Drakensberg Dream Cottages

Drakensberg Dream Country Self-catering Cottages is located on the old Wostjin Estate, now known as the Drakensberg Dream Estate on the R600, deep in the Champagne Valley of the Central Drakensberg. Three self-catering cottages are currently available. The first, Drakensberg Dream, can sleep, ten people. The second, Seventh Heaven, can sleep at least eight people. Cloud Nine can sleep, four people comfortably. Both are located on an extensive property of 42 hectares with two dams, a waterfall and breathtaking views of the Champagne Castle, Cathkin Peak and Sterkhorn, as well as the Cathkin Valley. The property offers lovely bird and game walks as well as bass fishing.

Area Info

DRAKENSBERG EXPERIENCES/ ACTIVITIES :
ADVENTURE TOURISM-
The Drakensberg is a centre for adventure activities or experiences. For example, it has the largest concentration of hiking trails in South Africa. Furthermore, hot air ballooning, white river rafting, horse riding, trail running, abseiling, zip-lining, e-biking and mountaineering are some other adventure experiences.

Drakensberg Accommodation and Experiences. Hot Air Ballooning in the Drakensberg. (Source:Wits End)
Hot Air Ballooning in the Drakensberg. (Source: Wits End)
CULTURE :
Additionally, the Drakensberg is an important cultural centre. Firstly, it is the home of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School.

Furthermore, It has a range of curio shop centres, such as Thokosiza. There is even a craft brewery. Also, a renowned wine estate, known as the Cathedral Peak Wine Estate is found in the area. Besides these, there is a chocolate factory known as Chocolate Memories. Moreover, there are a variety of exceptional craft centres, which provide traditional Zulu baskets, beadwork and even woven carpets.

The ancient San or Bushman people are also celebrated in the area, with artworks replicating their cave paintings and a unique display of their lives in the easily accessible Main Caves at Giant’s Castle.

WILDLIFE :
A significant portion of the Drakensberg is a World Heritage Site. The site encompasses an area of 250,000 hectares. This area received World Heritage Site status on two counts. Firstly, due to its unique vegetation and wildlife. There are some 1,800 plant species in the Drakensberg. Of these over 350 are endemic. Furthermore, ten vertebrate species are unique to this mountain range.

There are a range birds that are seen in the Drakensberg. Firstly the Rock Kestral, the Cape Eagle, the Black Eagle, Bearded Vulture, and the Jackal Buzzard. Additionally, observe several buck species in this particular area. Firstly the Common Duiker, the Klipspringer, the Eland, the Bushbuck, the Rhebuck, the Mountain Rhebuck and the tiny Oribi. Other wildlife commonly seen include the Rock Hyrax or Dassie, the Chacma Baboon. Extremely rare is the leopard.

Drakensberg Accommodation and Experiences. The Lammergeyer or Bearded Vulture. Only found in the Drakensberg in South Africa. (Source: Drakensberg Dream).
The Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture. Only found in the Drakensberg in South Africa. (Source: Drakensberg Dream).
Fortunately, there are only three dangerous species of the snake found in this area. These are the Rinkhals, the Berg Adder and the Puff Adder. Their bites are rarely fatal. But medical attention should be sought if bitten by one of these reptiles.

The extensive flora of the Drake3nsberg. Drakensberg Experiences.
The extensive flora of the Drakensberg.
Some common plants that tourists will come across in this area include proteas, the Tree Fern, cycads and Yellowwood Trees. Furthermore, Bracken fern, Red Grass Ericas and Red Hot Pokers.

SAN ROCK ART :
The second basis of the World Heritage Site status of the Drakensberg was the existence of more than 30,000 examples of San rock art. The Drakensberg has the world’s most extensive collection of rock art. The ‘outdoor art galleries’ can be found in many caves, shelters, and sandstone bands along the length of the mountain chain. Many in protected sites, accessible only with a qualified guide.

The Drakensberg, the world's largest repository of rock art. Drakensberg experiences.
The world’s largest repository of rock art.
The Drakensberg is one of only twenty World Heritage sites that have received this award on two counts!

It was almost declared a World Heritage site on a third count as it is one of the world’s best examples of an erosional mountain. Moreover, the Drakensberg is an escarpment. It borders the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho and three South African provinces namely, parts of the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga. It stretches for some one thousand kilometres. The most extensive section of more than 300 km can be found in KwaZulu-Natal.

BATTLEFIELDS ROUTE :
The Battlefields route, a special experience, in the surrounds of the Drakensberg. Drakensberg experiences.
The Battlefields Route, an exceptional experience, in the surrounds of the Drakensberg.
The Drakensberg is in close vicinity to some of the most significant battle sites and towns in South Africa. These include Zulu, Zulu-San, Boer-Zulu, Anglo-Zulu, Anglo-San and Anglo-Boer war sites. One cannot visit the Drakensberg and not visit some of the sites and museums in this area dedicated to the futility of war.

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ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES OF WATER FOR SOUTH AFRICA.
The Drakensberg is one of the most important sources of water for South Africa. Moreover, it has one of the most sophisticated water pumping facilities that pump water into the Sterkfontein Dam. This dam provides a large proportion of the Gauteng province’s water. Gauteng is the economic and industrial hub of this country.

Furthermore, this dam has the second-highest dam wall in South Africa.

Moreover, it is the tallest earth-filled dam. The view of this dam is magnificent. It is over three kilometres long and stores some 19,800,000 m3 of water! Most of KwaZulu-Natal’s rivers also originate in the Drakensberg.

The second highest waterfall in the world is found in these mountains. They are known as the Thukela (thunder) Falls. These falls drops close to one kilometre. The adventurous can climb the chain ladder near Witsieshoek to experience this marvel!

ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT EXAMPLES OF AN EROSIONAL MOUNTAIN.
A volcanic plume under southern Gondwanaland caused bulging of the continental crust in the area that would later become southern Africa, some 180 million years ago, Rift valleys formed on either side of the central bulge approximately 20 million years ago. These became flooded to become the proto-Atlantic and proto-Indian oceans. The stepped and steep walls of these rift valleys formed escarpments. These surrounded the newly formed Southern African subcontinent. Southern Africa then became tectonically quiet. Earthquakes seldom occur.

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A PERIOD OF EROSION.
Moreover, there has been no volcanic activity for approximately 50 million years. However, an uninterrupted period of erosion has continued to the present day. The eroded material was kilometres of marine sediment.

Moreover, massive upliftment, during the past 20 million years, especially in the East, took place in Southern Africa. As a result, most of the plateau extends above 1,000 metres. The plateau is tilted, leading to its highest point is in the east. The slope is gentle in the west and south. The elevation of the eastern escarpments is at least 2,000 metres. Furthermore, this tilt reaches its highest point of over 3,000 metres. This area is the border between Lesotho and the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal.

Additionally, the upliftment of the central plateau over the past 20 million years and erosion resulted in the original escarpment retracting inland. This erosion created the current coastal plain. The position of the present range is approximately 150 kilometres inland from the Godwana split. The Drakensberg range is still eroding back at an average of 1.5 metres per 1,000 years or 1.5 millimetres per year.