Touws River – Colour Dots

Anysberg nature reserve

carynkaleido — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:07:19 +0000

The Anysberg Nature Reserve of 62,500 ha is situated in the western Klein Karoo region. The central mountain is named after Anise, Pimpinella anisum, a plant which is found here. The reserve was established in 1988 to conserve Succulent and Fynbos flora in the Cape Fold Belt, and to reintroduce game that formerly occurred here. There are 2 Ericas found here known to only grow in this mountain range. Animals found here include Baboons, Leopards, Caracal, Klipspringer, and Cape Grysbok, among others. Anysberg Nature Reserve is located between the towns of Ladismith, Laingsburg, Touwsrivier, and Montagu. Anysberg Horse Trail is a two-day trail in the reserve and is an adventure of a lifetime. A reserve ranger will teach you the basics. You will see a variety of plants, and birdlife, as well as interesting rock art reservation.alert@capenature.co.za

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Aquila Private Game Reserve

carynkaleido — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:42:38 +0000

Aquila Private Game Reserve and Spa is a four-star family-friendly safari destination. The 10,000-hectare conservancy is situated between the Langeberg and the Outeniqua Mountains and is home to the majestic Big 5 legends: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, and rhino. Game drives are offered on traditional safari vehicles, on horseback, or on quad bikes. Each of these offers their very own unique personal encounters with the wildlife at the reserve. Guests also have the opportunity to experience a fly-in safari by helicopter. A 3-hour safari with welcome drinks and buffet lunch is included as a premium attraction with City Pass res@aquilasafari.com

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Gecko Rock private nature reserve

carynkaleido — Sat, 17 Dec 2022 18:31:15 +0000

Gecko Rock private nature reserve offers Rock climbing, hiking, camping, cabins, cottages, mountain biking, and a Shooting range. Here is a space to breathe, a space to enjoy the outdoors and reconnect with yourself, One of the top ten MTB trails in South Africa is at Gecko Rock. it offers a technical challenge that traverses changing terrain in an untouched environment. Enjoy your picnic lunch halfway along the trail at a magnificent viewpoint. The main route is known as the Seattle Trail in honor of the wise Red Indian, Chief Seattle. Jane street Touws River

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Hex River Tunnels

carynkaleido — Sat, 16 May 2026 10:17:06 +0000

The Hex River Tunnels are a system of four railway tunnels located on the main Cape Town to Johannesburg rail line in the Hex River Mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa. The route runs between De Doorns in the Hex River Valley and Touws River in the Great Karoo. It was built to eliminate one of the most difficult sections of railway in South Africa, where steep gradients and tight curves through the mountains previously created a major bottleneck. In total, the system consists of four tunnels: one twin tunnel of approximately 500 metres, and three single tunnels measuring about 1.1 km, 1.2 km, and 13.5 km. Together, they carry a significant portion of the railway line underground, with around 16.8 km of the route passing through tunnels. Early Railway Challenges The Hex River Mountains form part of the Cape Fold Belt, a major natural barrier between the coastal plain and the interior plateau. This made early railway expansion extremely difficult. In 1872, the Cape Government authorised the construction of a railway line through the region as part of a wider plan to connect Cape Town to the interior and the diamond fields at Kimberley. Survey work began in 1874 under engineer Wells Hood, who identified a possible route through the Hex River Valley and over the mountains via Osplaas and Matroosberg. The terrain was extremely challenging, requiring steep gradients of around 1 in 40 and sharp curves that limited train size and speed. A short tunnel was included on the original line, which became the first railway tunnel in South Africa. This early route was completed in the late 1870s and became part of the main rail connection between Cape Town and the interior. However, it remained a difficult section of track for more than a century. Early Tunnels and Upgrades The original tunnel served for more than 50 years before increasing rail traffic and larger locomotives required improvements. In 1929, a second concrete-lined tunnel was constructed alongside the original to ease the curve and improve clearance. This allowed continued use of the route but did not fully solve the operational limitations of the mountain pass. By the mid-20th century, it became clear that a more modern solution was needed. The steep gradients and sharp bends still slowed trains and limited capacity on one of South Africa’s most important rail corridors. Construction of the Tunnel System In the 1940s, engineers proposed a major realignment of the railway through the Hex River Mountains. The plan involved constructing a series of long tunnels to bypass the old mountain pass entirely. Work began during the Second World War era but was delayed multiple times due to funding shortages, changing priorities, and difficult geological conditions. Construction was carried out in stages over several decades. Work on some tunnels began in the 1940s, with further progress in the 1960s and 1970s. The final and longest tunnel, measuring approximately 13.5 km, was completed in the late 1980s. At the time of completion, it was the longest railway tunnel in Africa. The system officially became operational in 1989. It significantly improved rail efficiency by reducing travel time, easing gradients, and eliminating the need for heavy banking locomotives on the mountain section. Engineering Features The longest tunnel passes through solid mountain rock with significant overburden above it. Ventilation shafts were constructed to support airflow and safety during operation. Some sections include widened internal profiles to allow trains to pass or to accommodate electrification requirements. The completed system reduced the ruling gradient on this section of line to approximately 1 in 66 and significantly shortened the effective distance and curvature of the route. This made it far more efficient for both freight and passenger services between Cape Town and the interior. The Old Pass Today After the tunnel system opened, the original Hex River rail pass was closed. Sections of track were removed, but parts of the old railway alignment remain. Today, sections of the former line are used for recreational access and adventure tourism, including hiking and 4×4 routes through the mountains. The Hex River Tunnels remain one of the most important railway engineering projects in South Africa, representing more than a century of planning, construction, and adaptation to one of the country’s most challenging landscapes. Find out more about railways in the Western Cape Read more about the Geology of the Western Cape

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The Hex River

carynkaleido — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:31:13 +0000

The Hex River is a tributary of the Breede River. Important settlements along the river are the small towns of De Doorns and Touws River. The Hex River Valley marks the beginning or end of the Karoo (depending on which direction you are going) Hex River Valley is named after the Dutch/Afrikaans word for “witch” or “Hex”. The origin of this name is based on a story that dates to 1768. The Hex River valley stretches from SW to NE. It’s 25km long and only 4km wide at its widest point. The Hex River originates on the southern slopes of the Bonteberg Mountains at about 1000 m altitude close to The Hex Pass. The Valley is blessed with plentiful water from the Hex River mountains. Sometimes during winter, the surrounding mountains are covered in snow. There are 5,200 acres of irrigated agricultural land in the valley. About 86 per cent of this land is used for growing lemons. 450 boreholes are also used to extract groundwater, with an average flow rate of 5 litres per second. Europeans first settled here in the 18th century. By 1700, Boer treks had already passed the valley on the way to the Great Karoo. The valley was difficult to access from Cape Town. Access was via a detour to the north, which led through the Tulbagh Basin and the Nuwekloof mountains. In 1835 the Bainskloof Pass was finished and in 1944, construction work on the road from Worcester to Paarl and Cape Town was completed via the Du Toitskloof Pass. When the railway line to Kimberly was completed, it helped to encourage farming in the valley. Easier access increased the development of farming in the area A dam on the river course is the Lakenvallei Dam with a capacity of 10.230 million cubic meters) is near Ceres and the Roode Elsberg Dam has a capacity of 7.733 million cubic meters The Hex River flows into the Breede River not far from the city of Worcester.

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