Magaliesberg Snippets
Man — The Intruder
by Stan & Desiré Kantor
The first of this series was published by the East Rand Hiking Club in February 1996. The then convenor of the Newsletter, Jenny Price, thought it would be a good idea to increase the knowledge of hikers on the various trails by familiarising them with the flora and fauna, biology, history etc. at these venues. As a basis the authors decided to use Vincent Carruthers’ book, 'The Magaliesberg', and expand on the information given.
What, at the time, seemed to be an attainable request, has now turned out to be over 50 articles and the authors have listed the following venues still to be recorded: Castle Gorge; Tonquani/Cedarberg; Dome Pools; Trident (all Mountain Club properties); Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, Retiefs Kloof; Foothold; Wolhuterskop; Kosmos (Sandowaan); Eagles Cove; Silkaatsnek; Uitkyk; Nooitgedacht; Die Hoekie; Horns Nek; The Bunkhouse (on the Southern Slopes); Shelter Rock; Barnard’s Vlei and Segwati Ranch.
This can only be achieved if members of the club are prepared to participate. Photos, comments, observations and experiences at any of these venues can be sent to the authors at desstan@telkomsa.net. In the meantime updates and an index to existing articles have to be added and some of these are listed below:
GROENKLOOF NATURE RESERVE (DEC.2003)
The reserve has a new addition to its wildlife – a 3.5 metre, 20kg. Female African Rock Python. This python was found in the built-up area of Lynnwood (Pretoria) on January 15th, 2011 and provided with a microchip for monitoring purposes.
Prehistoric activities at Groenkloof: An archaeological survey was undertaken in 1975/76 at the reserve by Dave Panagost and Jan Boeyens. Close to the picnic area a grooved stone was found. The three parallel groves were used to fashion ostrich eggshell beads. The rough-cut shells first had a hole bored in them and were then strung on a fresh animal ligament. When left to dry in the sun, the ligament hardened and contracted forming a stiff rod of shell, which was then ground down to a cylindrical form in the grooves of the stone. The ligament was then cut and the disk like beads were used for adornment (see Windybrow Article (May 1999) for illustration of a flake tool used to cut holes in shells). This artefact is generally associated with the Khoi-San people and is, therefore, placed in the South African Late Stone Age.
Many other items of pottery sherds, packed drystone revetments and a bored stone, known as a digging stone when attached to a pointed stick, were found in the vicinity of the numerous dolomite caves.
The reserve also offers overnight facilities for 12 hikers with excellent ablutions and a large lapa with braai facilites. With good planning it is possible to do +/- 28km. Day 1 is a combination of the yellow hiking route (10.5km) and in the afternoon the White Route (3.5 km). On Day 2 use the 4x4 Nature Trail. There are 22 interpretive points on the route, including the two old bridges built for the original road that linked the Standerton/Heidelberg – Pretoria byway. As this is mainly open terrain, it is best to do it in winter.
VOORTREKKER MONUMENT (MAR.2009):
In this article mention was made of a quarry on the second loop of this trail. It was in actual fact a construction wall above a kloof that was built for the NZASM railway. The original line from Pretoria looped into this area prior to it being straightened in the 1930’s. Careful observation will reveal the ‘storm water’ drainage from the deep furrows on the slopes of the hill, with an outlet in the wall, feeding into the kloof. It is intended to have mounted plaques in this area which will be donated by the NZASM trustees. Cleaning of the area around the NZASM bridge at the Eeufees Road junction. Lonerock Construction have,again,at no cost to VTM, offered to do the groundwork with an eye on the restoration of the NZASM bridge. This area will eventually be included in the VTM property. The Nature Conservation Division of the City Council has undertaken to move the fence and the NZAV from Amsterdam have undertaken to contribute R20 000,00 to this project (for the erection of information boards etc).
HENNOPS PICNIC SITES (DEC.2009)
The walk along the river on the Krokodilberg route will, invariably, lead to a viewing of the Nile Monitor (Leguaan). Sometimes seen at many different locations, its favourite spots are near the top end of the low water bridge where they wait for migrating shoals of fish, which are caught in immense numbers as they scramble across the obstacle during floods. They are also seen sunbathing just below the suspension bridge.Adult specimens have been known to attain a total length of from 1.95 – 2.1 metres, of which the tail accounts for almost two-thirds. Head and body of an average adult male – 628mm, tail 1015 mm. The staple items of their diet consists of crabs and mussels but, in general, they are very catholic in their tastes, taking a variety of terrestrial, arboreal and aquatic animals, including small mammals, birds and their eggs, other reptiles, snakes, insects etc.
