Headlines

When the Pacific Ocean Reaches the Lowveld: What this El Niño Means for Us in the Greater Kruger

I know that I have harped on this subject before but if you have felt the news drumbeat about a “super El Niño” and wondered what it actually means for Hoedspruit, here is the honest answer. As of now, our dams are full, our soils are wet, and the drought everyone is talking about has not arrived. The El Niño is real, it is strengthening, and it is likely to make the coming summer hotter and probably drier than usual – but the Lowveld enters this event from a position of unusual strength, and preparation now matters far more than alarm.

2 September 2026 No Comments

Uncategorized

The Smell of Rain – And the Extraordinary Secret Hiding in your Nose

Every person in the Lowveld knows it. That smell. The one that arrives a few seconds before the first drop hits the ground. The one that makes you stop whatever you’re doing, lift your head, and breathe in. It is one of the most universally recognised and emotionally powerful scents on Earth – and almost nobody knows what it actually is, where it comes from, or why the human nose is so extraordinarily tuned to detect it.

17 July 2026 No Comments

Headlines

When the Heavens Opened and the Rivers Rose

Hoedspruit has always lived in a delicate balance with water. The rivers that sustain our farms, wildlife and livelihoods can, in a heartbeat, become forces of destruction. Over the past two weeks, that balance tipped violently.

31 January 2026 No Comments

Editors Desk

From the Editor…

From the Editor’s desk April 2025

25 April 2025 No Comments

Nature & Conservation

Are we alone?

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if someone, somewhere, is looking back? Given the vastness of the universe, it feels almost inevitable that intelligent life must exist elsewhere. The Milky Way galaxy alone has around 400 billion stars many of which have multiple planetary systems. Surely, some of them must have conditions suitable for life?

22 April 2025 No Comments

Editors Desk

From the Editor’s desk…

Can you believe that we are about to turn the tide and move very steadily towards winter! Already!

28 February 2025 No Comments

Headlines

The cost of ‘progress’: Hoedspruit’s struggle with urban development without infrastructure development

Hoedspruit’s rapid growth has the potential to benefit the town and its surrounding communities. However, without addressing the underlying issues of infrastructure and social services, this growth could quickly become a burden rather than a blessing.

27 February 2025 No Comments

Nature & Conservation

Scorpion awareness

We are well into the summer months, and we have been fortunate to experience good rains of late. The bush is looking great, lush, green and alive with a myriad of life. Much to the trepidation of the many, the wet and warm weather brings with it an increase in scorpion activity.

17 February 2025 No Comments

Nature & Conservation

The seven sisters

No object has received more attention, and is the centre of more cultural stories, than the fabled star cluster colloquially known as the Seven Sisters. Officially named ‘the Pleiades’ this vibrant group of young stars is unmistakable, twinkling close to the horns of the great bull, Taurus. Through binoculars or a small telescope, it is a remarkable object containing close to 500 blue/white stars that are just starting their stellar journeys. Its prominence has been noted by multiple civilisations in both hemispheres and its importance in cultural astronomy cannot be underestimated.

13 January 2025 No Comments

Recipe"s

2-minute summer cooler

Beat the upcoming summer heat with this mint ‘lemonade’. Feel the instant refreshing effect on your body. Here it is, very simple and quick. This literally takes 2 minutes and is a double serving.

21 November 2024 No Comments