Accommodation in Bergville - The Homestead, Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal

The Homestead Guesthouse, B&B and Self Catering accommodation Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The Homestead is a 3 star tranquil hideaway,home from home,situated in the quiet sanctuary of Geluksburg.It is three and half hours from Johannesburg and Bloemfontein and three hours from Durban thereby making it the ideal venue for conferences,functions,weddings, family get togethers and journey stop overs.The Homestead is centrally situated to major attractions in the World Heritage Site of the Northern and Central Drakensberg such as The Royal Natal National Park and Amphitheatre,the Cathedral Peak and Didima area,Champagne Castle Valley,Spionkop Game Reserve and the major Anglo-Boerwar Battlesites of Spionkop,Ladysmith and Colenso.Nearby one can go quad-biking,tackle 4 x 4 trails (Beziudenhout’s Pass) and enjoy a splendid trip on a 3 hour Game drive. A unique feature of this area is “The Lost Valley” in which up until the mid 1950’s a “White Tribe”lived in extremely primative circumstances. It is here that one can identify some of the 133 bird species that have been recorded in this area.

Accommodation & Facilities
The Homestead has tastefully furnished standard en-suite double rooms and family units, air-conditioned en-suite Delux rooms and a honeymoon suite with a four poster bed ,spabath and double shower. A fixed menu, buffet-style family meal, is served in the cosy dining room, special meals being served by prior arrangement. Many a pleasant evening has been spent in the small bar,’The Tam o’Shanter’ with it’s definitely Scottish atmosphere. A large dining room with a seating capacity of +/- 120 has been added, making the venue available for weddings and large conferences. The Lapa providing a suitable place to braai whist the children enjoy the pool.

The Homestead has a policy of maintaining quality at extremely affordable prices making it an appealing ‘Getaway’ in todays’,spiralling cost environment, this is reflected by the fact that 45 % of our visitors are return guests.

QUOTE:-‘GETAWAY 15 YEAR BIRTHDAY EDITION’ April 2004
From the ’15 READERS’BEST GETAWAYS’ No.1 of 15

The Homestead,Geluksburg,Bergville exceeded all our expectations.Accommodation clean and comfortable, the home cooking excellent and hospitality outstanding.

Out of season specials available for large groups Min 3 night stay Mon - Wed

Outdoor Facilities
Activities on site
A swimming pool,Dstv Communal Lounge and bar
Activities in Immediate area
Walks, Bird-watching(134 species in the area), Mountain Biking (bring your own bikes),
Training for Mountain bike competitions up Middledale Pass with it’s hair-pin bend.
Quad Biking
Lost Valley quad and 4x4 tour.
Bezuidenhout’s Pass (4 x 4 or 4 x 2 with Dif. Lock) route
Off road bike trails – Bezuidenhout Pass and Middledale Pass.
Kwaggashoek Game Ranch Drives with Giraffe,hippo,Wart-hog and many more rare species.(+/- 15 kms from Geluksburg)
Hunting when available.
Tintwa and Middledale Pass scenic drive.
Within a 35 minute or 45 minute drive
Visit to the Statue of the Kaalvoet Vroue and Voortrekkers Pass.
Horse riding among Giraffes and Rhinos.
Abseiling,and trapeze training
Go-karting,Quad biking,river rafting and kayaking.
Fishing – Trout at Royal Natal National Park, Drakensberg Sun and Cathedral Peak.
Tennis and Bowls
Bird watching
Mountain biking ( wonderful sport throughout the Central and Northern Drakensberg area.)
Helicopter rides from Cathedral Peal.Champagne Sport Resort and Dragon’s Peaks
Polo
Putt-Putt
Pool and Darts
Mnweni Cultural Village
Drakensberg Pump Storage Scheme – Free tour around the Hydro-Electric Power Station can be arranged.
Falcon Ridge Birds of Prey display by a trained falconer.
Drakensberg Boys Choir
Game Viewing at Spioekop Game Reserve with Giraffes,Rhinos Zebra and much more.
Rug weaving and Candle making at Kwa-Zulu Weavers
Leather craft available from Brambleberry products.
Antique shops – The Cowshed within 30 minutes drive from ‘The Homestead’.

