JOCK SAFARI LODGE - KRUGER NATIONAL PARK:
Jock Safari Lodge is one of the very first privately owned camps situated in the world famous Kruger National Park, with exclusive traversing rights in what is regarded as the best Big Five game viewing area in the Kruger National Park.

Situated at the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti Rivers, this luxury lodge offers stunning views, with the pool literally on the confluence. Each air-conditioned luxury suite is set along the rivers, offering all the luxuries yet evoking the style and romance of the past as well as the indigenous Swazi and Shangaan cultures.

Game drives in open landrovers, with our professional team of game rangers, offer guests the thrill of close encounters with Africa’s BIG FIVE. Walking safaris, Birding safaris and guided Historical tours will take you along the paths of legend and mystery. Interpret the signs, sounds and scents of wild animals in this unspoilt wilderness. And when you tire of the thrill of the African bush you can rejuvenate & refresh at the Pilgrims Rest Spa at Jock Safari Lodge.

Jock Safari Lodge is set in the Jock of the Bushveld in the southern area of the Kruger National Park. It is situated halfway between Malelane & Skukuza and only approximately 458km (284.6 miles) from Johannesburg and its airport. We can offer a scheduled fly in service.

Jock Safari Lodges theme is set by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's animal classic 'Jock Of The Bushveld', a story written at the time of South Africa's first gold rush.

HISTORY AND LOCATION:
Before the turn of the century, the lure of gold brought men from all corners of the world to Southern Africa. Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, author of the animal classic Jock of the bushveld, was one of these. They passed through some of Africa's most scenic untamed wilderness. It is in this area that Jock Safari Lodge is based with our southern boundary being the old wagon route from Delagoa Bay into the gold fields of the interior. Today the wilderness experience we offer is unchanged from these early times. It is an area noted for its diversity in game, particularly the BIG FIVE.

Jock Safari Lodge is situated in the southern area of the Kruger National Park at the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers, half way between Skukuza and Malelane airports. It is approximately 35km to both airports with only 3km of dirt road. The lodge is surrounded by magnificent trees and an abundance of bird life. From here our two track roads take you into 6000 hectares of exclusive traversing in the first private concession set in over 2 million hectares of Kruger National Park. The lodge is easily accessible by road, just over 4 hours drive from Johannesburg, or 1 hour to either Skukuza or Malelane airports.

Further features:
- 1 family room with inter-leading door
- All power is generated on 220volt
- Telephones on micro dish
- Flatscreen DSTV available – on request

GAME VIEWING:
Game drives in open Landrovers, with our professional team of game rangers and trackers, offer guests the thrill of close encounters with Africa's BIG FIVE. Walking safaris, Birding safaris and guided Historical tours will take you along the paths of legend and mystery. Highly experienced staff, game rangers and trackers will share with you their knowledge and experience ensuring an enjoyable and memorable stay.

Guided Historical tours will take you along the paths of legend and mystery of Africa ancient and contemporary. Rock art and Star gazing is a must see.

During the very hot summer when the wildlife finds shelter under shady trees, there are the options of airconditioners & pools at Jock Safari Lodge for our guests.

A TYPICAL DAY AT JOCK
(Always expect the unexpected though)

Game Drives – 5 am – woken by knocking on the doors if one wishes of course.

Morning tea and muffins.

Leave in time to catch the sunrise & great animal viewing.

Return to camp by 9am and enjoy a hearty breakfast.

Join guided Walking safaris after breakfast where our game rangers offer fauna and flora lectures and magnificent rock art viewing.

Each topic is discussed and guests are welcome to set the pace as they wish.

There is of course always the good possibility of game viewing on these outings.

Lunch and relaxation time is enjoyed until the big game drive starts in the late afternoon.

Beverages and snacks are served at a scenic place en route to watch the African sunset.

Once back from the evening game drive, dinner is served at the lodge or in your own room.

The Spa offers a variety of treatments. Sensuous Indonesian Spa Rituals that exfoliate, pamper and polish the skin are inspired by regal preparations in JAVA and combine natural herb exfoliators, aromatic essences and special massage techniques to calm and soothe body and mind.

The aromatic essences of secret fantasies, new beginnings and silent moments take one on a journey to an exotic destination, while enjoying a sensational and stimulating massage by jets of water in the Hydrotherapy Bath.

Skin and senses are invigorated in the Sauna and Steam Room with the aroma of Eucalyptus. An eclectic blend of Massage Therapies are also on offer – the JAMU Massage is a fusion of Asian, Chinese and Western massage techniques to re-energise the muscles, to increase blood circulation and to release tensions with the aromatic blend of oils to suite your taste while the Swedish Massage eases muscle strain and increases blood circulation by firm therapeutic massage.

