L'Orange Guest House

L'Orange is about change. It provides one with some of the basic elements, which may assist you to change the way you think and the way you do things, to be able to do them differently.

L'Orange one of the oldest houses in Haenertsburg. It was built back in the early 1960s. Karen Boyum (a humanitarian and founder of Thusanang) and two friends, bought the property in 1968. Karen is one of Haenertsburg Village's valuable, ?old stock.? Karen gave us an old photo of L'Orange taken in 1968. The photo shows a rather naked but modest two-bedroom house, situated on a rise, in a field.

L'Orange is, ?next of next door? (a good South African expression) to the ?gold mining hole.? If you take time to explore 100 meters to the east, down Plein Street, the intersection with Goud Street, next door to the Cape Dutch house (built in the 1890s), you will find this Gold hole. L'Orange is perched in an area known as part of the Wolkberg grasslands, which is part of the Great Escarpment.

Back in 2000 the Perkins owned, lived and painted the house. They canvassed village folk before painting the house, a flaming orange colour. The brightest and happiest house in the village. We acquired L'Orange back in January 2013. Village folk had an awful lot to say about the colour once we bought it, some urging us to change and others willing us to keep it as a patch of blazing sunset!

Over almost 60 years many people have come and gone as owners of this house. Various rooms have been added and some changes with the times have been made. Today L'Orange stands proud in the village with three en-suite bedrooms, an open plan kitchen, scullery, dining room and lounge. The old ?servant quarter has been transformed into a cottage and the pool and sauna have also been added.

Being people of modest design, we painted it ?Angles Mud Pie? This was after we engaged the village folk, in various ways, concerning their pet subject, the orange house! We enjoyed the village debate and decided to call it L'Orange. It is well known that many of the people and or families that lived in the house where so-called ?alternative? we have kept up with this tradition. We decided to continue with the theme in the guest house, nothing is the same all things must change!

You will note that many things in the house do not match. Some have been collected many years ago. For instance, the chairs in the dining room were collected over time, all are different, bedside lamps are unmatched. We feel our time is one of mass production and standardization, producing everything the same size, shape and colour, some call it containerization or stereotyping! L'Orange does not follow these characterless ideas of mass production. We try to reflect on the past so that we shall be able to reach into the future.

Each person visiting and staying at L'Orange is unique, no two people are the same. It is our hope that you will take time to explore the beautiful mountains, grasslands and forests of this unique mountain. We believe, from good authority, that the grass on the mountain is the greenest and the sweetest in Limpopo. We know too from personal experience that, one sleeps peacefully, under the highest peak in Limpopo, the ?Iron Crown? at 2120 meters above sea level.

In keeping with being different, you will notice we provide games and books to read and swap if you like! Unfortunately, we have weakened in providing Wi-Fi, for those who are captured by itchy fingers and within the worldwide net! L'Orange for us is a place that should help one get away from the web of social media and the traffic of central cities and urban areas. You have come to a place where our family has come together, been happy, made friends, shared moments and connected with friends, we've enjoyed the garden, pool and sauna, within its secluded clothing-optional setting.

As you take time to enjoy lunch, dinner or breakfast, together in the dining room, be sure to take note that each person at the table, is sitting in another location, in another time, in another space, with their own thoughts and aspirations. It could be a bedroom, kitchen, office, or other location, as different are the chairs under your bum. This difference helps one understand the uniqueness of life, the uniqueness of each individual and the pleasure we have of being your host in this beautiful part of the world.