Blue Swallow Lodges, Troutbeck, Nyanga, Zimbabwe.

Preparing to Travel.

As Nyanga is a six hour drive from the farm, it takes me a good few days to get organized to set off. Due to the economics of this country one has to be totally prepared for shortages, by taking all food, drinks, and even diesel for the car. Such a big job – before we are ready to set off in our 4×4 SUV, pulling the camping trailer, containing our supplies.

Blue Swallow Lodges.

Travelling across country to the eastern highlands, -destination Troutbeck, Nyanga, causes great excitement! The children just love to go on trips, where they can explore the countryside.

Many years ago we bought, through RCI, a week’s timeshare at Blue Swallow Lodges, Troutbeck, Nyanga. We don’t often use our week, choosing rather to space bank the points instead. However, this year we decided to take the break and enjoy a very different part of the country. Nyanga is very lovely, situated at high altitude, nestled in the mountains, resulting in much cooler weather. It certainly offered relief, after the hot, dry summer we were experiencing on the farm.

The Blue Swallow Lodges are on the Troutbeck Hotel property and overlook a large trout dam and golf course. Such an awesome view and having a lovely wood fire every evening in the lodge, certainly helped us create a warm, mountainous atmosphere.

Golf Entertainment.

It didn’t take long for the children to get us up and off playing eighteen holes of golf, on the very first morning, followed by nine holes every day thereafter! The golf course is by no means a championship course, but it is perfectly adequate for our needs.

The views around the course are spectacular, making the long walk most enjoyable and refreshing. As with all mountainous areas, the weather is unpredictable, with on and off rainy spells.

Most days it rained whilst we were on the course. This didn’t faze the children one bit, so we all kept going, with our umbrellas. Playing golf in the rain, and hitting balls into the forests around the course, certainly keeps one well exercised. Once, I even took my shoes off and waded into the dam to retrieve my ball! I treasure watching the children having fun.

They carry their own golf clubs, up and down the hills, with no worries or complaints. We took the time to coach the kids with their golf, as we were often the only people on the course and there was no pressure to keep up the pace. We spent some special family time, walking the golf course, whilst Douglas and I enjoyed seeing the daily improvement in the children’s golf.

Dam Rowing and Swimming Fun.

Each day, once the kids completed their golf, they ventured off to the dam and began enjoying the rowing boats and diving off the jetty. Water always seems to attract children and give them hours of entertainment. They soon learnt how to row successfully around the dam, finding all sorts of nooks and crannies to look into.

Douglas and I often sat on our lodge veranda and watched their exploration antics through the binoculars, whilst drinking coffee and reading books. It is not very often Douglas and I get time together just to relax and chat, in peace and quiet.

We did not venture very far from the resort as with the golf, boating and swimming, as well as the spectacular views all around us, we were
content to just relax and enjoy. It certainly was a beautiful week, with plenty of space and beauty to help recharge our batteries. .

Potato and Dairy Farm Visits.

On one of the wet mornings, before golf, Douglas and the children set off to visit a friend’s potato farm down the road, whilst I spent the morning blogging, writing and praying. They got to see how farming is done in the mountainous areas and enjoyed learning about seed potatoes.

As we are such farming people, a trip to the local dairy farm was another afternoon’s activity and we also enjoying the stunning scenic drive along the way. I love the look and smell of a dairy farm, as it brings back many fond childhood memories.

Paula Joy and Murray John certainly enjoyed watching the Jersey cows being milked, followed by the bottle feeding of an orphan lamb. We also visited their lovely tea garden, surrounded by hydrangeas, where we enjoyed fresh milkshakes and cake smothered in farm cream. A most pleasant way to enjoy a chilly wet afternoon!

Homeward bound, after a special family week. Our last morning started out very wet, cold and grey…and it was time to pack up and head back to Harare, after a wonderful relaxing, special family bonding week. We shall treasure the memories we created this week and we hope that you will one day experience this wonderful scenic part of Zimbabwe.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalms 121 vs 1 – 2

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