Itala Game Reserve

Tumbling from the heights of the Ngotshe Mountains a 1 000 metres down into a deep valley and carved over the eons by the Phongolo River revealing the world's oldest rock formations, this magnificent reserve a game viewers paradise.

The scenic beauty aside, Ithala's most characteristic feature is perhaps its astonishing geological diversity. Some of the oldest rock formations in the world are found here, dating back 3 000 million years.

With a topographic profile varying from 400 metres above sea level in the north to 1 450 metres near Louwsberg in the south, Ithala's terrain extends over lowveld and densely vegetated riverine valleys to high-lying grassland plateaus, ridges and cliff faces. The area now proclaimed as Ithala has been occupied by man for thousands of years and there are many sites littered with stone age spear and axe heads dating back some 20 000 years.

There has even been a middle stone age tool discovered by archaeologists which pushes the date back to anything up to 250 000 years. More recently, in the last few hundred years, with the advent of the Nguni people, iron melting took place in Ithala and there are a number of smelting sites adjacent to deposits of banded ironstone which was crushed to provide the iron ore.

The reserve is a place of great seasonal contrast. In spring the grasslands are alive with Warthogs. In summer masses of red 'Pride of De Kaap' flowers complement the wild dates on the reclining palms along the slopes and stream banks of this rugged reserve. Hundreds of Aloes transform the drab winter into a spectacular landscape.

With its many perennial streams and rivers, and the frequent occurrence of cliffs and rock faces, Ithala is also the ideal haven for a large variety of birds.

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