It is Sunday, the sun is shining and a day for relaxing, all of which I had forgotten about when I decided to head out to the large man-made lake at Hartbeespoort as half of the population of Pretoria probably had the same idea. Actually it wasn't a problem until arriving at the approach road to the dam itself where the crossing is single carriage and light controlled by a man who either counts cars or times it on his watch. Beware the 'lookie, lookie' men trying to sell anything and everything to the captive audience. A gift isn't a gift as they will eventually turn it into a purchase.
Surrounded by the majestic Magaliesberg mountain range the dam, completed in 1923, was built across the Crocodile (Krocodilrivier) flooding 2,062ha of valley behind it. It currently has a shoreline of some 56km. The lake has become a centre for all kinds of aquatic activities from yachting to para-gliding, as well as weekend retreats and nature walks. After crossing the dam I pulled of the road onto the "Tan' Malie Se Winkel" car park in the hope of taking some shots of the valley below the dam. Instead I discovered a treasure trove of antiquities and a fantastic place to eat, whether prepared in their kitchen or purchased fresh from their store on self cooked on the many 'brai' provided. If you are in the area well worth a visit. I haven't seen candy mice in years! The staff and locals were very friendly and interested in my travels and my opinions of South Africa which made me feel very welcome.
There are lots of things to do in the area from mountain trails to elephant sanctuary, the Van Gaalen Cheese Farm to the Reptile and Snake Park. Venturing down to the shore line there are restaurants and craft markets, boat rides and jet skis. I had been advised to try the Harties Cableway which runs to the top of the mountain and affords fantastic views over the whole area. This necessitated returning over the dam but, approaching from this side I found a parking spot a short walk from the dam itself. There is a pathway across the dam which affords some stunning views of the technology, the valley below and the lake behind. It was just as well as, on reaching the cable car I found that it was out of use for maintenance until the 18th October. I suppose this is the run up to the summer season out here in South Africa!
I could not walk far so I set of on a return journey via a different route. Never knowing what is around the corner I came across this beast on a local road just wide enough to accommodate each way traffic. Luckily it was asleep at the time.
View my 'Hartbeespoort (Harties)' photo album
Comments
Post a Comment