Storm's River Mouth

I have been wanting to return to the Garden Route National Park to share this beautiful part of the world with my kids for a few years now. Although they are still too young to do the Otter Trail I knew they would love the scenery and surroundings. It is really a nature lover’s paradise.

Dramatic scenery at Storm’s River Mouth

We spent a wonderful long weekend there with family and enjoyed the lilo adventure up the gorge. I didn’t want to risk my camera falling in the water so unfortunately I don’t have any pics of that experience!

Suspension bridge

We enjoyed the hike to suspension bridge as well as the short Lourie Trail inside the Storms River Mouth Restcamp. Some of the more energetic also did the Waterfal hike which is the first part of the Otter Trail. See further trail information on the SANParks website .

One of the highlights of the trip was finding and interacting with a beautiful Octopus as well as several starfish in one of the rock pools. We enjoyed watching whales, birdwatching and even spotted an otter.
The beautiful forests are an experience in themselves and I loved seeing the natural beauty and vegetation. Because the reserve is in a protected area you don’t see any ships on the ocean and the natural environment is pristine.

Inquisitive Octopus

We visited the Big Tree just off the N2 highway where a lovely forest walk leads you to the impressive tree. The Outeniqua Yellowwood boasts an age of over 1000 years, height of 36 metres, main trunk length of 18.3 metres, crown spread of 33 metres and average circumference of 8.5 metres.

We had an amazing visit to the beautiful part of South Africa and look forward to visiting again whenever we get another chance!

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

Situated about an hours drive to the South of Johannesburg lies a nature reserve that is well known to birders, hikers and cyclists. The reserve is named after the Transvaal Sugar-bush (Protea caffra), which occurs chiefly in the eastern and south-eastern parts. The basic objectives of the nature reserve are to “conserve the natural environment ensuring that plant and animal species diversity is maintained and provide open-air outside recreation, environmental education and research opportunities”.

There are several trails in the reserve and more information can be found on the website. The Cheetah Trail is 4km and takes approximately 1.5hours. The Bokmakierie Day Trail is 10 or 11.5km. There are overnight huts along the hiking trail if you would like to do an overnight hike (self-guided and plan your own route).

Cussonia paniculata towering above us on the Toktokkie Trail

The tar road through the reserve provides the ideal challenge for cyclists as a single loop is 60 km and if you are even fitter you can add the second loop. We drove (this time, hopefully more cycling in the future) and enjoyed the views, stopping to walk short distances to look out points. Once back at the Base Camp (Diepkloof Picnic Area) we walked the short 700m Toktokkie Trail that winds up a gentle hill and provides a lovely view over the reserve. The trail is wheelchair friendly and the paved pathway has several signage boards along the route. The boards provide insights into nature that can be seen along the trail such as cabbage trees, aloes and lichen covered rocks. We also spotted several birds and some zebra.

Toktokkie Trail with Information Boards

We visited the reserve in winter so you can see the grasses are all yellow and the veld often burnt. In summer this reserve is all shades of green and filled with birdsong.

The vegetation is grassland with two grassland types namely Moist Cool Grassland and Rocky Highveld Grassland. Clumps of trees, especially White stinkwood (Celtis africana), Highveld cabbage tree (Cussonia paniculata), Ouhout (Leucosidea sericea), Sweet Thorn (Acacia karroo), the Highveld Protea (Protea caffra), and the Common Guarri (Euclea undulata) can be found.

The reserve boasts small and large game such as zebra, wildebees and antelope as well as excellent birdlife. A variety of habitats (high altitude grassland, rocky outcrops, wooded valleys, protea woodland and wetlands) provide excellent opportunities to see the abundant birdlife and over 270 species have been recorded (See Birdlife South Africa Post). We even spotted a snake warming itself on the tar road and climbed out to get a closer look.

Large parking area for cyclists and hikers

After exploring we enjoyed a picnic at the children’s play area next to the parking area. There are jungle gyms, a trampoline and trees with benches below to sit on.

Visiting this reserve is certainly a memorable nature experience and you may even find yourself singing “Suikerbos Ek wil jou he” on your way home.

https://www.friendsofsuikerbosrand.co.za/

COHEN, C. SPOTTISWOODE, C. & ROSSOUW, J. 2006 Southern African Birdfinder. Cape Town: Struik Nature

Melville Koppies

Like many people who have lived in Johannesburg for many years (some even their whole lives!) I had never visited the nature reserve in the heart of Johannesburg.

