Golden opportunities await

CHANGES AFOOT: MOUNTAIN BIKING AND A 4X4 OFFROAD TRACK SOON TO BE INTRODUCED Head for Basotho Cultural Village or go on herbal trail.

The mountains of Golden Gate Highlands Park may be frozen in time to us mortals, but the park is bustling with change. The biggest thing about to happen is that visitors to the park, who have been enjoying free access, will now pay entrance and conservation fees. These, which will go towards projects and upkeep, according to the manager of the hotel in the park, South African National Parks’ (SANParks) Ben van Eeden.

Golden Gate is an oddity in the SANParks stable, with a provincial road running smack through the middle of it. “The problem with the traffic through the park is that it’s not limited to certain times, it’s 24/7,” said Van Eeden.

In future, commuters between surrounding towns, such as Phuthaditjhaba and Clarens, will get permits to use the road, although travel times will be monitored.

Also in the near future, mountain biking will be an activity option and for those who wish to test their mettle, there will be an offroad track for 4x4s on farmland which has already been damaged, Van Eeden added.

The hotel was built in the late 1950s but a 2010 interior renovation modernised it completely.

The main conservation focus of the park is grasslands. There are a number of grass species there and the mountains form a watershed and catchment area.

From a biodiversity conversion perspective, there are many antelope species in the area, of which the oribi is the only scarce species. For those with cultural curiosity, there is a Basotho Cultural Village and in summer a traditional healer and guide takes visitors on the herbal trail, where the medicinal value of plants and herbs are explained.