The authors were privileged to observe a newly emerged juvenile sunbathing on a rock at the cableway crossing. Research into the life cycle shows that when eggs are laid, they number anything from 40 – 60. Deposited in a hole dug deep into a termite mound or sandbank by the female. These are roughly covered over and any break in the nest is left to the termites to seal up securely. The eggs are deposited about midsummer and take anything from 9 – 10 months to incubate. The newly emerged young, about 230mm long, dig their way out and, in doing so, disturb the termites which swarm out and provide the young leguaans with their first meal, before they make off instinctively for the nearest water.
PRETORIA NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS:
The opportunity to identify trees at your leisure is now available at this venue. A tree route of 50 different indigenous species has been established on the south-western section of the property. A booklet is obtainable at the entrance to the garden and this self-guided tree route (with map) will provide you with a full hour of entertainment.
Each tree illustrated shows: Distribution; flower; fruit; bark or branch; height and a set of symbols indicating if it attracts birds, insects etc.; if it has medical uses, water requirements and a host of other points of interest.
The scientific as well as common names are given, but for those who are interested in the meaning of the scientific name “SAPPI What’s in a Name? – Dr. Hugh Glen, is highly recommended e.g. Acacia burkei (Tree No,. 15); Acacia (Greek, Akis = a sharp point) burkei – after Joseph Burke (1813-1873) who travelled to the present Gauteng with Zeyher in 1840.
WONDERBOOM NATURE RESERVE (MAY 1996):
A new trail has been added to the south side of the fort. This section used to be enclosed for the animals found there – Zebra, Impala, Mountain Reedbuck and Klipspringer, but is now open to hikers. A water hole on the far eastern side is found on this route. It was intended to be part of the Joop Bekker Guided trail from the caravan park, but the floods on the Apies River and its tributary have in many cases made it impassable during the rainy season. Suggestions have been put forward to make this into a circular trail within the reserve. A new information sheet is available at the gate on request and this shows all the existing trails on a well-laid out map.
NKWE
Many fish perform seasonal migrations. The salmon, shad, striped bass and some trout from salt water to fresh water for spawning are termed 'anadromous'. The fresh water eel, which reverse this process, is said to be 'catadromous'.
A small depth charge was placed in the bottom of the deep natural pool at Nkwe and brought eels up to the surface. The eel is probably the 'Anquilla marmorata' – the Madagascar Mottled Eel. The eels spawn in deep sea at depths of 400 – 700 metres and, in the case of South African eels, this occurs east of Madagascar.
During midsummer the leaflike ferns of laval eels, 'Leptocephali' are trapped in ocean currents and swept to the mainlands. As soon as they reach the coastal waters (which can take up to a year), the leaf larvae undergo a remarkable transformation into little, pearly-white, cylindrical elvers that avoid salt water and invade the river estuaries. They make their way relentlessly inland, sometimes more than 1000 km, wriggling up waterfalls, slithering across meadows on rainy nights and even climbing up to the mountain streams.
Often striking out overland in the dark, resting up in damp holes during the day, where they breathe through the water retained in their gill chambers until it is possible to continue their compulsive journey. Their stay in fresh water is devoted to feeding and growing and may persist from 10 up to 30 years. Such eels are known as 'brown stage' eels on account of their colour.
In the last summer of its life in fresh water , and now weighing from 10 to 20 kg, the eels undergo another process of metamorphosis in preparation for their journey back to the sea and are now called 'silver stage' eels. The eyes become enlarged, a feature considered essential for deep-sea fish and the colour changes to a silvery glint with a white iridescence.
At night, during seasonal floods, mature eels start their long migration back to the sea to return to ancestral spawning grounds, only to spawn once and die – Feltus Brandt – Fauna and Flora July 1977 and E.W. Anderson – Animals as Navigators.
As mentioned in the introduction, future articles can only be written with the interaction of readers. If there are any plants, trees or animals of interest, or if you have historical information on the Magaliesberg, please contact John or Audrey Tyldesley or Derek and Gretta Jones and they will advise us accordingly.
If you think you can do a thing,
Or if you think you can’t do a thing,
You are right.
Henry Ford
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