White on bleached white, rain thrumming on tin roofs, weavers and birdsong, mist and moonshine. Just some enduring impressions of Qambathi Mountain Lodge in the upper reaches of the stunning Kamberg Valley.
Nestled just below the mountains, this KwaZulu-Natal retreat has a fresh approach to country living. It is the culmination of careful thought and work by Gerhard le Roux, lead architect for Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium and designer of numerous lodges, and partner and chef, Stephanus Erasmus. They wanted something guests wouldn’t find elsewhere.
In 2007 they bought a restaurant on a farm, an old farmhouse with adjoining greenhouse that was once a jail for cattle thieves, and started converting the property into a game reserve.
They dropped fences with neighbours to expand the reserve, now populated with various buck including the rare Oribi, bush pig, aardwolf and zebra. They also set about eradicating invasive plants in an effort to restore part of the magnificent indigenous forest.
They plan replanting and re-establishing the wetlands.
Despite the age of the original buildings, Qambathi lodge is a stylish eclectic mix.
There is much use of recycled “waste”. The wine cellar is wallpapered with grape skins while lampshades are made out of grape stalks. The kitchen wall is surfaced with coal dust bound with an eco-friendly resin, the entrance hall and lounge fireplace with sawdust, the dining room floor with cave dust.
The hessian tablemats are impregnated with steel and manganese slag. All the furniture is hand-made. Light sculptures are made from timber slabs with hand-blown recycled glass and Zulu teething beads.
The huge wine glasses are from recycled glass.
The interiors are a combination of cool colours and earthy textures with camphor wood exuding a lovely fragrance while keeping bugs at bay. All of the interesting art on the walls can be bought.
It was like a luxury Buddhist retreat – although the excellent wine cellar and food brought out the hedonist in us and had us merrily dangling in the suspended wicker cocoon chairs on the verandas of the beautiful rooms.
Stephanus’s soups are divinely rich, his prawn entrée perfect, sorbets – particularly the lime and basil – superb, as is his curry spiced lamb rack.
If exercise to work some of the calories off is what you’re after, a hike up the mountain is in order, though we preferred the drive up the mountain track with Gerhard, our heads swivelling to admire spectacular panoramic views.
You can also hike at Highmoor, just five minutes away, or Giant’s Castle.
The Kamberg Rock Art Centre is around one or two corners, Glengarry golf course is a hop and skip away and there’s plenty of fly-fishing nearby. Or you can simply relax. A lot. Take a book from the little library, recline on the deck or laze in the plunge pool.
Contact 033 267 7515, [email protected] or [email protected].