April 13, 2004
By Lucille Davie
FANCY a 360º view of Johannesburg without having to empty your pockets to get into the air for the view? Well, there's a free, very accessible, viewpoint - it's from the top of the impressive Northcliff ridge, Johannesburg's second highest koppie, at around 1 807 metres.
The view north east
The city's tallest ridge is Observatory at 1 808m, which runs towards Gillooly's Farm in the east, its end point. The rest of the ridge is mostly taken up with houses but is also home to the Indian Monument, commemorating the Indian contribution to the South African War.
The city consists of a number of ridges and one of the most northern ones is Northcliff ridge, the site of early 17th century Stone Age settlements, and a favourite spot these days for mountaineering types, kite flyers and model aeroplane enthusiasts. And for those wanting that great view.
A vast swathe of the northern suburbs is visible from the ridge, and the views of the city to the south are breathtaking.
The public area of the ridge, an area of around 11 hectares, is controlled by City Parks and Johannesburg Water (JW), who have a large water tower, a distinctive landmark, on the very top of the ridge, built in 1939. The area, enclosed with palisade fencing, is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, and these days JW has a 24-hour guard posted at the parking area in Lucky Avenue.
The ridge, around 12 kilometres from the city centre, consists of a flat grassy top, a steep rockface on the northern side, and a shrubby area around the base of the cliff. The battle to maintain its mostly indigenous vegetation is ongoing - some areas are littered with black jacks, khakibos and black wattles, seeds of which are dropped by birds.
The tower has become a perfect nesting place for swifts but the ridge is also home to larks, kiewiets and shrikes.
Squatters also make the ridge their home when they get a chance. The result is that graffiti, broken bottles and occasional fires are a problem in the area. Although the gate is locked after sunset, people do gain access to the ridge and problems with alcohol and drugs have been reported.
But although the ridge is visible from most northern parts of Joburg, it is not as attractive as it used to be. Twenty years ago its soaring cliff faces and base was free of human habitation, and the tower stood tall. The ridge was originally called Aasvoëlkop, a reference to a time when its crevices were home to vultures, now long gone.
Now most of the top of the ridge has homes scattered along it, and its edges have been invaded by large houses, some looking precarious on tall stilts, and townhouse complexes, creeping higher and higher up the hill to grab some of the view. In the 1980s the then city council was roused to do something about saving the ridge for public access. Land swaps and expropriations saved the last 11 hectares of hillside for public use, just in time.
The ridge, looking north west
Unlike it counterpart, Melville Koppies, which was declared a nature reserve in 1959 and, when in 1963 an Iron Age furnace was uncovered, became a national monument, Northcliff ridge was never recognised despite the discovery of Stone Age artefacts on it. The artefacts have disappeared, as have the two Iron Age furnaces that were discovered on Hearn Drive, just below the ridge.
Today, a forum of local residents, in collaboration with City Parks, preserves the ecology of the site. To prevent previous bad experiences with fireworks, the gate is firmly closed on New Year's Day and Guy Fawkes Day.
Some residents walk their dogs on the land, but according to John Freer, an ex-committee member, "residents enjoy having it there, but not many make use of it".
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