Finally, we ventured outside Johannesburg, with our first stop at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Roodepoort, Gauteng. Covering around 300 hectares, this beautiful nature reserve is a popular green escape from the city, combining landscaped lawns, natural veld and an impressive variety of plant and birdlife.
The gardens feature diverse collections, including a succulent rockery, cycad garden and water garden, and are home to around 240 bird species. One of the main attractions is a resident breeding pair of Verreaux’s (black) eagles, which nest on the cliffs near the waterfall. Unfortunately, as usual, we were unlucky and didn’t manage to spot them.
The reserve´s scenic focal point is the spectacular Witpoortjie Waterfall, which plunges approximately 70 metres down the cliffs. The waterfall marks the source of the Crocodile River, which flows northwards towards Hartbeespoort Dam, and can be admired from the main lawns and from its base.
From the waterfall, we set off on the 4-kilometre Geological Trail, a circular hiking route that took us around 1.5 hours to complete. Rated as moderately difficult, the trail climbs into the surrounding hills using a combination of stone and wooden steps, rewarding the effort with panoramic views across the reserve and surrounding landscape.
It was a perfect final escape from the city — a few hours surrounded by nature, birds, waterfalls and beautiful Highveld scenery.
