Treat Yourself

Paul James - The Glen Shopping Centre

Paul James Hairdressing the Glen will have been in the shopping centre for 20 years this October.

Partner, Jenifer Derman, said one of the things she and her team love about their clients is how unique they all are. “People in the South really do have different characters and we enjoy their different personalities. We have a very fun vibe in the salon but we never forget business is business. Three things which are important to me are encouraging creativity, honesty with clients and respect.”

Jennifer has a team to be proud of and she says that being honest with clients takes them a notch above other salons.

“We always give our clients the best advice for their hair, which can be ruined by wrong choices. Also if a client has a problem after they leave the salon we always welcome them back to assist them.”

She said they also welcome walk-ins who haven’t pre-booked.

“Out of our seven stylists, there is always one who can assist.”

Problematic power outages are not a concern for the salon.

“Owing to The Glen’s generator we can operate normally and still give our best to our clients,” Jennifer added.

Phone: 011 435 8987/9.

Bring Your Family to Rietvlei

Rietvlei, situated on Swartkoppies Road, is the best place to go for a day of fun getting in touch with nature.

Rietvlei’s main objective is to introduce and offer outdoor recreation and outdoor sports activities to people of all ages.

They offer a range of mountain biking routes and hiking trails that are perfect for people of all skill levels. Whether you want to take the beginner mountain biking trail which covers 5km and is suited to all riders or take on the advanced course which covers 22km of the scenic location is your choice.

For walkers and runners there are trails of 5km, 10km and 15km. Two hiking trails are available that are clearly marked and gives you the opportunity to get in touch with nature. All the trails are pet-friendly. All dogs must be kept on a leash. Entrance fees for the trails are R30 for adults and R20 for children.

If walking and biking aren’t what you’re interested in, Rietvlei is a great place for a picnic day with the family. You can come for a day of relaxation and enjoy the farmyard and bird aviary or go on a pony, tractor, steam train or mini zip line rides.

Entry to the picnic area is R30 and gates open at 9am.

Welcome to Joburg’s Jewel of the South

Situated a mere 10km from the centre of Johannesburg, 5km from Soweto and easily accessible from Sandton, the East and the West Rand, the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve provides for an exciting nature experience.

It is the largest proclaimed nature reserve in the Johannesburg metropolitan area (over 700ha in extent) and boasts a surprising diversity ranging from the larger game such as zebra, red hartebeest and black wildebeest to many items of botanical, geological, archaeological, historical and cultural interest. Red data listed and other protected species are also to be found.

The reserve is rated by many as a birding hotspot. Despite not having any wetlands of significance, more than 215 bird species have been identified.

Hiking is the main activity in the reserve. The hiking trails are scenic and vary in distance and in the degree of difficulty. A three-hour hike along the flatter areas can be completed by most people who can manage three hours of shopping. The steeper, hilly areas can be testing for even the fit.

For the outdoor enthusiast, a visit to the reserve is not to be missed. First-time visitors are surprised at this beautiful natural asset so close to the hubbub of the city. It is very aptly referred to as Johannesburg’s jewel of the South.

The reserve is open to the public from sunrise to sunset seven days a week. There is no entrance fee.

Guided walks

The Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association (KNRA) organises walks on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. The walks depart from the precinct situated in Peggy Vera Road, Kibler Park.

Walks also depart on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

All walkers are led by experienced guides and offer an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn more of the history of the reserve and view the flora and fauna in their natural surroundings. Walks begin at 8am from September to April and at 9am from May to August.

Note: All hikers must ensure that they carry sufficient water, even in winter, and they should wear sensible walking shoes.

Bird walks

On the third Saturday morning of each month, visitors can join a bird walk and discover some of the bird species that live in and visit the reserve.

These outings are open to all and beginners are especially welcome. Check the calendar of events on the KNRA website as starting times and venues vary from month to month.

Specialist walks

Specialist walks are held twice a year in autumn and spring (see the KNRA website for all programme dates). These walks are guided by specialists in various fields and will greatly enrich visitors’ knowledge of the wide variety of plants and animals that call the reserve home. Information on the history of the archaeology should be of great interest to all. These walks depart from the precinct and are approximately three hours in duration.

Enviro Club

The Klipriviersberg Enviro Club offers young people from primary school level upwards the opportunity of physically contributing to the needs of the nature reserve. The group is involved in several important aspects of the reserve, ranging from clean-ups to alien plant removal. A very important aspect of their functions is also to have lots of fun.

History overview

The Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve is renowned for its imposing hills, vast grasslands, unique fauna and flora and its variety of stunning walking trails. But little is known of how historically significant the whole area is, especially when it concerns the history of Johannesburg.

Stone Age men must have had a presence in the area because artifacts relating to them have been found in the reserve and this seems to indicate they used the reserve as a hunting ground. The Sotho speaking Tswana people lived and farmed in the area from 1400 and after they had abandoned their villages in 1750, a Voortrekker farmer named Sarel Marais occupied the land in 1850 when he and his family bought the western section of the farm Rietvlei.

The existence of ruins of the Vierfontein dam that are still evident at Silent Pool is a testimony of the important role that this perennial stream may have played as a source of water for early Johannesburg. Also, war is no stranger to the reserve because a major part of the battle for Johannesburg in 1900 was fought in and around the Klipriviersberg hills and the remains of the concentration camp cemetery bear testimony to the cruelness of war.

During the late 1970s, residents and others who were acquainted with the area, and who were passionate about the unspoiled beautiful range of hills to the south of Johannesburg, petitioned the then city council to set the area aside as a nature reserve. The council agreed and at a meeting with the residents, asked them to form an association to assist the city council with the management of the reserve.

Thus in October 1981, the Mondeor Koppies Association was established. The committee decided that Klipriviersberg was a more appropriate name for the reserve and in 1984, the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve was officially proclaimed as a nature reserve in accordance with the provincial legislation of the time. The Association followed suit and changed its name to the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association.

A hallmark of the KNRA has been its members’ passion for the reserve – a passion induced by the unspoiled beauty of the reserve and its wide diversity of natural and historical assets. Over the years, membership has grown to well in excess of 1 000.

The KNRA established the trails in the reserve, trained and provided guides to accompany visitors to the reserve, documented the natural and historical assets, assisted the city council with the management of the reserve, undertook maintenance work and stimulated public awareness by way of lectures and talks, newspaper articles and newsletters. These today remain the core activities of the association.

For more information phone 011 943 3578 (office hours) or email info@klipriviersberg.org.za

*Information was taken from the KNRA website.

 

Ride for Madiba

SINCE July 18 marks the centenary of the birth of the late former president Nelson Mandela, James Hall Museum of Transport will host a Ride for Madiba charity event on July 21, at the museum.

The event starts from 10am until 4.30pm and targets all vintage car and motorcycle clubs around Gauteng province, as well as ordinary members of the public.

This is a family fun day to challenge South Africans to locate Madiba within themselves and donate old clothes, blankets and any other items to less fortunate people. Patrons will be entertained with music, children’s playground, 1952 London bus rides, a complimentary guided tour of the museum, vintage cars show and arts and craft stalls. People are encouraged to bring their own camp chairs, picnic basket and refreshments.

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