Photographic Workshops:
For affordable photographic tuition (day or overnight), please contact me here.
Rietvlei is a hidden gem in close proximity to Pretoria (18km’s) and Johannesburg (38 km’s from OR Tambo Int. Airport). The reserve covers an area of almost 3800 hectares (38km²) and can support between 1500-2000 head of game. Currently some 1,600 head of game, including blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, Burchell’s zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbuck and grey duiker can be viewed here.
ComiCon 2012 © Harvey Grohmann
There are other species but visit and find them for yourself 
From your own vehicle it is easy to spot these animals on the open endangered Bankenveld grassland plains. It is a relatively quiet unhurried reserve and well worth a full days visit. Rates are very reasonable.
Long-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes progne) © Harvey Grohmann 2012
The 60 km’s of tar and dirt roads in the reserve are fairly well maintained and serve for game viewing, park maintenance and for fire breaks in winter. Whilst a normal sedan can easily be driven around on the tar and most of the sand roads, there are some sections that require a vehicle with higher ground clearance. In the wet summer months I found that a double cab / bakkie with 4×4 or difflock capabilities allowed me to get into the odd area that I would not have gone with a family sedan due deep muddy ruts or washaways for fear of getting stuck. This is however the exception rather than the rule. Roads divide the reserve into 31 blocks and are well marked. A map, bird list and rules of the park are given to you when booking in. Rotation grazing is practised on the reserve by routinely burning blocks and using licks as supplementary feeding.
White-throated Swallow (Hirundo albigularis) © Harvey Grohmann 2012
4 well located Bird-hides (2 on Rietvlei Dam and 1 on Marais Dam with the 4th one centrally located on marshland) and 2 main picnic areas with braai facilities are situated along these roads. There is also a very special river crossing called Otter Bridge with some wonderful wildlife (I won’t spoil it for you, go and check it out). There is a restaurant and coffee shop in the heart of the park which is situated inside the original 1920′s homestead. Affordable overnight accommodation in the form of chalets as well as camping sites are also available and ideal if you are an early riser wishing to capture sunrise wildlife or landscape scenes. Sunsets are just as special.
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) © Harvey Grohmann 2012
Opening times are a very early 06h00 to 19h00 every day of the week, especially for the photographers who seek that golden hour light. A well appointed Lapa, seating 30-200 persons, with all necessary amenities is available for booking via the reserve.
With a typical Highveld climate with dry, frosty winters and an average of 724mm rain during the summer rainy season, come prepared clothing-wise. Temperatures reach as high as 34°C in the summer and as low as -2° in the winter.
Hammerkop (Scopus umbretta) © Harvey Grohmann 2012
The Reserve is made up of open grassland with undulating hills and indigenous trees clustered in small groups. Various forms of Acacia, Stinkwood, Buffalo thorn and other shrubs are easily identified. The streams and creeks are teaming with water fowl and superb photographic opportunities abound. Due to previous farming practices a number of exotic trees and shrubs grow in the Reserve. The silver wattle (from Australia) is the most problematic invader as it has no local enemies and seeds can survive up to 50 years in the soil. It is removed mechanically and the wood is used as fuel.
Bird life abounds and it is possible to tick 100 species in one day (Dec/Jan/Feb). It is estimated that there are at least 200-220 regular species, possibly stretching to 320 in the summer months. The Reserve is made up of a number of different habitats which makes for some rewarding birding. Grassland habitats make up the bulk. The two dams on the reserve (with multiple bird hides) provide open water and wetland habitats.
Lion feeding and private OSV tours are available from the reserve.
For affordable photographic tuition (day or overnight), please contact me here.
‘Sunrise Song’ White-throated Swallows (Hirundo albigularis) © Harvey Grohmann 2012
Rietvlei Dam offers a number of sporting facilities. Fishing is allowed on the northern and western shores and a yacht club house was built on the north-western shore. Motor boats are not allowed on the dam as the risk of oil pollution and noise pollution affecting the wildlife is too high.
The dam was built during the great depression and was completed in 1934. Manual labourers were paid 4 shilling a month and soil was carted away by mule carts. Feeding the dam is the Sesmyl (Six Mile) Spruit, five fountains (one is located on an adjacent property) and five boreholes. Upstream from Rietvlei dam is the Marais Dam which acts as a sludge dam for Rietvlei Dam. Starting in 1988 a two year project raised the dam wall and made other improvements.
2x(m) Southern Pochard’s (Netta erythrophthalma) © Harvey Grohmann 06.10.2012
Originally the dam was not open to the public but the city council of Pretoria did plan the reserve ecologically and introduced a number of game species to the reserve. The Nature Reserve was proclaimed in 1948. Rietvlei dam provides Pretoria with 15% of it’s daily water needs.
It is accessible via the R21, head East on Nellmapius Drive, then South on Goede Hoop Rd (M57). About 1.7 km’s on is a sign leading to the reserve on your left.
The reserve is owned and managed by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
Gear I use: Bodies: Nikon D-SLR’s / Lenses: Nikon, Sigma, Tokina, Vivitar /
Filters: Hoya UV & Polarizing / Flash: Nikon Speed-lights / Bag: Lowe Pro /
Tripods & Heads: Manfrotto / Grips, Triggers, Timers, Batteries: Phottix /
Editing Plug-in: Topaz Labs for Noise Reduction, HDR.
