Kurisa Moya Eco Lodge

This farmland is so unique and special there is no one that could describe this amazing place like its current owner. Have a read and see how amazing this piece of land is and its amazing history connected to it. A truly fascinating property and honour to be marketing this amazing piece of land.
Kurisa Moya Eco Lodge
I’ve often been asked what it is that makes Kurisa Moya so special. I usually give a short answer that involves something about the beautiful nature and solitude of the place, but never get properly into explaining what it is that makes this 422-hectare patch of our planet so remarkable. I was asked again recently, to highlight what makes Kurisa Moya special. This is an attempt to identify some of the things that make Kurisa Moya such an exceptional place. There are specific features of the property both past and present which make it unique. In my opinion, having been involved with the property for the past 24 years or so, this is what makes Kurisa Moya a place like no other.
Background Information
Kurisa Moya is part of the original Sterkloop Farm. It is located predominantly on a west-facing slope of the northern Drakensberg escarpment in Limpopo. The lower parts of the property are at an altitude of about 1 420 m and the highest point is about 1 890 m above sea-level. This range in altitude, together with the largest slopes on the property facing either west, south or north, gives the property a number of very diverse natural habitats. These range from dry thornveld savanna on the north-facing slopes, grassland on the lower west-facing slopes to lush Afromontane forest on the upper west-facing slopes. This diversity of natural habitats brings with it an amazing diversity of flora and fauna. The Kudu’s River originates on Kurisa Moya in the form of a variety of mountain springs. Over the millennia the river has carved an impressive valley in the escarpment mountains. From various vantage points on Kurisa Moya spectacular views stretch across the valley towards the north and north-east.
In the 1890s wood cutters descended on the area known today as Woodbush (Houtbos) and ruthlessly harvested most of the ancient giant trees of the forest. The tract of forest on Kurisa Moya was not spared this fate. Many of the accessible mature hardwood trees were harvested and cut into planks before being sent to Pietersburg (now Polokwane) and Pretoria to be sold. During this brief wood cutting frenzy, the settlement of Houtbosdorp thrived. Of course today, all that is left at the Houtbosdorp site is a general dealer store. There is, however, still evidence of pits in the forest that were dug as part of the “pitsaw” method to cut logs into planks. Some of the long saws have also been found and now hang on the dining room wall of the farmhouse. In the 130 years since the woodcutters came and went, the surviving trees in the forest have established themselves as the new giants and provide an awesome habitat for the indigenous fauna.
Sterkloop farm became a base for Lionel Phillips (Chairman of the Chamber of Mines), who owned large tracts of land in the area. The land was used to graze cattle. Phillips brought a large team of local labourers to the farm to build roads, clear fields and develop terraces. Florence Phillips, Lionel’s wife planted trees wherever she went including an avenue of English Oaks along the original access road from Houtbosdorp to the farm on the lower reaches of the property. Lionel Phillips was a man of influence and there are photographs of him with General Jan Smuts on the passage wall of the farmhouse. The farmhouse itself was built by Phillips in 1936. The house was built on a foundation large rock blocks hewn in the area. It originally had a thatch roof, but subsequent owners changed it to corrugated iron sheeting. After Phillips, the property was owned by various colourful individuals including a German SS officer who seemingly avoided post-war prosecution by escaping to South Africa. In 1999 we acquired the property from Mr Anderson. The property had not been permanently inhabited for more than 20 years by then and so a process of renovating the farmhouse and other buildings was undertaken. Within a year or two Kuris Moya opened its doors as Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge and operated as an eco-lodge for the next 16 years or so.
Exceptional Birds and Wildlife
It is virtually unheard of to have the diversity of habitats that exist on the 422 hectares of Kurisa Moya. This incredible diversity results in a range of species that is arguably unrivalled across any similarly sized tracts of land anywhere in the country. For example, we have Cape Batis, an Afromontane forest bird right alongside the Chinspot Batis which is common in the drier savanna woodland areas. Another example is the Knysna Turaco being found in the same valley as the Purple-crested Turaco. The Knysna Turaco in the forest and the Purple-crested Turaco in the riverine lower reaches of the property. The bush-shrikes are also amazingly represented on the property. There are Grey-headed, Gorgeous, Orange-breasted, Olive and Black-fronted bush-shrikes on the property. Some birders (twitchers) will travel halfway across the globe to come to Kurisa Moya to see specials like Green Twinspots, White-starred Robins, Narina Trogons, Cape Parrots, Yellow-streaked Greenbuls, Crowned Eagles, Scaly-throated Honeyguides, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers and many more.
In addition to the diversity of avifauna there are also very interesting mammal species on the property. It is very unusual to see Sykes’ (Samango) monkeys and Vervet monkeys living alongside each other, but not so on Kurisa Moya. Other animals common to the property include: bushbuck, kudu, baboons, civet, genet, caracal, bushpigs, porcupine, reedbuck and even leopard.
The Kurisa Moya Forest
Kurisa Moya has intriguing history and magnificent scenery, it is spectacularly located, but its standout feature is its awe inspiring indigenous forest. Walking on a bed of moist forest leaf litter amongst giant moss-covered ancient trees with the gentle sound of running water humbles one. Stepping into the forest, out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and into a world seemingly unaffected by anything but the natural elements is liberating. It frees the spirit and nurtures the soul. It is a truly profound experience to spend time in this ancient world. In addition to all that Kurisa Moya is, the forest is its jewel. It has huge trees, lush ferns and a mindboggling variety of mosses and fungi. The birds, insects and animals are just a bonus in this natural wonderland. The true value of Kurisa Moya lies in this indigenous forest. It is a vestige of a fast disappearing world. It is in essence priceless.
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