Mpumalanga attractions
THIS WEEKEND, WE GO GEOLOGICAL AT SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST RECENT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE AT BARBERTON; AND BRING YOU A FIRST LOOK AT A REVAMPED GLAMPING LODGE NEAR BADPLAAS, WHERE HIGHVELD AND LOWVELD CRITTERS HANG OUT HAPPILY TOGETHER
Near Barberton and Badplaas
ROCKING BARBERTON’S MAKHONJWA GEOTRAIL
The Makhonjwa Mountains extend northeast to southwest, creating a gold-laden backdrop to the mining town of Barberton. Though seemingly unassuming, these are some of the worldʼs oldest surface rocks stretching back some 3.57 billion years to a time when the Earth's crust began to cool and form land amid the oceans. Now, they also hold the title of South Africaʼs 10th and latest Unesco World Heritage Site.
The 37km-long Barberton Makhonjwa Geotrail traces a narrow road that winds its way up the mountainscape from the outskirts of Barberton to the Josefsdal/Bulembu border with the Kingdom of eSwatini. It forms part of Mpumalangaʼs Genesis Route that connects Barberton to Badplaas and Lowʼs Creek. The Geotrail takes you on either a halfor full-day journey, and along the way shows you the earliest signs of life that are visible to the naked eye.
The trail consists of 11 roadside geosites located at stops and panoramic viewpoints along the route, and can be explored on a self-drive with the help of illustrated interpretation panels and a display of labelled rock specimens. But the experience truly comes to life in the company of Tony Ferrar, a wildlife ecologist and private tour guide.
ʻThe Geotrail relates people to their environment. You can come up into these mountains to learn about the evolution of early Earth and the origins of life,ʼ says Tony.
Professor Christoph Heubeck, a research scientist from Germanyʼs Jena University, was in town when I visited, and joined our day-long excursion. Together, he and Tony have penned an illustrated Geotrail guidebook which you can pick up in town before heading off.
Once we hit the road it became evident that the regionʼs exceptional geology supports a biodiversity hotspot where Afromontane forest and montane grasslands rise above savannahs and wetlands. Itʼs home to around 1 500 plant species, more than 350 bird species and three butterfly species – Barbaraʼs copper, Jefferyʼs blue and Swanepoelʼs blue – found nowhere else in the world.
Further along the Geotrail, we stood beneath the Painted Quarry geosite, a towering ochre wall of iron oxide-layered strata. Our guideʼs narrative transported us to a period of time geologically known as the Archaean Eon, between two-and-a-half and four
billion years ago. The Earth spun faster and days were shorter, while the moonʼs closer proximity caused higher and more frequent ocean tides. Volcanic eruptions filled the Earthʼs almost oxygenfree atmosphere while asteroids flared across a dimlit sky before crashing into the iron-rich waters of our then oceanic planet.
It was during this period that the Earthʼs first continents were formed, creating shallow-water environments that allowed photosynthetic microbes to evolve. Along these shallow shorelines, with tides and rivers providing endless nutrients, combined with the energy of sunlight, microorganisms began to grow and evolution progressed.
ʻI came here to retire, or rather I came here to avoid retirement. Iʼve been fairly successful at that,ʼ says 79-year old Tony as we drop him off. And I can see exactly why he's chosen Barberton as the place to (not) retire – IGA MOTYLSKA
DO IT YOURSELF: The Geotrail is free-to-access and is always open. Pack a picnic basket to enjoy at Greenstone, Volcanic Lapili or Lebombo Makhonjwa. For the full experience, book Tony to guide you.
013 712 2880, 082 959 6670 or email tony@rockyoldearth.co.za.