So just who is the Antbear
Guest House
The Antbear is much more than just another
accommodation establishment in the Central Drakensberg.
The Antbear is about our love for this location,
about all of us working together, about sustainalble
eco tourism, about helping each other and above
all sharing what we have.
Andrew, Conny and Phumlani
 Andrew has spent 12 years in Germany as
a successful IT consultant (hence the extensive
Webpage). Although his career has been an
exciting challenge, a change and a slowing
down were inevitable. Now returning to his
roots Andrew has taken on the task of living
off the land, spending more time with his
saxophone, paint brushes and cooking pots.
Over a meal he can spin yarns about the time
he walked 870km from Central African Republic
to Sudan, or how he rode on the rooftop of
a train carriage from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa.
Conny married Andrew in 1996 and has two grown
up children (Michaela and Gerd) who still live
in Cologne. Having grown tired of her stressful
European lifestyle as a personal manager, Conny
encouraged Andrew to start something new. Her
childhood dreams of working with animals and
the idea of living on home-grown food, somehow
just fitted perfectly when she discovered the
Antbear. Conny spends much of her free time
riding and gardening.
Phumlani grew up in this area
and as a child looked after the goats of his
family. He later finished school in Johannesburg
and ended up working for a TV current affairs
program. He has lead a really interesting life
working at a Buddhist retreat centre and before
that was involved in the music industry and
film industry. Phumlani knows all sorts of
cool celebrities and has some remarkable Buddhist
Shaolin massage skills too. He has travelled
to places like Russia and and all over Southern
Africa including the difficult ones like Angola.
Somehow there was a woman involved that caused
him to leave the fast lane in Johannesburg
and come and join us here. So come and meet
Phumlani who is your host. South African history
is a passion of Phumlani and he can offer you
a black South African insight and perspective
on our history. What’s more he is a descendent
of the famous Langalibalele who was both
from our area and the first political prisoner
on Robben Island. Now that makes an interesting
story.
Thoko, Lindi, Nomusa, Paulus and Bheki
 - - -
Thoko is a Zulu woman who has spent her whole
life right here on this farm. She knows lots
about what the land has to offer, and also how
to prepare delicate delights from what many
might have thought just another weed. When she
is not helping out in the Antbear she likes
to spend her time with her husband and their
three children.
Lindi and Nomusa live in a local Zulu village
nearby. They both are still single but I doubt
that will be the case for much longer.
Paulus lives in Hlatikhulu and is an arch bishop
to the local area. He is also a stunning builder
and when he is not to busy with goldly things
he earns an income here. Without him things
here would not work as well.
Inja, Flecki, Sheeba & Lea
 - - -
Our dogs like to make friends with our guests
and are very playful. They tend to take their
afternoon nap in a sunny spot overlooking the
valley. And why not? It seems they have understood
what life is all about more than the rest of
us have.
Greywing, Rain & Star
 -
Greywing, Rain and Star are by no means thoroughbred
and as such don't come with all those complicated
airs and graces that some horses have. They
like to eat and that they do well, their favourites
being apples and carrots mixed in with a touch
of oats. Star is the foal that was born right
here at the Antbear. In winter they get a nice
thick coat and they know that they are somebody
special. Greywing has been training Conny to
ride and so far have been quite successful.
Floh & Oskar
 - -
After spending 10 years in a Cologne city
flat having never seen a real tree and certainly
not a real mouse, Floh only took 10 days of
adjustment and away she was - eating mice and
climbing trees. We cannot imagine hrer wanting
to go back to Germany any time soon. Oskar is
a late arrival and has taken on Garfield to
be his role model.
King Louie and his clan
 -
King Louie got his name for being the king
of all our chickens and he knows it. He even
has a Pekan duck who thinks this man is just
great. His clan grace us with fresh eggs each
day, and every now and again we have a whole
lot more new chicks. Recently a wild spurwing
goose has moved in and although he is free to
come and go as he pleases seems to have become
a permanent feature of Louis's clan. We think
that "Spurwing" finds the social security
at the Antbear just too good an option to pass
up.
And
what do some of the external sites say about
us |
