, and turned to the Malay slaves (and the few Khoi and San they could lure into employment).

Much later, sugar farmers brought indentured labourers from India to cut the cane. The British, looking for gold and empire, also brought their customs and cuisine, as did German immigrants.

In the 20th century, Chinese workmen and Japanese entrepreneurs arrived to seek their fortunes.

While all these groups brought new customs and cuisine, black communities continued to eat their traditional foods: beef and game, sorghum, maize, root vegetables and wild greens like morogo.

Today the resultant kaleidoscope - the famous "rainbow" - applies not only to the people but to the food, for one finds in South Africa the most extraordinary range of cuisines.

By Barbara Ludman

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