Dear Friends
Year-end seems to happen ever so quickly! It’s a time to tie up all the lose ends and get ready to pull out the decorations that make the season shine with festivity and brightness. We are busy finishing the upgrades of a couple of bathrooms at The Cavern, we have resurfaced the top court and our office team has almost completed a marathon installation of our new reservations system. Change is daunting and initially systems seem slow and complicated but time and practice results in efficiency and so we continue to grow … What has been apparent in the last few months is the dedication and loyalty of our Cavern team. They have been rallying together, helping one another and there is a tremendous sense of growth and purpose.
The gift of giving
Finding purpose in our days helps us strive to be better and do better and our projects continue to thrive under the leadership of Teacher Thoba. We share our Year in Review which we hope highlights the importance of investing in the early years and showcases the wonderful progress we have made.
We have managed to install new toilets at Ekhukhanyeni, we have seen Parent Power roll out into a couple of primary schools and our teachers and practitioners continue to uplift the most vulnerable in our communities; the children. Teacher Thoba reminds us constantly that it takes a village. We rely heavily on our global village and we are once again reaching out for support.
Each R100/month donation enters you into a draw to win one of three weekends at our Carte Collection establishments – The Cavern, Sungubala Eco Camp & Montusi Mountain Lodge. Our next draw is imminent – 30 November – and we’d love your support!
We are surrounded by a community that cares and we love Charlie’s story of recognising a need and responding to it. Read all about Run2Renew.
Workshops in 2026
We have just had a wonderful week’s gathering of botanical artists hosted by Gillian Condy & Elsa Pooley. Elsa guides early morning walks finding the flowering specials and the day is then spent in studio perfecting the art of botanical drawing and watercolour painting. It’s rather intense but the work produced is incredible. Gill and Elsa are experts in their fields and this year has been a busy one with Elsa co-authoring and launching the South African Indigenous Garden Plants – the gardener’s guide, while Gill continues to travel South Africa drawing and recording. Gill curated the Contemporary Botanical Art Exhibition in Parktown in May, a magnificent exhibition collaborating with 30 countries around the world. It is a privilege to have these ladies join us annually.
Next year’s events have been scheduled and we look forward to having the experts showcase the unique and varied features of the Cavern Nature Reserve. David Weaver joins us for Berg Birding, John Roff will be guiding the Nature Weekends, while Helen Weaver returns for the Yoga Retreats. Tim Cooper will be back with his enormous telescope to view the night’s sky and Nature Journaling & Botanical Art happen again with Elsa & Gill.
Find out more;
Escape to the outdoors
If life is feeling slightly overwhelming and you’re looking for a break, we have just the spot! Book direct for these great savings.
Coming up at The Cavern, including all meals, teas and guided morning hikes:
Escape to Sungubala, a self-catering camp in the quiet ambit of nature, living life at your own pace:
Final Word
This week we’ll be hosting the Royal Drakensberg Nativity Play, heading into the storerooms to dust off the Christmas trees and completing our final upgrades at Sungubala Camp. We are moving the Sungubala Store to the camp so that it is much more convenient and we are installing new floors in the communal areas. We continue to do a little bit each year. It is this consistent investment in improving that keeps mountain living interesting and exciting. We can’t wait to welcome the holiday makers and we wish you all safe travels as the festive season approaches.
Until the next happy return, we send the warmest of wishes,
The Cavern family
