13 January, 2006

By Lucille Davie

THE third largest cave chamber in South Africa, on the doorstep of Mogale City, is the Wonder Cave, and it is aptly named.

The cave is beautiful. After going down 87 steps, then a further 18 metres down a cranky lift, you step into a wonderland of twirled and ice-cream cone rocks, subtly lit to transform them into a magical underground world.

The original Wonder Cave is between five and 10 million years old, but the shape one can see now is 1,5 million years old, formed when an earthquake triggered a huge collapse of the roof along a fault line, creating a cave 125m long and 154m wide. In total it is 46 000 square metres in size, filled with up to 14 different stalactite and stalagmite formations, 85 percent of which are still growing.

South Africa’s two other large caves are the Cango Caves in the Cape and the Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga.

The Wonder Cave was uncovered about a hundred years ago when early miners on the Witwatersrand lowered themselves down 60 metres and blasted the limestone stalagmites to pieces. They harvested the limestone to make cement. The South African War put the blastings on hold, and they were never resumed.

There is a small lake at the bottom of the cave. Mostly dry, it only fills up in very wet conditions and usually takes three to four months for the water to drip in.

The cave is within the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve, about 25 kilometres from Krugersdorp.

It is about 1 400ha in size. Owner Ed Hern says he established the park in 1982, and these days he boasts an impressive collection of animals - 50 lions, 10 rhinos, 17 cheetah, 23 Cape wild dogs and about 300 Cape vultures. He has imported Bengal and Siberian tigers, and recently bought several rare white tigers.

There is an active breeding programme and the park sells animals to zoos around the world. The predators eat nine tons of meat a month, or the equivalent of 80 to 90 horse or cow carcasses.

Hern feeds the vultures every day – they fly in from the Magaliesberg for the ample restaurant provided at the park.

Besides these magnificent animals, the park keeps 600 head of game, consisting of 25 different species. It offers a range of activities besides game drives: there are braai areas, a swimming pool, a volleyball court, 4x4 trails, hiking and horse trails, astronomy shows and, for relaxation, the Crocodile Pub overlooking a small pond containing several crocodiles.

For those wanting to extend their experience, there is a luxury safari camp and chalets, in the heart of the park, giving visitors a chance to live with the animals and fall asleep to the roar of lions.

The park is open seven days a week, from 8am to 5pm during the week, and from 8am to 6pm on weekends and public holidays. Access is via the R512 or the M47. Find all the details on the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve website.