NEWS
After a few concerning months in the early part of 2009, I am pleased to advise that the Royal Portfolio and its four properties have ended the year in a robust manner. Thanks to all of you who have supported us during 2009. We refused to allow any bad news to change our ethos of providing our clients with the best possible stay and I am happy to add that we are still 100% committed to this going forward. We were also blessed with some wonderful media support with Royal Malewane receiving an excellent rating, by the Travel and Leisure, for the Worlds Best Hotels and for those who speak Dutch, a great trilogy on all the Royal Portfolio properties in the magazine “Miljionair”. These are attached if you are interested in perusing them, as are the wonderful articles on Birkenhead House in the Swedish “Hoom” Magazine, the Australian, the French magazine- Voyage de Luxe which also includes La Residence, and the CNBC/African Property Awards where Birkenhead House won Best Small Hotel in South Africa and Best International Small Hotel 2009.

The three hotels have all developed further during the past year and are looking in even better shape for 2010 when the Soccer World Cup is hosted in South Africa. We have not pursued any deals with Fifa or Match. And we are not increasing our rates as a result of the World Cup patronage. Our hotels are available in the normal manner and on the normal terms and conditions. We believe that we must provide this to our loyal customers who support us and not be coerced into a “once off” deal.

Game viewing at Royal Malewane has been wonderful this winter with lots of cheetahs, leopards and Hyena sightings. Of course elephant buffalo and lions have been seen in abundance and we are very proud that we are one of the few (maybe the only) Reserve where sightings of white and black rhino are an everyday occurrence.

Our first crop of Shiraz and Cabinet Sauvignon is sprouting like wild fire at La Residence. We will pick these grapes in March 2010 and our first wines will be available in 2011. It is a very long process making wine but we are delighted at the maturing of the vineyards and of the gardens at La Residence which is truly now a beautiful and elegant resort.

The whale season at Birkenhead House and Villa has all been wonderful and it is a particular pleasure for me to see how many more of these beautiful creatures come to Walker Bay now compared to when I first started visiting Birkenhead house when it was our holiday home some 20 years ago. Summer is on the way and the whales will be leaving for the Antarctic where Phil and I will be going to join them for a two week cruise. The Antarctic is one of the true wilderness areas of the world and we are thoroughly looking forward to our trip.

There are some new faces in the Royal Portfolio and it gives me great pleasure to advise you that Simon Mandy has joined us to assist me with marketing and operations. He has already had a 3 month stint at Royal Malewane and after the summer season at Birkenhead House and Villa will join me in our little Cape Town Head Office.

All that remains for me to say is thank you again for your support and I look forward to our interaction in 2010.

Best wishes
Liz Biden

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NEW TRACKING SCHOOL TO BE LAUNCHED
A new tracking school, to be called the Wilson Masiya Tracking School in honour of master tracker Wilson Masiya, is to be opened just off the Orpen Gate Road to the Kruger National Park. This wonderful initiative will go a long way to help with increasing tracker skills and the passing on of knowledge to future generations of trackers. 

The school is a joint initiative by Louis Liebenberg of Cyber Tracking fame who is a world renowned tracker and teacher, and Royal Malewane Game Lodge on whose land the school will be built. The school will be the catalyst for the experts like Wilson Masiya to pass on their knowledge and will be a hub for the training and evaluating of trackers in the lowveld.

Wilson Masiya, who is the head tracker at Royal Malewane, is the only of two practising master tracker. He was born in Mozambique in 1951 and grew up in the bush learning the ways of the animals, birds, insects and flora from his father. He spent time as a traditional hunter and then as a tracker for professional hunters. Today he leads a team of 2 senior trackers and 4 level 2 and 3 trackers at Royal Malewane where they spend their days teaching world luminaries such as President Sarkozy and Elton John the ways of the bush.

Juan Pinto, a director and Head Ranger of Royal Malewane is delighted that the tracking school is going ahead. He too is a senior tracker and is only Scout ( a combinaton of senior tracker and Special Knowledge and Skills(SKS) –Dangerous Game) and SKS Birding  in South Africa.

He commented, “Having the simple and basic amenities available to help with training and assessment of trackers will help the skill of tracking survive this modern world and to be available for future generations. The involvement of Louis Liebenberg is absolutely crucial to this venture and his enthusiasm has, together with the generosity of the owners of Royal Malewane, made this happen.

The school will comprise a central kitchen, library, dining area and ablutions. Trackers on training or assessment will live in tents which will be dismantled when not in use so as to minimize the impact on the environment. The lecture theatre will be the great outdoors”.

The school is a non-profit organisation and is available to all persons and lodges. It runs under the auspices of Cyber Tracker and FGASA acredition is awaited.

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"Making Tracks" article