It's school holiday!
It's Weekend!
Let's get out to the bush and stay over for the
night!!!
This event an ideal time to
get to the outdoors and enjoy nature at it's best! Last year's
event were such a success and this year I am planning an entire
weekend to get away from the rat race at home.
Friday June
18th
- Arrive at Tswaing Crater reception any time from 15:00 (S25
24.941 E28 05.979)
- Pay the minimal fees directly to the reception staff (Details
below) and get all the permits.
- Drive to the overnight accommodation called KGOTLA. Please
bring own bedding (sleeping bags) (S25 25.150 E28
05.471)
- Attend a talk
and demonstration by Danie Barnardo from the Astronomy
Society. (Details
below)
- Fires will be provided for a "Lekker Braai"! Please bring own
food and drinks as well as cutlery as nothing will be
provided.
- Bedtime - This will happen some time that night!!
Saturday June 19th
- Arise and shine!!
- Breakfast - Please bring own breakfast. There is a fridge
and kitchen facilities available.
- Attend a talk my Danie Bernardo about meteorites and Tswaing
from 09:00 to 10:00.
- Go on the 7.2km hike around the crater. This is NOT
compulsory!! This will take you about 3 hours. Search
for all the caches in the area. (Detail below)
- Visit some of the normally off limits areas of the reserve.
There are the very old Leadwood tree aged at about 800 years and
many more.
- Fires will be provided for a "Lekker Braai"! Please bring own
food and drinks as well as cutlery as nothing will be
provided.
Sunday
June
20th
- Arise and shine!!
- Breakfast - Please bring own breakfast. There is a fridge
and kitchen facilities available.
- Spend the morning as you wish and depart on your own
time.
MAKE SURE TO HAVE
SIGNED THE LOGBOOK BEFORE YOU GO
SPECIAL NOTE
- For those who are unable to attend the sleepover and are willing
to drive through any time over the weekend to join us, PLEASE do
so! I would like to make this event accessible to
everyone.
- You do not have to sleep over to claim the event and normal
access fees will apply!
Pricing - there were NO
price hikes from last year!!! What a bargain...
- Admission R15.00 for adults and
R10.00 per child.
- Accommodation at Kgotla: Adults R35.00 and children under twelve
R23.00.
- Camping R10.00 per person. Bring own tent and
bedding.
- Driving permit per vehicle R20.00. This is if you want to
drive most of the way around the crater. Some roads are
closed to public. Maps will be
provided.
Accommodation
Accommodation is available in 5 large huts sleeping 16 people each
in bunk beds. There are 64 beds available so PLEASE send me
your details to book a bunk as soon as possible. This will work on
a first to come basis. Tents can also be pitched around the
huts and will be charged at R10.00 per person. A lapa area is
available for cooking and cleaning. a Fridge is available to
store cold goods. Warm water and showers are available in the
ablution buildings.
Astronomy
Society
Friday: Danie Barnardo will give a talk on
the Universe and Astronomy, titled "Our Amazing Universe", covering
subjects like the size of the Universe, star types, history of the
Universe, observing the Universe and measuring of distances in the
Universe. Afterwards there will be viewing of the night sky with a
few telescopes.
Saturday: Danie Barnardo will give a talk about meteorites
and Tswaing Crater. This will take about 60
minutes
Hike
The 7.2-km Tswaing Crater
Trail, one of only few meteorite hiking trails in the world, which
takes you to the crater floor. You can hire a local guide or walk
on your own. The duration of the walk is about 3 hours. The more
difficult parts of the trail are those sections going into the
crater and back. Interesting points along the route are marked and
explained by signboards. Guided crater walks for
school, adult, family and other groups (by prior arrangement with
the staff at Tswaing).
One of the best
birding spots in Gauteng, with some 240 recorded species.
Game such as kudu, impala, Hartebeest and zebra. Smaller mammals
like vervet monkeys and mongoose, and a variety of reptiles,
amphibians and insects. The grandeur of the crater
itself. Bring binoculars!!
It will be good if we could go at
intervals to prevent overcrowding at the caches. I am
planning to plant some bonus caches around the reserve. We
can then evaluate the caches and publish the best ones for all to
enjoy. The hike is NOT compulsory and you may do it if you so
wish.
What is
TSWAING?
Tswaing, meaning Place of
Salt in Setswana, is a 2000-hectare heritage site, some 40 km
north-west of Central Pretoria, surrounded by settlements inhabited
by more than a million people, such as Winterveld, Soshanguve,
Mabopane and Nuwe Eersterus. It falls within the Gauteng Province,
borders on North-West Province and is part of the City of Tshwane
Metropolitan Municipality.
The main features of Tswaing are a 220 000-year old meteorite
impact crater (100 m deep and 1,3 km across), a wetland (marsh)
area, a variety of ecosystems and the remains of a factory that
produced soda ash and salt.
In geological terms, the Tswaing Crater represents one of the
youngest and best-preserved small bowl-shaped meteorite impact
craters in the world. It used to be known as the Pretoria
Saltpan.
Tswaing is a sensitive and unique conservation area for the careful
and sustainable management of its multiple cultural and natural
heritage resources in the disciplines of geology, the environmental
sciences, biology and human history. Strong emphasis is placed on
the protection and use of the area’s natural and cultural
heritage for research, environmental education, recreation and
community empowerment. This is achieved in close consultation with
local communities, scientists, conservation agencies, private
sector business and national, provincial and metropolitan
government institutions.
Google Tswaing and see what else you can
come up with!!