19 04 17 01 01bd1904 AL 8 - Leobo Private Reserve€¦ · family-run brewery that prides itself on...
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Page 8 19/04/17 01 01bd1904 booita 11:25:08 AM 09/05/17 ART ● ENTERTAINMENT ● BOOKS ● STYLE ● ARCHITECTURE ● LATERAL THINKERS ● TRAVEL ● HEALTH ● LEISURE ● FOOD 8 BusinessDay www.businessday.co.za Wednesday 19 April 201 7 LIFE Where wild fantasies come alive • The Ultimate Playground offers visitors a chance to test themselves Nick Wilson I t felt like we had been inserted into a scene from Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now as we heard the whirring rotor blades coming from a fair dis- tance behind us. It wasn’t long before we caught a glimpse of the helicopter and saw its gun- ners, who were baying for blood — our blood. I had always prided myself on being a rugged South African male full of derring-do. I grew up in Uitenhage, SA’s Detroit, so surely was deserving of some sort of manliness medal. I had even visited Despatch a couple of times and been on the receiv- ing end of a number of beatings. Doesn’t being a journalist automatically make you rugged? I have earned my stripes and have always secretly hoped for the grudging respect of my idol, legendary tough guy actor Steve McQueen, had he still been alive. Surely, I would be prepared for anything out in the wild? But my skin was crawling and I had an anxious knot in the pit of my stomach. What in the world had I let myself in for? It was only a paintball game being played by journalists and tour operators. How painful could it be? Quite. Especially when the paintballs are being fired at you from a helicopter and you have to try to evade being shot while racing around on a quad bike. My trepidation gave way to excitement as the game pro- gressed and soon I was confi- dently speeding about on the quad bike yelping every now and again as a paintball hit me. The biggest thrill was when we swapped roles and I was afforded the opportunity to become the hunter in the heli- copter (minus its doors), aiming my paintball gun spitefully, while remembering some of the more painful hits I had received. Unfortunately, I am a terrible shot and only managed a couple of feeble hits. The luxury Leobo Private Reserve, situated on an 8,000ha estate in the Waterberg area of Limpopo, is the only place in SA — and very likely the world — where Heli Paintballing can be played. It is one of the extreme adventure activities offered under the reserve’s recently launched brand, Ultimate Play- ground. Other activities include skydiving from helicopters, 50- calibre BMG target-shooting and tactical military simulations with assault rifles. Guests can go on safari on quad bikes. Traditional game drives are also on offer to see hippo, giraffe, plains game, buf- falo and leopard. There is also a lone crocodile called Stevie on the property. home for his family when they visited SA each year. Sweet, who is renowned for his devil- may-care adventurer’s spirit, was a member of the team that won the Scott Dunn Polar Chal- lenge in 2005 — a 563km race across the Arctic Circle to the magnetic North Pole. Leobo has been commercial- ly available since 2012. It con- sists of Leobo Lodge — which includes eight one-bedroom luxury chalets and a two-bed- room family chalet — and the Observatory, which serves as the Sweet family’s private house when they are in the country and which accommodates six adults and three children. What gives The Observatory its charm is the fact that Sweet’s eccentricities can be seen everywhere. His love of astronomy is a main feature of the residence, with a beautiful dome that houses the astro- nomical observatory. Guests can book a lecture with fascinating physicist and astronomer Dr Phil Calcot, who lives in the Waterberg, to describe the heavens above. Underneath the dome is a double-storey library with an open fireplace. Designed by award-winning architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, the sumptuous Observatory prop- erty includes some unusual arti- facts including an old disarmed AK-47 transformed into a piece of art, a wallet made of human skin and a real human skull. Sweet’s humour and sense of fun is immediately apparent as you enter Leobo. The entrance has a large sign hilariously warning of the terrible fates (including pictures) awaiting would-be trespassers. Not only will you face death from hippo, crocodile, snake, shooting, drowning and lethal injection, but you will be liable for pros- ecution afterwards. Guests at Leobo dictate the schedule, choosing each day what they want to do. That could mean lazing around the swim- ming pool, flinging themselves out of a chopper or honing their shooting skills at the gun range. I was found wanting with a 9mm pistol on the range. I ner- vously waited my turn to shoot, listening