STARS IN YOUR EYES

The bright moments at Inverdoorn do not end when the sun goes down. Whether reclining at the poolside or on the terraces atop the luxury chalets and Ambassador Suite there is a whole other world to observe, spread out above. The lack of city lights and pollution, as well as the extreme dark of the Karoo, make for ideal stargazing conditions. The stars come out to play, twinkling and sparkling, as they illuminate the inky blackness. The reserve is situated in one of the world’s best locations for stargazing and there is even a telescope available that may be borrowed for nightly observations in this natural observatory.

After safari drives spent seeking the big five of South Africa, nights can be spent searching the skies for another group; namely, the celestial big five: the brightest star, the closest star, the largest globular cluster, the most beautiful open cluster and the closest galaxies.  Guests from the northern hemisphere will have a real treat as they will be able to see constellations that they cannot see back home, such as the Southern Cross and Centaurus. Another quirk that northerners can enjoy is seeing Orion in a different way. This constellation can be seen in both hemispheres, but in the southern hemisphere gazers will observe it upside down.

For another type of stargazing all together, it is not unusual to spot both movie and music stars at Inverdoorn. In 2011 German rock band Tokio Hotel made a turn at the lodge and met Banzi and Nushka, two of the Western Cape Cheetah Conservation’s tame cheetahs.  Musical madness continued with the arrival of Sean Kingston, hip hop singer and songwriter, and Banzi enjoyed another opportunity to meet a celebrity and share in the fun of fame. Inverdoorn has also been the location for a music video. British band Coldplay chose to shoot parts of their music video for the song Paradise at the reserve, after their visit. Reggae band The Wailers – created by Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh in 1969 – came to Cape Town to perform at the RhinoProtect Stand Up! Concert. The band made sure that they stopped at the reserve to encounter what they were protecting.

Several renowned actors have visited in order to meet the cheetahs and other animals. Dutch Hollywood cult actor Rutger Hauer, known for his roles in 1980s films such as Blade Runner and Ladyhawke – and more recently in Sin City and a cameo in True Blood – also met the cheetahs during his stay. French actress Ingrid Chauvin has graced the lodge with her luminous presence and rumours abound that Juliette Lewis was spotted only last week. Stars of all kinds really do come out to play – whether by day or by night – but seeing as this is Africa, the biggest stars at Inverdoorn will always be the animals that call it home.