 |
The first thing a visitor new to this area notices, is that some of the hills look almost bare, only grass and sparse scrubby-looking bushes grow on them, while others right beside them are covered in thick vegetation, trees and granite boulders. This is because the properties of the soil and geology differ drastically from one hill to the next. Mavuradonha is situated at the northern end of the Great Dyke, a 500 km long fault line where, very simplistically put, unimaginably hot magma rose up through the earth’s crust and formed hills that were of completely different chemical composition than their neighbours. This has led to a large part of the country’s prosperity as many highly valuable minerals and metals are to be found in this rock, among others platinum, gold and silver. This area has been allowed to remain in its pristine state because it is a conservation area with the same protection status as a national park. For this reason, you will find a fascinating array of plants and trees here that are completely different from anything that you have seen in the rest of the country. Even trees that should be familiar look different here. But then again, many of the animals you can see here will be familiar. Elephants, buffalo, zebra, sable, kudu and impala roam the hills and valleys, leopards are frequently heard at night. Over 300 species of birds occur here. As in the Matobo Hills, many of the hollows and overhangs under granite boulders protect ancient rock paintings that draw you under their spell if you take the time to look and savour. Clear streams and rivers tumble down the hillsides in cascades and waterfalls, before forming pools that are very enjoyable to swim in.
We have incorporated a visit to Mavuradonha Wilderness into our guided tour "The Hippo Route". The details of the tour are available here:
The Hippo Route
Please find an introduction to our work in Zimbabwe here:
Introduction
Some general tips and information can be found here:
General tips and info
|
