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PRECINCT LIVING

brunch or afternoon tea. Entrance is R60 week and there’s no entrance fee. Entrances
for adults and pensioners, R35 for students are located on Frandolph Drive in Mondeor
(with a valid student card), R20 for scholars and Peggy Vera Road in Kibler Park. Be
and children under 6 years are free. careful where you park your vehicle, though,
as there have been incidences of car theft in
3. Joburg City Parks maintains a number the vicinity of this reserve.
of nature reserves and parks around the
city, among them the Kloofendal Nature The Braamfontein Spruit Trail is split
Reserve, the Klipriviersberg Nature into two sections. Section 1 goes through
Reserve, Melville Koppies, The Wilds Emmarentia and Section 2 runs from the
Nature Reserve, Braamfontein Spruit and lower end of Delta Park (which is part of
the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Craighall Park, the suburb) through to the
Emmarentia. I have walked or hiked all of Sandton Field and Study Centre in Sandton.
them, but to be honest – and you might The Craighall Park part of the trail is very
shoot me down for saying this – I would popular on weekends, when families walk
discourage families from going on the alongside the river as far as Conrad Drive
Melville Koppies and The Wilds hikes as in Blairgowrie, where there’s a restaurant,
there have been reports of muggings along and back to Craighall Park, where there’s
Kloofendal Nature Reserve both routes. another bustling eatery that has a kiddies’
play area. Access to the Braamfontein
At the 128ha Kloofendal Nature Reserve, Spruit Trail is free.
you’ll be able to experience the Bankenveld,
Drakensberg and Savanna ecosystems and, Emmarentia is where you’ll also find the
if you’re lucky, you may see the mountain Johannesburg Botanical Gardens that
reedbuck, duiker, mongoose, dassie, cover approximately 81ha of lawns, walking
hedgehog, black-backed jackal, mole rat paths and gardens. Alongside, there are
and gerbil that are there. By appointment, a number of dams, the largest of which is
you can also view one of Johannesburg’s used by the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club and
first gold mines that’s fenced and closed the Emmarentia Sailing Club. The main
to the public for safety reasons. There’s a entrance is in Olifants Road, Emmarentia
choice of trails – the 1,8km Dassie hiking and entrance is free.
trail and the 3,5km Rocky Ridge hiking trail,
as well as two walks – the 790m Struben 4. Closer to home, you’ll find the Norscot
walk and the 450m Wetland walk. The first Koppies and Kingfisher Nature Reserve
three routes take you past the dam to the in Douglasdale. This enclosed area,
bird hide and the last one takes you in the which covers 16ha, is home to duiker,
other direction to the wetland. Kloofendal is blesbok, klipspringer and dassie, and
normally open daily and entrance is free. includes a number of dams and a bird hide.
Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve The well-marked Norscot Koppies and
The 680ha Klipriviersberg (Stone River Kingfisher Trail has been designed as a
Mountain) Nature Reserve, located 11km self-guided walk where you can learn about
south of the Johannesburg CBD, is rich the indigenous vegetation and the natural
in archaeological treasures, boasting one phenomena of the region. If you go onto
of the highest concentrations of Iron Age their website (www.norscotkoppies.co.za),
artefacts on the Witwatersrand. Throughout you’ll find a detailed bird list and their trail
the reserve, you’ll be able to see up to 600 guide that you can download and print
different plant species, 150 identified bird before you go. The reserve is open to the
species, as well as blesbok, zebra, duiker public every second and last Sunday of the
and wildebeest while hiking along the nature month. Entrance is free, but donations are
trails. The reserve is normally open 7 days a always welcome.

HIKING TIPS AND ETIQUETTE
Some of the ‘rules of the trail’ include: downhill hikers should give way to those
going uphill, lone walkers and small groups should give way to large groups,
and a hiker should definitely give way to horses and bikers (as in stepping off
Norscott Koppies the track, if possible). Follow the ‘leave no trace’ rules, even when it comes to
used toilet paper in the event of a toilet emergency – therefore, it’s best to take
a disposable bag in a container for used tissues/toilet paper and a recyclable
shopping bag for all litter. Except when you’re looking for a discreet place to
relieve yourself, stick to the trails and avoid trampling the surrounding flora –
and refrain from picking flowers or ‘cuttings’ for the garden.

Hiking in the early morning is advised, rather than starting your hike midday, as
the hotter it gets, the more dehydrated you’ll become. Pack a backpack with: a
few small bottles of water so you can stay hydrated along the way, as well as
trail mix dried fruit and other suitable healthy foods to snack on when you stop
for rest breaks. Packing a lightweight, basic first aid kit is also advisable.
Dress in layers so you can shed warmer clothes as your body heats up, make
sure you wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking, remember your cap and
sun block – and a rain jacket if there’s any chance of rain.

And then, as with any road trip, the final tip is to be sure you have the full
details of the route so you can enjoy your hike and arrive home alive!!
Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
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DPL