Join our Migration

Thursday is a big day for us at Ubizane.  For the past few months the team has been working hard to redesign and revamp our old website.  We decided 2013 is the year for change at Ubizane and we have completely redone our website.  We have upgraded our website to a look that represents Ubizane better so you can be sure that Ubizane is the holiday destination for you and your family!

The big launch is on Thursday, the 6^th of June and with it will be a brand new competition.  The first 10 people to register for the newsletter & to tell us where to find the phrase “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin” by William Shakespeare, on the new site will receive a 25% discount on their next stay at Ubizane! 

You can enter by emailing social@ubizane.co.za with your answer and your name & surname.
Competition closes as soon as 10 persons have entered complying with the rules!

The countdown to 6 June 2013 has begun, only 2 more days! Join our migration!

Ubizane’s new Social Media Administrator!

Meet Ettioné Ferreira, the 23 year old photojournalist ready to spice things up with Ubizane’s online presence!  We sat down with her to get a deeper insight into her world.

Where are you originally from?

I come from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape originally but moved to Pietermaritzburg in January with family.  So I’m still a newbie in Kwazulu-Natal.

What inspired you to join the Ubizane family?

I have always loved the wildlife and growing up in a town surrounded by game lodges such as Kariega Game Reserve, Shamwari, Pumba, etc. it was hard not to fall in love with nature.  When I saw the job opening and saw how beautiful it was at Ubizane, I couldn’t resist taking it up.  Best decision of my life!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I get to take photos of this beautiful reserve and people enjoying nature.  It’s also really interesting and most of it is creative work which is awesome!  I also love working with New Media and its challenges after studying it for so long.

Do you enjoy living in the bush?

It’s a very new territory for me, especially the snakes and strange insects that make appearances but I’m enjoying it much more than I expected. Don’t know how I will ever learn to cope with living in a city again!

On those busy days with a thousand things to get done…what gets you through the day?

My iPod, coffee (and I mean the good stuff like Filter coffee or Nescafe), my Ubizane family and taking 5 minutes to snap some photos

Which animals have you enjoyed most so far?

The babies…baby giraffe, baby Zebra, baby monkeys, baby Nyala…they’re just too cute for words!

Tell us a bit more about yourself?

I studied journalism & media studies at Rhodes University graduating with a four year B.Journ degree and a year doing a Post Graduate Diploma in Media Management and yet the five years of studying  still couldn’t prepare me for living in the bush haha.  I do archery…but refuse to do bowhunting or any other hunting. I love animals and cry when they’re hurt – which is a little embarrassing. 
If you’d like to get to know me better just follow our Facebook page and keep reading the blog!

New Residents at Tree Lodge:

New residents have moved in to Tree Lodge, and for once we are not talking about the many guests that pass through our doors.  This time it is in fact a far more interesting guest, with its long slender legs and intricate spinning skills. It is in fact a Golden Orb Web Spider.

A cluster of large female Orb Web Spiders and their rather minuscule male counter parts have taken up residence above the fish pond at Tree Lodge Reception. Named amply after the golden sheen their web emits, these spiders are well known for their intricate web spinning skills. The orb web spider may not be the largest spider, but it does make the largest and strongest web. Spanning an impressive 6m high and up to 2m wide, their webs often span from one tree or shrub to another. The webs intricate design is spun to entrap large flying insects; the silk is so strong that it can trap small birds which the spiders do not eat. 

 The female Orb Spider really dwarfs the male, he is somewhat 1000 times smaller the females, which makes reproduction a tricky affair as the female often eats the male during copulation. For this reason the male often mates with female while she’s feeding and is otherwise occupied. However the male’s small size does provide a few perks in that he is able to live on the outskirts of her web, and share her meals without her even noticing. After the risky business of procreation has been completed the female then spins a sac for her eggs, digs a pit in the ground and buries her eggs under debris and soil. After a short period of time the spiderlings hatch with their eggs still attaché to them, and make a hasty retreat before they cannibalize each other.  

Both the spider and the web are fascinating to watch, and both play an important role in not only the ecosystem, but to man as well. Like any other predator, the orb web spider plays an important role in population control, their bite is rather harmless and they will sooner run at the sight of humans than try to bite them. The orb web spiders silk is utilized across the world and has various uses. In the South Pacific, the web silk is used to make fishing lures, traps and nets, where in the Solomon Islands, the spider web is collected by winding it around sticks to make large sticky balls which are suspended just above the water. Studies have shown that if man could manufacture spider silk, it would have a million uses from parachutes, bullet-proof vests, lightweight clothing, seatbelts, light but strong ropes, as sutures in operations, artificial tendons and ligaments. That kind of makes you think twice the next time you might go thrashing through a delicately spun Web. 

Nikita, the new social media Administrator:

Nikita recently joined our Social Media Department, we caught up with her and got to know her a bit better. 

Where are you from? 

I am originally from Edenvale, Johannesburg. 

Who inspires you? 

My late Great Grandmother, she lived till 100 and was as strong as an Ox! She never had a bad word to say  about anyone, I will be extremely lucky if I can live to be half the person she was!

What do you love about the job? 

I love the fact that I am in the bush! There is never a dull office day. I also enjoy meeting and dealing with new people. 

What made you become a social Media Administrator?

