Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

Its hard for me not to be totally biased when writing about this park, after all it is where I fell in love and is probably my favourite quick escape from the bustle.

 No matter how many times I visit, I always seem to be surprised by how much one can see and do at this park. So instead of rambling on about my favourite things to do here are some things that you can do.

On a typical weekend the Botanical gardens is usually buzzing with families, couples, groups and individuals enjoying the many activities this park has to offer. From cycling to picnicking, taking your dog for a run or a cup of tea and a scone at the tea garden one can always find something that meets their interest here.

 

" ... one can always find something that meets their interest here."

 

  Adding to the pleasure and beautiful scenery is the breathtaking Emmarentia Dam which forms a border to the gardens. On the Dam water sports like fishing and canoeing can be participated in, or if you’d rather just watch bring along some bread to feed the ducks.

On weekends pretty sailboats with rainbow coloured sails can be seen busy with a race. There is a sailing club on the dam and for a moderate fee you could learn how to sail your own little sailboat or rent one for the day.

" ... roses in exotic colours ranging from white to purple, manicured lawns and magical fountains."

  A brief hike through the trees along the paved walkways will take you to other parts of the park like the spectacular rose gardens with roses in exotic colours ranging from white to purple, manicured lawns and magical fountains.

A Shakespeare garden and even a herb garden are also fun attractions giving you a truly educational experience as you learn many interesting things.

 

 

" ... check the bulletin board for upcoming events like concerts in the park ..."

  I would definitely suggest that before you walk blindly into this exquisite escape that you take a minute or two to study the map of the gardens layouts as well as check the bulletin board for upcoming events like concerts in the park and exotic plant shows as you don’t want to miss out on all the fun and adventure you can find at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens.

The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and there's safe parking just over the bridge, or in Thomas Bowler Road.

  

How to get there: From the N1 South towards Bloemfontein, take the Beyers Naude offramp and turn left. Turn left into Thomas Bowler Rd. The Botanical Gardens are on your right. You will see various entrances to this big park. To view a map:  http://www.jhbcityparks.com/Conservation/JBG/Default.htm

Tariffs:

Free

For more information visit: http://www.joburg.org.za/july_2002/botanicgardens.stm or http://www.jhbcityparks.com/Conservation/JBG/Default.htm

Words by Kathy Beetge
Photos by Louis Beetge

Struben Dam Bird Sanctuary

'This week we had a guest on our weekly travel adventure, so I decided to let her do the talking. Methinks she spins a pretty good yarn...'

After spending the last couple of weeks hearing rave reviews about the interesting places that they had discovered and looking enviously at the beautiful photographs they had taken I decided that I was not gonna let another day's Adventure pass without me.

So I tagged along, much to the amusement of my traveling companions.

'...how peaceful could it be with all that traffic and chaos in that part of town?

We had heard from a friend of a friend that there was a pretty little dam about a kilometer from Menlyn Shopping Centre. I know what you're thinking, I've been there countless times and have never heard of it. And besides, how peaceful could it be with all that traffic and chaos in that part of town.

I was very pleasantly surprised. We stopped at a corner cafe for some refreshment and I quickly picked up a magazine. My photographer of a husband can tend to linger at a good spot and I didn't want to be bored, so I decided to get myself something to keep me entertained.

  We found Struben Dam quite easily and parking wasn't a mission at all. After unpacking camera's and tripods and other crucial equipment (so I was informed), we walked into the gates. We were greeted by a security guard, making us feel quite safe and after signing a register I walked to a shady spot under some blue gum trees.

The place was well kept and extremely serene. With the sound of a slow breeze through the leaves and birds chirping not a car could be heard despite the traffic we encountered on our way there.

'...perhaps it was the surroundings that gave them that extra bit of romance this day.'

The parks visitors on that Friday consisted of a woman and her two dogs that were taking her for a run and two young couples that looked very much in love. Or perhaps it was the surroundings that gave them that extra bit of romance this day. One couple sat on a blanket under a beautiful weeping willow, just enjoying each other's company. Another walked hand in hand and then took a seat on one of the many park benches strategically placed close to the waters edge.

  I sat down under a tree and started to page through my magazine and found that soon I was visited by two ducks that were waddling past. A quick flash of light in my direction made me realize that I was being photographed and later found that the reason for this was that my position made for a fairytale picture.

'...an excellent spot for a picnic with a loved one...'

All in all it turned out to be a fantastic morning out and definitely an excellent spot for a picnic with a loved one, a family outing, a walk with the dog or even just a quiet stroll.

A little research done and I also found out that Struben Dam is part of the Morelleta Hiking Trail that starts at Faerie Glen Nature reserve and meanders through Pretoria on 11km of hiking trail. Needless to say Struben Dam is definitely worth a visit.

How to get there: Off the N1, turn towards Menlyn Shopping Centre into Atterbury. Left into Lois, Right into Ingersol, Left into Impy, Right into Ilkey. Left into Innes Street. You will see the Sanctuary and parking on your right.