Facial Therapies combine the natural essences of aromatherapy and phytotherapy using only the finest Decléor products and invites one to discover its specific treatments, for a special moment of true well-being.

WEDDINGS:
Secluded within the romantic surrounds of Jock Safari Lodge, a wedding here is intimate, private and absolutely special as you are surrounded by vast & unspoilt wilderness. We create Wedding Packages to suit individual needs. See the list below for inclusions in our basic wedding package. (Bear in mind this does not include accommodation, meals and drinks).

Minister - Includes the processing of all necessary legal documents

Photographer - ± 80 Jumbo size colour, sepia and black & white photos – placed in a good quality flip file. Also includes negatives & 1 x CD with all photos on. There are extra charges for courier fees to Europe / USA.

Flowers - Bridal bouquet, groom’s corsage, 6 x pole arrangements, basket for table & cake arrangement. (Anything extra will be charged to guest’s account)

Wedding Cake - Traditional Fruit Wedding Cake - or carrot / chocolate cake instead? (Bear in mind the fruit cake needs to be baked 3 months prior to the wedding to mature)

Massages - His & Hers – Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage. Unlimited Sauna & Steam Room

Witnesses - If the wedding couple is alone, the Jock staff will sign as witnesses

Time - Usually at 11:30 for 12:00, but clients can decide which time suits them best. (Please keep in mind that gates close at 18:00 – for minister & photographer etc)

Accommodation:
Our 12 Luxurious Suites are designed to give a sense of being alone in, and integrated with, the surrounding unspoiled African Bush. All suites are elegantly furnished with attention paid to the little comforts that make any Mantis property memorable.
The suites are all named after places of interest in the tale of “Jock of the Bushveld”. Linked to the main lodge by meandering walkways, the suites boast private plunge pools, and furnishings reflecting the region’s distinctive mix of Swazi, Shangaan and colonial cultures.

Venues:
Different venues available, depending on the size of the Wedding Party.

Menu:
Menus can be personalized for your requirements. (Please advise of any dietary requirements in advance). The chef and his dedicated team conjure up dishes inspired by this unique location, as well as all of the influences that have passed through it at one time or another. From the primal flavours of wild game and local herbs picked from the surrounding bushveld to the spicy tastes of visiting Arab traders, and traditional dishes introduced by European gold miners – guests can take their taste buds on a true African safari.

Spa:
Ease the strains of modern living from every muscle and mind at our fully equipped Spa. We honour our cultural heritage by using Essentially Africa body products, and support the conservation of animal, bird and plant life. This philosophy characterises our Signature Spa Treatments, which have been inspired by the richness of Africa’s soil, its abundant plant life, and the life-preserving grooming rituals of its wild animals. Treat yourself to spa and beauty treatments the morning of your wedding…

THE LEGEND OF JOCK:
Jock of the Bushveld was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, whose courage and loyalty to his pioneer owner is stuff of legends, as well as a full length feature film based on Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's famous book.

This area of southern Kruger National Park in South Africa, in which Jock Safari Lodge is situated, has long been associated with the Jock name, and Jock Safari Lodge is a treasure-trove of memorabilia on the subject. Jock of the Bushveld, is one of the greatest dog stories ever written.

From 1907 when it was first publicised it has never been out of print. Sir Percy was born on the 24 July 1862 in King William’s Town. At the age of 21 he made his way to the Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga) where he became a transport rider and worked for six years. During these years he acquired his dog Jock.

Jock of the Bushveld is a true story, rich in episodes of hunting, real life characters and adventures in the lowveld. The book is about Percy’s years as a transport rider and ends in 1889 when tsetse fly infected all of his oxen and he was ruined. Sir Percy gave Jock to a friend of his, who eventually gave the dog to a trader. Jock was tragically killed at the trading store one night, when he rushed out to attack a stray dog that was raiding the fowl run. Jock killed the thief but was then shot by the trader who mistook him for the stray dog.

About the author: Sir James Percy FitzPatrick, politician, author and pioneer of the fruit industry. King William's Town 24.07.1862 -Amanzi (Uitenhage) 24.01.1931. He was the eldest son of James Coleman FitzPatrick, judge of the Supreme Court of the Cape Colony, and Jenny FitzGerald, both from Ireland. Two of judge FitzPatrick's sons were killed in action, Tom in the Matabele Rebellion and George (serving with the Imperial Light Horse) in the Second Anglo-Boer War. Percy was educated at Downside Abbey, near Bath (England), and later at St. Aidan's College, Grahamstown. On his father's death in 1880 he left college in order to support his mother and her family.

