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21/04/2015

THE WILDLIFE AND BIRDS OF THE MAGALIESBURG

Magaliesberg was once the home of huge elephant herds, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, big cats and many species of buck. Although many large species have been destroyed over the years, private game lodges are re-introducing some back into the region. Of particular significance is the re-introduction of Sable as it was in Magaliesberg that W. Cornwallis Harris first recorded this species for science in 1836. Sable and roan antelope, gemsbok, wildebeest, giraffe, zebras and other species can be seen in the Rustenburg and Silkaatsnek nature reserves. Porcupines, polecats, bushbabies, dassies and weasles roam wild and in the forest there are vervet monkeys, shy duiker and genets. If you sit very quietly at the edge of the forest you may be fortunate enough to sight tree squirrels. Five different species of mongoose live on the slopes of the mountains and on the cliffs are dassies, klipspringers and troops of baboons that come down to the lower slopes to forage by day. Many other species live in this region, including leopards that prefer secret retreats in the dense vegetation of the kloofs.

Magaliesberg is a favourite place for birdwatchers who travel out from the city every weekend to get sight some of the 300 species that have been recorded in the area. Cape vultures nest in colonies on the south facing cliffs along with the black eagle, jackal buzzard, falcons and swifts. In winter the aloes attract myriads of brilliantly coloured sunbirds and in summer flocks of migrating storks can be seen in the fields. Cuckoos, starlings, robins, babblers, barbets, finches, owls and a multitude of other species are to be spotted here. In October, the exquisite paradise flycatcher moves into the area to breed and rear its offspring before returning to the tropics for the winter.

The Johannesburg Birdwatching Society has frequent visits to the area and can be contacted at 011 789 1122

A full picture of the flora and fauna of the region can be gleaned from Vincent Carruthers excellent book The Magaliesberg, obtainable from most large booksellers in South Africa.

www.magaliesburg.co.za

21/04/2015

THE FLORA OF THE MAGALIESBURG

With its variety of habitats, the Magaliesberg provides the ideal setting for over 130 species of trees and a magnificent collection of flowers, ferns, grasses and fungi restricted to the Magaliesberg and adjacent mountains”

On the south facing slopes where the region is driest most of the vegetation is concentrated in the valleys at the base of the cliffs. Many streams are evident after fierce summer storms. Here you will find the wild olive and false olive trees, the creamy white wild gardenia with its large trumpet flowers that blooms each January, wild raisin, white stinkwood and many other species.

At the crest are the giant mountain aloes which colour the hillsides in winter with brightly coloured spurs of orange flowers. Among the trees on the northern slopes are the bush willows with their winged pods and lower down the slopes you can find Marula trees and the sweet rich fruits prized by humans and animals alike. Wild figs are common with their huge spreading branches providing deep shade.

In summer the bright orange Natal Gladiolus blooms across the veld along with wild scabious that lures hundreds of butterflies with its pretty flower heads. The popular pineapple lily can be found sheltering among the rocks. Tall red hot pokers, delicate mauve harebells, tree ferns and wild herbs flourish in the region. A wealth of information about the plants of Magaliesburg and their uses in medicine can be found in Vincent Carruthers’ masterful book on the region.

www.magailesburg.co.za

21/04/2015

MANKIND HAS A LONG HISTORY IN THE MAGALIESBURG

The Magaliesberg probably has the most intriguing and longest session of history, as man would have experienced, than anywhere else on earth. The reason for this is the discovery of the remains of the earliest species of primitive man know today, in and around the Sterkfontein Caves, some 20 minutes drive from Magaliesburg.

The tribes of the descendants of the earliest proto- hominids had free reign in this tranquil valley, and fished the clear streams, and hunted the vast herds of animals that roamed the plains, with is tools made initially from stone and later forged from iron. While his life may have been threatened by the odd wild animal, or early death from injury or disease, man lived in total harmony with nature, which flourished in abundance in the greater Magaliesburg Area over the past two million years of his development.
Then, in what is very recent history, in the mid 1800’s, the savage feet of the great tribes of the north swept through the valley, bringing grief and a temporary tension to the once quiet paradise. The Tribes moved on, and peace returned, but not for long, as war broke out again, when Mzilikazi’s impis attacked (generally after sunset), capturing the women and enslaving the men and young, to be incorporated into his army as warriors.In the brief moments of time, it was not long afterwards, in the late 1800’s, that the “white” tribes from the south arrived, they too seeking their piece of this paradise and with guns ablazing, they drove back the local tribes and hunted the herds of game daily, causing their numbers to dwindle rapidly.

Then on 1 October 1899, war between the two “White Tribes”, the British and the Boer republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State, was declared. Within a year, blood and human lives were lost between these two warring parties, in the Magaliesberg valleys, at Kommando Nek, Nooitgedacht and in many of the deep gorges and high ridges along the mountain side.

And since the days when peace was declared the turn of the last century/ 1902, peace reigned once again in this garden of Eden, where for over the past several decades, man has lived in a peaceful co-existence with nature, farming the land and toiling with the historic truths of democracy.

Today, Magaliesburg has developed into a tranquil haven of tourist attractions, with a number and variety of hospitality venues, where every human being descendant of the earliest species of mankind, is welcome to come back “home” and rest a while. To soak in the peaceful atmosphere and relax in our paradise, just once again.

www.magaliesburg.co.za

21/04/2015

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE MAGALIESBURG

At a time, several millions of years ago (almost half the age of the Earth itself), the inland plain and drainage wetland underwent massive geological upheaval and the area slit into two sections, and the ground tilted to the north, forming a line of two parallel mountain ranges which stretch for some 120 kilometers, from Pretoria, through Rustenburg to the Pilanesburg. This was the birth of the Magaliesberg Mountain range, which forms a natural barrier between the lower lying bushveld to the north, and the cooler highveld to the South and is the “meeting point” of many a species. The Sable’s southern most area of habitat was found in this area, while for the Springbok, they were not found to live any further North than this majestic range.

The Witwatersrand Gold reef, was formed over hundreds of thousands of years, with its most northern reaches being discovered just a few kilometers from the present day village of Magaliesburg, at Blaauwbank. This is where the first strike of the Witwatersrand System, was made and in 1874, the Blaauwbank area was pegged out for formal gold mining activities. Here, the first mining company near the current Johannesburg was formed, named as the “Nil Desperandum Co-operative Quartz Company”. The importance of this mine, was to attract miners to the present day Johannesburg Area and along with it and the discovery of rich and payable veins of gold, creating the largest settlement of man in Sub Saharan Africa.

Today, you can view the early day beginnings of Gold Mining activity, at the “still operational” Blaauwbank Gold Mine and Museum, within minutes drive of the village of Magaliesburg.

www.magaliesburg.co.za

21/04/2015

The village of Magaliesburg, lies just below the Southern Range of the Magaliesburg Mountains. The roads and rivers take similar paths, breaking though the steep ridges of the mountains in a few places, only to traverse much of the land along the valleys on either side of the two mountain ridges.

The reality of Magaliesburg belies its languid village ambience. There are many places to visit and things to do in the region. A variety of accommodation and a host of fascinating people await you. Whatever your interest, you will find something to delight you as you travel the roads and experience the environment.

The Magaliesberg are among the oldest mountains in the world, almost 100 times older than Everest. They stretch for 120km from Bronkhorstspruit Dam east of Pretoria to Rustenburg in the west and separate the highveld grasslands to the south from the bushveld savannah in the north.

www.magaliesburg.co.za

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