Slightly too late in the morning, we set off in the 5,6 km Sunshine trail, which is one of the clearly marked hiking trails in the park.
Rietvlei also has a number of mountain biking trails, with different levels of difficulty.
If you fancy running, then I have good news (?) for you; there are a number of trails demarcated for running, as well. Another great feature of the park, is the parkrun that takes place there every weekend.
Along the routes, you will cross lovely scenery and water areas, where fishing is allowed.
The park is also used for hosting camps and groups and has a number of obstacle courses along the way.
All of the infrastructure in the park, is very well maintained. There are numerous toilet facilities, and even lapa's of various sizes to book for private functions.
A view of the tail end of the city, and beyond.
Look out for small wildlife along the trails.
My friends and I dubbed this particular stretch of the trail, the Long Walk to Freedom. Fortunately, the trial veered away from the fence after a couple of hundred metres.
Pet lovers, will find it thrilling to know that their beloved four-legged house mates are equally welcome in the park and on the trails.
Despite the fact that this was already October, leaves and blooms were a rare sight, making shade a much longed for commodity along the way. This year, the rain was a little late in the coming.
Having said that, surrounding the water areas, the vegetation was lush and green.
One of the newer ventures in the park, is a zip line. We crossed the starting point of the line, on our way down, and I snapped a quick photo. We would return here a little later for a faster descent down the hill, than on the occasion of this photo being taken.
There is a lovely picnic area with toilet facilities, a tuck shop, coffee shop, and ice cream shop.
Pony and horse rides are available for those who are thus inclined.
You can also be carted around the park on a tractor and wagon.
There are many play areas scattered throughout the picnic area.
There are even some mechanized play areas under supervision of caretakers.
A novelty, is the small train that runs through the picnic area.
One of the highlights of our day, was the zipline that we had planned for after the hike.
I found it very confidence inspiring to see how well organized and maintained the equipment seemed to be.
Harnesses and hard hats, were equally well kept.
I snapped a quick photo of the technical details for those who would be interested.
We passed the paddle boats on our way to the coffee shop, but I neglected to snap a picture. I did manage a rather boring one of the sign advertising it.
It then also made sense to include the contact details for the zipline.
The only down side to the day, was the fact that people were allowed to play loud music in the picnic area. This did not bother us on the hike, but we found our ears accosted by noise from various directions, as soon as we returned to the populated areas of the park. This is a pity, as it robbed the park of its natural tranquility. Still, I found this a very enjoyable spot to spend a few hours away from the busy-ness of the city.
Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
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