Overview, trip report, images, and reviews from our visit to Roodeplaat Dam.
Overview
“Located about 22km north-east of Pretoria the Roodeplaat dam was originally called the ‘Pienaars Rivier Dam’ when it was constructed in 1956 to supply the surrounding landowners with water. It has developed into an important water source for the Pretoria area and after commissioning the Roodeplaat water treatment plant in 2006, the dam augments the supply of water to the northern areas of Tshwane through the Montana, Wonderboom, and Magaliesberg reservoirs and is used as a direct water supply to the Doornpoort area.”
Roodeplaat Dam Day Trip Report
Our next day trip planned for the Dinokeng region took us to the Roodeplaat Dam and surrounding areas. The Dinokeng Map lists 26 different activities when visiting the region. As our primary focus is wildlife photography, we decided to spend the day at the Roodeplaat Dam Nature Reserve.
After a short drive, we arrived at the reserve entrance gate and paid our entrance fee. A well-paved road allows any vehicle access to game viewing, but there are areas where a vehicle with higher ground clearance is preferred.
Shortly after entry, we had our first sighting of zebras and warthogs, but unfortunately no opportunity for photographs. We briefly stopped at the animal hide but did not see any wildlife. Toilet facilities are available at the animal hide. En route to the picnic spot, we found numerous bird species, which provided great photo opportunities.
The picnic spot is well kept and spacious with well-placed picnic tables and braai facilities. There is a lapa that caters to social functions. A bird hide provides bird-viewing and views over the dam. We had lunch under the shady trees and continued our quest for spotting game.
Our efforts paid off, and we had a beautiful sighting of a herd of kudus and a lone impala later on.
We departed from the reserve and continued onwards to try and access the dam wall. After a short drive, a side road delivered us to the vicinity of the dam wall. A short walk took us to the dam wall, but further access was blocked by a barrier.
We took what photographs our viewpoint allowed and returned home. We highly recommend visiting the Roodeplaat Nature Reserve for a day’s outing.