Africa and the Wild Untamed Beasts!!

Hey everyone, another great destination hot spot to certainly visit in South Africa is the Groenkloof Nature Reserve..

An interesting overview as per local government site..

http://www.tshwane.gov.za/sites/tourism/NatureConservation/Pages/Groenkloof-Nature-Reserve.aspx

In the 1820s, Mzilikazi arrived in this beautiful valley, by which time the baKwena had already driven the San people out. He stayed at Meintjieskop while his impis built two of his cities in the area. The women used to fetch water from the Apies River which they called Enzwabuhlungu; this means "something that hurts" which refers to the sharp dolomite rock that used to hurt their feet. The Sotho name is Entsabohloko and it refers to the circumcision rites where the young men of the tribe used to stand in the water during the ceremony.
On 25 February 1895, President Paul Kruger proclaimed the valley, on the southern outskirts of Pretoria, as a game sanctuary – this was the first game sanctuary on the African continent. Its main purpose was to protect the large herds of animals on the outskirts of town from hunters who were responsible for their demise as well as to protect the shy and timid Oribi which occurred here.
In 1910, portions of the area were rented out for the establishment of commercial wood plantations because of the wood and paper shortages resulting from the world wars. By the late 1950s, the City Council of Pretoria had become the owner of the area. In 1994 the reserve became the Department of Nature Conservation's responsibility, and preparation for the re-release of game started. In 1999 the impala, kudu, blue wildebeest and ostrich were reintroduced into the reserve, and 2002 saw the release of the giraffe and red hartebeest. The sable were also introduced in to the reserve in 2008.

Activities
Just 5km out of the city centre, Groenkloof Nature Reserve offers a variety of activities for nature lovers.
Hiking trails: 4,5km hike (White trail)
3,5km hike (Red trail)
10,5 km hike (Yellow trail)
Horse trails: Day trails: 1 - 2 hours
Day / Night drive: ± 2 hour drive including the use of the lapa
Mountain bike trail: ± 25km trail; single and jeep track is available for
both experienced and novice riders.
Helmets are compulsory. No helmet, no ride.
4x4 route: ± 14km (Interpretation route)
Picnic area: Used exclusively for relaxation after going on one of the trails (Please bring your own braai wood)
Facilities
Overnight facilities are available for hiking, 4x4 nature trails and mountain biking. The Bamber Youth Camp is available for youth groups of up to 60 persons.
Vegetation
Groenkloof Nature Reserve features low, broken ridges varying in steepness. The vegetation differs from a semi-open thicket; it is dominated by a variety of woody species, including Acacia caffra, Rhus leptodictya, Combretum molle and Dombeya rotundifolia. The under-storey is dominated by a variety of grasses.
Wildlife
Some of the wildlife that can be seen includes zebra, jackal, duiker, kudu, impala, blue wildebeest, blesbuck, red hartebeest, ostrich, giraffe and sable.
The rich bird life will keep bird lovers busy for hours on end.

And naturally a few pics we took on a recent visit there..

And this is the way to do it is it not a nice oil guzzing old school landie ;) When its not broken, of course ;)

Did you say Zebra? This Nature reserve is in the city would you believe as per the buildings in the backdrop, really interesting to see.

Cheer$;)