intently to Leobo oper- ational manager Tom Stewart explain the safety procedures. Our group consisted mostly of women and I watched as one after another they fired off fan- tastic shots, hitting key areas of the human silhouette target. When it was my turn, my mouth was dry and my knees felt a little weak. Other than firing a pellet gun at tin cans in my folks’ back garden, I had never fired a real gun in my life. Boom! The first shot rang out loudly. Even with industrial strength ear plugs, the sound of a gun is loud and unmistakable. Second shot. Then the third shot and fourth. I walked over to survey the damage. I have 20-20 vision, so surely I must have got in some great shots, I thought as we pored over the target looking for my bullet holes. There didn’t seem to be any. Then Stewart pointed out one hole on the paper, way off from the silhou- ette. He was kind enough to sug- gest I may have been responsi- ble for a shoulder glancing shot on the target. Truth be told, I had seen little plumes of dust kicking up next to the target. When others in the group asked me how the shooting went, I vaguely implied that I had got in some good shots. But the next day, when we had the option of going to fire sniper rifles, I begged off, saying a 7am wake-up call was too early. A massage helped me get over the stress of being such a poor shot. I sealed my fate to wander the earth as a Zeta male, the lowest rung on the ladder of manliness. McQueen would have turned in his grave at the sight of me. ● Wilson was a guest of Leobo Private Reserve. w ilsonn @ bdliv e . co . z a SMALL BUSINESS Tiffany Leigh T he mission: Hit five coun- try pubs in one day, scat- tered across the stunning greenscape of southeast Queensland, Australia. The closest are 60km apart. How to accomplish it? By heli- copter, of course. This is the decadent reality conceived by Pterodactyl Heli- copters, a company based in Ipswich, whose aim is to pam- per guests with an unforgettable sightseeing experience and drinking adventure all at once. It is the perfect time to go, because serious microbrew- eries are popping up all over the region. And who wants to drive? A basic tour begins at about 9am when Captain Mike Jarvis, a seasoned pilot with some 35 years’ flying under his belt, picks parties of up to three people up at their hotel (or home, if the yard is big enough). His Robinson R44 will soar up to 5,000m and head towards Taste of Aussie microbreweries on tailored helicopter trips the Scenic Rim Region for the first of three pubs and two breweries that will be visited in seven hours. As Jarvis explains: “I’ve been doing this forever; I’m no spring chicken, but every time we lift off, it’s a bloody awe- some experience.” Before putting on beer gog- gles, pull out the binoculars: Jarvis will point out notable sights, including the mountains of the rim and the volcanic peak Tamborine Mountain. Visible on the flight are Lock- yer Valley, an area rich in fertile farmland; and the oldest man- made overpass in Queensland: Dickabram Bridge, built in 1886 and located in the town of Miva. If Jarvis sweeps low, walla- bies and kangaroos can be spotted. Koalas are tough to see from the air. “[Spottings of] koalas are rare because they’re typically private and quiet guys,” Jarvis says. And if drinking is not the top priority, because, say, more than two-thirds of the region’s famed Great Barrier Reef has been bleached of its colour by rising sea temperatures, take a moment from supporting the local small-business economy to soar over the aquatic marvel and gain knowledge about the changes first-hand. “We’re all about customisa- tion,” says Jarvis. “So, if there is something of importance for you to experience and learn about, we’ll make your priority our priority.” The establishments that can be visited are scattered from the border of New South Wales, west to Selwyn Range, east to the glimmering Coral Sea and north to the towering Glass House Mountains. They are all included on the tour (or similar drinking outposts — the list rotates), as well as a lunch with locally sourced ingredients in scenic Harrisville. “The list is always changing because we want to showcase all the talented microbreweries that have popped up in the last couple of years. Mates here are taking their beer very seriously these days — from the traditional to the experimental [think carrot beer],” Jarvis says. The Dugandan Hotel to which Jarvis flies tourists in the town of Boonah is considered one of the oldest in southeast Queensland. “The Dugie” has served up thirst-quenching suds to coal miners and railway workers, but nowadays it is contentedly offering tourists and locals a pint or three. The Royal Hotel Harrisville is more than 150 years old. The allegedly haunted “house” is supposedly frequented by a shadowy female