Sporting & Leisure Activities   
Activities in the Drakensberg

Horse Riding

Is available at numerous venues.Horse trails take you along Mountain Paths surrounded by magnificent scenery or slowly move among the game at the Spioenkop Game reserve.

Fishing

Fly-fishing is available at the Royal Natal National Park,Rugged Glen and Sterkfontein Dam.Coarse Fishng at various other sites ie.Bell Park Dam and Woodstock Dam.

Golf

All three valleys offer Golfing facilities ranging from 9 hole golf courses to the magnificent 18 hole golf course at the Champagne Sports and Rec. Resort.

Bowls

The Berg is a Bowlers paradise.This can be experienced at The Nest,Cathedral Peak,Bergville Bowling Club and Oaklands near Van Reenan’s Pass.

Arts,Crafts and Culture Activities

Antiques and Candles near Bergville.Here one can see antiques and candles at reasonable prices.

Ardmore Ceramic Studio.Set in the Champagne Valley displays ceramic work of ethnic and African Design.This studio distributes its craft both nationally and inter-nationally.

The Bata Shoe factory is situated near Loskop on the way to Injusuthi ,from which one can venture to see the Bushmans Paintings.

Drakensberg Boys Choir.This world renown choir presents recitals on Wednesday afternoons during school term.The young Chorists show their skill and showmanship
singing old favourites songs and spirit-rousing indigenous music.

Drakensberg Hydro Electric Power Station.Tours are conducted around this unbelievable fiet of both civil and electrical engineering.Visitors are amazed that water from the Tugela river is transported via the Power Station to the Vaal Dam in order to supply Johannesburg with additional water.

Glamosa glass Factory( Estcourt).There is a daily morning viewing of the manufacture of glassware from recycled glass.Visitors can also visit the factory outlet to buy samples they see made.

Meadow Sweet Herbs is a farm which performs organic farming and their herbs are distributed all over South Africa from a base in the Champagne Valley.

A visit to Kwa Zulu Weavers and Candles,is an experience not to be missed.It is like an Aladdin’s Cave of Rugs and Carpets.One can view how the Rugs are made and order to one’s own specifications.A vast array of designer candles are also for sale with colours to match most peoples desires.The Waffle Hut is situated next door,serving both savoury and sweet waffles and pancakes,a treat for all ages.

Didima San Art Centre.This is situated in the Cathedral Peak area.A slide show provides pictures of the many rock art paintings found in this area and provides a rare glimpse into the history of the San hunters and gatherers,the lifestyle and their belief system.

Thokizisa and Gourton Hall are situated at opposite corners of the crossroads which leads into the Champagne Valley.Gourton Hall offers and displays Solid wood designer furniture at reasonable prices.Thokizisa is a shopping complex which sells curios,wrought iron ware,interior decoratoring materials,clothes,shoes and even hammocks.After spending time browsing around one can visit the restaurant and bar to enjoy a tasteful lunch.

Adventure Activities

The uKhahlamba Drakensberg World Heritage Park offers many Mountain walks and hikes ranging from comfortable to the more strenuous.Ezeuelo KZN Wildlife can give advice about the different hikes available.Some examples are the Cascades,the Gorge walk,the Thukela Falls walk(the 2nd highest waterfall in the world),Dorian falls walk,Mike’s Pass and Rainbow Gorge.

Drakensberg Sun offers canoeing.Whilst quad-biking , off road go-karting and river rafting can be experienced at certain times of the year, at FourRiversRafting.

All Out Adventures offers abseiling,trapeze training,paint ball and much more in the Northern Drakensberg.

Game Viewing

Game viewing is available at Spioenkop Game Reserve and Weenan Game Reserve.Here one can see Giraffe,Rhino,Zebra and many different types of Buck.

Bird Viewing

Over 150 species of Birds can be seen in the Drakensberg.Not least of which is the rare bearded Vulture or Lammergeyer, rare cranes and the Black Eagle.Falcon Ridge in the Champagne Valley is where you can witness an amazing display of Birds of Prey.Daily Flights being at 10-30 am (except Fridays),at a modest cost.



4x4 Routes

These are discovered at Mike’s Pass,Middledale Pass and Lost Valley by Geluksberg,
Bezuidenhout Pass and Mnweni Valley which link the Northern Drakensberg with Cathedral Peak.

