Hoedspruit, 30 minutes in Limpopo


Hoedspruit, bright to white in 30 minutes

This weekend, middle of November 2015, Mama Africa was in Hoedspruit.  She has always had the knack of being in the right place at the right time, & this time was no exception.  She managed to catch the swift & dramatic weather change from sun to hail in just half an hour.

True to form, she had her camera ‘phone with her.  Her ability to provide anything from a pin to yesterday’s newspaper at short notice is legendary, especially considering the size of her handbag.

The area weather temperature officially varies from 2C to 38C, or so rumour has it. The temperature when the first photo was taken clocked 44C, but Mama Africa was too busy snapping the hail to note how low the temperature dropped later.

I hope you enjoy the resulting photographs as much as I do, as she has generously agreed to share them with us.

 

 

Hoedspruit, (Afrikaans for Hat Creek) is known as home to the airforce base that serves the South African Airforce as well as the civil Eastgate Airport.  The town has grown over recent years, but remains relatively sparsely populated- when it comes humans that is.

It is close to the Kruger National Park, & situated at the foot of the Klein Drakensberg.  A gorgeous area if you are looking for game lodges, a safari, interested in conservation, an air tour or just some peace & quiet.

The town is a combined agricultural & wildlife area that works with the community, & a lot has been done to benefit all of its people.

One example of success in this area tackles the HIV epidemic, & is specifically aimed at helping farm workers to combat & cope with this epidemic.  To learn more about this, checkout the Hlokomela Website Started in 2005.  Its success could provide a model to inspire further initiatives in managing the impact of HIV/AIDS.

The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre does excellent work preserving rare, vulnerable & other species that need protection. They educate students & the community about the value of wildlife.  Although their main work focuses on releasing & establishing cheetahs back into the wild,  they rescue, treat & release other injured or at risk animals too.

This centre has excellent ratings on Tripadvisor, a site that many potential tourists use to plan a holiday.  Other than being a useful community service, the word is that they are great fun to visit.  You can find out more about them here

If, like my friend, you are in  South Africa and fancy a getaway, it might be well worth your while to checkout Hoedspruit as a destination.  They have a lot to offer when it comes to adventure & getting out to explore nature.

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