Birding Opportunities
The village of Wakkerstroom in the high-lying grassland along the Mpumalanga/KwaZulu-Natal border is arguably the finest place to see South African endemic birds. The rolling, mainly treeless and uncultivated landscape provides excellent bird watching. A number of routes radiate from the town and you can do most of your birding from the road.
Twenty of South Africa’s 35-odd endemic birds occur here and it’s a particularly good place to view bald ibis, Reed cormorant, blue korhaan, yellow-breasted pipit, Great Crested and Black-necked Grebes, Rudd’s lark, Botha’s lark, buff-streaked chat and sentinel rock thrush.
There are four bird hides situated around the wetland and the habitats range from open grassland to mistbelt forest, gorges and cliffs, with extensive wetland habitat in the form of vleis, pans and dams.
Hiking and Biking
Ossewakop is crisscrossed by a myriad cattle tracks and, with the village permanently in view, you can hike to your heart’s content without fear of getting lost. You can either start from the centre of the village or drive up to the concrete reservoir and park there.
Zaaihoek Dam near Wakkerstroom is a tranquil location to fish, but you can also try your hand at fly-fishing at one of Wetlands Country Retreat’s 16 trout dams stocked with brown, golden and rainbow trout.
Grab your mountain bike and explore the maze of dirt roads and tracks available around Wakkerstroom. The Zaaihoek Dam/Groenvlei Road, a 57 km loop, offers some challenging terrain around the dam and a number of incredible views of the countryside and the northern KwaZulu-Natal escarpment.
Paulpietersburg Road (50 km one way), is a good secondary road with stunning scenery. The 14 km Wakkerstroom Wetland loop is easier, especially in an anticlockwise direction.
By Justin Fox