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Lanseria Get up close and personal with rare white lions The Lion Park offers terrific close encounters with lions, other predators and large herbivores indigenous to Africa. You can also expect some superb filming and photographic opportunities.The Lion Park is home to over 80 lions including the rare white lions and many other carnivores such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, striped hyena, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, and a wide variety of antelope which roam freely in the antelope area.Visitors have an opportunity to interact with some of the animals in the Cub World area. A giraffe feeding platform puts you at eye level with the tame resident giraffe creating a fun experience for all ages. The hugely popular cub interaction allows guests to touch the cubs and take photographs.Need to know? The Lion Park is open every day of the year. Opening hours: weekdays 8:30am to 5pm;Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays 1 September to 30 April 8:30am to 6pm; 1 May to 31 August 8:30am to 5pm
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Lonehill The Lonehill Nature Reserve stands out as a lone hill on the northern border of Jozi's suburbs, some 28km north of the city centre. It is a reminder of what Johannesburg used to look like before it was settled: rocky veld with small streams trickling through it, dotted with shrubs, small trees and knee-high grasses.
A popular walk about 200m north of the hill is a small dam called Lonehill Loch. A short walk up will bring you to the top with views of the city. The area is fenced and locked, but unlocked on the weekends, allowing hikers and picnickers to climb to the hilltop, or just lay out a picnic blanket in the surrounding grassy area.
Lonehill is also an extremely significant Stone Age site – it has three Stone Age furnaces dating to 1600. Bits of slag have been found near the site of the furnaces, on large flat rocks with indentations in them, obviously used for grinding. Near the furnace site is another area where pottery was manufactured, fenced like the furnace area.
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Irene Undulating golden grassy hills, vleis and a brilliant blue dam characterise the Rietvlei Nature Reserve. Situated 18 kilometres from the centre of Pretoria, the reserve is an idyllic home to 1 600 head of game – and you can spot them easily from your vehicle.Blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, Burchell's zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbuck and grey duiker all roam the open plains.Don’t forget to pack a picnic basket – the Marais Dam is a great place to take a break from driving. There’s a fabulous bird hide, shady spots where you can braai and ablutions. While you munch your boerewors roll you can watch the antics of the hippos and waterbirds. Twitchers are usually delighted by some new bird to tick off at Rietvlei Nature Reserve.And that’s not all – brown hyena, black-backed jackal, ant-bear, aardwolf, porcupine, springhare and bush pig can often be seen on guided night drives. These trips end at the popular Rietvlei Nature Reserve Lapa for a memorable braai under African stars.You can also have amazing encounters with white rhino, cheetah, leopard and buffalo on guided hiking trails and horse riding trails. Day and weekend trails are on offer. Booking is essential for all activities.
Nature Reserve
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Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Just an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and close to the historical town of Heidelberg, is Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, eco-playground for jaded urbanites.
Explore Suikerbosrand’s mountains, kloofs and plains on foot, mountain bike, or by vehicle. If cycling, hiking or driving around is not your thing, pack a picnic basket and enjoy the gorgeous views of the Suikerbosrand Mountains.
Suikerbosrand’s kloofs, ridges and plains support a large variety of plants, birds and animals. Predators prowling the large sanctuary include cheetah, brown hyena and other smaller species. Herbivores include baboon, zebra, oribi, eland, blesbok, springbok, red hartebeest, black wildebeest, kudu and mountain reedbuck, common duiker, grey duiker and steenbok.
Numerous hiking trails offer visitors to get a closer look at the diversity of plant and animal life. Trails vary from a short half-day route to a 6-day hike. The information centre at Diepkloof offers interesting slide or film shows and has several picnic spots.
Gate Times: Open daily from 07:00 to 16:30.
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Roodepoort The magnificent Witpoortjie waterfall forms the backdrop to this lovely botanical garden covering almost 300 hectares of both landscaped and natural veld areas.
Previously called the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden, the natural vegetation of the area is known as the "Rocky Highveld Grassland" and consists of a mosaic of grassland and savanna, with dense bush in kloofs and along streams. The variety of habitats accommodates over 600 naturally occurring plant species. seasonal highlights.
