Homestead Dam Benoni : A Surprisingly Sensible Morning

I was due to meet a friend for coffee.

A few days before, however, I had a sudden realization - this friend, whom I've known for around 25 years, was actually into nature long before I was.

Not in the usual "I love trees and get angry when someone cuts one down" kind of way.

No.

She is one of those people who gets involved. Actively. Like some kind of botanical emergency services unit.

The sort of person who sees a struggling tree and thinks, “Right. I’ll fix that,” instead of what I do merely take photos and post opinions about them.

So naturally I began to question the entire social arrangement.

Why, exactly, were we meeting for coffee?

She walks.

She likes nature.

I walk.

I like nature.

Homestead Dam in Benoni has been sitting on my "must go there eventually" list for months.

We walk.

She agreed immediately, unaware that this was now what we would be doing going forward.

Is Homestead Dam Safe?

Before venturing anywhere suburban, urban, rural, or generally labelled by local Facebook groups as "certain death awaits", I do some research.

Despite appearances, I am not entirely reckless.

Mostly.

My maximum research capacity suggested that Homestead Dam was popular with fishermen, Parkrun enthusiasts, dog walkers, fitness fanatics and general members of society who have successfully survived stepping outside.

Promising.

The Walk

We arrived and found exactly what I expected.

A lovely suburban dam with a steady flow of walkers, including plenty of solo walkers, proving that not everyone on the internet believes stepping outside immediately results in being kidnapped by pirates.

There are braai facilities, benches, outdoor gym equipment, playgrounds and enough green space to convince yourself you're being healthy while still planning lunch.

Most importantly, neither of us felt unsafe at any point.

There were enough people around that if you accidentally wandered into the water, somebody would probably notice.

Failing that, the army of geese and assorted water birds would almost certainly alert the authorities.

Google confidently informed me that the walk was 5 km.

I did not believe Google.

Upon arrival, I still did not believe Google.

At roughly the halfway mark, I was convinced Google had once again confused kilometres with centimeters.

As it turns out, Google was right - I hate when that happens.

The route is indeed 5 km. It's not a loop, though, so you're basically doing 2.5 km out and 2.5 km back.

Final Thoughts

Homestead Dam is an excellent spot if you want a decent walk without committing to a full hiking expedition involving backpacks, hydration systems, electrolyte calculations and the kind of preparation normally associated with hiking the Magalies mountains.

Sorry, friend.

Coffee-only meetups are officially cancelled.

Walk first.

Coffee afterwards.

That's the new policy.

RATINGS

Trail Information

AREA

Benoni

COST

Free

Trail Details

NO ABLUTIONS

PARKING ON THE ROAD

AMENITIES

Kids play area.

Picnic Areas - plenty of space, well-maintained lawns and a genuinely pleasant atmosphere.

WILDLIFE & BIRD LIFE

Lots of water birds, geese and general feathered supervision.

NOTE TO SELF

Maybe stop acting surprised when leaving the house improves your mood. We have gathered enough data at this point.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Yes

PET FRIENDLY

Yes

(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO

(TO)SOLO

Enough people around and a constant flow of activity made it feel perfectly comfortable for solo walkers - even on a week day.