Hartebeespoort & Magaliesburg

Hartebeespoort dam is a relatively large body of water, in the heart of the Magaliesburg Mountain range, and is a very popular area for holidaying if you're South African. Being only an hour from both Johannesburg and Pretoria, It's easily accessible, even though the roads are not in the best condition any more.

There are plentiful resorts in the Hartebeespoort and Magaliesburg region, ranging from family timeshares to more upmarket locations. On our last visit we stayed at the Magalies Park resort - a wonderful spot, with it's own 18-hole golf course, multiple heated pools, and several other sports activites. They also have antelope, monkeys & other animals wandering around the resort. It is quite a treat sitting on your veranda with your morning coffee watching some Sprinbok grazing less than 10 meters from your porch!

As it's such a popular region, there are also many, many activities on offer; From watersports on the dam, to stunning Golf courses, local Game drives, Adventure parks, and Wildlife sanctuaries - this place has enough to keep you occupied and happy for a week or more!

Many of the resorts will have activities on site, but it's not a very big region, so outside activities are never more than 15-20 minutes drive from wherever you might be staying.

If you're willing to travel a bit further for a day out, both Pretoria and Johannesburg are within driving distance, as are Sun City and the PIlansberg.

History

Construction on the dam was completed in 1925, and it covers an area of 20 square kilometers. It's quite a unique dam in the fact that it combines both a tunnel, through the hill bordering the wall, and a wall that you drive over as part of the main road!

The dam has suffered from poor water management since the 1970's, and as such, nearly 30% of the surface area is now covered by Water Hyacinth. Part of the reason for this is that the Crocodile River, which is the main source of water for the dam, acts as an outlet for industrial facilities closer to Johannesburg.