A new year is like turning a page, a mixture of recollection and expectation. One always hopes the story is just going to get better, and I think it invariably does, if only because the bad recollections fade away quietly.

At Verlorenkloof, our 2010 year began on a really wet note.
The heavens opened and although we had to contend with 359 mm of rain in January alone, we are really grateful – the total rainfall this season is now over 1150 mm and this portends well for the winter to come.  Verlorenkloof has never looked more beautiful.  Winter has warned us and we took out our jerseys and started selling wood in earnest last week for the first time.

In the middle of March we were overjoyed to finally move into the new lodge building with our reception, offices, the storerooms and the laundry.  Almost from the first day, the resident owners started visiting the building and many a cup of coffee was enjoyed while scaffolding was moved around and painters and builders fussed around their heads.

Faith and her staff settled themselves into their spanking new kitchen in November and she immediately started offering coffee and cakes every day. Foodspace now has it’s own space. From the end of March Faith offered lunches on Saturdays and brunches on Sundays and it is wonderful to see our new young keen staff rising to the challenge of the new job on hand.

We love the new space that we are working in – so different from the old farm house.  The open plan offices are a bit of an adjustment, but we are wearing in the offices determinedly and we hope they become comfortable like good shoes and adapt to the task at hand.

For many years the farm house served us well – and it continues to do so as the residence for two new faces – but “old” Verlorenklofers, Richard and Marietta Demmer, who joined us in March.  Marietta is our financial manager, having previously manned the office in Pretoria and Richard is the guest experience manager who will keep Verlorenkloof guests’ experience at the top of the agenda.  We are very glad to have them.