I was absolutely sure I was being watched. I couldn’t turn around as I had a tent guy rope in my teeth and tent peg in one hand, trying set up the off-road trailer I’d collected some 40 minutes earlier in Pretoria. Happy in the knowledge that there are no Big Five predators at this reserve, I finally turned around. Standing some 70-odd metres away were three giraffe. Infinitely curious, these long-necked spotted beauties of the bush stared down at me as if to say, “For goodness sake mate, get your darn tent set up!” This was back in 2015, my first introduction to the Somabula Nature Reserve close to Pretoria.
In life, we tend to have our favourites, whether it’s actors, restaurants, sports teams, or campsites. Somabula has become one of my favourite campsites in Gauteng. A short hop, some 40 minutes from Pretoria and an hour‘s drive from Joburg, Somabula is situated off the R515 between the small towns of Rayton and Cullinan. The Somabula turnoff is on your left, some four kilometres from Rayton. It’s only after entering the reserve’s entrance gate roughly 3km from the R515 that you start seeing the beauty of the surrounding bushveld. Getting closer to reception, you discover the lovely indigenous trees in the lower-lying areas.
This scenic nature reserve, consisting of pristine bushveld and plenty of indigenous trees, is spread over 400 hectares of land. The lovely thing about Somabula is the fact that there are no dangerous animals.
この記事は Caravan & Outdoor Life の December 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Caravan & Outdoor Life の December 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Resorts Of The Month: Kruisrivier Guest Farm
Off the beaten track and ideal for the off-roading camper
Lagoon And Beachfront Bliss
Morgan Bay Campsite, EC
Conservation: The Endangered Vultures
Rating: The conservation of vultures in Africa is generally regarded as high priority, although limited resources are made available to assist with this important work.
Crisp, Clean Air & Gurgling Streams It Seems
Old Mac Daddy, WC
Destination Of The Month: Transkei On The Fly
When the call came in from a fellow journalist, that his doctor had suggested he not travel due to a recent op, I had about a day to get everything prepared for an adventure to the Transkei Wild Coast.
13 Top Tips For Outdoor Accessory Maintenance
You certainly don’t want to arrive at your holiday destination only to find your gas bottles are empty, the tent has been chewed to heavenly holiness by marauding mice, and you left grandma napping in the caravan when you put it out to pasture at your local Storage Land for the winter season.
our take on SNAKES
Caravan & Outdoor Life joins some of South Africa’s leading herpetologists in the Maputaland region to find rare species and teach the local rural residents how to react to snakes. With Opposite Lock on board, we’re all set to strike at a moment’s notice…
Caravan clinic
Our expert answers your technical questions & gives camping advice
Around The Campfire
Readers share their outdoor adventures and air their values
In The Shade Of A Dappled Glade
Slanghoek Mountain Resort, WC