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Hiking at Rietfontein, Johannesburg

It was probably not my best decision to take the kids hiking in Johannesburg at Rietfontein and insisting to hike to the top with them. Rietfontein’s hike is about 2,2km with a moderate first 1km but then over some treacherous terrain up a koppie – and I had to carry the little one the last 1km up the koppie…

“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.”

Mary Davis

The hiking trail is clearly marked at Rietfontein and if you are lucky you will spot a small buck or 2 during your hike. The view towards Woodmead and Sunninghill on the first half will be worth the hike. The 360 degree view from the koppie over Kyalalami, Fourways, Woodmead, Sunninghill and Petervale is definitely worth the effort.

You have 3 options to get to and from the top on this hiking trail in Johannesburg:

  • The trail to the left on the far side from the entrance that is more even but over quite a bit of loose gravel. It is still good exercise, but doesn’t have panoramic views.
  • The trail on the right of the entrance gate which is more scenic, but also has 2 sections where you will have to clamber a little more carefully over rocks that crumble under your shoes.
  • The secret from the lawn that passes to the left of the house passed a living quarter area which is very short but with only a short hill.

Where is Rietfontein?

Hiking in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg is amazing – and who would’ve guessed that there is such a little jewel in the middle of a residential area? Rietfontein is on Estelle road in Paulshof. You can’t miss it, it is right at the T-junction before driving to the German club to the left.

What you need to know about Rietfontein

  • Entrance is free
  • They have security guards patrolling with dogs
  • You park your car inside the fenced reserve

Mary Davis

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5 Cats in guest relations (aka Hospitality Cats, South Africa)

There is something about cats that I love. It may be that they have always bonded to me or that they can sit on your lap for hours without a care in the world. It might even be that they will pick the person that dislikes cats… All I know is that I love cats, I’ve always had a cat and cats love me.

I would like to introduce you to 5 cats in South Africa who entertain guests at a hotel, retreat and even restaurant. If you know of any other cats in hospitality, pop them in the comments below.

Skabenga at Oyster Box

Skabenga (which means hooligan or vagabond in Zulu) is a Tabby cat who permanently calls The Oyster Box, KwaZulu-Natal, home. He wandered onto the hotel property and was persuaded to take up the hotel-life by guests feeding him taste titbits.

This feline is a guest-favourite and he continues to receive piles of fan mail.  There is even a book about him, he has his own Facebook page and Instagram account! His favourite day of the year is his birthday = and of course they make a big thing about it with cake and guests showering him with extra attention.

Skabenga thoroughly enjoys the spoils that come with being the ‘Main Cat’ on the block! He loves regular treats of Catnip, has a favourite couch and chair and chosen spots around the hotel, which he retreats to, when not taking ‘inspection’ strolls around the property.

Skabenga has gone on a few adventures but has always managed to make his way back home.

Meet Skabenga at The Oyster Box www.oysterboxhotel.com.

Hermes, Dolce and Gabana at Graceland Eco Retreat

At Graceland Eco Retreat in Limpopo you will find 3 ginger cats. These very pampered farm cats are called Hermes, Dolce and Gabana. This little fashion trio is friendly with the resident giraffes and dogs.

Hermes is a very small cat with white legs and chest. He is very cuddly and often goes and knock on the guests’ doors as he loves to snuggle up. He is known to follow guests on hikes.

Dolce aka butternut, is the fat cat and the nickname comes from that he looks like a butternut. He loves to sleep, and eat and is a lazy Garfield type of cat.

Gabana is the old female ginger cat who loves to sleep in the office. Her favourite office bed is of course a keyboard. She is extremely social and will never turn down a cuddle.

You can also read more about them on www.gracelandeco.co.za or my previous article here.

Wallis at Mrs Simpson’s Restaurant

Wallis is a Miniature Norwegian Forest Cat and lives at Mrs Simpson’s Restaurant, Dullstroom. This feline has her own Zebra Crossing in front of the restaurant called “Wallis’ Crossing”. She has 17 official godmothers and many unofficial ones too!

