Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens

The very first hike on our list is the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. This beautiful Nature Reserve is located in Roodepoort, Gauteng and is one of the gardens belonging to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). This garden is particularly well known for bird watching, with a total of nearly 240 bird species recorded in the reserve.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute is focused on the development and maintenance of biodiversity in South Africa. They do this by accessing and collecting data about biodiversity and the conservation of botanical and zoological gardens. There are 11 gardens stationed across South Africa, all devoted to the protection of our flora and fauna.

The Walter Sisulu Garden is the first of many that we hope to cross off our list.

Let's look at some things you might want to know before your visit:

Entry fees

It's normal to pay an entry fee before your hike, especially if you're hiking in a nature reserve. The Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden has reasonable prices and offer discounts that accommodate the entire family. The standard entry fee for adults are R70. Students only pay R40 if they can show their student cards and scholars (from first to twelfth grade) pay R20. Little ones 6 years old and younger can enter the park for free. Tuesdays are ideal for pensioners as they can visit the park for free on Tuesdays.

Note that they do not allow cash payments upon entry to the park, so you will have to pay the entrance fee with a card or pre-book your tickets at www.webtickets.co.za.

Pets

Unfortunately, as this is a nature reserve, pets are not allowed. This is of course with the exception of registered disability assistance dogs.

Picnic areas

Near the front of the park there are designated areas where you can sit down for a picnic. Guys, you better write this as a date idea. There are areas where picnicking is prohibited, as the grass in some areas of the park is extremely fragile, so be sure to spread out your blankets in the appropriate places.

My dad and I visited this trail in the middle of July, which unfortunately means that most of the trees and flowers were yet to bloom. Luckily, this reserve has much more to show than a few pretty flowers.

After passing through the pay gate, hikers immediately step onto the beautifully paved walkways that weave through the garden. Most of the routes throughout the park are paved, but there are sections where the paving leads to a dirt path or a path made of wooden planks.

Although there aren't little trail markers every few meters, there are large signs that points out areas of interest in the reserve, such as the bathrooms (of course), restaurant, the geological hiking trail etc. Around 500m from the pay gate there is a children's playing areas, and benches pop up here and there.

Following the route is easy enough and it leads directly to the waterfall, quite a sight to see, especially after heavy rainfall. The waterfall is sectioned off with a railing, that allows visitors to take photos with the waterfall in the background without posing a safety risk. A large clearing sits in front of the waterfall, though the grass in this area is too fragile for things like picnics. Ball games and frisbees are banned in the park, as it could severely damage the grass and bother other visitors.

On our trip to the park, we came across the Green Gym Garden and the Cormorant Bird Hide.

The Green Garden Gym is a clearing filled with different gym machines that can be used by the visitors. The weights are definitely heavy enough to get those muscles working. Just remember that the use of the equipment is at own risk. If you can't lift it on the first try, you should probably move along Noodle Arms.

The Cormorant Bird Hide is a small wooden hut in a quieter and more secluded part of the park. There are slots in the walls of the hut so you can look out over the dam and spot the birds without bothering them too much. It's the perfect spot for bird watching. If you come across the hut on your hike, remember to keep the noise down as you don't want to scare the birds away.

All in all, my dad and I walked around 3 kilometers, which is way below our normal target distance. At the time, I was recovering from a fractured ankle, so we decided to take it easy. I would definitely recommend this trail for beginners, as there is a low elevation gain and the paved walkways reduced the possibility of an injury. If you want to go on a family outing, this is the trail for you.

Let's look at the Boots score for this hike (you might want to read the previous post to understand the scale better) :

In total, the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens receive a score of 27/ 30, which is quite high for our first trail. It's going to be a tough trail to follow.

Take a look at our photos of the trail: