A SUSPENSION bridge, zip line, mountain bike and walking trails and an interesting network of game viewing roads – it is not surprising that Lake Eland Game Reserve is really buzzing these days. It is hard to believe that when we first visited Lake Eland a number of years ago it was little more than a concept. Even then I sensed the commitment, enthusiasm, energy and vision that would make this rather unique tourist attraction the success it now is.
Places like Lake Eland don’t just happen and watching its development over the years has been inspiring.
So much hard work and unstinting dedication has gone into this conservation project. And people like the owners, brothers Trevor and Eric Dunstone, don’t go into this sort of enterprise with their eyes on the profit line. It takes a special sort of love of the land to commit to something that sometime, in the far future, just might be of commercial value to their children.
Every time we visit Lake Eland, there is something new and exciting to see and do. All the imaginative attractions lure even the most luke-warm nature lovers out of their vehicles and into close contact with the natural world. And that is what Lake Eland is all about. Although there is plenty of game to see, there are no really dangerous animals and no rules about staying in your vehicle. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing and horse riding are just some of the popular activities that allow visitors close encounters with nature. The birding is excellent, too, so it is not surprising the reserve is part of the Southern KwaZulu-Natal Birding Route.
Lake Eland is an adventure tourism destination with a strong environmental ethos.
The Dunstone family has always been interested in conservation, particularly in the conservation of the scenic and biodiverse Oribi Gorge area and the endangered oribi antelope that occurs naturally there. For the Dunstone brothers, Lake Eland is a fulfilment of a conservation dream. On our first visit, they had consolidated a section of their property with land, bordering Oribi Gorge, that they had acquired for the project. The newly established Lake Eland was an almost pristine slice of rugged gorges, sweeping grassland, wetlands, undulating valley bushveld and forest. It had only been used for grazing and had never been ploughed.
Roads were just starting to be built, expensive game fencing was going up and the dam – Lake Eland – was under construction. The initial skirmishes in the ongoing war against wattle and other alien invaders had been successful and indigenous saplings were starting to take root. Best of all, the establishment of the reserve had plugged up a hole. It had created a buffer of protected land alongside a previously vulnerable section of the gorge. Once the Dunstone brothers had laid out a good road network, constructed basic visitor facilities and begun to stock their fledgling reserve with game, they actively set about encouraging South Coasters to come and see what they were doing there. For a long time, they didn’t even charge an entrance fee. They also kept people living around the reserve in the loop, setting up dialogue to explain their vision.
They have even `adopted’ a rural school next to the reserve and have achieved wonders there.
We often stop for a picnic at the Butterfly Bush picnic site, at the heart of the reserve. Rustic and unpretentious, it offers us a lovely sense of wilderness. It was established when the reserve was almost brand new but it is only one of so many excellent facilities that visitors now enjoy. The scenic 4X4 trails were the first roads in the park and are now part of the extended network of good tourist roads. Visitors can also book guided game drives in game-viewing vehicles. What was once a simple reception area has grown into a pleasant restaurant, a little shop and another picnic site, much favoured by families with children as it is next to a delightful playground. Recently, these have all been expanded and upgraded.
Perhaps the development that really put the reserve on the map was the famous (or infamous, if you have no head for heights) 80m suspension bridge across a tree-filled section of the gorge, to the Eagle’s Nest view point. A walk across the bridge is irresistible to younger visitors and the scenery from Eagle’s Nest is nothing short of spectacular. Another attraction is the San display. A walkway had been built leading to a series of caves overlooking the gorge. It is a place of enchantment, as caves so often are.
They have been used to accommodate a display that provides insight into the San culture.
Trevor told me once that the idea for these attractions came to him when he took some teenagers to look at the gorge. They hardly bothered to get out of the vehicle. He realised then that you had to coax some people into taking an interest in their natural surrounds. These attractions have been a great success as a means of doing just that. The Dunstones have also built an attractive, trendily rustic hall, which is used for conferences and weddings. A picturesque ruin on a hill has been transformed into a charming little chapel where many a young bride and groom have exchanged their vows.
Over the years, the game has increased dramatically. It is always a pleasure to see all the new Lake Eland babies every year. Visitors to the reserve can now spot up to 30 mammal species, including herds of eland. Birding has always been excellent at Lake Eland, but even the bird life has increased dramatically since the area was given conservation status. We were delighted when Lake Eland was transformed from one of our favourite day-trip destinations into a weekend getaway – and an affordable one at that. A camping area was established and comfortable, attractive log cabins were built right on one of the small dams. It is great fun spending a weekend there.
Over the years demand for accommodation has increased dramatically and more and more units have been built in response.
Accommodation at private reserves often comes with a hefty price tag but, once again, Lake Eland bucks the trend, setting entrance fees and accommodation tariffs that are well within the average family’s means. As popular as Lake Eland has become, the Dunstone brothers aren’t resting on their laurels. Recently they embarked on an exciting new conservation project, setting aside farmland adjacent to the reserve as an oribi sanctuary. There is always some new development to encourage us to revisit Lake Eland. To be honest, though, the magnificent scenery, fascinating vegetation, birds and animals would be more than enough to keep us coming back to the lovely reserve, even without all its added attractions.
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