This is quite a famous cat! Wallis has been featured on the Travel Channel, Pasella, Top Billing and many more. She has also appeared on the pages of Sunday Times, Country Life Mag and air travel magazines.

Wallis loves attention and knows the regular visitors. She senses when you have allergies or dislike cats and will most likely stare at you until you invite her onto your lap.

You’ll be most likely to find Wallis sleeping in a hidey hole upstairs in a box under the bar, on a pillow in front of the fireplace, or on a heated sleeping pad.

Find out more about Mrs Simpson’s on www.mrssimpsons.co.za or call 013 254 0088.

PS, the black cat in the cover image of this article is Sandton. This is my 3 year old boy cat who lives on my lap.

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Eish, this Joburg! 20 Cool Facts about Johannesburg

Johannesburg is everything you think it is but also so much more. It is a city of riches and struggles, people on the run and knowing who your neighbours are. It is filled with South Africans, Africans from so far as the Ivory Coast and Ghana and of course people from ‘overseas’ that fell in love with the city’s energy.

Johannesburg CBD

I thought I’d share 20 cool facts about my city:

  1. Eish, this Joburg! This is a phrase I have heard a million times. It could be thrown in to express that you share in the misery of being stuck in traffic or that you were a victim of crime. It can be applied to just about anything that can go wrong in the city.
  2. Johannesburg is known as the City of Gold, eGoli, Jozi or Joburg. If you see references of 011 or 010 it is the landline area code for the city. 
  3. It is not the only Johannesburg in the world. When some of the gold miners that worked the gold fields here made their way to California in the US they named their new town Johannesburg too. Our US counterpart is of course not nearly as big as my beloved Joburg.
  4. The Hillbrow Tower has been the tallest structure and tower in Africa for 45 years. It stretches 269m into the sky. Before I was born you could visit a floor 197m up… my mom told me about it.
  5. The Carlton Centre is the tallest office building in Africa. You can take a ride up to the viewing floor for a great view of the city. Back in the eighties this was also a destination for school groups from towns far-far-away. I was scared breathless my first time that high in the sky.
  6. Johannesburg is one of the youngest big cities in the world. The first tent-town iteration sprung up in 1886 during the gold rush. The official date is 4 October 1886!
  7. Johannesburg is also Africa’s second biggest city. Egypt’s Cairo is the biggest… but then again, they have a couple of centuries on us!
  8. An estimated 4.5 million people call the city home. I’ve been here since 1999. You will be able to find a person from almost every African country in the city.
  9. Don’t fret if you feel a little dizzy while visiting, the city lies 1753m above sea level. It takes a little longer to boil an egg here than in Durbs or Cape Town.
  10. On the upside, Johannesburg has a fairly mild climate with lots of sunshine. Summer months stretch from September-ish to late March. Our seasons are better than Cape Town’s but Durbs always takes the cake with warmer weather.
  11. Vilakazi street in Soweto is where two of South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize Winners used to live.  Locals will proudly point out former South African president Nelson Mandela and former Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s houses.
  12. The city also boasts one of the largest man-made forests in the world. There are between 5 to 10 million trees depending on who tells the story.
  13. The Johannesburg Zoo was founded in 1904 and is sprawled over 55 hectares. Just imagine the exercise you’ll get by visiting!
  14. OR Tambo International Airport, the busiest airport in Africa, was opened in 1952. It was first known as Jan Smuts Airport, then as Johannesburg International Airport in 1994 and since 2006 as OR Tambo. It’s a good thing we have such a big airport as we’ve hosted the finals for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2003 Cricket World Cup and 1995 IRB Rugby World Cup.
  15. First National Bank Stadium or simply FNB Stadium is the largest sports stadium in Africa with a capacity of almost 100,000 spectators. It has hosted everything from sporting events to international musical acts. It is an must-snap spot.
  16. Sandton is known as the richest square mile in Africa . The richest gold field in the world was discovered right here many moons ago. Now it is the most important business and financial district in South Africa – with the worst possible traffic. (I worked here for 6 years, just ask me.)
  17. The bronze statue of Mandela in Sandton’s Nelson Mandela Square weighs 2.5 tonnes! The statue stands 6 metres high and measures 2.3 metres from elbow to elbow.  The statue depicts Mandela wearing his Madiba shirt while dancing in what was referred to at the unveiling as the “Madiba jive”. This statue was unveiled on 31 March 2004. It was the first-ever public statue of Mandela.
  18. Mponeng Gold Mine is the deepest mine in the world (currently). It takes an hour to get down the 4km deep shaft. It is located towards Westonaria – the western area of Johannesburg.
  19. Johannesburg is the world’s largest city that isn’t located near a coastline or navigable river. However, it has the world’s largest dry port that was developed in 1977 already.
  20. Johannesburg’s traffic is hectic, but not as bad as Cape Town’s. Joburgers are generally more aggressive in their driving style but only because they have places to go and people to see.
Soweto
Johannesburg CBD

