I have visited this site in the ninetees several times, and it was always a pleasure.
Enjoy!
Update June 2026: Log requirements have been changed. A photo is mandatory from this day on. Al previous logs can be considered grandfathered.
Where
Just half-an-hour drive south of Bulawayo are the Matobo Hills a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At this site you can experience, and learn, just by looking around, what weather conditions did and can do to massive rocks.
Geology and Erosion
The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of unique and characteristic weathered rock formations and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometers south of Bulawayo, southern Zimbabwe. The hills were formed over 2 billion years ago with granite being forced to the surface. The huge granite masses – seamed, split, shaped and sculptured by time and the elements - form an array of odd shaped hills and rock formations that cover 3000 square kilometers.
The Matobo Hills some a profusion of distinctive granite landforms, densely packed into a comparatively tight area, that rise up to form a sea of hills. Their forms have resulted from the varied composition and alignment of the granite rocks (unique in te world), which responded differently to millions of years of weathering.
The hills were first formed by river (water) erosion and later on weathered, by wind and rain, into fantastic shapes and deep valleys.
A form of erosion, present at this site, is wind erosion also known as Aeolian erosion. Aeolian processes pertain to wind activity in the study of geology and weather, and specifically to the wind's ability to shape the surface of the Earth (or other planets). Winds may erode, transport, and deposit materials, and are effective agents in regions with sparse vegetation and a large supply of unconsolidated sediments. Although water is a much more powerful eroding force than wind, aeolian processes are important in arid environments.
The Matobo Hills were formed over time as the overlying layers were gradually worn away, until eventually the lump of volcanic rock became exposed. Granite is a typical volcanic rock and is known for its hardness - the surrounding rocks (especially if they're sedimentary rocks like sandstones or mudstones) may be significantly softer and therefore as the erosion processes continue, they'll get worn down faster than the hard granites - they do erode, but not at the same rate as the softer rocks within which they are embeded.
The erosion proces formed so called balacing rocks. An erosional remnant is a persisting rock formation that remains after extensive wind, water and/or chemical erosion. To the untrained eye it may appear to be visually like a glacial erratic, but instead of being transported and deposited it was carved from the local bedrock.
These extraordinary granite rock formations have exerted a strong presence over the whole area in natural terms.
About
The Hills cover an area of about 3100 km², of which 424 km² is National Park, the remainder being largely communal land and a small proportion of commercial farmland. The park extends along the Thuli, Mtshelele, Maleme and Mpopoma river valleys. Part of the national park is set aside as a 100 km² game park, which has been stocked with game including the white rhinoceros. The highest point in the hills is the promontory named Gulati (1549 m) just outside the north-eastern corner of the park.
Human History
People have interacted with, and been inspired by, the dramatic natural rock formations of the Matobo Hills for over many millennia. The area has a rich human history. Bushmen lived in this area 2,000 years ago, and left a superb collection of rock art behind, much of which has been well preserved. Later, the hills were considered sacred by the Ndebele people, whose founder Mzilikazi named them after the rocks (matobo derives from the Matabele word for bald-headed). In colonial times, Matobo Hills was loved by Cecil Rhodes, who chose this as his final resting place. His grave, carved out from the rock, is marked by a brass plaque at the aptly named Worlds View, a vantage point high up on the rocks.
(source :www.zimparks.org)
Granite areas themselves have limited economic uses. The soil is usually poor and thin, so little farming takes place, probably just some sheep and cattle grazing.
How to log this Earthcache?
Fullfil the 2 mandatory assignments.
First, send your answers to the question via email (also mention your geocaching name here).
After that, you can log online, adding the photo taken for assignment 2 to your online log.
If there are no or verry incorrect answers and/or a missing photo, your log will be removed without warning in accordance with the Groundspeak guidelines.
Assignment 1: Questions
At the given coördinates, look around and think of, for instance, the Alps or the Himalya and experience the difference in forms of the landscape.
2 rock types can be easily distinguished in this park
- First type: The shape of the huge bald rocks is often associated with which animal? (5 letters)
- Second type: What is the common name of the balancing rocks? (5 letters...)
- How did the shape of these first type rocks became like this?
- Briefly describe the big round boulders you see at this point.
In your log, I would be pleased if you describe your impression of this spot
Assignment 2: Show yourself!
Take a photo near GZ proving you were on site.
Show yourself, or a personal item + a part of yourself (hand, shadow, etc.) in the photo.
Everyone who logs must post their own photo; no group photos!
This photo must be included with your 'Found it' log!
If you like, do not forget to visit this Waymark..
Out of place grave of CJ Rhodes
Important Notice!
Poachers are active in this area so please don’t visit this site between 18:30 PM and 06:30 AM