The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is an ecological wonderland. History of the Blyde River Canyon: The Ancient Super Continent Gondwanaland broke apart approximately 200 Million years ago, tearing Madagascar and Antarctica away from Africa. The broken edge of the Continent titled up due to the weight of the vast shallow sea that stretched westwards […]
The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve is an ecological wonderland.
History of the Blyde River Canyon:
The Ancient Super Continent Gondwanaland broke apart approximately 200 Million years ago, tearing Madagascar and Antarctica away from Africa. The broken edge of the Continent titled up due to the weight of the vast shallow sea that stretched westwards towards Pretoria. This ancient sea left behind layers, upon layers of dolomite and sandstone that became sediments over millions of years. What was once a deep trench under the sea became a canyon on land.
The exciting thing about the Blyde River Canyon is that you can experience its beauty on land, water and in the air. You can walk to various viewpoints, take a boat trip in the water or you can fly over the Blyde River Canyon in a Microlight or in a Hot Air Balloon and to top it off is that you get a history lesson doing something fun and exciting at the same time.
Blyde River Canyon is a site of Natural Phenomena. It is the largest Green Canyon in the world and it stretches over 26 Kilometres and is over 800 meters deep. The Blyde River Canyon is located in Mpumalanga on the northern parts of the Drakensberg Escarpment. There are many treasures within the canyon like:
The Three Rondavels
These rondavels have had many names like the Three Sisters and The Chief and his Three Wives, which is a name given by the indigenous people who were living in that area.
Kadishi Tufa Waterfalls
Another treasure in the area is these waterfalls, which are the second highest Tufa waterfalls in the world. The Kadishi Tufa Waterfalls are known as the ‘weeping face of nature’ due to the waterfall personifying a ‘weeping’ face.
The Pinnacle
Admire a naturally carved, free-standing rock buttress at The Pinnacle Rock, a metamorphic rock fringed with vegetation arising from a forest.
God’s Window
The Zenith of the Panorama Route, God’s Window is such a picturesque view point that it has been called “God’s Window”, due to the sheer natural beauty contained in one view.
Bourke’s Luck Potholes
Go see the magnificent rock features called “Bourke’s Luck Potholes”. These enormous potholes have been carved by pebbles swirling around in the pools where the Blyde and Treur River meet and become one.
Echo Caves
These caves are some of the oldest caves in the world and stretch some 40km into the earth with some underground chambers that are more than 60m in height. The caves got their name from their stalactites, that create an echoing sound when drummed upon and can even be heard outside the cave system.
The Belvedere Trail Hike has great Blyde River Canyon views where you can explore the abandoned Belevedere hydroelectric power station. You’ll hike down to the beautiful river at the bottom, and get views of Dientjie Falls. Belvedere Day Walk is one of the most strenuous day hikes in Blyde River Canyon. For this reason, there […]
found within the reserve is the three day Blyderivierspoort Hiking Trail. This 30km trail takes hikers over the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, through privately owned land, through to the Bourkes Luck Potholes. This trail can be done guided or self-guided and traverses a beautiful mountain range with a variety of bush, open veld, riverine […]
An ecological paradise can be found in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. There is a three-day Blyderivierspoort Hiking Trail inside the reserve. Hikers can follow this 30-kilometer track to reach the Bourke’s Luck Potholes by crossing the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve and going through privately owned land. This trek winds through a stunning […]
What is mesmerising about the Kadishi waterfall is the striking resemblance the rock face of the waterfall bears to a weeping face, the drop of water very like a sheet of tears. For this reason it has been called the ‘weeping face of nature’. Hidden at the end of the Blyde Dam, it is one […]
Approximately thirty metres high, the Pinnacle Rock is a large quartzite boulder that rises out of the earth. In a striking display of nature’s oddities and the distinct magnificence of South Africa, the freestanding rock dominates the deep indigenous forest of Driekop Gorge. It is covered in magnificent, vibrantly coloured aloes that are not only […]
The Guinea- Fowl Trail is a three kilometre trail that takes just over 3 hours to complete and requires a reasonable level of fitness. This scenically diverse trail offers beautiful views of the canyons features before descending into the lush vegetation of the Kadishi River valley. A lovely swimming spot and a small Tufa waterfall […]
This two kilometre trail is fairly easy and runs along the Kadishi River, which is a tributary of the Blyde River. It incorporates a lovely Tufa waterfall which is a rare phenomenon resulting from the build up of rock behind the waterfall due to calcium carbonate precipitation. An entrance fee is payable and a trail […]
The Three Rondavels serve as the start or finish of the Panorama Route and are precisely what they sound like: three circular, slightly pointed mountain summits that resemble traditional African huts. They are also occasionally referred to as the Three Sisters, though this mistakenly associates them with another similar trio that can be seen from […]