Machadodorp Day 3:Wathaba-Should We Trail or Should We Go?

So—Day 3 in Machadadorp.

Day 1, sweet-talked a very kind lady into letting us mildly abuse her property (with permission, I swear). Day 2 was Wathaba’s iconic 10km trail—an actual spiritual awakening.

Easily one of the my top trails thus far.

Day 3? It was meant to be a gentle 4 km wind-down before heading home. A little walk to stretch the legs and snap a few pics.

But the night before, Wathaba messaged us about a late afternoon thunderstorm. Heavy. Trail conditions for Sunday? Potentially very slippery-Because clearly, the rain was not done ruining my life.

I spent most of the night convincing myself this trail would be more or less a mini version of the 10 km the day before—and that one had been such a "how are we not in a fantasy novel right now?" moment, how could this one possibly top it?

The only thing tempting me? A monstrous waterfall I’d spotted at the end of the 10 km hike— just tumbling off a mountain.....humongous.

So Sunday morning. still torn, I handed the decision over to Sage. “Should we go for it or just start the drive home?” Her response, without hesitation: “Let’s do it.”

No pros and cons list. No deliberation. And thank everything that she decided that.

Sage. Honestly—where did I find her, and does she come with a warranty?

We set off. It starts off familiar—lush forest floor blanketed in moss, birdsong, filtered sunlight., but quickly turned into something else entirely.

I had expected a flat walk alongside a river and finally that behemoth waterfall Oh, and the waterfall I’d been obsessing over? Yes—technically not even on Wathaba’s property.

So that was… fine. I’ll admit, I had a little twinge of regret for not taking photos of it the day before, for not standing still a little longer and just absorbing the magic. But honestly? I was still riding that 10km high. So even if Sunday turned out to be a total washout, I’d already rated the weekend as a win.

What we got instead? Inclines a la Wathaba ...again...until the very end...scattered here and there...but you just never know.

More adventure...more bridges..more ladders......but this time...huge spiders,

different waterfalls.....THE GORGE!!!

It was like someone sliced open the earth, dressed it in moss and mist, and said, “Behold.”

Coming around the corner and being unexpectedly faced with this stunning waterfall, made my jaw drop. I could have

spent forever there just….. staring. Photos didn’t do it justice. Words felt useless. It was the moment.

This is when I am grateful for having a sieve for a brain. Because even though I’d probably scrolled past this exact picture a dozen times on my social media—liked it, maybe even commented something unoriginal like “wow!”—seeing it in real life? It was like I was laying eyes on it for the very first time.

Back to the spiders... I mean, hard no from me. But when you're face-to-face with a creature the size of a small country, you have to take a photo.

Problem? Sage picked that exact moment to dramatically wipe out on the slippery bridge. While I was mid-battle, angling for a clear shot of the eight-legged forest overlord.

And even after I yelled, “Are you okay?”—more than once, might I add—like the caring, Florence Nightingale-level hiking pal that I am… she had the audacity to do it again. And again. She literally couldn’t get up without sliding back down.

Could she not have just stayed down for, like, two to eight minutes? Let me finish photographing the eight-legged forest overlord in peace, and then I could have helped her dammit.

Honestly, maybe Sage just needs a gentle reminder of how blessed she is to hike with someone who will always have her back... after I've gotten my photo of a spider the size of a salad plate. Obviously.

This “little trail” gave the previous day a run for its muddy money. It was different. Punchier. Moodier. And that gorge—don’t even get me started. It has to be the highlight. I mean, that boring waterfall tumbling down the mountain.... Pfft. Please. Who needs it when you’re facing a gorge that feels like it was carved out by some dramatic ancient force just in time for your arrival?

We had come into the day expecting a bonus round. A side quest. Something gentle to wrap things up. What we got instead? A bold, beautiful finale. Wathaba doesn’t do “cool down.” It does curtain calls.

Originally, I planned to lump both trails into one blog post. You know, spare my abundance of adoring followers from content overload.

But after this 4 km surprise attack?

Absolutely not.

This number deserves its own headline, and maybe even a standing ovation.

The rating? Apart from the distance, it’s a literal copy-paste from the 10 km.

Don’t let the “shorter” part fool you—this is not the beginner-friendly Sunday stroll you might be dreaming of.

Wathaba doesn’t do chill. It does epic. Even in 4 km.

So, thank you Wathaba. For the magic. For the moss. For the madness.

For the wooden bridges, the invisible guardian angel ropes, the gorge that pounced on us, and the waterfalls that continued to surprise us.

For reminding us that adventure doesn’t need a plane ticket—just boots, good company, maybe with a slightly unhinged attitude to match yours.

Thank you, Wathaba. You absolutely showed off. And we’re still not over it.