Yesterday Joe and I went to Pretoria to run some errands. We had to visit vendors and pick up a few things for a photo exhibition we’re planning. One such errand brought us to a suburban highway lined with strip malls and big-box stores. It reminded me of home.
I saw a sign that said “Wonderboom” and asked Joe what it was. “It’s a tree,” he said. He decided to show me – we turned off the road into the Wonderboom Nature Reserve.
We parked in the reserve’s near-empty lot and headed up the path toward the Wonderboom. “There it is,” Joe said, and pointed ahead. I was confused; what I saw ahead looked like an entire forest. That forest was the Wonderboom.
The Wonderboom.
The Wonderboom – can you tell I like the name? – is a 1,000-year-old fig tree. The original tree was so massive (reportedly large enough to shade 1,000 people, although it’s much smaller today) that its branches eventually touched the ground, took root, and became new trees. These “daughter trees” form a circle around the original tree, and there are now three daughter circles. But technically it’s all one tree.
There’s a wooden boardwalk through the middle of the Wonderboom. We walked in and took some photos of the mother and her daughters.
Boardwalk into the Wonderboom. The original daughter circle is straight ahead. The Wonderboom mother is inside that circle but she is quite small now — she was burned in a fire in 1870 and also suffered from some kind of parasite. Poor mama.
The view from inside the Wonderboom.
A Wonderboom daughter.
There are several trails in the nature reserve, which straddles the Magaliesburg Mountains. I was wearing sandals but we decided to take a short hike anyway.
Hiking through Wonderboom.
We followed a steep stone path up the hill. We observed a variety of interesting plants and trees, including the rock fig tree, which grows only on steep rock faces.
Strange rock fig tree. It grows right up against the rock.
We saw a black eagle circling overhead and also stumbled upon a cave full of dead animals (possibly killed by the eagle, who we later learned lives in the reserve with his mate).
View from near the top. Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of the cave or the eagle.
We were so enjoying ourselves that we got lost and had to backtrack a couple of times. Our short hike turned into a long one and before we knew it, we’d spent half the afternoon at Wonderboom. It was worth the blisters.
View of the Wonderboom Shopping Center from the Wonderboom Nature Reserve. Just because I thought it was funny.
I wrote “Wonderboom” 16 times in this blog. This is one instance in which I don’t mind a little redundancy.
Fascinating. . . loved this one.
Wonderboom — yes it has a nice ring to it. It almost sounds like a horn you would toot constantly at a World Cup soccer game (match). Any way you slice it, it sounds better than “Wye Oak”. I wonder if there is a Wye Oak shopping center.
Did you visit the old Boer fort at the top? This tree figures huge in my childhood. I come from a family of traditional Afrikaans musicians (boeremusiek) the Wolfswinkel family (Loose translation Wolf’s Shop) – Each New Year for many years the extended family (My grandmother was one of 11 kids) used to gather here and have a huge party with people dancing in the dust and having a great time close to the Wonderboom. They are all dead and gone now so the no more dancing under the trees…..The school I attended is across the mountain on the other side aptly called ….Wonderboom High
I remember seeing signs for the fort but I’m not sure we made it all the way up there. I remember that I was wearing sandals (Im hadn’t planned on hiking that morning) so when the hill got too steep we eventually had to turn back.
What a wonderful story about your family and the Wonderboom. My aunt thinks I should write a children’s book about the Wonderboom — seems like there are a lot of nice stories about it floating around. Thanks so much for reading!
I lived not far from Wonderboom High School; it was the last cluster of buildings you passed before heading down the hill passed the tree, and out North towards Rhodesia. We were in Gezina, and went to Hillview High. I bet your grandmother had wonderful stories to tell. And yes, I have been subjected to a few reels around the floor of proper “Boeremusiek!” Lovely memory.
Liz
Reblogged this on 'Work Out' each Day and commented:
Fantastic Interpretation!
what a great family of trees, all in the one place, and yes, I think it would be a great childrens’ story. and can you imagine the fun that children would have in that forest.
never heard of this, fascinating!
Thanks! It’s a cool story.
I have never heard of this tree–but its story is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
P.S. I’m here via ‘Work Out’ Each Day who reblogged your post for Alphabe-Thursday.
Thanks Wanda, I appreciate your visit and also the reblog!