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Wagondrift Nature Reserve

Wagondrift Nature Reserve is a 980-hectare protected area surrounding Wagendrift Dam on the Bushmans River, approximately 5 km west of Estcourt in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Established in 1963 and managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the reserve encompasses highland aquatic habitats and is popular for fishing, boating, and birding. A resident yacht club operates on the dam, and a 3 km self-guided trail follows the Bushmans River.

The reserve includes the Moor Park section, which offers game-viewing and overlooks Makhabeni Hill, home to an Iron Age site dating to AD 1300 — one of the oldest known in KwaZulu-Natal.

Fossil beds with exposed fossilised trees are also found on the dam's southern side. Overnight visitors can use a large campsite equipped with electrical plug points.

The reserve takes its name from a historic wagon drift across the Bushmans River, once used by transport wagons travelling from Port Natal to the Witwatersrand goldfields.


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