WOLKBERG WILDERNESS AREA

The scenically delightful 22.000-ha Wolkberg Wilderness Area is situated approximately 80 km south-west of Tzaneen. The 2.127-m Wolkberg, part of the northern Drakensberg and Strydpoort ranges, with its great, vertical quartzite krantzes, countless kloofs, cool, deep and densely forested ravines, massive buttresses and folded and interlocking spurs, was appropriately proclaimed a wilderness area in 1977. The indigenous high forest pockets found in deep, wet valleys host species such as the Outeniqua and real yellowwoods, wild fig, lemonwood, wild peach and Cape beech. Hikers have a chance of seeing klipspringer, grey rhebok, mountain reedbuck, duiker, bushbuck, genet, otter, the noctumal caracal and vervet and samango monkeys, and if extremely lucky, leopard and brown hyaena. The Wolkberg is rich in birdlife: the hamerkop, bat hawk, black eagle, lilac-breasted roller, blackcollared and pied barbets, pearlbreasted swallow and crested francolin are all present.   Source: www.places.co.za