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!
The planning goes as follows:
Friday July
10th
- 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 July
11th
- Arise and shine!!
- Breakfast - Please bring own breakfast. There is a fridge
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)
- Depart home from Tswaing Crater in a very dirty, dusty and tired
state!! :-)
SPECIAL
NOTE (added 2009-06-10)
- For those who are unable to attend the sleepover and are willing
to drive through on the Saturday morning 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
- 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!!