figure who roams the pub’s kitchen at night. But worry not, heli-based visi- tors will be drinking in the reas- suring comfort of daylight. The Scenic Rim Brewery is a family-run brewery that prides itself on locally sourced ingre- dients. Its Fat Man Maroon Ale is a palate-pleasing brew with a slightly bitter finish. The Bearded Dragon pub does not only offer accommo- dation. It is located on 44ha of farm and bushland and boasts skyline vistas of Tamborine Mountain. More importantly, its pub offers 15 beers on tap. While visiting this watering hole, try the Beard on Beard, its own in-house creation; as an Australian pale ale, it offers easy sipping with notes of grapefruit, passion fruit and a delicate hoppy finish. Four Hearts Brewing Pump- yard Bar & Brewery, typically reserved as the finale of the tour, is a local microbrewery located in a 100-year-old tech- nical college. It was also the original site for the supply of water to the City of Ipswich — hence the name. It has nine different beers, but since the rule with Pterodactyl Helicopters is one pint per loca- tion, opt for the Ipswich Chal- lenger — a bronze medal winner in the 2016 Australian Interna- tional Beer Awards. It is a light ale with a crisp vibrancy and notes of mandarin, green tea and warm spices. Those who are thirsty for more need only book about a month in advance with Captain Jarvis, who will craft a person- alised itinerary. /Bloomberg Day-tripping: Guests are treated to a helicopter sightseeing experience and drinking adventure in one. /Su pplied THE PLAYGROUND IS AIMED AT CORPORATES OFFERING STAFF INCENTIVES AND TEAM BUILDING For the less adventurous who prefer to lounge around, there are massages, heated swimming pools, a Jacuzzi and a sauna. The Ultimate Playground is aimed at corporates offering staff incentives and team build- ing. Families and groups of friends who crave an adrenaline-fuelled getaway with a difference are also welcome. Leobo Private Reserve is the brainchild of UK IT entrepreneur Rory Sweet, who initially chose the Leobo site as a Two speeds: Star-gazing is a special treat after the sun goes down at Leobo Private Reserve, top left, while during the day there is shooting at the gun range, above, or lazing by the pool, right. /Su pplied
Transcript of 19 04 17 01 01bd1904 AL 8 - Leobo Private Reserve€¦ · family-run brewery that prides itself on...
Page 8 19/04/17 01 01bd1904 booita 11:25:08 AM 09/05/17
ART ● ENTERTAINMENT ● BOOKS ● STYLE ● ARCHITECTURE ● LATERAL THINKERS ● TRAVEL ● HEALTH ● LEISURE ● FO OD
8BusinessDay www.businessday.co.za Wednesday 19 April 201 7
LI FEWhere wild fantasies come alive• The UltimatePl a y g r o u n doffers visitors achance to testthemselves
Nick Wilson
It felt like we had beeninserted into a scene fromFrancis Ford Coppola’sApocalypse Now as weheard the whirring rotor
blades coming from a fair dis-tance behind us. It wasn’t longbefore we caught a glimpse ofthe helicopter and saw its gun-ners, who were baying for blood— our blood.
I had always prided myselfon being a rugged South Africanmale full of derring-do. I grewup in Uitenhage, SA’s Detroit, sosurely was deserving of somesort of manliness medal. I hadeven visited Despatch a coupleof times and been on the receiv-ing end of a number of beatings.
Do e s n ’t being a journalistautomatically make yourugged? I have earned mystripes and have always secretlyhoped for the grudging respectof my idol, legendary tough guyactor Steve McQueen, had hestill been alive.
Surely, I would be preparedfor anything out in the wild? Butmy skin was crawling and I hadan anxious knot in the pit of mystomach. What in the world hadI let myself in for?
It was only a paintball gamebeing played by journalists andtour operators. How painfulcould it be? Quite. Especiallywhen the paintballs are beingfired at you from a helicopterand you have to try to evadebeing shot while racing aroundon a quad bike.
My trepidation gave way toexcitement as the game pro-gressed and soon I was confi-dently speeding about on thequad bike yelping every nowand again as a paintball hit me.
The biggest thrill was whenwe swapped roles and I wasafforded the opportunity tobecome the hunter in the heli-copter (minus its doors), a i m i ngmy paintball gun spitefully,while remembering some of themore painful hits I had received.Unfortunately, I am a terribleshot and only managed a coupleof feeble hits.
The luxury Leobo PrivateReserve, situated on an 8,000haestate in the Waterberg area ofLimpopo, is the only place inSA — and very likely the world —where Heli Paintballing canbe played.
It is one of the extremeadventure activities offered
under the reserve’s recentlylaunched brand, Ultimate Play-ground. Other activities includeskydiving from helicopters, 50-calibre BMG target-shooting andtactical military simulations withassault rifles.
