Meet some of the heroes behind avitourism destinations

Exploring what the Garden Route offers birdwatchers, Brian Berkman discovers some special people who run hospitable places to meet and see a variety of species.

- Brian Berkman

Sometimes what might still be is more important than what is. In the case of Tim and Angelique Carr's Reflections Eco-Reserve, which abuts the Rondevlei, what you see is only part of what may yet come.

So it is with conservation work, which is also never truer than when it is being funded and built by the Carrs themselves.

What began in 2007 as 27ha of degraded pine forests that was overgrown with alien species is already transformed. The Carrs have expanded their conservation footprint with an additional 60ha. And now have their sights on more neighbouring property with a plan to open it all to the greater nature reserve to encourage the free movement of species.

"We planted over 3 500 trees and cut these paths ourselves," Tim Carr says while stoking the braai fire. He told me that they had the South African family market in mind when building their carbon-neutral, two-storey timber houses. Entirely off grid, these generously proportioned houses are powered by solar, wind turbine and gas, while rain water is collected in tanks. A double-filter system in the kitchen filters drinking water. Braai and indoor firewood are from the many alien trees cleared from the land.

Reflections Eco-Reserve shares a fence with the Garden Route National Park.

There are four houses available for self-catering rentals. Each house has one queen-sized room, a second bedroom with twin beds and open mezzanine accommodation upstairs with two single beds. There is a full bathroom with a loo, as well as a separate loo and basin.

The fully equipped kitchen is well suited to self-catering. You can't use a hairdryer or electric kettle here, but pretty much everything else can be powered and charged during your stay via renewable resources.