I have worked in the IT field for a few years now, i enjoy the challenge of spreading the word about the company I work for. 

Do you enjoy living in the bush?

Yes, I love it! Its my 2nd home! 

What animal/insect scares you and why? 

African Buffalo, as they are quite temperamental and aggressive.

What animal would you be and why? 

I would be a bird as having  the ability to fly must be such an amazing feeling!

What computer equipment would you use to fight off a monkey, and why? 

A keyboard, as they will probably be fascinated with they keys and then I can make a hasty escape. 

Tell us a bit more about yourself: 

I lived in Edenvale all my life, where I eventually worked as a web developer for an IT company. I have recently discovered a new passion

Ubizane's New House Keeping Manager:

Wayne Connor Matthews has joined the House Keeping Department, and he ensures that every room has a 5 star standard and no less! We caught up with him recently: 

Where are you from? 

Originally from Durban North. 

Who inspires you?

Everyone.. when I say everyone, the people around me throughout the day I learn so much from, from the way you walk to the languages you talk. I get inspired by every one around me.  

What do you love about the job? 

I'd have to say the great team we have and its not every day you get to wake up with a Giraffe or an Ostrich at your front door.. or is it! 

What made you become a Housekeeping Manager? 

The passion for perfection and seeing the  satisfaction from guests. 

Do you enjoy living in the Bush? 

Yes, Absolutely. The fresh air, the wild and just being forced to relax and clear you mind under the amazing blue sky with millions of stars. 

What animal/insect scares you the most? 

The Lochness Monster. 

What animal would you be and why?

I'd be Shimba (Common Grey Duiker) because there is so much love coming from the entire team, and food (yeah) but mostly because Shimba can make an Ostrich run like there is no tomorrow. 

If you can have a super power for the day, what would it be and why? 

Time travel definitely,to make it possible to go back in time and stop all the naught people from poaching the Rhino. 

Tell us more about yourself: 

I'm tall dark and handsome... I always believe that positivity will overcome any blue Monday, I am a peoples person and an extrovert, always friendly and willing to help others. 

I will make your day and your stay when you feel its time to break away. 

I am fully Bilingual (English and Afrikaans) and pretend to speak French 

My favourite colour is green and my favourite food is anything fresh from the garden 

Hobbies: Gardening, feeding Shimba, chasing Ostriches and occasionally playing Golf.  

Jade the new Reservationist:

Our reservations department is eager to Welcome Jade Foxcroft to the Ubizane Team! We sat down with her and got to know her a little better: 

Where are you from?

I grew up  in an area in the South of Johannesburg called  the Hill, most of my childhood and the beginning of my adulthood was spent there.

Who inspires you? 

It might sound cliché, but it would be my mother. Through all the hardships that she has had to face she has inspired me to know that no matter what i do or no matter where I go, I can do anything I put my mind to and succeed.

What made you become a reservationist? 

A friend of mine in Durban told me about the opportunity. When he told me that i would be based at a lodge in the middle of the bush, some thought I was crazy but I have always been a lover of nature and the outdoors as well as  being a person that loves my own company, i just knew it was for me. 

What do you love about the job? 

Having the opportunity to give the world a place to go; to feel what it feels like to live amongst nature and all its splendour, is really wonderful. Also to deal with people on a daily basis is something that I have always enjoyed.To see the guests faces when I show them around this beautiful lodge is always so rewarding. But what I love the most about the job is being surrounded by nature all day.  

Do you enjoy living in the bush? 

What is there not to enjoy about living in the bush, the animals, the trees, the fresh air... 

What animal/Insect scares you the most? 

Don't laugh... but I'm scared of frogs... and all types of spiders; and yes I have moved to the bush where there are millions!

What animal would you be and why?

I have always admired The Eagle and how they seem to have the freedom to go anywhere; how they have not a care in the world as they glide through the air. They are such fearless birds, though the fish eagle is one of the smallest and most recognised; he is my favourite… I fell in love with him the first time I heard his cry the one morning I woke up and he was gliding through the air and going for a catch in the river that was just outside my flat, it is truly an amazing sound and sighting.

What office stationary would you use to fight off a monkey and why?

Don’t tell the boss…

But I have always been a fan of stapler shooting, so I would probably shoot staples at the little buggers.

Tell us a bit more about yourself?

I am a very simple person; I have never been one for extravagant living even though I’m originally a city girl. I have a love for reading books; but my greatest love is a little Netherland dwarf bunny that goes by the name of Fuzzy Pepper who has joined me on this amazing new chapter in my life.

  

Ubizane's New Receptionist:

Ubizane had the pleasure of welcoming  Sithembile to the family! We recently sat down with her to get to know her better! 

Where are you from? 

Mtuba-Tuba, KwaZulu Natal. 

Who Inspires you?

Andre Erasmus and Thembi Mkhize

What do you love about your Job? 

Being the first to welcome the guests!

What made you want to work in the Hospitality Industry? 

The fact that I will have the opportunity to meet new people from all walks of life. 

Do you enjoy living in the Bush?

Yes. 

What animal/insect scares you the most? 

Snakes. 

What animal would you be and why? 

An Elephant, because they are so big and strong and they always look after their family. 

Tell us a bit more about yourself:

I am a loving kind easy going person and always dedicate myself 100% to what I am doing.