In 1884 he went to the Eastern Transvaal gold-fields where he worked as store man, prospector's hand and journalist, and as transport-rider from Lourenco Marques by ox-wagon to Lydenburg and Barberton. At the latter place he became editor of the Gold Fields News. His adventures during the pioneering days in the Bushveld are vividly described in Jock of the Bushveld, now a South African classic.

He used to recount his experiences with his dog Jock at bedtime to his four children. Rudyard Kipling, and intimate friend, took part in these story-telling evenings and persuaded FitzPatrick to collect the stories in book form. When he had done this the author searched for a suitable artist to illustrate the book, came across Edmund Caldwell, and brought him to South Africa to see the Bushveld and make the drawings on the spot.

The book appeared in 1907 and had an enthusiastic reception, being reprinted four times in that year; it has remained a special favourite in South Africa and has been widely read abroad. It has appeared in several forms and languages, among them Afrikaans, Dutch, French, Xhosa and Zulu, and between 1907 and 1962 ran through almost 100 impressions.(Niven, C. Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa. 1971)

History of the Kruger National Park:
The first explorer to set foot in the region was the Dutchman François de Cuiper who led a Dutch East India Company expedition to explore. However, the expedition was attacked and driven by local tribes-people near Gomondwane. Only around 1838 Voortrekker expeditions led by Lous Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg were able to successfully establish forward outposts. Hundreds of Europeans and farmers came to the Lowveld lured by rumours of gold and the great quantity of valuable commodities such as ivory and skins.

This caused the number of game to dramatically decrease due to hunting and trading of animal skins and horns. President Paul Kruger was told about the rapid destruction of wildlife in the area by hunters, after which he succeeded to persuade the Transvaal parliament to establish a protected area for the wildlife in the Lowveld region. The "Sabie Game Reserve”, bordered by the Crocodile River in the south, the Sabie River in the north, the Lebombo Mountains in the east and the Drakensberg Mountains in the west, which is now the southern part of the Kruger National Park, was established in 1898.

These reserves would eventually expand into today's Kruger National Park. The Anglo-Boer War stopped any further development of the reserve, but the British, after winning the war, proceeded with the plan to develop the Sabie Game Reserve and gave the task to major James Stevenson-Hamilton in 1902 to protect the animals against hunters, ivory poachers and cattle farmers. The Park was opened to the public in 1927 for visitors to view animals and plant life in a area where they are protected. After the Anglo-Boer War, James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed as the first park warden. He spent the next 40 years protecting what the war had destroyed. His actions are no doubt an ever-living contribution to the Kruger National Park's current existence. In addition to his animal conservation, James Stevenson Hamilton was also responsible for acquiring another 10 000 hex acres for the reserve.

After World War I, the Kruger National Park was protected by the government of South Africa and remains under the watchful eye of the government even today. The very first ranger in the reserve was Paul Bester who made his residence in a rustic rondavel (hut) which is now the site of the headquarters camp, Skukuza. Documents concerning the History of the Kruger National Park can be viewed at the Skukuza Library. Half a million years ago, the first San stone age hunters roamed the plains in search of game. The modern day bush men have left fascinating rock paintings all over the Republic of South Africa, and, Kruger National Park contains over one hundred sites of these paintings. The Kruger National Park is a living memorial to President Paul Kruger and those who have upheld his vision of a protected wilderness reserve which will forever remind us of that which we are so dangerously close to loosing.

A Short Natural and Cultural History·

There are almost 254 known cultural heritage sites in the Kruger National Park, including nearly 130 recorded rock art sites.

There is ample evidence that prehistoric man – Homo erectus roamed the area between 500 000 and 100 000 years ago
Cultural artefacts of Stone Age man have been found for the period 100 000 to 30 000 years ago.
More than 300 archaeological sites of Stone Age man have been found
Evidence of Bushman Folk (San) and Iron Age people from about 1500 years ago is also in great evidence.
There are also many historical tales of the presence of Nguni people and European explorers and settlers in the Kruger area.
There are significant archaeological ruins at Thulamela and Masorini
There are numerous examples of San Art scattered throughout the park.
The park was first proclaimed in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve by the then president of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. He first proposed the need to protect the animals of the Lowveld in 1884, but his revolutionary vision took another 12 years to be realised when the area between the Sabie and Crocodile Rivers was set aside for restricted hunting.
The Scottish born James Stevenson-Hamilton (born in 1867) was appointed the park’s first warden on 1 July 1902.
On 31 May 1926 the National Parks Act was proclaimed and with it the merging of the Sabie and Shingwedzi Game Reserves into the Kruger National Park. The first motorists entered the park in 1927 for a fee of one pound.
Many accounts of the park’s early days can be found in the Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library.