Directors, history and vision of Kurisa Moya nature lodge in South Africa

Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge is owned by six young and innovative people. Each of the 6 family members
has a special quality to offer and together they plan to develop Kurisa Moya for eco-tourism
and workshops, tours and seminars. Lisa and Ben have been managers of Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge for the
past 6 years and have developed the lodge into one of the finest nature and birding destinations in the country.

The farm, with it's bowl of forest and huge granite dome (forming "Snellkop") has always been
recognized as an important and spiritually powerful area to the Sotho-Pedi people of the area. It has
been used by the local Sangomas (Shamans) to consult with their ancestors and to collect medicinal
plants. There are some standing stones which are believed to be rock gongs, used by Shamans to call
on the ancestors for assistance or answers.

The modern recorded history starts around the 1870's - 1880's when a small group of intrepid woodcutters moved to the area to harvest he indigenous hardwood trees of the forests. The wood was sent down to the growing city of Johannesburg. A small, tough but thriving community grew around this industry and before 1900 there were more than 40 families living in a community known as Houtbosdorp.

At the end of the Boerwar, various British soldiers were allocated land for their efforts in the war. One of these was Jock Snell, who was allocated a piece of land called Sterkloop farm.

Kurisa Moya is the central part of the original Sterkloop farm. The large granite dome at the top
of the farm (the second highest peak in the area) is named after the original owner. The farm was
mainly used for the harvesting of indigenous timber and cattle farming at this time. Saw pits can still
be seen in the forest where trees were sawed into planks.

In approximately 1913, Sir Lionel Phillips (The president of the Chamber of Mines) bought the farm and started farming
turnips and cattle feed to supply a dairy herd on his other farm (Broderstroom) nearby. Many trees on the farm were planted by Lady Phillips who was an avid gardener.

The farm manager, Mr Maurice O'Donovan, bought the farm from Sir Phillps in the late 1920's and built the present farm-house and Mrs Dorothy O'Donovan landscaped the beautiful gardens, still thriving today.


The O'Donovan's farmhouse on Glendower Farm. (Courtesy of Peta Fowler (neé O'Donovan)		Looking towards and over the road up Woodbush hill towards Haenertsburg from the front verandah of the Farmhouse. (Photo courtesy of Peta Fowler (neé O'Donovan)


The farmhouse at Kurisa Moya was built by Maurice O'Donovan and the beautiful garden was started by his wife, Dorothy. (courtesy of Peta Fowler (O'Donovan)		The children on Glendower farm are (from left) - Peta Fowler's (O'Donovan) daughter Peg; daughter Lesley; brother Patrick and foster sister Anne. (courtesy of Peta Fowler (O'Donovan)

The farm, then called Glendower, was mainly used for cattle and cash crops, like maize,
vegetables and cattle feed.

The farm was then bought by a Mr Hauter an ex-army officer after the second World War. Mr Hauter was originally a German citizen living in Tanzania who returned to Germany to fight in the Second World War, where he commanded an Indian Battalion fighting against the British. After the war, he returned to Africa and bought the farm now known as Kurisa Moya.

He was a very successful farmer and developed a lot of the infrastructure on the farm; building roads,
dams, irrigation systems and farm-lands. His most successful crops were carnations and granadillas.
Farming was tough in the area as water was always scarce and the lack of level land made farming
marginal. Mr Hauter retired to Pietersburg / Polokwane and sold the farm in the 1970's to a Mr Day,
who started a saw mill to harvest some of the timber planted in the past. He also planted more pine
and gum on the farm.

The farm then passed on to Mr Anderson who had the farm for about 20 years. He developed the
plantation aspects of the farm, but was an absentee landlord and his family only stayed during the
holidays and weekends as they lived in Pretoria. The present owners bought the farm from Mr Anderson
in November 1999 and established the Nature Lodge on the farm. The rest, as they say, is history.


The garden of the farmhouse		The farmhouse today

To provide an opportunity for people to enjoy the unique beauty Kurisa Moya has to offer.
To develop Kurisa Moya to its fullest potential in terms of lodges, retreats, workshops and
seminars, farming, forestry, hiking, fishing , etc, without sacrificing the wild beauty of the place.

The six directors with their Kurisa Moya outfits
Ben, Ant and Sue de Boer, Lisa Martus, Jaque and Dick Bloemraad

David Letsoalo joined Kurisa Moya in 2005 and has contirbuted enormously to the success of the lodge. His reputation as a Bird Guide is unsurpassed in the country. David was the recipient of the Eagle Award from BirdLife South Africa for being the best local guide in South Africa. He has been interviewed for the television programme KAELO, and has been the subject of many magazine and newspaper articles including Beeld, Saturday Star Travel, Limpopo Living, Letaba Herald, Kruger Park Times, Country Life Magazine, The Bulletin and SATSA Magazine where he was named "Tourism Sparkler" David was also selected to represent Southern Africa in a Professionals exchange to Canada in 2008.

The farmhouse was renovated and opened as a lodge in July 2001. Trails have been developed into
the various habitats of the farm. The dam has been stocked with trout, Otter dam has been fixed,
staff housing has been developed and the farm infrastructure has been upgraded.

Kurisa Moya has moved in leaps and bounds since it officially opened in August 2001. The farmhouse is
now an extremely popular venue for families and groups of friends, as well as esoteric workshops and
birding groups. It has en-suite bathrooms added to each bedroom. The Forest Lodge cabins opened
in March 2002 and have attracted many international visitors and South Africans looking for a
romantic getaway into the peace of the beautiful indigenous forest.

Apart from the lovely, varied trails already enjoyed by guests, a two-day trail into the Kudu’s River Valley has now been developed.

The new self guided trail on the Umsenge Forest Route, guides guests to huge trees, saw pits and bushpig rubbings. A new loop takes you to a massive Yellow-wood tree.

In addition to the trails, Ben and Lisa also offer cranio-sacral therapy, guided bird and nature walks,
fly-fishing lessons and chair massages.. to name a few services.

To cater for the incredible demand for more accommodation and a bigger workshop / conference
venue, Kurisa Moya is built a spectacular, unique cottage overlooking the Kudu’s River Valley views.
The barn is being renovated to become a rustic restaurant, workshop and a venue full of character
and warmth.

Thora Boloka opened in March 2004. The place has an earthy, organic feel about it.

The Farmhouse has undergone various improvements including new lounge suites
and en-suite bathrooms for four bedrooms.

Kurisa Moya continues to develop to meet the needs of our guests without loosing the feeling of peace,
tranquility and privacy so valued by all.

Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge, South Africa, +27 (0)15 276 1131,
Tel: +27 (0) 82 200 4596, +27 (0) 83 294 1013,
e-mail: info@krm.co.za, P O Box 280, Haenertsburg, 0730, Limpopo, South Africa, http://www.krm.co.za

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Kurisa Moya kids		Lisa Martus co owner and manager KRM


Relax in the hammock in the private Farmhouse gardens		The Farmhouse now has 5 en-suite bedrooms