If your leisure time is limited,
hop onto the N4 west – an area favoured
by Johannesburg and Pretoria residents over weekends - as it is a microcosm of much
of what South Africa has to offer (excluding the beach!). Sun
City, the Pilanesberg
National Park and the Magaliesberg are the best-known attractions, but there are numerous
other highlights along this route.
Just 30 minutes' from Pretoria, the N4 west passes through the Hartbeespoort
Dam area where your experience of the people
of the North West province begins. A prettier access route
from Johannesburg runs along the R512 , past the mainly
charter-flight airport of Lanseria and an access point to The Cradle of Humankind - the
world's richest hominid site containing evidence of our human
ancestry (‘Mrs Ples' and ‘Little Foot'). Within this 47 000
ha area are the Wonder Caves which are an integral part of
the Rhino and Lion Nature reserve – a compact reserve with
rhino, lion, cheetah, wild dogs, antelope and even a swimming
pool at the picnic area.
Back on the R512, the hills ahead signal
the approach to Hartbeespoort
Dam and the some of the oldest mountains on
earth, the Magaliesberg where vultures soar in the thermals.
The Johannesburg-side shores of the Dam house a number of
upmarket residential estate, among them Pecanwood, the Jack
Nicklaus-signature golf course which you pass as the R512 continues towards the Skeerpoort and Hekpoort valleys and the village of Magaliesburg. The Magalies Meander's points of interest are well
indicated along the way; strawberry-picking, cane and wicker
goods, hot-air ballooning, cheese farms – all supported with
an array of accommodation ranging from game farms and elegant
country lodges to simple self-catering cottages. To continue around the dam to
rejoin the N4 , take the R512 across the water to the Dam Doryn Crossing where a host of
informal traders offer the widest variety of pan-African arts
and crafts. Numerous pubs and restaurants line the road –
a main thoroughfare to Sun
City and the Pilanesberg.
20 minutes' north of Hartbeespoort along the R511 is the bushveld town
of Brits which serves many of the surrounding farms and mines
in an area that produces exceptional granite. The De Wildt
Cheetah Research Station and the Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre
are open to the public on limited days. A surprising find
off the Thabazimbi road north of town is the Borakalalo National Park where
the birdlife is abundant among mammals such as rhino, giraffe
and antelope. There are guided walking trails and overnight
tents but it also makes a lovely day trip from Johannesburg or Pretoria.
The R556 recommended route to Sun
City off the N4 is both well
signposted and well maintained, being one of South Africa
's major attractions. This resort lies in an extinct volcanic
crater, surrounded by the Pilanesberg Mountains and the not-to-be-missed Pilanesberg National Park. The adjacent Sun
City complex - with its own beach and waves,
two internationally-renowned golf courses, casinos and myriad
other forms of entertainment - makes this area a fabulous
stopover – allow at least two days. More nature and less glitz
is provided in the Park itself by a number of independently-operated
lodges who provide the Big Five experience to guests. A fascinating
game-viewing tour, operated by Mankwe Safaris, relates the
Tswana culture to the fauna and flora seen on safari. Travel
back to the N4 on the R565 via Boekenhoutfontein, Paul Kruger's homestead turned monument
and museum.
Back on the N4 ,
the small town of Kroondal appears 7km before Rustenburg , where a circular game-viewing drive may be taken in
the Kgaswane (Rustenburg) Nature Reserve. As you travel towards Swartruggens and Groot-Marico , you experience the enviable, uncluttered space of South
Africa through quite beautifully wooded hills followed by
the great plains leading to Zeerust and Botswana . The Groot-Marico is the setting for many of the tales of the South African
author Herman Charles Bosman (read ‘A Sip of Jerepigo' en
route) and the unique local produce is Mampoer, a clear, fruit-based
spirit – some of which are presented with barbed wire around
the bottle, warning of their potent contents! Zeerust, some 50km from the Botswana borderpost, is an archetypal
bushveld town. Pop in to the local hotel to experience both
the old and the new South Africa . A really special bush experience
lies in the Madikwe National Park north of Zeerust – with a variety of birds to make your head spin, the
Big Five, a good concentration of the endangered wild dog
and a number of elegant lodges (booking essential). The capital
of the North West, Mafikeng, is just 55km south of Zeerust.
Suggested stop or stretch
towns on the N4: Sun City 79km off N4 on the
Recommended Route , Pilanesberg National Park , Rustenburg
amd Groot-Marico.
Suggested stop or stretch towns on the R511 & R512: Lanseria area , Hartbeespoort, Dam and Brits.
More Routes:
JOHANNESBURG - BLOEMFONTEIN - COLESBERG ON N1
COLESBERG - BEAUFORT WEST - CAPE TOWN ON N1
BLOEMFONTEIN - EAST LONDON ON N6
BLOEMFONTEIN – LESOTHO ON N8
JOHANNESBURG - KIMBERLEY - BEAUFORT WEST ON N12
CAPE TOWN - PORT ELIZABETH ON N2 : THE GARDEN ROUTE
PORT ELIZABETH – CRADOCK – COLESBERG ON N10 : THE KAROO
PORT ELIZABETH - EAST LONDON - WILD COAST - DURBAN ON N2
CAPE TOWN – SPRINGBOK ON N7: THE WEST COAST
JOHANNESBURG – DRAKENSBERG - DURBAN ON N3
JOHANNESBURG – SWAZILAND – NORTH COAST ON N17/N2
JOHANNESBURG – KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – MOZAMBIQUE ON N4
JOHANNESBURG – MESSINA - ZIMBABWE ON N1
JOHANNESBURG/PRETORIA – MAGALIESBURG - BOTSWANA ON N4
JOHANNESBURG – UPINGTON – SPRINGBOK ON N14 |
