Today, Warrick and I decided to go zip-lining during our stay here in the Drakensburg. Warrick has already been on a canopy tour in Magaliesburg which he often raves about so when I heard there was a similar tour here I knew my time had come to finally do it. I must say I was a bit nervous about the whole idea of swinging above trees almost 60m above the ground but I knew it couldn’t be all that bad if kids as young as 3yrs old were doing it.
We arrived at the Canopy Tour reception which luckily for us is literally a 5min walk away from the Drakensburg Sun where we are staying. You are welcomed by your guide for the tour and then taken through a briefing after which you are then set up into your harness, your helmet is fitted and you are given your gloves to help slow you down on the zip-lines. We were then driven up to the enchanted Blue Grotto Forest where the tour begins. You start the tour going on a very short zip-line to just get you comfortable with how it all works. I was feeling a bit apprehensive at first but once I did that short test run I realised just how easy and fun it is.
There are a total of 12 slides at the Drakensburg Canopy Tour with the highest slide being 65m above the ground and the longest slide being 180m long. The tour is also very safe as the guides ensure you are clipped in at all times onto safety ropes as you make your way across wooden platforms to the next slide. Each slide is also different with some being fast and furious whilst others are more scenic as you slide past rock formations and between trees. The tour lasts around an hour and half in total.
Once you finish the tour you have quite a steep walk back up to where you are picked up by a vehicle to take you back to the Tour reception. You are then given a light meal which for us was a sandwich and tea/coffee or juice. All in all the whole experience was brilliant and I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the area in the near future.
[Video of me doing the canopy tour coming soon – watch this space!]
Source: Feature Image from http://www.canopytour.co.za
CAMBO 