Next time you think that there is nothing to see in or near Joburg, think again.

We have Orlando Towers and of course Vilakazi Street, Maropeng, Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, Liliesleaf, Gold Reef City, Museum Africa, South African Museum of Military History, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, the Nelson Mandela Bridge, James Hall Museum of Transport, Wits Origins Centre Museum, Lindfield Victorian House Museum, Wits Johannesburg Planetarium, more than 1 Mandela statue and even one of Gandhi…

If you want to kick it old style you can still catch a steam train. You can get to any part of the country via train from Johannesburg – just not by steam train.

This one is the kicker, we also have our own winery! Gerakaris Family wines ferment and bottle grapes from the Cape Winelands in the heart of Jozi.

Eish, this Jozi is a strangely wonderful place to live.

Here are some cool things you can do while in Johannesburg:

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Into the wild: Modderfontein Reserve

It has been 106 days since lockdown started in South Africa. For the kids and I, it has been 118 days. Since the country entered Lockdown Level 3 we have been out and about most weekends to little nature reserves in Gauteng. It felt great to be out and feel the sunshine, see a lion and hear the wind in the trees.

Modderfontein Reserve in Edenvale, close to the airport, was our destination for our last weekend outing. It was a 20-minute drive from Fourways. Entry fees are quite affordable (R30 for adults and R15 for kids with Cyclists paying R50).

We were surprised to see so many people out, there were cars upon cars. People were out picnicking on the banks of the dam, walking along the trails and even enjoying a sit down at the Farmers’ Market.

The website promised a number of herbivores, but we didn’t see any. We did see a lot of birds during our walk.

I probably wouldn’t go back hoping to see animals, but I would definitely go back to have a picnic next to the water! I really enjoyed the walk in nature too.

Find out more here: www.modderfonteinreserve.co.za

What to do in Gauteng with Kids

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10 fun facts about Cape Town

  1. Cape Town is also known as the Mother City. Some Vaalies (people living in the northern parts of South Africa) also call it Slaapstad thanks to Capetonians’ slow way of doing things.
  2. The Castle used to have a view of the sea but land reclamation put an end to that. The Castle of Good Hope is also the oldest building in South Africa.
  3. The world’s first heart transplant occurred at Groote Schuur in Cape Town.
  4. Cape Town is geographically divided by Table Mountain.
  5. Bo-Kaap is home to one of South Africa’s oldest mosques.
  6. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway took its first visitors up the mountain on 4 October 1929. Don’t worry, they have upgrade everything now.
  7. An old cannon at the top of Signal Hill is fired off every single day at midday – since 1806.
  8. They have shitty weater most of the time. Their summers run from November through to March, and their winters span May to September. Thank goodness I live in Gauteng!
  9. Robben Island was once used as a training station for WW2. It was also used to house leprosy patients. It also hosted South Africa’s first democratically elected president as a prisoner.
  10. You can kick out a “lekker Afrikaanse mense” just about anywhere. It is the most spoken language in the Western Cape.

What to do while in Cape Town

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Into the wild: Groenkloof Nature Reserve

Who knew Gauteng had so many (little) nature reserves that we could escape to? I used to jump over into Limpopo to get my “wild fix” – but now I am forced to make do with what’s inside a provincial border… and it’s not that bad.