Tariffs:

Free

For more information visit: http://www.tshwane.gov.za/strubendam.cfm or Call: +27 12 348 1265/6

Words by Kathy Beetge
Pictures by Louis Beetge

Lory Park Zoo

A perfect mid-week break away that recharged my batteries and put a smile on my face. And it's only 10 minutes away if you stay in Midrand.

I looked up from my camera and saw the parrot watching me intently from atop the gazebo. A voice behind me said, “If you hold out your arm, she'll climb on. Don't worry, she doesn't bite. Her name is Bella.”

Bella is one of the many parrots at the Lory Park Animal and Owl Sanctuary and are looked after by volunteers Cheryl and Theresa. True to her reputation, Bella didn't bite anybody, even when she became annoyed with me for trying to get her off my arm.

  

You can meet these delightful ladies and their birds when you visit the Tea Garden on the premises. Just prepare yourself for the noise!

In case you were wondering: some of these birds do bite, as my wife Kathy can testify. After extensive pampering we are of the opinion that she'll live. Shame.

 

'...Lory Park has many attractions that will endear it to your heart.'

Apart from the birds, Lory Park has many attractions that will endear it to your heart. It is a perfect outing for parents with small kids. There are play racks to keep them busy while you drink your tea or coffee and many 'wow' factors to keep both them and you entertained for a morning. One of these is the cub petting.

  

Currently, there are two cubs that you can interact with, a lion and a tiger. Yes ladies and gentlemen, there are lions and tigers in Midrand!

'If you have never seen a fully grown Siberian Tiger up close, brace yourself.'

  The zoo also houses 2 fully grown Bengal Tigers, 2 Siberian Tigers and two lions. Definitely a thrill for all ages.

If you have never seen a fully grown Siberian Tiger up close, brace yourself. They are HUGE.

The zoo is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 4pm. Entrance is R30 for adults and R20 for children.

Although the zoo is small in surface area, this is precisely one of it's strengths. When you have children, you don't necessarily want to spend a whole day walking around. This zoo is a perfect morning getaway with enough thrills to keep your children talking about it for a long time to come.

'...enough thrills to keep your children talking...'

  

Lory Park Zoo also caters for kids parties and corporate functions. For bookings or more information speak to Matty on 082 960 6415.

  

How to get there: From Johannesburg N1 towards Pretoria. Take Allandale offramp at Midrand. Turn right over the highway. Third traffic light (incl. the traffic light on the highway) turn left onto the K101/Old Pretoria Road. Turn right at the fourth traffic light which is Dale Road. Turn right at the third road which is Kruger Road. Go straight down Kruger, pass a stop street and we are about 800m on the right hand side. From Pretoria N1 towards Johannesburg. Take New Road off ramp and turn left. At next traffic light turn right into Old Pretoria Road. Turn left into Dale at third traffic light. At the third road on the right, turn into Kruger Road. Go straight down Kruger, pass a stop street and we are about 800m on the right hand side.

 

For more information visit: http://www.loryparkzoo.co.za or Call: +27 (11) 315-7307

Rietvlei Nature Reserve

If you are looking for a day break-away from the big city, Rietvlei Nature Reserve will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a new week.

Situated just 18km out of Pretoria Central (Tshwane) and 38km from Oliver Tambo International Airport, the reserve houses three of the Big Five and offers a perfect day out with its clean picnic spots and varied landscapes.

Upon entering the reserve, we were greeted with a panoramic view of the Rietvlei Dam. The reserve forms part of the Rietvlei water catchment area and Rietvlei Dam supplies Tshwane with 15% of its water needs. It's 38 square kilometers is criss-crossed by 60 kilometers of tarred and proper dirt roads. Both these road types are in excellent condition and can be easily navigated with a small sedan. We did it in a Toyota Tazz with a dropped suspension!

After driving for about ten minutes, we saw our first game. An ostrich.

Big deal.

Five minutes later we were surrounded by 5 Rhinos, a herd of Zebra and quite a few Springbok. Two Eland could be spotted in the distance and the Red Hartebeest gave me one of my favourite pictures for the day. This was truly amazing considering the location of the Reserve. I mean we could've been home in the big city within 20 minutes!

"Rietvlei Nature Reserve has the capacity to house between 1500 – 2000 head of game..."

Rietvlei Nature Reserve has the capacity to house between 1500 – 2000 head of game, some of which are dangerous. According to the official literature, Rietvlei houses leopard, cheetah, hyena, aardwolf and african wild cat. Not to mention hippos and the herds of antelope and numerous small animals like monkeys, hares, weasels and mongoose. The only thing we saw that could be classified as dangerous were the Rhinos. For a couple of city slickers, that was pretty exciting though.

 

We decided to take a break from sitting in the car, and head for the Marais dam. The picnic spots here were clean and the atmosphere quiet. Trees on the shore provided plenty of shade and there are toilet and braai facilities for your convenience. Bird hides on the shore offer evidence of the ample bird life that is to be found in the reserve. 272 Confirmed species, according to the brochure.

Since we hadn't brought any food and the hippos weren't being very cooperative, we hit the road again. The 'Vlei Road' took us into a wetland or more specifically a peat wetland. For those of you who don't know what 'peat' is: Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetable matter. Hey, don't look at me like that. I had to Google it to find out.

