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Monday, January 12, 2015

Chapungu Safaris


: Chapungu Safaris [mailto:info@chapungusafaris.co.zw]


GACHE GACHE LODGE & ANTI-POACHING NEWSLETTER

 

GACHE GACHE LODGE would like to wish all readers, guests and fishermen a wonderful 2015 and thank all the fishermen who did come in and give a donation to our ANTI-POACHING project over the festive Season, whilst enjoying the fishing. As you know it is an ongoing, thankless task, and also dangerous. The high costs are there no matter whether donations come in or not and we often fork out of our own pockets towards the cause. It is unquestionably the best fishing on the lake at this time, and we are happy to hear that the Ume, Sanyati and Matusadonna fishing is improving due to the tireless efforts of MAPP. Well done to MAPP! The return of the Vundu and other species are doing well. We have encountered some unknown species too… if anyone knows what this fish is please let us know!! (see pic below).

We like to think that those fishermen who DO fish in the Gache, but DON’T come in to make their donation, are actually unaware of our request to please support the team by doing this… Unfortunately there are those faces we see often, that DO know about it, but NEVER come in to make any kind of donation.  We find that sad, and hope that when they read this, they will next time make the effort to support this worthy cause.

IF there's a reason for not donating that anyone would like us to know about, please contact Ray on chapunguray@gmail.com or 0772245172 and let’s chat about it. ALSO please make a note of Rays number and if you see any suspicious behaviour in the Gache whilst fishing can you alert him. Many thanks. 

 

National Parks limit per person per day on a bream catch is only 5 remember… We practice catch & release in the Gache Gache with Tiger fish and Vundu.  I know everyone went crazy catching at Antelope recently when the cages broke… people were bragging about catching as many as 173 ‘big ones' in a day...

 

We would like to ask those with their own boats to consider the environment when driving past the lodge by not speeding.  The wake is causing serious erosion of the banks and we are in danger of losing many many trees now due to this. SO… please make it a ‘NO WAKE ZONE’.  Also, a reminder once more, to please not park directly in front of our chalets when fishing! have some consideration for our residents. Each chalet looks onto the river and they certainly don’t want to see you sitting there fishing! Thank you.

 

Right now we are in dire need of a 30hp tiller-arm boat motor if anyone has one sitting in their garage not being used, for the anti-poaching team’s boat as finally our old faithful has packed up! 

 

IF YOU ARE BENEFITTING FROM OUR ANTI-POACHING PROJECT PLEASE MAKE A DONATION, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!! (Contact Pat for bank details: info@chapungusafaris.co.zw or 0772264159).

 

Thank you to our regular sponsors: TREK PETROLEUM; F.NEILL & SONS; KEFALOS; FF CLUB and to all those who make once off donations in cash or kind. Without you we could not go on, the struggle continues!

 

CROC UPDATE

Once again, we had to warn several people to keep back from the water’s edge, as they were getting comfortable fishing from the bank opposite the lodge… they didn’t actually take any heed, but at least we warned them. I just wonder why they do it, especially once made aware of the dangers… ( !!!! )

We get so many people asking us what’s being done about the increased croc population in the lake… we say that the crocs have increased in Gache Gache as the fish population has increased (due to our anti-poaching), and that the crocs from other rivers (Nyaodza & Charara) have pulled in, to take advantage of the food, which also includes small buck etc. on the land, as in other areas those too have been poached out.

The answer therefore is simply to do MORE VERY SERIOUS ANTI-POACHING IN CHARARA AND NYAODZA RIVERS which will bring back the fish, and then the crocs will spread out once more.   In the meantime, just be careful and sensible. Its not rocket science!! We don’t recommend fishing from a bass boat for example, or leaning over to wash your hands, or keeping the keep net full of fish in the water etc.etc.  

 

GACHE GACHE WILDERNESS AREA

How wonderful is it that we can take a game drive and see Elephant, Buffalo, Eland, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Warthogs, Impala & Wild Dogs, when before 2010, before our anti-poaching project began, there was NO GAME AT ALL in the area? !!  Now and again we are privileged to also see lion & leopard. The lions killed a Waterbuck very close to the lodge a couple of weeks ago and about a month before that we heard them roaring from our dining room! Thanks Ray for all your hard work in this regard.

The BIRDLIFE is prolific… a well travelled birder told us that in her opinion, Gache Gache is on a par with Chobe’s finest bird-rich wetlands! A huge compliment! So if you are an enthusiast, you know where to go!

Our ‘Bird Island’ is something very special to see during nesting season around dusk. Put it on your bucket list! 

 

SPECIALS FOR 2015

Keen fisherman? Love Kariba? Enjoy great weather? Want to know how to come regularly to Gache Gache Lodge AND get a discount every single time? and on occasion pay less than 30% ???

Contact 0772264159 and learn "how to”… 

 

LIKE OUR GACHE GACHE LODGE FACEBOOK PAGE to get regular updates… and see the beautiful photos we put up regularly of the area, wildlife & birds…


 

LIKE OUR ANTI-POACHING FACEBOOK PAGE to get regular updates… and see how the team has been working.


 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.gachegachelodge.com 

 

NOTE: WE ARE NOT IN KARIBA TOWN,  BUT WE ARE ACROSS THE LAKE IN THE EASTERN BASIN (Part of the Matusadona range of mountains!) You can get to us by SPEEDBOAT; SELF-DRIVE in 4x4; or PRIVATE CHARTER to our airstrip (1000m).  All GPS co-ordinates are on our website and so are our self-drive directions.  We have a camp-site for those 4x4 enthusiasts en route from Vic Falls to Mana Pools on the backroads. Please pre-book.

We welcome guests for lunch but request that you pre-book by calling Eliot Mangwiro on 0775 696619.

 

We are closed until the 15th January, 2015 when we will re-open again with a SPECIAL OFFER of only $116pppn… includes 3 meals, teas, laundry, VAT & levy !! 

Book now! Reservations:  gache@chapungusafaris.co.zw or call 0772208836 now!

 

To end off this famous quote sums it all up!    'It’s better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times!’  So pack your bags and just do this!

 

 

 


 

Kind Regards
Pat 


 

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