The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands is renowned for its tranquil surroundings, which often provide a welcome respite from the hectic city environment.  It is here, just outside the small village of Rosetta, that Tamakwa Country Lodge quietly rests overlooking the majestic Drakensberg.

The Mooi River winds its way through Rosetta alongside the R103, and the numerous local smallholdings. Rosetta was an integral part of the colonial farm-pioneering boom of the mid to late 1800s, famed for its clear air and perfect climate. The town’s future looked more secure in 1895 when Natal authorities built the Meshlyn   Bridge and it finally secured a place on the map a year later with construction of its still - standing hotel.

The story begins in 1999 when the current owners, Adrian and Wendy Wilson, were finalising their plans to emigrate to the United Kingdom.  At the last moment, things fell through, for reasons we need not elaborate on here (a two bottle of wine story!).  Suffice it to say however that it was a major low point in the Wilson household. 

Having sold their house as part of the arrangements for emigrating, it was now necessary to relocate and with all the other uncertainties at the time, it was decided to rent a place in Hilton.  Having also sold her business, Wendy was able to take the lead in these arrangements.  The good news was that Adrian was able to secure work from the outset and within a few months was able to pick up a major appointment for work in the Eastern Cape. On the negative side however the stay in Hilton proved to be a minor disaster, with rats in the ceiling, burglaries and violent dogs being part of a series of misadventures.

By March/April 2000, Adrian had what appeared to be a reasonably secure income stream and Wendy was keen to look for a permanent home.  It was clear that Adrian ’s career was going to involve a fair amount of travel (If you don’t like travel, don’t become a consultant) and thus the logic became; if you have to travel, why not live in a beautiful place?  Both Wendy and Adrian had both been lovers and admirers of the Midlands Meander area for several years and thus the search focused on the Meander area.  Since Adrian had to spend most of his time on the road, Wendy took the lead in terms of looking for properties.  A number of interesting possibilities were found in different parts of the Meander but each of them had significant pros and cons.  One day Adrian was working in the Eastern Cape and received an excited phone call from Wendy that she had found an amazing place but, as is often the case, it was a bit outside of their price range.  As soon as was practical, a second visit was arranged with Adrian in tow, to visit Tamakwa Country Lodge at Rosetta.  The property had a somewhat unfortunate history in that the previous owner had run into financial difficulties but the assets on the property and its general potential were both absolutely superb.

The rest, as they say in the classics, is history.  An offer was made for the property which was ultimately accepted and Adrian and Wendy moved in on the 1^st of June 2000 .  Wendy was keen for a new business challenge and was interested in the hospitality industry and a bed and breakfast in particular. Tamakwa had ample potential for that.  Wendy threw herself into the business and with a huge amount of work from herself and supporting staff, the Lodge was open for business at the end of June, offering self-catering accommodation in Bergview and Lavender Cottage and bed and breakfast accommodation in Burberry Cottage.  Right from the start, Wendy was very passionate about the business and set exceptionally high standards.  A direct result from this was the four star grading achieved in 2003 and maintained ever since that time.

By the end of 2003, based on the success that had been achieved thus far and also hoping to access a subsidy scheme from the Department of Trade and Industries, Wendy and Adrian decided to renovate a derelict old farmhouse on the property.  After much consideration of the best means of optimising the existing structure, it was eventually decided to convert it into 4 suites, two bed and breakfast and two self catering.  This brought the capacity of the lodge to 20 beds. 

A feature of Tamakwa and a passion for Wendy, is the beautiful gardens surrounding the main house and all of the cottages.  These are lovingly tended by Wendy and her staff and feature over 300 rose bushes including such favourites as Antique Silk, Just Joey, My Granny and Burgundy Iceberg.  The gardens at Tamakwa have also been featured previously in the Natal   Witness   Open   Gardens programme.