“Magical” is the word that comes to mind as we approach Stonehenge. Not the famous one in England, but a unique South African version. This Stonehenge is in Silvermine near Cape Town. It is a collection of weird rock formations.
Stonehenge is a bit of a hidden gem. This makes it special for those who seek it out. We will explore arches. We will see gullies and holes. We can even find rock tunnels.
To get here, we took the Ou Kaapse Weg. We turned toward the Silvermine West Gate. From the parking area, we followed a Jeep track. After about 20 minutes, we reached a fork. We stayed on the Jeep track to the right. We passed the first turn off on the right within 10 minutes. After another 10 minutes, we looked for a footpath to the right. It is marked “amphitheatre”. This path took us up to Klein Tuinkop.
It seemed like we were at the top. But the path continued to another ridge. After 10 minutes, we looked for a clear path to the right. It seemed to head toward a large Protea shrub.
From here, the terrain changed. We had to scramble over large boulders. Soon, we found an overhang cave called Bertie’s Balcony. The name is painted at the back, though faintly. It looked like a dead end. But the path continued behind some boulders. We stayed close to the rock face. We saw a small opening at the top. It was between the rock face and a boulder. This took us to the next part of the path. The cleft seemed narrow. But we fit through easily. The path was well-defined again. We had no problem reaching the top of Klein Tuinkop.
At the top, the path led to a circular clearing. It is called the Helicopter pad. We looked for a pile of stones. We took the path to the right. It was tricky to find Stonehenge. The path was overgrown. We had to do some bundu bashing. Within minutes of leaving the Helicopter pad, we looked for a rock formation. It looked like a prehistoric animal. It had a small head in front. Stonehenge is the rock formation just behind it. A small pile of stones marks the turnoff to the right. It is overgrown and easy to miss. We reached the Stonehenge turnoff an hour after leaving the car.
Stonehenge has arches. It has gullies, holes, and rock tunnels. The weird rock formations are worth exploring. The easiest way back is to retrace our steps.
This unique site is more than just rocks. It is a place of wonder. It sparks the imagination. It reminds us of the beauty and mystery of nature. Take a moment to appreciate this special corner of South Africa. Let the stones tell their silent stories.