Harties Boat Cruise and Cheetah Experience

As South Africa’s Covid-19 hard lockdown eases, people are wanting to get out again and live a bit. After being cooped up indoors there is no better place to connect with space and freedom than the magical Magaliesberg Mountains and The Cradle of Humankind. Two of the most magical experiences you can ever have within this wondrous cauldron of a world heritage site in which human evolution happened, are a Harties Dam Boat Cruise (for those are after a super-chilled experience) and a visit to the Cheetah Centre Experience (for those who feel the need for speed). For the ultimate day out, go all in and combine your Cheetah Centre visit with a Harties Boat Cruise.

This in a nutshell, sums up your Harties Boat Cruise: Picture this scene: you’re on the water, surrounded by your friends and flanked by the majestic Magaliesberg Mountains which are so close you feel like you can literally reach out and touch their ancient Cape Vulture friendly cliffs. Everyone is totally relaxed, having fun, listening to great tracks, savouring sumptuous snacks and enjoying their favourite drinks. The dedicated boat crew are taking care of your every need. Your cruise is blissful and what makes it ultra-special is that every minute you’re busy creating vivid memories which will forever be etched into your mind.

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds of up to 110km/h – wow, that’s a blistering speed on legs! Standing at about 75cm inches tall at the shoulder and weighing between 50 and 65 kilograms, they have long, graceful legs; a small, rounded head on a long neck; a very flexible spine; a deep chest; special pads on their feet that help with traction; and a long tail that is used for balance at top speed. The cheetah is also the only cat that cannot retract its claws, providing more traction. They also have distinctive black “tear tracks” that run from the corner of each eye to their mouth and provide anti-glare protection for daytime hunting.

Established in 1971 by Ann van Dyk and originally known as the De Wildt Cheetah Research Centre, the name was changed in 2010, to the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre as a tribute to the woman who has devoted her life to the survival of cheetahs and other rare and endangered species. Ann turned 90 on Tuesday 2^nd of June 2020. Happy Birthday Ann from all of us at Harties Boat Company – thank you for being such an incredible pioneer and visionary conservationist! Two hour guided tours are offered daily, and on certain mornings guests have the option to book a cheetah run and guided tour package. The cheetah run offers an opportunity to witness a breath-taking high-speed cheetah chase. Tours are led by a knowledgeable guide and visitors to the Centre will see a variety of animals including cheetah, King Cheetah, African wild dog, caracal and vultures amongst others.

There you go, now you know, no more searching for what to do in the Magaliesberg, for the best day out simply combine your Cheetah Centre visit with a Harties Boat Cruise!