Told you I was a city slicker.

"A short while later, my wife phones and tells me that if I don't come home straight away, I can very well marry the zebras and live in the bird hides..."

Basically, this looks like a swamp, albeit a pretty dry swamp at this time of year. The rest of the reserve looks pretty much like the rest of the highveld: Open grassland and small groups of indigenous trees.

A short while later, my wife phoned and said that if I didn't come home straight away, I could very well marry the zebras and live in the bird hides, so I guess it was time for us to go. On the way out, we ran into a small herd of zebra so close to the road that we could touch them. This definitely called for more photographs. I frantically grabbed for my camera, pointed it at the perfectly posed zebra and...

'Beep – beep - beep'

My camera's self timer goes off. I forgot to take the thing of self timer! The zebras moved away and my dad went into a fit of laughter. I had a totally different sort of fit.

All in all, we didn't really want to leave and felt like a second trip would definitely be worthwhile. Driving home and being stuck in traffic I couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the peace and quiet of the reserve and the chaotic Friday afternoon traffic.

If you need a break from big city life without having to drive hundreds of kilometers or spending your yearly vacation budget, Rietvlei Nature Reserve is well worth a visit.

How to get there: From the R21 take the IRENE RIETVLEI DAM off-ramp. Drive in an easterly direction, at the first 4-way stop street turn right towards Olifantsfontein and the St Georges Hotel. Drive for 1,5 km, crossing the Sesmylspruit. On the left is a sign indicating RIETVLEI NATURE RESERVE, turn left and follow the road up the hill to the main gate. (Drive past the stone entrance until you get to the offices and entrance gate). To download a map to the reserve: (Right Click and 'Save Target As...') Rietvlei Nature Reserve Map

Tariffs:

Persons 12 years and older: R30
Children 6 - 12 years : R15
Pre-school children 0 - 6 years : free
Persons 60 years and older : R15
Season Tickets are also available.

For more information visit: http://www.tshwane.gov.za/rietvlei_facilities.cfm or Call: +27 12 345 2274 / 5103 / 4

Groenkloof Nature Reserve

For this week's travel, we visited the oldest Nature Reserve on the African Continent. Right in the middle of Pretoria!

Situated just 5 kilometers out of Pretoria City centre, Groenkloof Nature Reserve was the first Game Sanctuary on the African Continent. President Paul Kruger proclaimed the valley as such in 1895 to protect the large herds of animals outside the town from hunters. The sanctuary also served as protection for the Oribi that lived in the area.

We went to this reserve on a Friday morning and the place was very quiet, but over weekends it teems with people temporarily escaping the bustle of city life. Entrance was R15 per person which we thought reasonable. This was later replaced by indignation when we were asked to pay another R15 per person at a secondary gate to enter the nature reserve.

"Seeing the blue wildebeest against the backdrop of Unisa's buildings makes for quite a surreal experience."

Turns out, you pay R15 to enter the Fountains Valley Resort and another R15 to enter the actual reserve.

According to the information leaflet, the reserve houses zebra, jackal, duiker, kudu, impala, blue wildebeest, blesbuck, red hartebeest, ostrich, giraffe and sable.

Personally, I have only seen duiker and a blue wildebeest. Seeing the blue wildebeest against the backdrop of Unisa's buildings makes for quite a surreal experience.

Upon entering the Fountains Valley premises, you immediately run into a playground for kids and a pub for Dad. They have plenty of picnic spots with braai facilities. If you like your privacy, there are enough of these little spots hidden away in their own little groves so that you don't have to mix with other people if you don't want to.

Yes, I know. I am a bit of an antisocial bastard sometimes.

The reserve has various hiking trails, a mountain bike trail, car route and a 4x4 route. A youth camp as well as overnight facilities are also available.

Is it worth it to visit this place?

I think so. Just be aware that it is extremely busy and crowded over weekends and public holidays, so if that is not your thing, rather take a day of work and go on a Friday.

The other little niggle I have is that these crowds tend to imbibe a bit too much and can spoil it for you if you are looking for a quiet getaway.

Other than this, if you can find one of those little hidden picnic spots, this is a very tranquil place to have a braai or simply a picnic under some beautiful trees next to the Apies river.

Here are some more pics from the day:

 

How to get there: The Nature Reserve is reached via the entrance to the Fountains Valley Resort. Follow the R21 to the Fountains Circle; take the Fountains/Centurion turn-off into Christina de Wit Road. Approximately 500 m further, turn left at the entrance to the Fountains Valley Resort. Weekends and public holidays use the alternative entrance gate 800m from the Fountains Valley main entrance gate.

Tariffs:

Persons 19 years and older: R15
Children 7 - 18 years : R10
Pre-school children: R3
Pensioners or disabled persons : R10
Monthly Tickets are also available.

For more information visit: http://www.tshwane.gov.za/groenkloof.cfm or http://www.footprint.co.za/groenkloof.htm or Call: +27 12 345 2274 / 5103 / 4