Having our whole family in one place is rare, so having everyone in the city this past Christmas was special. So, we decided to make the most of it by doing fun adventures together. We planned to spend the day at Hartbeespoort, a small town about an hour outside Johannesburg. It’s an excellent spot for a day trip or weekend getaway from busy city life.
The plan was to start the day early and be home late to early afternoon. It is always challenging to get everyone out of the house for us. The moms were good to go at the appointed 10 am time, but then the day went downhill. Between a hair appointment, a dash to the pharmacy, some waiting around and a visit to the hardware store, that 10 am start was beyond ambitious. It was a great example of some pitfalls of group travel with family.
Hartbeespoort Dam
The Dam wall was our meeting point in Hartbeespoort, or “Harties” as it’s informally known. You can stop in the available parking just before the dam and walk along the wall to enjoy the views. From there, drive under the Arch, over the wall and through the 56-metre-long tunnel into the town. Unfortunately, we came through the town side of Scott Road, which meant we approached the wall from a different direction. One that had us stuck in an hour-stop-start-long traffic jam.
I’m sure the wait in traffic was no more than 30 minutes, but everyone else in the car recalls the wait as more than an hour. That is because it essentially took all that time to drive 100m. I had already talked up the little photo shoot on the wall, and people in the car were getting grumpier by the minute. As we neared the tunnel, I felt it necessary to temper our understanding of the term “tunnel” because it’s only 56m long, which is fine if you didn’t wait that long to drive through it. Don’t take the route that has you drive through the back end of Scott Road. It will end in tears on a busy day.
Once we made it through the tunnel and across the single, tarmac road over the dam wall, I had the unenviable task of informing everyone that our lunch booking was back the way we came. It got very tense.
The Hartbeesport Dam is an arch-type dam fed by the Crocodile and Magalies rivers. It provides for irrigation through canals to the surrounding agricultural farmland. The dam is a popular destination with many water activities, like cruises, jet skiing, and river rafting on the Crocodile River. Harties is on the slopes of the Magaliesberg mountain, making it an easy stop for walking trails, mountain retreats, and wildlife.
How to get to the Hartbeespoort Dam Wall
Search “Hartebeesport Dam wall” and take the route that passes Lanseria airport and follow the R512 to Scott Road. You can also travel via the R511 to Scott Road through the busy main road. It is a single-lane road, so make allowances for traffic during busy periods when planning your trip.
Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway
We decided to postpone lunch and do at least one other activity for the day. Our little party was ravenous when we reached the aerial cableway. It had been a long day, and when they saw the queue to the cable, a revolt almost broke out. We bought the tickets and popcorn at the kiosk – a weird but necessary combination. The Hartbeespoort aerial cableway is a 1.2km ride to the top of the Magaliesberg. It opened in 1973 and, after a period of disrepair in the early 2000s, was revamped in 2010. It’s only really come onto my radar in the last few years.
When we arrived, one of my cousins shared that she didn’t like heights and would wait at the bottom. Then, as soon as she agreed to give it a go – the power went out. And although they had a generator kick in after a couple of minutes, nothing quite says, “We have things under control,” like the lights flickering off and bringing the car to a silent standstill while you are still in it. Even worse, when you convinced the one person in your group who was afraid of heights, it would be okay.
The short ride is well worth the drama of the day. It offers panoramic views of the Magaliesberg, Hartbeespoort Dam, and the local farmlands. A walkway along the top has signposts explaining what is visible in the distance. You can see as far as the city line of Johannesburg and Sun City. There are restaurants at the top of the mountain which serve grilled meats, pizza and desserts. Unfortunately, we arrived shortly before their last orders, so we had to look for a spot later in the town.
After traffic, hangry moments and beautiful sceneries, we made it home in one piece and full bellies. I’m already excited for the next time we are together, knowing that the key to a successful group trip is to bring snacks!