Guests can go on safari onquad bikes. Traditional gamedrives are also on offer to seehippo, giraffe, plains game, buf-falo and le o p a r d . There is also alone crocodile called Stevie onthe property.
home for his family when theyvisited SA each year. Sweet,who is renowned for his devil-may-care adventurer’s spirit,was a member of the team thatwon the Scott Dunn Polar Chal-lenge in 2005 — a 563km raceacross the Arctic Circle to themagnetic North Pole.
Leobo has been commercial-ly available since 2012. It con-sists of Leobo Lodge — w h ic hincludes eight one-bedroomluxury chalets and a two-bed-room family chalet — and theObservatory, which serves asthe Sweet family’s private housewhen they are in the countryand which accommodates sixadults and three children.
What gives The Observatoryits charm is the fact that Sweet’seccentricities can be seeneverywhere. His love ofastronomy is a main feature ofthe residence, with a beautifuldome that houses the astro-nomical observatory.
Guests can book a lecturewith fascinating physicist andastronomer Dr Phil Calcot, wholives in the Waterberg, todescribe the heavens above.
Underneath the dome is adouble-storey library with anopen fireplace. Designed byaward-winning architects SilvioRech and Lesley Carstens, thesumptuous Observatory prop-erty includes some unusual arti-facts including an old disarmed
AK-47 transformed into a pieceof art, a wallet made of hu m a nskin and a real human skull.
Sw e et ’s humour and sense offun is immediately apparent asyou enter Leobo. The entrancehas a large sign hilariouslywarning of the terrible fates(including pictures) awaitingwould-be trespassers. Not onlywill you face death from hippo,crocodile, snake, shooting,drowning and lethal injection,but you will be liable for pros-ecution afterwards.
Guests at Leobo dictate theschedule, choosing each daywhat they want to do. That couldmean lazing around the swim-ming pool, flinging themselvesout of a chopper or honing theirshooting skills at the gun range.
I was found wanting with a9mm pistol on the range. I ner -vously waited my turn to shoot,listening intently to Leobo oper-ational manager Tom Stewartexplain the safety procedures.
Our group consisted mostlyof women and I watched as oneafter another they fired off fan-tastic shots, hitting key areas ofthe human silhouette target.When it was my turn, my mouthwas dry and my knees felt a littleweak. Other than firing a pelletgun at tin cans in my folks’ backgarden, I had never fired a realgun in my life.
Boom! The first shot rang outloudly. Even with i ndu s t r i a l
strength ear plugs, the sound ofa gun is loud and unmistakable.Second shot. Then the third shotand fourth.
I walked over to survey thedamage. I have 20-20 vision, sosurely I must have got in somegreat shots, I thought as wepored over the target looking formy bullet holes. There didn’t
seem to be any. Then St ew a r tpointed out one hole on thepaper, way off from the silhou-ette. He was kind enough to sug-gest I may have been responsi-ble for a shoulder glancing shoton the target. Truth be told, I hadseen little plumes of dust kickingup next to the target.
When others in the group
asked me how the shootingwent, I vaguely implied that Ihad got in some good shots. Bu tthe next day, when we had theoption of going to fire s n ip e rrifles, I begged off, saying a 7amwake-up call was too early.
A massage helped me getover the stress of being such apoor shot. I sealed my fate to
wander the earth as a Zeta male,the lowest rung on the ladder ofmanliness. McQueen wouldhave turned in his grave at thesight of me.
● Wilson was a guest of Le o b oPrivate Reserve.
w ilsonn @ bdliv e . co . z a
SMALL BUSINESS
Tiffany Leigh
The mission: Hit five coun-try pubs in one day, scat-tered across the stunning
greenscape of southeastQueensland, Australia.
The closest are 60km apart.How to accomplish it? By heli-copter, of course.
This is the decadent realityconceived by Pterodactyl Heli-copters, a company based inIpswich, whose aim is to pam-per guests with an unforgettablesightseeing experience anddrinking adventure all at once.
It is the perfect time to go,because serious microbrew-eries are popping up all overthe region.
And who wants to drive?A basic tour begins at about
9am when Captain Mike Jarvis,a seasoned pilot with some 35years’ flying under his belt, picksparties of up to three people upat their hotel (or home, if theyard is big enough).
His Robinson R44 will soarup to 5,000m and head towards
Taste of Aussie microbreweries on tailored helicopter tripsthe Scenic Rim Region for thefirst of three pubs and twobreweries that will be visited inseven hours.
As Jarvis explains: “I’ve beendoing this forever; I’m nospring chicken, but everytime we lift off, it’s a bloody awe-some experience.”
