A Spring Walk on Melville-Koppies in celebration of Heritage Day, South Africa
- Gerda Herenius
- Jan 28
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 13
In the summer rainfall areas of South Africa, the winter months are characterised by bitterly cold nights hovering around 0ºC, even plummeting into the minuses. Throughout the winter and into the early months of spring, there is not a drop of rain. In early winter, a lot of dew can fall at night which freezes into hard glacial ice. Birdbaths turn into miniature ice-skating rinks. Water in pipes freezes, causing all kinds of problems. The car windscreen requires warm water to get rid of its thick white frosting if you want to leave before sunrise.
Towards the end of winter, though, the dew has completely absconded. By the time we get to late August, early September, our world is mercilessly arid, dusty and parched. The cracked, compacted, red clay soil is rock hard where no new seedling can even consider setting down roots. Even weeds struggle to grow. The dry air loudly snaps and sparks its electrostatic charge. Along with the whole of Nature, we helplessly yearn and pray for the summer rains to begin.
By late August, in anticipation of spring, trees and shrubs slowly start sending out new shoots. Young green leaves and flower buds begin to appear, picking up momentum throughout September, trusting the rains will soon come to sustain them.
South Africa celebrates Heritage Day on 24th September, which comes right on top of spring equinox on 21st September. This appropriately symbolises our young nation still bravely grappling with our diversity and identity. Spring infuses our Heritage Day with its newly born life and youthful revival.
The perfect way to celebrate Heritage Day is to do an 8 km guided hike in Melville-Koppies Nature Reserve, offered by experienced guides of the Friends of Melville-Koppies. At the same time, one can deeply appreciate and delight in the spectacle of the resolute push of spring through the bone-dry earth in anticipation of the rains to come.
Melville-Koppies is not only a nature reserve but also a special heritage site where traces of an Iron Age people who lived there around 1500 CE, are carefully preserved. These ancient people lived high up on the koppies where they kept their cattle in a stone kraal, their huts surrounding and protecting their wealth in cattle, crucial to their survival.
Furnaces were found on the koppies, evidence that they made pottery from the ubiquitous red clay soil in this part of the world. Iron Age farming implements were found attesting to an active, vibrant community which roamed on and around the koppies. To go and visit an Iron Age site where real human beings lived and thrived, even if it was only a little more than 500 years ago, is quite exciting, intriguing, and very interesting.
The first guided hike we did on Melville-Koppies on Heritage Day attracted a large group of people, all trekking in single file with trained guides spread along the line, keeping an eye on the walkers. It is a steep walk and a little challenging, a continual uphill trek all the way to the top, with a few boulders to negotiate and manoeuvre around. One must be reasonably fit to keep up and complete the 8 km excursion, a deliciously tiring and invigorating walk.
The first part of the walk to the centre of the Koppies is immediately uphill on a narrow footpath through dry brittle grass, evidence of the ravages of our dry African winter. But everywhere the shrub-like trees were already sprouting young new leaves, bursting with a youthful fresh greenery. A few flowers were already starting to make their statements amongst the dry straw-coloured grasses. Most will explode into bloom in another week or two. Spring is most definitely in full swing by Heritage Day. You see it bursting through, you smell the fertile rebirth in the air. And when the rains finally come in another month or two, this whole brown dusty world will explode into a spectrum of greenery that overwhelms the senses.
Throughout the hike I found myself imagining that perhaps, just perhaps, right where I was putting down my feet, a hunter might have followed a trail. Right under these overhanging branches, someone dipped his head, just like me. Perhaps he was driving his cattle home after a long day, hungry and thirsty, looking forward to dinner and home-brewed beer.
As our path drops down towards the little river valley, the vegetation becomes greener and the air cooler. A riverbed with a river reduced to a small stream from months of no rain stubbornly keeps its course. At the water’s edge, proud arum lilies stand tall in their snow-white and lush green resplendence. In my mind’s eye, I see the cattle drinking by the shallow areas where the riverbank allows them access to the water. I see naked nut-brown children playing, screeching with delight, giggling, and splashing one another with the cool water. I see women with clay pots collecting water from the river, chatting about work, their children and husbands while keeping an eye on the frolicking children. I hear ancient whispers mingling with the gently gurgling stream.
We leave the rivulet behind and start a slow upward climb, higher and higher toward the central peak of the Koppies. The path twists and turns through bushes, around rocks and finally, we are at the top with a spectacular view of the world around us. We can see the centre of Johannesburg City and its surrounding suburbs, its unique skyline etching the horizon. The suburbs are dense with thousands of trees donning their spring ensemble. Everywhere life is starting to hum its fresh melody.
A refreshing wind blows at the top of the Koppies giving some relief as the sun already warns of the impending heat of the approaching summer months. Ah, beautiful ancient Africa! The mysterious Mother, the ancient heart of humankind.
What a tremendous way to celebrate Heritage Day! The hike is invigorating and the experience is uplifting. An Iron Age heritage site hidden in Johannesburg is a gem well worth discovering.
Comments