Vredefort Dome Conservancy is a place where you can get close to the very distant past and far away from city life. It was perfect for a family camping trip. By Willem Rudolph

For some time, we’d been wanting to go away as a family, but my eldest son, Connor, had moved down to Cape Town. So when we learned he was coming back to Johannesburg for a visit, we jumped at the opportunity to go away together. It would be a family camping trip and a surprise for Connor. On a Saturday in early summer, we packed the Land Cruiser with tents, camping gear and fishing rods, and headed to Lanseria Airport to collect him. Our destination: the Vredefort Dome.

About Vredefort Dome

Some 2,000 million years ago, a meteor measuring at least 10km in diameter smashed into our planet. It gouged an enormous crater in an area that today falls in South Africa’s North West and Free State provinces. At the same time, the impact forced up the Earth’s crust, creating a range of mountains known as the Vredefort Bergland. On the ground it’s hard to perceive the crater due to the size of the impact site, which stretches some 300km from Johannesburg to Welkom. But satellite images of the area show a distinctive rim in the northwest. There’s an undeniable thrill to driving in the world’s oldest impact site.

A relaxing meander

Right from the get-go, we drove through beautiful scenery. We meandered through the grasslands of the Cradle of Humankind, then made our way through farmlands on the outskirts of Krugersdorp. With the Magaliesberg to the north, we crossed into North West. We drove past open pasture, weeping willows drooping over riverbanks and solitary train tracks. I’m always amazed at just how much ‘country’ there is in our country. We drove through kilometres and kilometres of farmland – the magnitude is something you don’t appreciate when you live in the city.

The gravel roads were mostly well kept and we had a great drive through the ever-changing landscapes. There had been a light sprinkling of rain in the morning, so we weren’t kicking up dust and could even drive with the windows open. Whenever something interesting caught our eyes, we’d stop and take a picture: a sculpture made of teff bales, a beehive in a bluegum tree, a sign for the Klipdrift Dam…

When everyone started getting hungry, I decided to detour to the Venterskroon Inn. This pub dates to the late 1800s – a time when gold prospectors streamed to the area. Inside the inn, we found historic pictures and our server happily shared local lore. We were now in the Vredefort Dome Conservancy proper.

Down to the river

 We crossed the Vaal River at Schoemansdrift Bridge and made our way into the hills on a tweespoor track. The route climbed up a little escarpment and under different conditions, four-wheel drive might have been necessary, but we reached Riverrun Resort without any hitches. Our roomy campsite, which was shaded by trees, had lush green grass (and a paved area for caravans), a braai grid and electrical point. I pitched our tent close to the river so we could enjoy the soundtrack of water tumbling over the rocks below. There’s nothing nicer than falling asleep to the sound of water over cobblestones.

Although there are many guesthouses and game lodges in the area, there aren’t that many campsites. In addition to camping, Riverrun has safari tents lined up along the riverfront and there are a couple of self-catering units. It is a true resort, with a pool featuring a waterslide, a putt-putt course, a games room (plus a TV for sport!)  and a shop selling essentials. Drifting down the river on a tube is a popular pastime and our boys were in their element with the fishing opportunities. But for me there was nothing better than sitting in the campchair and looking out over the river.

Scenery and sightings

If possible, the return trip was even more stunning than the way to the Vredefort Dome had been. The gravel road carved through thick bush as it climbed into the hills – at times I thought I was on a Bushveld mountain pass. What strengthened the impression was the amount of game we drove past: giraffe, buffalo and every sort of antelope. The road wound through the Vredefort Dome Conservancy, coming right up to the Vaal River at times.

Since there aren’t any fuel stations in the Conservancy, we made our way to Parys to refuel. Lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river is a must. O’s Restaurant has a romantic setting right on the water with tables dotted under trees. Unfortunately for us, the rain that had started as we were packing up had settled in. But we grabbed a table inside and refuelled ourselves too.

From Parys it’s easy enough to join the N1 and take the highway back to Gauteng. However, we preferred to continue our explorations on gravel. When you dare to go off the beaten track, you’re so often surprised by what you find around the next corner. For example, we came upon an abandoned train station and a field full of aeroplanes – Baragwanath Airfield.

Because I hate travelling on tar, I’m always looking for back roads, for service tracks, for the roads farmers use. This habit of mine has taken us past some interesting and unexpected sights and this trip to the Vredefort Dome was no different. We’ll go back in a heartbeat.  

Good to know

For extra gravel adventure, rather than crossing the Vaal River at Schoemansdrift, continue towards Nooitgedacht campsite. The next bridge is at Scandinavia Drift – you can then take the S646 back towards the Vredefort Dome Conservancy.

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