Before putting on beer gog-gles, pull out the bi no c u l a r s :Jarvis will point out notablesights, including the mountainsof the rim and the volcanic peakTa m b o r i ne Mo u nt a i n .
Visible on the flight are Lock -yer Valley, an area rich in fertilef a r m l a nd ; and the oldest man-made overpass in Queensland:Dickabram Bridge, built in 1886and located in the town of Miva.
If Jarvis sweeps low, walla -bies and kangaroos can bespotted. Koalas are tough to seefrom the air.
“[Spottings of] koalas are rarebecause they’re typically privateand quiet guys,” Jarvis says.
And if drinking is not the toppriority, because, say, more thantwo-thirds of the region’s famed
Great Barrier Reef has beenbleached of its colour by risingsea temperatures, take amoment from supporting thelocal small-business economyto soar over the aquatic marveland gain knowledge about thechanges first-hand.
“We ’re all about customisa-
t io n ,” says Jarvis. “So, if there issomething of importance foryou to experience and learnabout, w e’ll make your priorityour priority.”
The establishments that canbe visited are scattered from theborder of New South Wales,west to Selwyn Range, east to
the glimmering Coral Sea a ndnorth to the towering GlassHouse Mountains. They are allincluded on the tour (or similardrinking outposts — the listrotates), as well as a lunch withlo c a l ly sourced ingredients inscenic Harrisville.
“The list is always changing
because we want to showcaseall the talented microbreweriesthat have popped up in the lastcouple of years. Mates here aretaking their beer very seriouslythese days — from the traditionalto the experimental [t h i n k carrotbeer],” Jarvis says.
The Dugandan Hotel to
which Jarvis flies tourists in thetown of Boonah is consideredone of the oldest in southeastQueensland. “The Dugie” hasserved up thirst-quenching sudsto coal miners and railwayworkers, but nowadays it iscontentedly offering tourists andlocals a pint or three.
The Royal Hotel Harrisville ismore than 150 years old. Theallegedly haunted “ho u s e” issupposedly frequented by ashadowy female figure whoroams the pub’s kitchen at night.But worry not, heli-based visi-tors will be drinking in the reas-suring comfort of daylight.
The Scenic Rim Brewery is afamily-run brewery that pridesitself on locally sourced ingre-dients. Its Fat Man Maroon Ale isa palate-pleasing brew with aslightly bitter finish.
The Bearded Dragon pubdoes not only offer accommo-dation. It is located on 44ha offarm and bushland and boastsskyline vistas of TamborineMountain. More importantly, itspub offers 15 beers on tap.
While visiting this wateringhole, try the Beard on Beard, itsown in-house creation; as anAustralian pale ale, it offers easysipping with notes of grapefruit,passion fruit and a delicatehoppy finish.
Four Hearts Brewing Pump-yard Bar & Brewery, typicallyreserved as the finale of thetour, is a local microbrewerylocated in a 100-year-old tech-nical college. It was also theoriginal site for the supply ofwater to the City of Ipswich —hence the name.
It has nine different beers, butsince the rule with PterodactylHelicopters is one pint per loca-tion, opt for the Ipswich Chal-lenger — a bronze medal winnerin the 2016 Australian Interna-tional Beer Awards. It is a lightale with a crisp vibrancy andnotes of mandarin, green tea andwarm spices.
Those who are thirsty formo r e need only book about amonth in advance with CaptainJarvis, who will craft a person-alised itinerary. /Bl o o m b e rg
Day -tripping :Guests aretreated to ah e l i co pte rs i g htse e i n gex perienceand drinkingadventure inone. /Su pplied
THE PLAYGROUND ISAIMED ATCO RP O RATESOFFERING STAFFINCENTIVES ANDTEAM BUILDING
For the less adventurouswho prefer to lounge around,there are massages, he at e dswimming pools, a Jacuzzi anda sauna.
The Ultimate Playground isaimed at corporates o f fe r i ngstaff incentives and team build-i ng . Families and groups offriends who crave anadrenaline-fuelled getaway witha difference are also welcome.
Leobo Private Reserve is thebrainchild of UK ITentrepreneur Rory Sweet, whoinitially chose the Leobo site as a
Two speeds:Star-gazing isa special treatafter the sungoes down atLeobo PrivateReserve, topleft, whileduring theday there isshooting atthe gunrange, above,or lazing bythe pool, right./Su pplied
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