Walks in Nyanga

Here are links to four or five walks that you should consider seriously in order to fully explore the town of Nyanga. There is much more to offer than stopping to pick up provisions.

Viewed from Troutbeck

First: Nyamhuka Hill. One hour at most will get you up and back with some of the best photos ever on your phone or camera. I’m sure the special ‘selfie’ cameras will be in use too!

Nyamhuka and Bepe Park
Swinging round towards ‘the government’ residential area and the Connemara – World’s View escarpment

Second: Bepe Peak. Three hours or more. Fairly easy to get up, if you are fit, from the end of the Bepe Park road.

Escarpment from Bepe peak
Nyamhuka 2 and Nyamakanga Mountain from Bepe Peak

Third: The adventure day – Nyamakanga Mountain. Five hours. Route finding required through the lower sections on the way up. Just look at the pictures though:

Walk four will take you up from Nyanga onto the escarpment in the Connemara area. Slight scramble required at the top.

Aloes at the first plateau. Nyamakanga Mountain beyond – centre left
As seen from the first plateau – the steep section ending in a short scramble to reach the plateau
and the view back down (Rupurara in the centre – middle distance)

Then there is Nyanga Rock. One for you to figure out.

Enjoy! Summary page for these walks.

Nyangwe Fort, Nyanga National Park

Look-out tower

The lesser visited, far more extensive and much wilder of the two forts on offer in the National Park. The path in is a bit of a bear – retract / pull in your wing mirrors (medium wattle encroaching the side of the track) and raise the suspension / use a high clearance vehicle (small wattle and scrub down the middle of the track will brush off the mud). The car park is a single track turning circle which could be awkward if more than one party or car want to leave early.

Recently trodden down human ‘pathways’ were the only clue to a tough-going, bumpy, wide circumnavigation of the obvious walls starting at the west side. Some loop holes remaining, with flat lintels above – see pics. Looked like additional walls or terraces submerged by vegetation or earth on this western side. Some exotic plants including an unavoidable manic succulent type thing underfoot and these yellow flowers everywhere.

“loop holes”
Someone liked their geometry – equilateral, right angled, square.
Nyangwe to Nyangani
Lintel at Nyangwe fort
Nyangwe panorama

Mhembwe (Duiker)

I was more startled than this mhembwe – it was a case of point the camera in the right general direction and keep the shutter pressed down! This what came out:

Startled mhembwe bolts away at top speed

Mhembwe
Mhembwe
Mhembwe

And bounding through the Shona stone circle

Mhembwe inside Shona dry-stone circle

Probably a once-in-a-lifetime event – to see one of these and to have the camera in my hand and switched on. It was likely hiding out from the very recent bushfire