Melville Koppies

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Melville Koppies. Photo courtesy Suds344

Located about 5km from central Johannesburg, and adjacent to the suburb of Melville, the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve is the last remaining area of the city in the condition it was before the advent of mining to the city in the late 19th century.

Melville Koppies West, Johannesburg. Photo courtesy Sly_Sam

As such its original natural ridges are of historical significance, and were proclaimed a nature reserve in 1959. Vegetation in the reserve is entirely indigenous and is an example of the diversity of flora in the Johannesburg area. The reserve is also a Johannesburg Heritage Site and, together with the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and Jan van Riebeeck Park Nature Reserve, the Koppies (small hills) forms a green belt through the city’s northern suburbs.

 

In 1963 an Iron Age furnace was discovered in the reserve. In excavating the site, Professor Revel Mason, former head of archaeology at Wits University, uncovered Stone Age camps dating back 250 000 and 100 000 years.

The reserve is ideal for visitors who want to enjoy nature in an urban setting. Although small in size, Melville Koppies offers a tranquil environment in which visitors can enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and bird watching. A degree of fitness is required for those undertaking hikes.

The reserve is a paradise for twitchers, with more than 200 resident bird species, and is also home to various small mammals and snakes.Those interested in rocks will not be disappointed by the reserve, which has some of the oldest rocks in the world. The geology department at Wits University has carried out extensive studies in the area, and estimates some rocks to be between 3.2-billion and 2.7-billion years old.

Admission

Free, but donations are welcome.

Visiting hours

First and third Sunday of the month from 08h30 to 11h30; second and last Sunday of the month from 15h00 to 18h00. There are also numerous organised tours.

Directions

The entrance to the central section of the reserve is next to Marks Park Sports Club in Judith Road, Emmarentia.