To build a house in Stilbaai

Cathie G

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Look who was found wandering near the houses' watertank today...View attachment 344168View attachment 344169
(We're not currently there, a passerby saw him and sent the image)

Look who was found wandering near the houses' watertank today...View attachment 344168View attachment 344169
(We're not currently there, a passerby saw him and sent the image)
Nice 🤗 it looks like you have some pretty cute wild pets too hanging around 😜 to take care of.😜 Or at least you can visit with them 😊
 

TheLastGreen

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Is there some sort of small shallow watering hole for passing wildlife to use near the house or would that attract the wrong sort of visitors?
Well, we don't have any sort of ponds or such close by, but I'd think to lure the torts you'll have to use water, and inadvertently you'll lure other animals like snakes. The Jojo tank we have seems to lure snakes in the area, and even if a bit of water drips from it, it would lure the bees. I suspect the neighbouring bee farm, about 20m from the house, has water ponds, which lures the torts. It is interesting however, it's the first time I've seen one so high up there, they're normally further down in the valleyIMG-20220314-WA0000.jpg
(View from the house)
 

TheLastGreen

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LMAO....your friends know you so well, they send you turtle pics from your property even when you aren't there!

Very cool.....he's a big boy!
Lol, they know, I'd always ask if they've seen any torts. He is big indeed! I wonder how old he is? His carapace seems to be old, but it would be difficult to guess the age with any wild tort. He does seem different than the other one I saw though. I would guess this fella is atleast 5, about 8-10 years old
 

TheLastGreen

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My grandparents have been in Stilbaai for about the last 2 weeks, so there's a whole lot of photos. They've gone to do some finishing touches on the house.
Here's the beautiful Outeniqua berge and pass
IMG-20220611-WA0022.jpgSome unusual snowfall on the above mentioned mountains, a real treat for us here in SA IMG-20220615-WA0001.jpgA few sunsets and sunrisesIMG-20220613-WA0001.jpgIMG-20220618-WA0001.jpgIMG-20220618-WA0056.jpgA protea flower fixture in the kitchen, all these proteas come from the area around the houseIMG-20220619-WA0002.jpgIMG-20220619-WA0003.jpgThis is the kitchen. It's got a lovely rustic feel. IMG-20220621-WA0000.jpgIMG-20220622-WA0000.jpgThese two images show fog flowing through the lower valleys like lakesIMG-20220625-WA0000.jpgIMG-20220625-WA0001.jpgThese two images were taken this morning. It was so cold that dew froze on spider webs.IMG-20220625-WA0002.jpgIMG-20220625-WA0003.jpg
 

TheLastGreen

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Today in Stilbaai I saw this20221002_152740.jpg
It's always a good day when you see wild torts! It's a bit difficult to see, but in the top left is a tort. The one to the right was larger and "chasing" the other one. It could be that time of year, or he was chasing the other tort out of his territory.
When he saw me he stopped, looked almost confused, and the other one escaped.
Here are some more images20221002_063002.jpg20221002_063249.jpg20221002_064457.jpg
 

TheLastGreen

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Thanks! Yes, we're surrounded by miles of fynbos20221002_175150.jpg
The nearest town is a few kilometres away. So the house has solar panels and we draw water from a borehole.
I'm sure Mary K would've loved the scenery here, and she might've enjoyed seeing her distant cousins, that's a beautiful photo of her!
 

AmandaF

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1 hectare so about 10000m², hopefuly we don't have to cleare the entire area, then I'm sure we'll see some snakes...
My grandparents are building a house in Stilbaai and they have invited me and my brother to help. (We have 2-3 months off from next week Wednesday, so why not?)
So I guess I might make a thread of the journey to build a house in Stilbaai
View attachment 336504
Now I may have some questions on homesteading and everything that comes with it, so I'll love some input from you guys
My first question is about snakes. Snake protection. Here where I live in the Hoëveld, there isn't much snakes in the capital, perhaps the odd rinkals (highly venomous) in a vlei where no one lives, but I don't plan on going anywhere near there.
The fields of Stilbaai have rooipense galore, but they share it with some of the deadliest snakes on the continent.
Like the
Cape cobraView attachment 336505
(Highly venomous causes cardiac arrest and nervous system failure)
Puff adder
View attachment 336506
(Dangerous viper with an extremely high mortality rate)
Berg adder
View attachment 336507(An exception in the viper family, has neurotoxins)
BoomslangView attachment 336508
(Now excuse my language, but this is one f'er you don't mess with. Highly venomous, venom causes death by bleeding out of every hole in your body)
Rinkhals
View attachment 336509
(False cobra, is venomous)
Black spitting cobra
View attachment 336510
(Cytoxic venom, can spit)
(All of the cobras and rhinkals can spit)
Now you may ask, Frans, why do you still want to go? After compiling my list... I am thinking about it.
The snakes are unavoidable because we will have to do bushwacking where the house will go, (we may or may not even see a snake, but I don't want to take any chances) so any advice is appreciated!
Morning, the land is beautiful. The snakes not so. I really don’t like snakes.Amanda
 

Cathie G

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Today we saw this little fella crossing the road on our water haulView attachment 352522View attachment 352523
It's got a really round shell, much rounder than some of the other torts we've seen. We're here for the Christmas period, if I'm not back on by then, Geseënde Kersfees to you all!
Geseende Kersfees to you also 🎄🐢 sorry I don't know how to post the dots above the third e 😉🤗 have a wonderful time.🥰
 

TheLastGreen

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Well, everything's fine now20221222_161055.jpg
A fire erupted after a neighbouring farmers' generator exploded. About a dozen farmers showed up and started plowing and clearing the ground infront of the fire. The fire brigade quickly came and started to survey the area with their planes and helicopters, and later their off road water tankers showed up.IMG-20221222-WA0007.jpg
The fire continued for about two days. Flairing up in the first, and slowly dying in the second.
This is how it looks afterwardsIMG-20221223-WA0018.jpg
On the second day it looked like this, as if nothing happened20221223_060955.jpg20221223_060536.jpg
And this was the sunset that night20221223_194230.jpg20221223_194417.jpg
Now this may seem all bad, but many fynbos plants need fire to spread seeds and while we were driving past all of this, we didn't see one tort shell or animal carcass, so it seems that most, or almost all animals were able to make it out before the fire spread.
I really hope you all enjoy your Chirstmas, and may it be a calm one
 
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