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THE WEST RAND
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The West Rand, Gauteng: Extending
from Randfontein in the west to Roodepoort in the east and including the towns of
Krugersdorp and Magaliesberg, the West Rand may belong to a separate municipality, but it
still remains within the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area and it is not uncommon for
people to commute between the West Rand and Johannesburg on a daily basis.
The West Rand grew out of the discovery of gold in the area, although a greater part of
this area remains rural and largely unspoilt, encompassing some of Gauteng’s most
beautiful scenery and enviable weather. Two mountain ranges, the Magaliesberg and the
Witwatersberg, grace the western fringes of the region, which, when combined with the
Skeerpoort and Crocodile River valleys, makes for beautiful and interesting hikes, rock
climbs and days out in nature.
The appealing Crocodile Ramble that meanders in and around the Cradle of Human kind and
Hartbeespoort Dam, offers a series of art studios and galleries, pubs, tea gardens,
nurseries, picnic and camping spots, bird walks, 4x4 trails, hiking and horse trails and a
heritage tour and starts a mere 45 minutes from Johannesburg.
On the eastern periphery of the Magaliesberg Mountains lies Hartbeespoort Dam, a major
mecca for Gautengers and a hive of water activity over weekends. Despite this, there are
still places of escape in around here, the small village of Magaliesberg - with its quaint
little shops and vintage railway station - and beyond. This part of the world is given
over largely to farms and smallholdings, many of which are now the abodes of artists and
crafters; and the little village of Muldersdrift also serves as a launching pad to the
Cradle of Mankind and the Sterkfontein Caves declared a World heritage site in 1999. The
Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, the Wonder Cave, fish farms, steam train rides, trips to
Soweto and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens are just a few of the wonderful
attractions on the West Rand, and reason a plenty to visit. |
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WEST RAND DESTINATIONS
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  Virtually on the
doorstep of the Cradle of Humankind, Elandsdrift, just outside Johannesburg en route to
the Magaliesberg,
lies in a more rural part of the city, perfect for weekend getaways and popular for
wedding venues and business breakaways. Elandsdrift is close to Lanseria
airport ... more » Elandsdrift Info
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 The beauty of
Hartbeespoort Dam is what draws people here - the dam literally cradled in the lap of the
mountains - and many regard this as a retreat from the concrete jungle of city living. The
1620 hectare Hartbeespoort dam functions both as a source of irrigation for farms in the
area and as a ... more » Hartbeespoort
Dam Info |
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 Falling under the municipality known as
Mogale City, Krugersdorp is essentially a mining town, regarded as the industrial hub of
western Gauteng. Gold,
manganese, iron, asbestos and lime are all mined in and around Krugersdorp and its history
is steeped in mining annals / memoirs, which ... more » Krugersdorp Info
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 Lying in outer Randburg, Lanseria is
synonymous with the airport that lies out on this side of Johannesburg. What used to be
little more than a slick executive airport for corporate travellers with their own jets,
now hosts regular flights with Kulula to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. The airport
is ... more » Lanseria Info
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 Stretching for
over 120 kilometres and separating the highveld grasslands to the south from the bushveld
savannah in the north, is the Magaliesberg, a stretch of mountains 100 times older than
Everest, that extend from Rustenburg in the
west all the way to Bronkhorstspruit
Dam, just east of ... more » Magaliesberg Info
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 Muldersdrift is
a wonderful place to stay whilst in Johannesburg, particularly if your needs are to the
north of the city. Your evenings are peaceful and tranquil yet your access to Fourways,
Sandton,
Randburg
and even Pretoria is easy, and Lanseria airport is a
mere 15 minutes away. There is beauty in ... more » Mulderdrift Info
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 Randfontein, like many of the other
outlying areas of Johannesburg, is essentially a rural collection of farms and small
holdings in a particularly beautiful part of Gauteng. North west of
Randfontein are the Magaliesberg and Witwatersberg mountains forming an attractive
backdrop to the ... more » Randfontein Info
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WEST RAND ATTRACTIONS
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 Take a tour to
the Cradle of Humankind, at Sterkfontein, Gauteng’s
famous World Heritage Site - where caves have produced nearly half of the world’s
hominid fossil discoveries. Close to the Cradle is the Kromdraai Wonder Cave, as well as
the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve ... The Cradle of Humankind »
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 West of
Johannesburg, on the outskirts of the suburban area, is the Krugersdorp Game Reserve,
which, although relatively small, boasts enough wildlife to satisfy any
tourist’s hankering for an African experience. The Reserve is a little more than 40
minutes drive from central Johannesburg ... Krugersdorp Game Reserve
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 Croc City Crocodile Farm provides the
opportunity for the public to observe one of the world's most spectacular predators at
close range. Croc City is home to more than 800 crocodiles, ranging from hatchlings, to
large adults of over four metres in length. Croc City is the first ... Croc City Crocodile Farm »
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 Despite
development that is threatening encroachment on this beautiful garden, set against the
backdrop of the magnificent Witpoortjie waterfall, this is still the home of a breeding
pair of Verreaux’s Eagles that nest in the cliffs alongside the waterfall and no
visit is complete until they ... Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens »
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 The De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre
facility has gained international recognition for bringing the cheetah back from the brink
of extinction through its captive breeding programmes. Over the past two decades the
Centre's efforts have resulted in the major achievement of breeding » more De
Wildt Cheetah Reserve |
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« South
Africa Attractions | South Africa Game
Reserves » |
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