Witsand is a paradise for nature lovers
May 07 2008 03:49:06:423PM  - (SA)  
Anneke du Toit

Druk artikel   E-pos storie aan 'n vriend

The Northern Cape branch of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) visited the reserve to enjoy nature and learn more about the environment.

Witsand is situated between Groblershoop and Olifantshoek.

On Friday afternoon members met at Witsand and spent the evening getting to know each other.

Mr Hennie Erasmus gave a talk on the reserve. He was involved with negotiations to proclaim the area as a nature reserve.

The Saturday saw some folks heading to the dunes for a walk and others to the bird hide for some quiet viewing.

Late Saturday afternoon, the group headed to the Brulsand armed with energy, bravery and duneboards.

The steep uphill climb was worth the downhill thrill on the other side.

Unfortunately, three men on two quad bikes were found ripping up the dunes.

Wessa members informed the transgressors that they were not allowed on the dunes with vehicles, after which they left.

It is said that the Brulsand only roars during the months with a “R” in their names.

This is because the sand must to be hot and dry for air to be trapped between sand particles to cause a vibration as air escapes when the sand is tred on.

The sand was moist and cool but at a certain spot members were treated to an amazing roar.

The evening was spent making potjie, discussing the thrills and spills of duneboarding and comparing sightings.

On Sunday members took walks and some folks visited the scenic viewpoint overlooking the vast white sands.

Visitors agreed that Witsand was a wonderful place to relax, but that something had to be done about the monkeys.

Warning signs discourage visitors from feeding the primates, but this has not been adhered to.

The monkeys are such a nuisance that one of them ran up to a woman who was in a group, and grabbed food out of her hands twice.

On Monday morning the realisation set in that it was time to pack up and head back to reality.

The area which is Witsand, is unique in that it sports a dune system which is surrounded by red sand and veld.

The dune system is more or less in the shape of a banana and is approximately 9 km long and 4 km wide.

Over millions of years rain filtered through the dune sand and was deposited in quartzite basins below.

It is estimated that the quartzite basin holds no less than 1 211 million cubic metres of water at any particular time.

When negotiations began with land owners for the area to be bought and proclaimed a conservation area, the farmers asked that they still wanted water from the dunes.

The water table is so high, that walking in the dunes, you will likely happen upon a body of water. And should you start digging in the ground at the low points between dunes, you are bound to find water.

The bird hide on the road to one of the lookout points is very popular and a good spot for birding.

Some of the birds spotted on this trip were the sociable weavers, the dusky sunbird, the violet-eared waxbill, the brown-crowned chagra, the Namaqua sand grouse and the yellow-billed hornbill.

Interesting and beautiful trees that abound in the reserve are the witgat or as it is otherwise known, the shepherd’s tree.

The bastard camel thorn, a recognised hybrid, also drew attention on this trip.

The veld at Witsand consists mostly of sour grass at the moment and it is a sign of recovery. However, it is a tough grass for game to eat and is not as nutritious.

The springbok population is also less after approximately 400 were culled last year.

Teken in op Volksblad