I had heard so much about it - the beautiful views, the amazing birdlife (over 200 spp), the incredible flora and the rich history that this nature reserve held so I was so excited to finally visit it. I met with a group of friends in the Marks Park Sport Club parking lot off Judith Road and we crossed carefully to enter the Main Gates framed by stone walls.

The reserve has recently changed its opening times to every Sunday morning from 8 to 11.30am. Visitors are welcomed on arrival by volunteers and given a map so that they can explore the trails at their own pace. The cost is R80 per adult and R40 per child and all proceeds are used towards the maintenance of the Park. Guided tours for small groups can be arranged.

The Central section was proclaimed a nature reserve in 1959 and is a declared national heritage site. The 50ha area can be explored through pathways and there are information boards detailing the heritage and history of the area as well as the fauna and flora to be found there.

The reserve is made up of three sections namely Melville Koppies Central, Melville Koppies East and Melville Koppies West. The East and West sections are open public space and access is not controlled. The East side is only 10ha in size and is frequented by dog walkers while the West section is 100ha large and borders the Westpark Cemetery. There are security issues here so it is advisable to only hike in groups with security. I was surprised to see security guards actively patrolling the nature reserve (Central) when we visited on Sunday and this really added to a sense of safety which is always a concern when visiting public spaces in Johannesburg.

Map from the Melville Koppies Website (www.mk.org.za/mkcal.htm)

Map of Melville Koppies Central Walking Paths

More information on the geology of the reserve can be found on their website www.mk.org.za

Vegetation

The vegetation of the Koppies is entirely indigenous and is a remarkable example of the richness of highveld grasses, flowers, and trees so close to a city centre. The variety of the flora can be seen in the 500 identified species within the eight undisturbed plant communities that have been identified. There are also 56 species of grass recorded and the dominant trees include Acacia robusta, Acacia caffra, Euclea crispa (Blue Guarri), Celtis africana (White Stinkwood), Brachylaena rotundata and (Mountain Silver-oak). The Protea caffra and Mundelea sericea (Corkbush) were also lovely to see.

Along the western boundary where the Westdene Spruit flows a beautiful riverine forest can be found with large Celtis africana (White Stinkwood), Combretum erythrophyllum (River Bushwillows), Olea europea (Wild Olive), and Kiggelaria africana (Wild Peach). The trees were planted in the 1960s to show people how beautiful our indigenous trees are. This part of the reserve is known as the Arboretum and was a highlight for me - the flowing water is calming and the trees beautiful and shady.

Water

This stream, the Westdene Spruit, is one of the many streams flowing north from the Witwatersrand watershed. Among them are the Braamfontein Spruit and the Jukskei, and they all eventually join the Limpopo River, which enters the Indian Ocean at Xai-Xai in Mozambique.

History

Melville Koppies carries evidence of ancient hunter-gatherers, early farmers as well as the first iron-age miners of the Witwatersrand. In 1989 Professor R J Mason published a "Guide to Archaeology Sites: Johannesburg". The purpose of the paper was as much to inform and educate the public as to make a plea for greater awareness of the heritage we are losing.

He identified seven archaeological sites on what we call Melville Koppies Central: African Iron Furnace Models; A second Tswana Iron Furnace; Tswana hut floor and pottery - 300 years old; 1880s gold prospecting; 1900s gun emplacement and Early 1900s quarries. There are information boards and examples of some of the tools and implements on display at the lecture hall.

The fascinating history of how the original Braamfontein farm passed to Louw Geldenhuis during the gold rush in 1886 and how the northern suburbs evolved out of this can also be viewed on an information board at the lecture hall.

Volunteers

The nature reserve would not be what it is today without the involvement of passionate and dedicated volunteers. The Melville Koppies Management Committee works hard to maintain the paths, control alien invasive vegetation, pick up litter and control illegal access to maintain the reserve on an ongoing basis. They also are always looking for ways to raise money for the reserve so that the salaries of the staff they employ can be paid as well as the additional security they hire.

Richard Hall devoted over 25 years to the maintenance of Melville Koppies and together with David Mpilo, a Council worker they tackled projects of cleaning, weeding and restoring the reserve. Wendy Carstens began to work with Richard Hall from 1997 and is still actively involved today. She received the honorary Ellen Kuzwayo award from the University of Johannesburg for ‘Her commitment to conservation and tourism at Melville Koppies’.

How can you help

You can help firstly by visiting (have you?) and also by making donations to Melville Koppies (bank details on their website) or by registering them as a MySchoolMyVillageMyPlanet beneficiary.

