Half an hour’s drive from Johannesburg is the Cradle Moon Conservancy. Likeminded landowners in this area manage their land with the aim to embrace and emphasise the benefits of ecotourism.
One of the landmarks for hikers, cyclists and open water swimmers in Gauteng, is the Cradle Moon Lakeside Game Lodge.
This venue with its giraffes, zebras and various other antelope species, peacefully grazing among the natural vegetation endemic to the region is hugely popular with locals and we decided to visit and make up our own minds.
We chose a crispy clean winter’s day. In Gauteng, this is the best weather for a hike as it is not all that cold, nor as scorchingly hot as it can be in summer.
The fact that we had to stand in a bit of a que to pay the reasonable fee just proves how popular this spot is
Armed with our armbands and the reassurances of experienced Cradle Mooners that our 3-year old could easily handle the hike, we set off with enthusiasm. I found that nothing fills a little boy with vigor for a hike as much as his own backpack filled with lightweight snacks and some juice.
We saw antelope and zebra as we walked on the well marked trail, but sadly no giraffes. After a few kilometers and lots of snack stops we caught our first glimpse of the Crocodile River that is the life blood of the Lodge….
Where there are rivers, there are little streams and little streams require exciting bridges which need to be crossed several times just to be sure that it works.
Still full of energy we carried on to the most impressive part of the hike: The dam wall built entirely by hand and with stone.
According to their website “The dam wall stands 20m high, is 300m wide, and just short of 10m thick at the base. All the stones used during the construction were found on site, now visible as coves on the sides of the lake. 50 000 bags of cement were used to keep each hand packed stone in place.
These numbers make the wall the largest stone dam on the African continent!”
It was quite an impressive sight and it was just good to feel ‘waterfall mist’ and see a ‘waterfall rainbow’ so close to the city.
There is a lovely restaurant on the edge of the dam wall which means that you can have your well-deserved meal overlooking the Cradle Moon lake.
The restaurant also serves a white-sand area on the edge of the lake. This little beach provided our son with entertainment while we tucked into delicious burgers.
We concluded our hike with a leisurely stroll along the edge of the lake, stopping now and then to collect stones to throw into the water.
What a lively place! What a delightful day!
Mom&Teacher Thoughts 