5 to 8 September - the Zimbabwean Highlands of Nyanga

We left Harare mid morning on Monday 5 September bound for Nyanga in the Zimbabwean Highlands, a high altitude area situated some 200 miles to the south east of Harare near the border with Mozambique.  Until 10 years ago, Nyanga was the focal point in Zimbabwe for the production of temperate fruits like apples pears, strawberries and the like.  Some of the fruit farms still exist but the intensity of production has dropped notably since the farm invasions of the last few years and the resultant loss of white ownership and management.  The countryside around Nyanga is very different to that of other parts of Zimbabwe.  At times, was it not for the dryness of the African winter here, one might almost imagine one is in Scotland during the summer.  High hills, dense woodland and sparkling streams that cascade down mountainsides lend credibility to this perception. 

After a 5 hour drive we entered Nyanga National Park and my altimeter began to register nearly 7000 feet.  We could see Mount Inyangani in the distance – Zimbabwe’s highest mountain - rising to over 8000 feet.  I had climbed it once but now, in my mid sixties, think perhaps I will not try it again!  I remember some twenty years ago that the locals regarded it as a treacherous mountain.  The climb is deceptively easy but mists can swirl in quickly and the cliffs along its sides mean unwary climbers without a compass and map can easily fall to their deaths in the poor visibility.  I am not up to date with records around here now but I seem to remember that seven or more people have done just that in the last 30 years or so.

We were bound for the Gaerezi River where Russell Taylor likes to fish for trout.  He is a trustee of the Gaerezi Fishing Club, set up by a group of whites in early 2000 who have built, with permission of the local headmen and financial help from USAID, two spartan but comfortable fishing lodges on the river banks. 

These lodges are rented out to club members for fishing holidays.  The rent received is used to maintain the lodges and employ several locals to look after them.  All remaining profits go back to the local community.  Last year this amounted to some £5000 and the local headmen usually decide to spend it on fertiliser and maize seed for the next year’s crops.  It is a good arrangement as all benefit from the deal.  

The weather is much cooler here than elsewhere in the country.  The night temperatures can fall to as low as 2 degrees Centigrade and winter frosts are not unusual (we had both last night!) but they usually then bounce back to the mid twenties by noon.  Heavy mists shroud the surrounding hills at dawn but the sun quickly drives these away and the air is then crisp and very clear. In the summer months (we are here in winter) heavy rainfall regularly takes place and it is not unusual for up to 300mm of rain to fall over several days.

Once upon a time, this area had little human habitation due to the rocky granite substrate and resultant erosion of good soil, but some terracing is still in existence and the odd primitive fort show signs of early settlement. The area once consisted of open grassland with some sparse indigenous woodland by the many streams that abound the area but early European settlers took advantage of the climate to introduce pine and gum tree plantations so much of Nyanga is now heavily wooded.  Straight limbed trees do not grow naturally in this part of Africa and the Australian gum and the inevitable pine were planted extensively to produce straight poles for building and mining work. 

Fruit trees were also introduced at a later stage to provide temperate fruits for eating and jam making.  Trout were first introduced into the local streams in 1905 but it was not until the 1930s that serious attempts were made to populate them.  Then, in the 1950s, a series of lakes and a trout breeding farm were formed, making this area a popular fishing retreat from the heat of the Zimbabwean plains. 

Wild life is comparatively sparse these days and consists mainly of plains game: bush buck, antelope, kudu and to a lesser extent, waterbuck. I hear that there is still a large but secretive population of leopard in the hills and occasional groups of lion and buffalo still transit the area from the lowlands of Mozambique: buffalo apparently were numerous here once but rinderpest greatly reduced their numbers.  The bird life is wonderful.  The legend is that the name Nyanga (an abbreviation of the Shona word for swallow) comes from the abundance of birds that occupy the area.  There are no crocodiles at this altitude but three species of cobra, pythons, the green mamba, the berg adder and the lethargic but lethal gaboon viper can be found in the area and the local fishing book advises walkers to wear tough high sided boots to reduce the risk of snake bites - not quite what one might expect to find in Scotland!

We return to Harare today (Thursday 8 September) to pack and then depart tomorrow for Mana Pools in the Zambezi Valley where we will take part in the annual game count, but more of that in my next blog which I hope to write when I reach Zambia on or around 13 September.