Adventure travel: Rafting on the Vaal River

Claire Keeton explores kayaking and a giant crater. Photos by Marianne Schwankhart

When it rains, experienced paddlers chase the siren song of rising rapids. But the rest of us can enjoy rafting or kayaking in wet weather too, provided the river levels are safe.

Marianne and I drove about 120km south of Joburg to Parys on a grey day to explore the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site and go rafting on the Vaal River.

Parys, on the banks of the Vaal, is a popular rafting destination for Highveld residents in summer. In peak season, the river attracts up to 2000 rafters a day, says Christo Meyer, chairman of the Vredefort Dome Tour Guide Association.

Three provinces converge on the Vaal - the Free State, Gauteng and North West.

The river has more than 100 islands and the apartheid state allegedly held secret meetings there. No secret plans defined our trip but those we had made, to explore the crater the first day, unravelled in the rain.

The next morning, the river was flowing steadily at the low level of about 30m³ per second. Commercial rafting trips start at about 20m³ (be prepared to scrape on rocks) to a cut-off high of about 500m³. The easy level was ideal on that trip as I wanted to paddle a plastic kayak in which I had limited experience, unlike in inflatable rafts.

Marianne opted to go in a two-person raft, or croc, to get photos.

Crocs are commonly used for commercial river trips since the rafters splash along on the top of rapids and flip occasionally.

In contrast, kayakers slice through whitewater getting drenched, with more control but less visibility downriver.

Hugh du Preez, a whitewater safety instructor from Parys, gave me a Fluid Bazooka kayak for this trip and accompanied us as a rescue kayaker.

Ryno Lindeque, an adventure guide for X Factor Events, paddled a croc with Marianne.

Ryno was to take us down an 8km section from "Town to Rocky Ridge".

As blue skies appeared, we slid into the water, hit a gentle rapid and got into the flow.

The river and its islands are a magnet for birds and we saw many species from common African darters to bigger birds, such as an African fish eagle and Goliath heron.

The paddling went smoothly until the biggest rapid, Big Daddy, where we got out to look at the best way down. Running it in the red kayak, I didn't capsize but I did spin round and finish the rapid facing upstream.

The second half of the trip had more flat water amid fun rapids like Claws & Jaws, and it was over too soon.

Still, we needed to get to the World Heritage site on the outskirts of town so we got moving.

Some 2000 million years ago, a meteorite hit the earth, marking the surface. Unesco recognised this site as the "oldest, largest and most deeply eroded complex meteorite impact structure in the world".

The radius of the crater is about 190km, with Parys and the Vaal River falling inside it.

But don't expect to see a distinct crater - what's left are broken rocky ridges on the edges and ring structures (resulting from the impact) along with geological treasures.

Christo took us up to a lookout point (pictured below), from where he's planning to build the longest and swiftest zipline in the world.

In the meantime, it is a place to admire unusual rocks, including the crater's distinctive pink-grey granite once sought-after in Italy, and to imagine the ancient impact, while an African hoopoe calls in the distance.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Getting to Parys: From Joburg, take the N1 south and go through the Grasmere Toll Plaza. Drive 55km and cross the Vaal River. Soon after the river, take the Parys offramp and turn right towards town.

Where to stay: Green Gables Country Estate, within walking distance of the Vaal River and Parys's main street, has comfortable rooms with fine linen and wide desks. The topiary garden with flowers and ornamental shrubs distinguishes it from similar establishments. Rates R600 per person sharing. Call 056 811 3429, e-mail info@greengablescountryestate.co.za or visit greengablescountryestate.co.za

Eating out: For a small town, Parys has a large selection of restaurants. Two worth trying are Ruby's and Hoi Polloi. Ruby's is a cabaret venue as well as a restaurant and its dishes are worthy of special occasions. Last month, the Restaurant Association of SA gave Ruby's a Rosetta Award for being one of the nation's "top country restaurants". For more, see rubysparys.co.za. Hoi Polloi is less formal with an outdoor deck overlooking the main street and an eclectic style. We thought the salads here were delicious, as were the cappuccinos. Call 056 811 3333.

River rafting:

• X Factor Events is an adventure company that runs rafting trips on the Vaal River. When booking a trip, check that the trip leader and guides are properly qualified and certified by the African Paddling Association. Call 056 811 2344 or 072 574 7055, e-mail info@xfactorevents.co.za or visit x-factorevents.co.za. They are offering a half-day special for Travel Weekly readers at R180 per person (the regular rate is R450) in summer.
• Whitewater Training, a kayak school and guide-training centre is based in Parys. They offer courses on swiftwater rescue and first aid; as well as kaying for various levels of ability. Call Hugh du Preez on 056 811 2597, e-mail wwt@whitewatertraining.co.za or visit whitewatertraining.co.za.