These fabulous gardens are also home majestic Black Eagles (Verreaux's Eagles), who nest on the cliffs alongside the waterfall. The garden has an abundance of wildlife. Together with the other 220 bird species, there are also a number of reptile and small mammals, including small antelope and jackal, which occur naturally in the Nature Reserve.
Take a stroll Several short walks run through the gardenand the surrounding natural areas. The SASOL Dam & Wetland has a boardwalk through the wetland and a bird hide. The JCI Geological Trail gives visitors the opportunity to not only walk along the Roodekrans Ridge and in the Nature Reserve portion of the Garden, but also to learn something about the fascinating geology of the area. Guided tours can be arranged for groups.
Need to know? The Garden is open daily from 08:00 to 18:00, no entry after 17:00. R30 for adults, R25 for students (with a valid student card), R12 for scholars (children), R25 for pensioners and disabled. Children under the age of 6 and Botanical Society members (with valid cards) have free entry.
Nature Reserves near Gauteng
*Distances are shown as the crow flies and are not necessarily the actual travelling
distance.
Nature Reserve
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Lonehill (7.2 km from Gauteng) The Lonehill Nature Reserve stands out as a lone hill on the northern border of Jozi's suburbs, some 28km north of the city centre. It is a reminder of what Johannesburg used to look like before it was settled: rocky veld with small streams trickling through it, dotted with shrubs, small trees and knee-high grasses.
A popular walk about 200m north of the hill is a small dam called Lonehill Loch. A short walk up will bring you to the top with views of the city. The area is fenced and locked, but unlocked on the weekends, allowing hikers and picnickers to climb to the hilltop, or just lay out a picnic blanket in the surrounding grassy area.
Lonehill is also an extremely significant Stone Age site – it has three Stone Age furnaces dating to 1600. Bits of slag have been found near the site of the furnaces, on large flat rocks with indentations in them, obviously used for grinding. Near the furnace site is another area where pottery was manufactured, fenced like the furnace area.
Nature Reserve
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Lanseria (14.8 km from Gauteng) Get up close and personal with rare white lions The Lion Park offers terrific close encounters with lions, other predators and large herbivores indigenous to Africa. You can also expect some superb filming and photographic opportunities.The Lion Park is home to over 80 lions including the rare white lions and many other carnivores such as cheetah, wild dog, brown hyena, striped hyena, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal, and a wide variety of antelope which roam freely in the antelope area.Visitors have an opportunity to interact with some of the animals in the Cub World area. A giraffe feeding platform puts you at eye level with the tame resident giraffe creating a fun experience for all ages. The hugely popular cub interaction allows guests to touch the cubs and take photographs.Need to know? The Lion Park is open every day of the year. Opening hours: weekdays 8:30am to 5pm;Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays 1 September to 30 April 8:30am to 6pm; 1 May to 31 August 8:30am to 5pm
Nature Reserve
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Roodepoort (20.8 km from Gauteng) The magnificent Witpoortjie waterfall forms the backdrop to this lovely botanical garden covering almost 300 hectares of both landscaped and natural veld areas.
Previously called the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden, the natural vegetation of the area is known as the "Rocky Highveld Grassland" and consists of a mosaic of grassland and savanna, with dense bush in kloofs and along streams. The variety of habitats accommodates over 600 naturally occurring plant species. seasonal highlights.
These fabulous gardens are also home majestic Black Eagles (Verreaux's Eagles), who nest on the cliffs alongside the waterfall. The garden has an abundance of wildlife. Together with the other 220 bird species, there are also a number of reptile and small mammals, including small antelope and jackal, which occur naturally in the Nature Reserve.
Take a stroll Several short walks run through the gardenand the surrounding natural areas. The SASOL Dam & Wetland has a boardwalk through the wetland and a bird hide. The JCI Geological Trail gives visitors the opportunity to not only walk along the Roodekrans Ridge and in the Nature Reserve portion of the Garden, but also to learn something about the fascinating geology of the area. Guided tours can be arranged for groups.
