Ballito game farm

Glenda Thompson discovers a sanctuary ‘where true minds meet and animals retreat’

Having golf balls whizzing past your ears and bouncing off your rump can’t be a very comfortable experience!  It certainly wasn’t appreciated by the resident zebra on the Umhlali Golf Course a few years back. Seeing how severely traumatised the animals had become, club management decided the zebra deserved a break from the course.

It didn’t take them long to find the perfect haven for the stripy pair: Rain Farm, which is about 15km inland from Ballito and the only game farm in the North Coast area.

Turning a once productive 350ha cane farm into a wildlife sanctuary for wild life is no mean feat, but that’s what the Nidd family set out to do three years ago, when they decided to go the game sanctuary/tourist resort route.

“Initially, we were approached by Dr Helena Fitchat, (head of Crow at the time), who owned the main house on the farm,” says Rain Farm’s manager Cara Nidd.  “She asked us if we we’d consider using the farm as a sanctuary for small mammals and plains game. We jumped at the idea, and the farm quickly developed a reputation for being the perfect haven for traumatised game in the area.”

From a duiker spotted wandering around in a complex in Ballito to a distressed zebra found galloping through the streets of Zinkwazi – all have found a home at Rain Farm, and happily graze on the farm’s lush grassy slopes, along with herds of wildebeest, waterbuck, nyala, the ubiquitous impala, mountain reedbuck, steenbok, ostrich and emu (brought in from a farm in the Drakensberg). During our visit, we came across a dear old tortoise tottering off into the bush with an inquisitive warthog in hot pursuit!

Humans are also adequately catered for at Rain Farm.   Accommodation either comes in the form of six tree-top tents with stunning views overlooking the silver sliver that is the Umhlali River and a verdant riverine forest. There is also adequate accommodation for families, with thatched rondavels and a timber cabin completely set up for self catering.

It was Cara’s idea to introduce the Rain Farm into the local wedding venue network. “We have our own private chapel and our restaurant can adequately cater for up to 140 people.”  The Rain Farm team will tailor packages to suit the bridal party. “It makes sense to offer our clients an all inclusive package and we find many bridal parties are keen to book the whole lodge out for the wedding (the Rain Farm sleeps 48).”

The restaurant is efficiently run by chef Brendan van der Merwe, who studied and worked in large hotels in England and America.  His specialities include Italian foods and pastries. Presentation is excellent and the flavours are a delight to the palate.

A well stocked bar, wellness spa and beauty salon offering various treatments, a sauna/sun bed and ozone therapy machine, a kids’ entertainment lounge and a well equipped gym make up other facilities on offer. Guests can unwind by going on a game drive or chilling out beside the natural pool. Or they can head out on a bird watching drive with one of the resident game scouts. There is also bass fishing in the farm dam and horse riding, for the more adventurous.

Useful contact: Telephone Rain Farm at 032 815 1050 or e-mail info@rainfarmgameandlodge.com