Johannesburg - Maropeng – the Official Visitors’ Centre of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site – is the ideal destination for all, whether guests are looking for a getaway to relax and enjoy the fresh air, or an adventure back into pre-historic times. A 45-minute drive from either Johannesburg or Pretoria, it offers fun, interactive and educational events on a monthly basis.
To celebrate Heritage month, Maropeng is offering a discounted price on all online entry tickets purchased throughout September. Tickets can only be purchased through the Maropeng Shop.
Ticket prices:
Maropeng
R95 – Adults
R65 – Children
Sterkfontein
R100 – Adults
R70 – Children
Combined Tickets
R150 – Adults
R120 – Children
Maropeng will also be hosting the Gauteng Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation Department’s Heritage Day event. Please note that due to the event all restaurants will be closed on September 24 and only part of the exhibition will be accessible to visitors. The hotel will run as normal. Although visitors are welcome to visit Maropeng on the 24th, visitors are advised to instead enjoy Sterkfontein Caves on Heritage Day.
September 7: Cooper's Cave picnic and tour
Cooper’s Cave is a living museum in which fossils remain embedded in ancient rock to tell tales of a bygone era. “You can walk through the site and see literally hundreds of fossils in the rocks around you – it’s an incredible experience,” says Christine Steininger, tour leader and palaeoanthropologist associated with the Palaeosciences Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand.
The day’s activities include a walking tour that describes the environment past and present, an interactive fossil and site talk, exploration of a cave, searching for fossils in recently excavated deposits and learning how to make stone tools. Cooper’s Cave is renowned for the diversity of animals contained in its fossil record. It was on this exact spot some 1.8- to 1.4-million years ago that hunting hyena and sabre-toothed cats once stalked their prey while early hominin Paranthropus robustus fought for survival.
Learn about the fascinating research that’s taking place at Cooper’s Cave and gain a personal perspective on the fossil record. The cave is an easy 1.2km walk from Sterkfontein Caves, which makes it an ideal family outing. A picnic rounds off the day’s outdoor activities.
Age: All ages.
Time: 9am
Venue: Meet at the Sterkfontein Caves before walking to Cooper’s Cave site
Cost: R375 per adult and R150 for children up to the age of 14. Includes a picnic lunch.
September 7: Our Spring Skies – isiLimela (The farmer’s stars) (Maropeng Hotel)
The Sotho and Tswana call it Selemela, and the Zulu isiLimela. They believed that these stars die in winter dusk and are reborn in the rainy season (the Pleiades reappear in the evening sky in October). The Selemela are “the hoeing stars”, or “the digging stars”, indicating their importance as an agricultural sign.
Join Maropeng’s resident astronomer for a basic introduction to astronomy.
Age: Adults only.
Time: 6pm with welcome drinks.
Venue: Maropeng Boutique Hotel.
Cost: R350 per person – includes the stargazing presentation and set menu.
September 21: Bone Detectives
Join dynamic and upcoming young scientist Brendon Billings at Maropeng for an evening of fine dining and robust discussion on the topic of palaoanthropology.
Brendon has hosted a series of themed walking tours at Maropeng over the past two years. “The events this year have definitely been different. I have refocused my research around neuroscience, hence the brain and behaviour has been one of my more focal themes this year,” he explains.
Age: Adults only
Time: 6pm with welcome drinks
Venue: Maropeng Boutique Hotel.
Cost: R375 per person, which includes welcome drinks, a three-course meal and the presentation.
Ongoing: Kiddies’ Birthday Parties
Maropeng have put together a number of fun and educational kiddies birthday party packages. While parents relax, the children will be entertained by a guided tour of the Sterkfontein Caves or the Maropeng Visitor Centre, followed by supervised party games. A number of optional party extras such as a birthday cake, lunch pack, jumping castle and child minders are also available.
For more information on costs, events, bookings and essential requirements, call (014) 577 9000 or visit www.maropeng.co.za and click on shop.
If you want to combine your tour with a stay at the Maropeng Boutique Hotel, call Mmathabo Maine on 014 577 9000 or go to [email protected] to make a reservation. - Sunday Independent