Drie Kuilen Private Nature Reserve
Games in Montagu

The Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve is situated in the Waboom Mountains in the Montagu district. On some places on the mountain, Touwsriver can be spotted when looking to the left and Montagu when looking to the right.The Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve offers self-catering units in these tranquil surroundings and unsurpassed outdoor activities including hiking, 4x4 trails, game drives, cycling routes (mountain biking) and hunting activities. One can always be assured that there will be a chilly wind blowing on the higher lying areas.The scenic view from on top of the mountains look down on the Koo valley towards Montagu.  This valley stretches over various farms and offers a view to remember. Surplus animals are sold or hunted to make sure that there is enough for all the animals to feed off.  The climate in the Waboom Mountains assures mostly hot summers and very cold winters, with snowfall almost every year. The number of game on the farm has to be regulated frequently to make sure that the flora will not be seriously damaged.  Evidence of the occupation of Bushmen has also been found in some rock art located at the east of the reserve, Klipspringer, Vaal Rhebuck, Black Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Kudu, Eland, Gemsbuck, but is not easily reachable since floods have washed away a lot of the ground.Animals found on Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve are Springbuck, Ostriches and even the Cape Mountain Zebra and the rare Bontebuck which has a total world population somewhere between 2000 – 3000. Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve is known for its beautiful rock formations which have been created by nature’s forces over the years. Fynbos, Renosterveld, succulent Karoo plants and a wide range of Protea species flourish in this area. Just two hour’s drive from Cape Town, this mountainous terrain stretches over 4300ha with a rich variety of flora. There is also the scenic  Zebra Trail with water pools and streams to view and the Populierbos with a convenient braai area to enjoy.

Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve is owned by three experienced nature conservators, who have a passion for people and the environment. Between them, and the Reserve Managers, they have over 65 years of conservation management experience. Provide a site and mentoring for the on-going training of young conservation students needing to complete their final year of training (known as Work Integrated Learning). Offers opportunities for students to undertake scientific research into the unique biodiversity and ecosystems of Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve. Provide opportunities for guests, learners and students, to enjoy and appreciate the unique environment that Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve has on offer. The owners and managers of Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve, are committed to work collaboratively with students and scientists, to rehabilitating the Reserve to its original state, so as to ensure the biodiversity integrity of the Reserve is maintained. From Springbuck to Cape Mountain Zebras which roam freely on the reserve. Go through the Hex Pass after De Doorns and turn right onto the R318. One theory is that heuweltjies are fossil termite mounds. Within this hypothesis, there are two conflicting opinions on the origins of heuweltjies, one maintaining that heuweltjies were built by the harvester termite (Microhodotermes viator), the other that heuweltjies were built by a now possibly extinct termite species. Another theory is that heuweltjies are created by burrowing (fossorial) animals. A further theory is that heuweltjies are caused by differential erosion in places where the availability of water limits the growth of vegetation, creating natural patterns such as tiger bush. Scientists note that heuweltjies contain at least ten times more soil than any termite nests in South Africa, and that they can occur on bedrock, which termites could not be tunnelling through to move soil upwards. Further, the heuweltjies had the same spatial distribution as bush-clumps, patches of woody vegetation forming patterns. They suggest that heuweltjies formed from bush-clumps as these protected the soil from eroding away, producing calcrete hardpans. The Reserve has conservation value in that it contributes significantly to conserving land worthy of conservation in the Western Cape. Species worthy of conservation such as the rare Cape Mountain Zebra and Bontebok are also found on the reserve. Additionally, Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve also contributes to biodiversity landscape by serving as an example of conservation as viable land use option at a time, and in a place where conservation has not been seen as a land use option.