ACTIVITIES
WALKING
One misses so much of the noises and smells of the bush if you never walk in the wilds of Africa. The crunch of dried grass underfoot, the different types of rock and the scent of flowering acacias as well as footprints and seeds and insects; all the smaller things. This is a lovely place to walk, setting off in the early morning with a Masai guide whose keen eyes are always quick to spot a new bird or a tiny dwarf mongoose, as well as a herd of elephant or giraffe. Even at the driest times there will be some game about and when things are at their best we can have several herds of elephant passing through, numbering as many as a hundred at a time. Their favourite way to get by the mid-day heat is a bit of underwater swimming in the bigger dams.
RIDING
Getting up close on horseback to a giraffe; so close you can count its eye lashes, can’t fail to produce a bit of a thrill. Cantering along beside a whole herd of giraffe is even better. With bigger groups we can usually get closer to wild animals on a horse than on foot. But sometimes one gets rather closer than one wants, and even the quietest of our horses may take exception to a full frontal charge from a cross old cow elephant! A strong seat is useful. Half-day rides usually take us off to the west where, by arrangement with our immediate neighbours, we have their thousands of acres to explore. This is mostly good fast, open, stone-free riding country with a great amount of game and lots of canters. By mid-morning one is more than ready for a delicious picnic under a shady tree. For shorter rides we usually set out a bit earlier, in the cool of the morning, riding mostly on our own land where we can canter along one of the sandy river beds and take the horses swimming in a dam before returning for breakfast.
GAME DRIVES
We don’t do many game drives here, but some short morning jaunts by car can usually offer interesting wildlife sightings. There are also some huge dry river beds to the north for a picnic lunch and to and explore in the cool of the afternoon or a spot to watch the sun sink slowly down with a large gin and tonic in hand.
SWIMMING
Conventional swimming pools are not yet a feature of Rocky Hollow, but we do have some fabulous huge rock catchment dams that, after good rain, will offer a perfect spot to swim and cool down in.
CROQUET
Fiercely competitive; make sure your eye is on the ball and don’t let the gambling stakes get too high. The croquet lawn, often resembling more a croquet crisp, is at the centre of things.
BOULES
An alternative to croquet, played with a French accent, and the lugga boule in the sandy river bed adds a new dimension with not much forward movement of the ball – so you must have your eye in and distances worked out.