Last weekend we decided to check out Groenkloof Nature Reserve by Pretoria.

  • Pros
    • It is a hikers’ paradise with little footpaths up and down hills
    • There are herbivores like wildebeest and rooibokkies – and ostriches (we didn’t see anything else)
    • There are horses
    • You don’t need to pay for your car if you are just going for a hike
  • Cons
    • Not much to see and takes about 20 minutes to drive around once (including to stop and watch animals)
    • You can however get out of your car and hike to a viewpoint for some fresh air
    • They don’t let you know how far you will wander to a viewpoint
    • It costs R120 for a vehicle plus then some per person

The horse pictured was surrounded by grazing wildebeest. Suddenly it neighed wildly and the wildebeest scattered over the road. A few minutes later they were right back next to the horse. I wonder what that was about?

While driving you’ll even catch a glimpse of the Voortrekker Monument and if you walk the first viewpoint route up the koppie, a view of Pretoria.

There is also a 4×4 track, but obviously we gave this a skip. I’m not really a bundu basher.

What to do with kids while in Gauteng

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Into the wild: Lion Park

These little weekend road trips have become my lifeline. I’ve never felt this trapped – and it doesn’t help that I live in the smallest province (with the most people) in a penthouse with no garden but beautiful views.

How many times do you have to see a lion to get tired of seeing said lion? The answer is there is no such thing as seeing lions or big cats too much. This is the conclusion I come to each time we visit the Lion Park somewhere between Gauteng and North West Provinces.

I always excitedly press my nose against the window in the hopes of getting a better look at the lazy lions basking in the sun. I catch myself hoping to see one twitch a whisker, lift a tail or just moving its head. The kids do the same, but with a little more vocal focus. We keep our distance from these big cats, but just far enough so that we won’t be the first thing they’ll want to perch on. We are still very cautious still after that time a young lion decided to peek at us from the top of our car… through a sunroof. His derriere was a bit heavy and cracked said sunroof. It was a thrilling experience but not one we are too keen to repeat – even sans the sunroof!

What I appreciate most about the Lion Park is that even if the animals are in enclosures, they are still freer than in a zoo. They still maintain some of that “wild” that you’ll see in lions that live in the Kruger Park. It never is an ideal situation to keep the wild enclosed, but sometimes the pros outweighs the cons when it comes to their welfare.

This time around in the Lion Park there were 2 camps with lions, 1 with cheetahs, 1 with wild dogs and a whole open area with zebras, wildebeest, springbucks, warthogs and more. The herbivores outnumbers the carnivores by miles. They stand in groups, species interacting.

The little 4x4s of the bush, warthogs, had a dozen piglets. The stormed from across the ridge down to where the zebra and wildebeest grazed. Little dust clouds danced around them as they kneeled into the ground pulling who knows what from the barren spot of ground. One piglet got too close to a wildebeest and was swiftly given a kick that made it fly and plop back onto the ground. It quickly got up again and rejoined its many siblings.

We followed each and every road, slowly crawling on the tracks, stopping to look at little groups of animals just being free. I even cracked open my window where the herbivores roamed and felt the sun on my skin. It was a beautiful day.

We spent around 4 hours in the Lion Park – and it was a welcome relief from being locked up during level 5 and 4 lockdown regulations.

They prefer that you book online and bring your proof of tickets along. They strictly adhere to social distancing and you will be required to wear a mask when speaking to staff at the gate. On entrance they also take your temperature.

What to do with kids while in Gauteng

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Voortrekker Monument asks for your help

We all know that some monuments rely almost solely on tourism to survive. This lockdown has not been kind to this landmark. Right now they have a few initiatives on the go to make enough to pay taxes and rates – and more importantly, it’s employees.

  • Save 50% on entrance tickets for future visits
  • Donate to get your name listed in the register who “owns” a part of the monument
  • Buy a raffle ticket
  • Exercise on the grounds with your entrance ticket
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What to do with kids while in Gauteng

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