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Drakensberg Diaries. Chute and Shoot to Thrill. Canoe in the Drakensberg
Drakensberg Diaries. Chute and Shoot to Thrill. Canoe in the Drakensberg Foothills through the Weenen Game Reserve in South Africa. by Brian Kemp
Planning a holiday in the Drakensberg Mountains in the South African winter?
This little gem is a "something completely different" day-trip. So your
Drakensberg holiday doesn't have to be all walking.
There are other ways
of getting around. Like bobbing through the Weenen Game Reserve in an inflatable
canoe. I hear you say "Hold it". Relax, no lions. But that's about all it's
short of. This day-trip is only available in the winter months (June -
September) when the river is at it's lowest. It'll be warm in the sun but cool
in the shade. You'll need a hat, sunscreen, binoculars and a camera with a
longish lens.
The Bushman's River sources in the high Drakensberg of
Giant's Castle. At altitude, its crystal-clear rock pools refresh overheated
hikers. Lower down it feeds the Weenan Canal - built 100 years ago to provide
irrigation for the farmlands. While the river rushes and tumbles over rocks, the
canal is much less imposing. Only a metre deep and no more than a few metres
wide. But it's 12 kilometres long, traversing rough and hilly terrain. Don't be
too quick to jump in though - its cold, winter-green color tells you it hasn't
been in liquid form for long.
Your river guides will have everything
ready for you. So you can lie back in your little boat. And bob. In the
sunshine. It's got paddles but you don't need them. Claustrophobia sufferers,
beware. En route there are three not-so-large steel pipes through which the
water has been channeled. You either stop, pick up your boat and portage. Or you
lie back with the steel tunnel only inches from your face. It's dark and you can
feel the heat radiating from the surface. Grit your teeth. Go with the flow.
Breath relief when you suddenly pop out into the sunshine again.
There's
a driverless boat behind you. This is the drinks trolley. And very welcome it is
too. At around lunchtime you'll come upon a feast spread out on a group of rocks
next to the canal. Scotch eggs, asparagus wrapped in ham, chicken wings, quiche,
salad, fruit, and cheese. The lunch fairy's been and gone.
After lunch
you move into the Weenen Game Reserve. The sharp, mountainous Drakensberg
terrain has given way to undulating thornveld valleys. The canal rejoins a now
fairly sluggish and narrow Bushman's River. You need to paddle a little, and
duck under the odd tree as you drift through a spectacular gorge. There's a huge
diversity of bird life and antelope. Buffalo and black and white rhino. Being on
the water means you're less noticeable, and less of a threat to the bird-life
and the animals. So you can get close without startling them. And you don't need
a $10000 lens.
Once through the Game Reserve, you disembark just before
the main road into Weenen with the tall thatching grass glowing orange in the
fading light. Your river guides have arranged transport back to your starting
point.
This is different.
Zingela Safari and River Company
(+27363541962) organize this day-trip. And it's only available in the winter
months. During the summer they use the rising levels of the mighty Tugela River
(which also has its source in the high Drakensberg) to operate white-water
rafting adventures.
About the Author
Brian & Janette Kemp own and run an award winning Drakensberg accommodation establishment. Halls Country House is a 4-star country retreat in the foothills of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Submitted by: michelle
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Added: Tue Nov 07 2006
