Hartbeespoort or ‘Harties’ is easy enough to find – just ask anybody from the Jozi urban jungle. Set snugly in the natural splendour of the magical Magaliesberg Mountain, this erstwhile ‘weekend dorp’ is surrounded by rivers, craggy valleys and remnant woodland pockets.
Hartbeespoort in the North West province, promises a great combo of outdoor adventure options, unique cultural discoveries and funky shopping, all within an easy drive from the concrete mayhem of Johannesburg.
The Magalies ranges were originally named for Tswana chief Magali, or more correctly, Mohale. You can’t really miss them where they shrug skywards to create a dramatic backdrop to the village spread along the eastern shore of the Hartbeespoort Dam. General Hendrik Schoeman, a famous albeit controversial Boer War figure, was the first to build a dam here in the 1890s, but after it washed away in 1909, it was rebuilt in 1924.
The summer, typical of the ‘old Transvaal’ region, (now North West Province) features end-of-the-world afternoon thunderstorms, while winter consists of dry, sunny days and chilly nights. Mammal species abound along the mountain slopes, with chacma baboons reigning supreme from the high cliffs. Birding is very rewarding, too, with more than 400 Bushveld and Highveld species, including a high raptor and waterfowl count.
Did You Know? General Hendrik Schoeman died in May 1902 when an ammunition shell, brought back from Colesberg and used as an ashtray, exploded as he dropped a match into it after lighting his pipe. His son claimed that his death was not accidental, a theory only later seriously considered by historians.
Breedtsnek, is a bugger of a gravel pass over the Magaliesberg Ranges, set along the T3 district dirt road from Hekpoort. This one of those ...
About 20 km west of Hartbeespoort Dam, nestled within mountains more than a million year old, you will find the Van Gaalen Cheese Farm. The ...
Fishing here is very much for the beer-in-hand and hat-over-the-eyes types, but you'll get a lot more excitement on weekends watching hang-g...