Contact Wendy Carstens wendavid@mweb.co.za for further information. www.mk.org.za

We loved our time spent at Melville Koppies and will definitely be back again! Thank you to all those involved in the upkeep and running of this historical and ecological gem.

Hennops Hiking Trail

Only 30km from Pretoria and Johannesburg lies a gem of a nature experience called the Hennops Hiking Trail. It is a private farm that offers hiking routes, mountain bike routes as well as accommodation for overnight hikers. Please call ahead to confirm costs and make reservations although day hikes do not need to book in advance.

Map images are not very clear - best to get copy of map/brochure from Hadeda Camp where the trails start from

There are three hiking route options to choose from, depending on your level of fitness and time allowance. The Dassie Route of 2.5km is an easy route (1-2hr duration) designed for parents to introduce their children to hiking. The 5km Zebra trail (2hrs) can be considered easy - average and a variety of game can be seen on this walk. The 10km Krokodilberg Route (4-5hrs) is an average-dfficult hike that is not recommended for children under 12 or unfit adults. It covers a broad part of the farm and beautiful views of the surrounding areas can be seen as you traverse the terrain. There is a variety of beautiful plants and trees to be seen as well as birdlife and small animals.

Dont forget: Comfortable day backpack, strong shoes and hat are essential. Pack snacks, wear sunblock and carry at least 1l. of water per person for every 2 hours of walking.

After your hike you can stay for lunch at the Hennops Picnic Spot (Loerie Camp) which has two swimming pools and braai facilities (closed during COVID so call ahead to check if you want to use these facilities).

Reservations and Enquiries:

Call 082 825 9205 or email info@hennops.co.za

Website: www.hennopstrails.co.za

GPS Co-ordinates: S25 47.887 E27 59.404

Any other great Hikes you know about? Please let me know!

The Cavern - Nature Journaling Course

The Cavern hosts a variety of activities on its events calendar throughout the year including: bird weekends, yoga retreats, photography workshops and mountain bike races amoungst others. I joined the course called ‘Sketching and journaling – creating a nature journal’ hosted by two well-known figures in the botanical field: Elsa Pooley and Gillian Condy.

The course was run from Wednesday 1 March – Sunday 5 March 2017 and we were blessed with wonderful weather over this time. A few late afternoon showers were well timed as this was when we were indoors drawing in the studio.

Beautiful scenery on our morning walks

View of the Hotel from a vantage point on a morning hike

Wonderful hikes in the mountains

If you have ever been to The Cavern you will already be well aware of its reputation to fill your belly with the most wonderful and delicious meals as well as provide a relaxing atmosphere that makes you feel as if you have entered into a beautiful warm bubble where all you can think is “Life is Good”.

Always fun choosing what to have for dinner from the menu!

Our programme roughly involved breakfast at 8am followed by a morning hike into the beautiful surroundings where we would stop to draw whatever caught our eye (a dam, a tree, the bridge, moss, flowers, a bubbling stream) and then tea was brought to us at our location in the bush. We would head back to camp for lunch and then in the afternoon spend time in the studio drawing the plants we brought back with us from the morning walk. Some people drew flowers, others fungi, leaves, insects or seeds.

Working in the Studio

Elsa Pooley has the most incredible plant knowledge (which comes from her love of the area and having written several books on the subject) but it is her passion for plants that is completely contagious. She generously shares her knowledge of each plant we stop to admire, points out its special features and patiently answers all our questions (most often, “How do you spell that again?”)

Elsa showing us a beautiful locust

Heading out for the morning walk and drawing session in the forest

Inspecting some flowers

While Elsa is the person to go to for any plant question Gill Condy is a trained botanical artist and gives tips and direction on how to improve your drawing skills. Both ladies are talented at water colour painting and it was a treat to learn some tips on how to use this medium for the first time.

Absorbed in our drawings

Our nature journals were all very different and we had the freedom to make them into whatever we liked. It was interesting to see how each person took a slightly different angle and approach to the same subject and how everyone was drawn to different plant types.

Bridge in the Forest

Drawing in the Forest

We arrived on Wednesday afternoon not quite sure what to expect, and left on Sunday feeling inspired and rejuvenated. The fresh air combined with soul-inspiring walks through unspoilt nature, not to mention being fed and pampered (some even went for massages at the onsite Spa) made for a most amazing and memorable trip. Thanks to everyone for making it so special!

Such a treat to share this time with my dearest Mom!