• Twenty years of Wilding @ Amohela ho Spitskop Country Retreat Eastern Free State- and we now make a range of magnificent healing products using our wild harvested healing plants.

Amohela ho Spitskop Country Retreat - THEN & NOW

Posted on Wed January 10, 2024.
Amohela ho Spitskop Country Retreat - Then and Now - When we first came here the land was barren - ovegrazing and bad farming methods had all but destroyed the indigenous plants - the mountain was barren.

In 2002 when Allen and I returned to this small farm and that wonderful mountain, we were aghast at the destruction that over farming and present day farming methods had done. It was a quiet sad place, in the evenings sitting outside on what was then a crumbling “veranda” the nights were still, no crickets, no frogs, just……silence….and uncomfortable nothingness kind of stillness.

And so the healing began.

The “Old lands” were left untouched, unsprayed, no chemical fertilizers were used, left to heal and recover. Many fences were taken down, hundreds of snares removed from fences and the mountain, overgrazed fields were left untouched to slowly recover.

TODAY 1st of January 2024 - 20 years of REWILDING has transformed this once neglected landscape into a thriving haven for nature and humans alike. Amidst challenges, we embarked on a journey of healing and restoration. Over two decades, our commitment to REWILDING has revitalised the land, bringing back native plants, flourishing habitats, and a renewed sense of vitality.

Our spacious comfortable cottages – constructed from ironstone gathered on the property – some from sandstone hand hewed in the mountains of Lesotho – are built to gaze across that valley.

 

 

The fields are filled with wild flowers – birds, bees and wild pollinators proliferate – a trail camera – strategically positioned – shows us incredible creatures have returned to this once barren land.

The rare and stunningly beautiful aardvark wanders our fields at night – serval – surely one of the most beautiful cats on the planet – wander at night – but are seen regularly during the day hunting big fat rats in the grasslands – porcupines come out at night to go digging for roots - all safe in the sanctuary that is Spitskop.

We have walks and hikes – there are wonderful trails in the 230 million year old mountain – where you can spread your picnic out on a 230 million year old rock table.

Swim in a revamped reservoir – birding is superb – we have a very small shop with soothing healing products made from the medicinal indigenous plants which are available to purchase.