Rosemary Hill Farm: Round and Round the Rosemary Bush

I had to rally the BFF for a hike again recently, since both Salt and Pepper (my traitorous sons) were otherwise occupied.

Again I promised her a flat 5 km trail, but then she—bless her overachieving heart—suggested we do the 10 km walk instead.

YES, QUEEN. My inner sadist screamed with joy.

Coffee Before Sanity

She showed up at my house at 6 am on an icy winters morning, and we arrived there around 7 am. This included the obligatory stop for petrol station coffee in the ungodly hours of the morning. Because, honestly, a hike without a pre-hike coffee, is like a movie without popcorn—just not an option!

We parked and walked past beautiful restrooms and into a toasty coffee shop to buy tickets, I saw her eyes longing for a cozy breakfast by the fire, but I was having none of it!!

Upon further questioning, we established that there was a shorter hike and an 11 km, not 10 km hike like we first thought.

She turned green, and I asked if she was up to it.

It was at that stage, and I kid you not, she announced that she was “pretty sure” she was developing frostbite. In Pretoria? At sunrise?

I reassured her she was not.

“You’ll be fine. You'll defrost. LET’S GO.”

Lost Before the Starting Line

Naturally, we got lost. Before. We. Even. Started.

Two nearly 60 year olds, one loudly panicking about frostbite, the other jabbering like an over-caffeinated squirrel walking around in circles. At one point, we circled the same rosemary bush three times. THREE.

The Trail: Flat, Mostly. Boring, Definitely.

Once we escaped the "Rosemary Circle of Doom", the first section was indeed flat, open and about as exciting as a beige wall. Sparse greenery, a few lemon trees, and my creeping regret for dragging her there...afflicted with “frostbite,” no less.

However, we eventually started going through a 'forest' which was a little like a fairy tale setting. Around every corner was something interesting, either scenery-wise or farm-wise.

But we were there to hike. For a hike: flat, with nice sections mixed with flat and bare patches, perfect for people wanting exercise or a stroll through the farm.

Highlights included a cute 'forest' with an abandoned house that added charm.

Further along, we stumbled upon what looked like a compost dump - complete

with birds doing their eco-friendly thing and monkeys acting as neighborhood watch from the hill.

This was just a little piece of heaven for some reason.

At some point we saw loads of rosemary bushes, which went on forever. It was a feast for the eyes.

Birds doing their eco-friendly thing

Yes, we saw wildlife (even if it was just a few monkeys and birds).

Because no hike (sorry, “walk”) is complete without a solid reward, we circled back to that cozy coffee shop - the one my BFF tried to defect to earlier.

This time, she got her wish. We thawed out, basked in the sunshine, and inhaled a well-earned breakfast like two women who had just conquered Everest.

AREA - Pretoria

COST - R50. 

DIFFICULTY - EASY

LENGTH - 11.4 km.

ELEVATION

Flat. There was a point where the trail split, and you could take the more strenuous, inclined route or turn left for the flat one.

It felt downright cheeky to even ask my BFF if we could turn right....so left we went! But nice to have the option!

MARKERS - The trail was extremely well marked. Any misunderstanding was old age and lack of common sense (on my BFF's part of course!)

ABLUTIONS - amazing—I’d love them in my home....without the parade of people of course!!

LOADS OF SAFE PARKING

AMENITIES - A BUNCH of stuff!

Lodging, MBT, zip lines and a tree maze, plus facilities for functions and weddings and of course the coffee shop where we indulged.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When they say “trail,” not “hike,” manage your expectations accordingly.

And always — always — get the coffee.

PAW NOTE - Very dog friendly!