Waterkloof - mountainbiking,hiking,4x4 - Route of 2 km.

When staying at “Onverwacht”, do not forget to enquire about the Leopard Trail that goes down in to the Waterkloof on the Oosthuizen’s Farm.  This Grade 1-2 route should only be attempted with a 4x4 as there are many loose stones on the steepest part of the ascent that make the journey back virtually impossible to do without a 4x4 vehicle.

The route starts about 2km on the main road below the chalets, and to reach the bottom of the valley/kloof is about 1km further down.  Recent devastating fires have all but destroyed all the protea and fynbos vegetation, but we were there 2 months afterwards and already new plant life was taking hold and bringing colour to the countryside.  On a previous visit, we saw 4 nimble Klipspringer grazing on the mountain slopes.  Birds of prey and many other smaller birds can be sighted here and occasionally the baboons can be heard calling.

There is enough space to park and to turn around in the river bed.  One can also picnic down there but please remember to take all your rubbish/waste out with you.  The silence down there is almost deafening as all one can hear are the bird calls, the gurgling of the water and the occasional airplane that goes past.  We have seen the Green striped frog and fishes, about 10cm long, in the stream, even after the fires.

It is another one of those amazing places when one can be at Peace with the World and forget all about life’s daily tribulations.