Mountain Biking can be experienced in most of the Drakensberg.

Aircraft Fights

Flights by Helicopter or micro light are provided by Cathedral Peak Hotel and The Champagne Sport Resort.This is where the more adventurous visitor to the Berg can Soar high above the Mountains and see the Berg from a different perspective.

Visits to the Boerwar Battle field sites

Unguided/Guided Tours are available,(by appointment).A guide will bring History alive for you.Sites to visit in the area are Thaba Njama,Spionkop,Waggon Hill.Colenso,Capture of Winston Churchill,Elandslaagter,British Military Cemetry,NickelsNeck Battlefield,Tjerenkhula Battlefield,the Ladysmith Siege Museum and the Museums in Winterton and Colenso. 

Cultural & Historical interest    
Hikes in the Northern and Central Drakensberg
Royal Natal National Park

Tugela Falls,the Cascades and the Gorge walk.
Guided walks to Bushmen’s Painting and Rock Art viewing.
Climbing the Chain Ladder at the front of the Sentinel.
When entering the R.N.N.P.if you go to the Thatched Information office register your intended walk and they will give you information on many more walks there.
Museums

Ladysmith Siege Museum,Spionkop Museum and Winterton Museum.
Battlesites close-by suitable for day trips

Historical and Cultural Tours can be arranged with qualified Tour Guides.
"A nation without a past is a lost nation, a people without a past is a people without a soul" Sir Seretse Khama

Thala Njama Battlefield,
Spionkop Battlefield,
Platrand Battlefield
Waggon Hill.
Colenso Battle sites
The site where Winston Churchill was captured
Elandslaagte Battle site
The British Military Cemetery
Nickelsneck Battlefield
Tjerenkhula Battlefield

Other sites of Historical interest

Garden of Rememberence
Ghandi’s Statue in Ladysmith
All Saints Church in Ladysmith which was built in 1899 and is in the shape of a cross. It is not only a wonderful piece of Architecture but has plaques naming the Regiments and men who fought in the Anglo-Boer war and lost their lives.
Swartzkop Gun Run held during the month of February each year.
Visit to the Statue of the Kaalvoet Vroue and Voortrekkers Pass.
I mention this again as two of my guests visited this site and then travelled onto Dundee to the Museum there and found that stories on the plaque by Kerkenberg and the Kaalvoet vroue linked with the history in that area.
Cannibal Caves by the Cavern Hotel
Cathedral Peak and Didima area.
Cathedral Peak,Rainbow Gorge and Doreen Falls.
Call to register at the Cathedral Peak Hotel for these walks.
Mike’s Pass – This is for 4 x 4 and 4 x 2 vehicles only, but wonderful scenery if you have a vehicle like that.ie Land Rover etc
Monk’s Cowl – Champagne Valley area
Sterkspruit Falls and Cathkin Peak
Injusuthi
Hikes at Injusuthi which include the San Battle cave with statues of the San and Bushmans Paintings.

Museums

Ladysmith Siege Museum,Spionkop Museum and Winterton Museum.
Battlesites close-by suitable for day trips

Historical and Cultural Tours can be arranged with qualified Tour Guides.
"A nation without a past is a lost nation, a people without a past is a people without a soul" Sir Seretse Khama

Thala Njama Battlefield,
Spionkop Battlefield,
Platrand Battlefield
Waggon Hill.
Colenso Battle sites
The site where Winston Churchill was captured
Elandslaagte Battle site
The British Military Cemetery
Nickelsneck Battlefield
Tjerenkhula Battlefield

Other sites of Historical interest

Garden of Rememberence
Ghandi’s Statue in Ladysmith
All Saints Church in Ladysmith which was built in 1899 and is in the shape of a cross. It is not only a wonderful piece of Architecture but has plaques naming the Regiments and men who fought in the Anglo-Boer war and lost their lives.
Swartzkop Gun Run held during the month of February each year.
Visit to the Statue of the Kaalvoet Vroue and Voortrekkers Pass.
I mention this again as two of my guests visited this site and then travelled onto Dundee to the Museum there and found that stories on the plaque by Kerkenberg and the Kaalvoet vroue linked with the history in that area.