Need to know? The Garden is open daily from 08:00 to 18:00, no entry after 17:00. R30 for adults, R25 for students (with a valid student card), R12 for scholars (children), R25 for pensioners and disabled. Children under the age of 6 and Botanical Society members (with valid cards) have free entry.
Nature Reserve
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Kibler Park (24.3 km from Gauteng) Do more with your Sundays. Everyone is welcome to come along every Sunday and paint at the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve. Bring your friends and family, unwind, have a picnic and paint your masterpiece.
No previous art experience is needed. A professional art instructor will be there to guide painters through the creative process, ensuring everyone leaves with a work of art. Cost is R100 per person.
Nature Reserve
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Irene (36.3 km from Gauteng) Undulating golden grassy hills, vleis and a brilliant blue dam characterise the Rietvlei Nature Reserve. Situated 18 kilometres from the centre of Pretoria, the reserve is an idyllic home to 1 600 head of game – and you can spot them easily from your vehicle.Blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, Burchell's zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbuck and grey duiker all roam the open plains.Don’t forget to pack a picnic basket – the Marais Dam is a great place to take a break from driving. There’s a fabulous bird hide, shady spots where you can braai and ablutions. While you munch your boerewors roll you can watch the antics of the hippos and waterbirds. Twitchers are usually delighted by some new bird to tick off at Rietvlei Nature Reserve.And that’s not all – brown hyena, black-backed jackal, ant-bear, aardwolf, porcupine, springhare and bush pig can often be seen on guided night drives. These trips end at the popular Rietvlei Nature Reserve Lapa for a memorable braai under African stars.You can also have amazing encounters with white rhino, cheetah, leopard and buffalo on guided hiking trails and horse riding trails. Day and weekend trails are on offer. Booking is essential for all activities.
Nature Reserve
in
Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve (49.9 km from Gauteng) Just an hour’s drive from Johannesburg and close to the historical town of Heidelberg, is Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve, eco-playground for jaded urbanites.
Explore Suikerbosrand’s mountains, kloofs and plains on foot, mountain bike, or by vehicle. If cycling, hiking or driving around is not your thing, pack a picnic basket and enjoy the gorgeous views of the Suikerbosrand Mountains.
Suikerbosrand’s kloofs, ridges and plains support a large variety of plants, birds and animals. Predators prowling the large sanctuary include cheetah, brown hyena and other smaller species. Herbivores include baboon, zebra, oribi, eland, blesbok, springbok, red hartebeest, black wildebeest, kudu and mountain reedbuck, common duiker, grey duiker and steenbok.
Numerous hiking trails offer visitors to get a closer look at the diversity of plant and animal life. Trails vary from a short half-day route to a 6-day hike. The information centre at Diepkloof offers interesting slide or film shows and has several picnic spots.
Gate Times: Open daily from 07:00 to 16:30.
Nature Reserve
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Roodeplaat (61.1 km from Gauteng) The dam was originally named Pienaars Rivier Dam and meant for the water supply to the immediate land owners. It still supplies water but visitors are able to row and fish on the dam. Bass, carp, kurper and barbel can be caught.
Nature Reserve
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Roodeplaat (61.1 km from Gauteng) Roodeplaat Nature Reserve is conveniently located close to the city for a day's nature outing. The reserve has two hides overlooking the dam for the avid birdwatcher - you might have to content with some fisherman that do not spot the 'no fishing' sign. The reserve boasts over 250 bird species including the osprey, Eurasian reed-warbler, purple heron, black heron and hamerkop.
Nature Reserve
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Magaliesburg (73.7 km from Gauteng) With a beautiful view of the Magaliesburg Mountains, Magalies Wild Game Farm features some fun and exciting things to do for young and old. Activities include bird and game watching, game drives (self driving is possible with a 4x4), walking trails and sunset viewing at a picnic site.
Did you know? Gauteng Nature Reserves is often misspelt. Here are some variations:
Guateng Nature Reserves, Gowteng Nature Reserves, Transvaal Nature Reserves,