eastern highlands | Zimbabwe Absurdity

A fine weekend

2 07 2012

: Sunrise over the Honde Valley from Tsoka re denga

: Looking south from Tsoka re denga past the Honde viewpoint where we used to take off with our paragliders. Must have been younger and stupid…

: Gary and Kharma take in the sunrise from the door of Tsoka re denga

: Kharma

: A roadside tomato market near Macheke

: Toy tractors on sale by the Mutare road

I took the weekend “off” and went to stay with Gary and June and some of their friends at Tsoka re denga on the very edge of the Honde Valley in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. It’s not a place for small children as they could easily wander over the edge which would be fatal but we are all past that age and had a great time. The weather was warm for winter and we also got in some long overdue paragliding at our Samanga takeoff (not pictured). One the way back from Mutare today I indulged myself in a slower trip and time for some photos. Such are the perks of owning one’s own business!

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Tags: eastern highlands, Honde Valley, paragliding, tomatoes, toy tractors, travel, Zimbabwe
Categories : photography

Memory lane

21 05 2012

I grew up on a forest estate in the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and it was an idyllic childhood. I have not seen much reason to go back to the area but this weekend I was in Mutare, a town close by, and with little to do on Saturday as June and Gary were at a wedding I decided a visit was in order.

: Smallbridge reservoir from the wall. Sheba Estate is on the right, the Wattle Company on the left.

: Self, Kharma and Landcruiser on the Smallbridge dam wall. The house where I spent the first 18 years of my life is just above my right shoulder. This dam was planned in the early 70s but built in the 80s. My father was hoping it would be built in his lifetime so that he could go fishing in the evenings but he was murdered in 1978. Stewart and I tried fishing but with not even a bite.

: Tea plantations on Aberfoyle Estate in the Honde Valley.

: Northern Honde Valley overlooking tea plantations with the Mozambique border in the background.

: Looking out the south end of the Honde Valley. The Aberfoyle tea factory in the middle distance.

: Stuart, Gary, self and Kharma’s backside outside the Aberfoyle Lodge in the northern end of the Honde Valley. We are ontop of a war era (circa 70s) bunker overlooking the golf course.

: The Honde River from the main bridge. Very little of the dense riverine forest that I remember from my childhood remains in the valley though there are still good examples on the tea estates where it is protected.

: Kharma well into her comfort zone on June in the back of my Landcruiser.

The next day we all piled into the Landcruiser for a visit to the Honde Valley some 45mins north of Mutare and the most densely populated rural area in Zimbabwe. At the north end, in the shadow of Mt Nyangani, a lot of tea is grown. Our goal was the Aberfoyle Lodge which is now privately run though rather expensive.

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Tags: Aberfoyle tea estate, eastern highlands, Honde Valley, Mt Nyangani, Mutare, Smallbridge Dam, tea estates, Zimbabwe
Categories : photography, Travel

Zimbabwe Absurdity

A fine weekend

Memory lane

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