Mountains of Dragons is the meaning of the name given to this 1000km escarpment in South Africa. Does the name of a major geographical feature get anymore evocative than this? The Drakensberg Mountains: Inspirational wonder par excellence. These mountains enclose the central South African plateau and reach more than 3, 840 metres at the highest point. You can see the pointy tops of a massive dragon stretching across the horizon, especially at the right time of the day. This is a dramatic skyline landscape feature and sets the scene for exciting adventures. You might even find a dinosaur fossil if you are lucky.
South Africa & Australia Once Joined Geologically
There is a theory that the reason many South Africans feel so at home in Australia is because the two land masses were once joined as part of the giant land mass Gondwanaland. The west coast of Australia abutted the east coast of the African continent. Of course, this was some 180 million years ago but in geological terms this is fairly recent. The Drakensberg Mountains were formed via a mantle plume around this time and the resulting rift valleys on each side of the bulge became the proto-Indian and proto- Atlantic oceans. I always thought that South Africa was a catalyst for world change.
The High Peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains
The Drakensberg Mountains highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, which rises to 3, 482m. Other high points are Mafadi at 3, 450m, Makoaneng 3, 416m, Njesuthi 3, 408m, and Champagne Castle 3, 377m. There are great opportunities for hikers across this magnificent escarpment. You will be suitably impressed with the rugged natural beauty of this landscape. There are steep challenges and milder climbs available for hikers of all ages and fitness levels. The high treeless peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains have been lauded by the World Wide Fund for Nature for their ecological uniqueness.
Do yourself a favour and put the Drakensberg Mountains on your South African adventure bucket list, as must do places to visit. Take in deep breaths of fresh mountain air and feel alive. This is ancient rock emanating dragon myths and tales of wondrous things. There is rare flora and fauna to see. Antelopes and the rare white rhino live on the lower slopes. There are baboons, wildebeest, and chameleons to observe in their natural settings. You can, also, check out cave paintings from the San bushmen. There are some 40, 000 San rock art works, which is the largest collection of its kind in the world.
South Africa & Australia Once Joined Geologically
There is a theory that the reason many South Africans feel so at home in Australia is because the two land masses were once joined as part of the giant land mass Gondwanaland. The west coast of Australia abutted the east coast of the African continent. Of course, this was some 180 million years ago but in geological terms this is fairly recent. The Drakensberg Mountains were formed via a mantle plume around this time and the resulting rift valleys on each side of the bulge became the proto-Indian and proto- Atlantic oceans. I always thought that South Africa was a catalyst for world change.
The High Peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains
The Drakensberg Mountains highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, which rises to 3, 482m. Other high points are Mafadi at 3, 450m, Makoaneng 3, 416m, Njesuthi 3, 408m, and Champagne Castle 3, 377m. There are great opportunities for hikers across this magnificent escarpment. You will be suitably impressed with the rugged natural beauty of this landscape. There are steep challenges and milder climbs available for hikers of all ages and fitness levels. The high treeless peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains have been lauded by the World Wide Fund for Nature for their ecological uniqueness.
Do yourself a favour and put the Drakensberg Mountains on your South African adventure bucket list, as must do places to visit. Take in deep breaths of fresh mountain air and feel alive. This is ancient rock emanating dragon myths and tales of wondrous things. There is rare flora and fauna to see. Antelopes and the rare white rhino live on the lower slopes. There are baboons, wildebeest, and chameleons to observe in their natural settings. You can, also, check out cave paintings from the San bushmen. There are some 40, 000 San rock art works, which is the largest collection of its kind in the world.
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