Genre: Rough it – Relax it
What: On a clear day you can see (from most good vantage points in Joburg) the Magaliesberg Mountain range – stretching for 120km from Bronkhorstspruit to Rustenburg. Amongst this mountainous zone you’ll find ample hiking routes – the tough and temperate – as well as peaceful retreats and spas to stay at. The Mountain Sanctuary Park offers 1000 hectares of land to get lost in with natural pools and endless vistas back home. The Mount Grace Country House (with decked out interiors and hushed surrounds) is the hideaway we suggest you take refuge at after your vigorous day’s hike.
FiftyTwo review:  Mountain Sanctuary, although sparse, impacts with wacky rock formations and far stretching plains – the terrain is unique and dotted with natural rock pools (these pools do however attract the general visitor). The bonus of this sanctuary is it affords the opportunity to mark trails which shoot you far from the designated paths – you can feel quite vulnerable and alone especially when thunderstorms start rolling in around you. Great exercise with deserved relaxation is a win for both the lady and gent so we urge you to move onto Mount Grace for a night of excess. Plush finishes with mountain views. Raging fireplaces with four course meals. Heated rock pools and indulgent wine lists. Lush lawns and a hidden mountain spa. Now’s the time to chill.
Tip: Rough it at Mountain Sanctuary before relaxing at one of the most stunningly set natural spas – your long overdue full body massage won’t get better than this. We highly recommend you enquire as to what specials are running at Mount Grace, out of season is usually the budget friendlier time to go.
Interesting fact: The Magaliesberg are among the oldest mountains in the world, almost 100 times older than Everest.
Where: On the R24 – from Joburg, Mountain Sanctuary is on the other side of the mountain range (give yourself a good hours drive to get there). Mount Grace is just out of Magaliesberg Town.
Book: Always book ahead – for MS call 014 534 0114 or click on www.mountain-sanctuary.co.za for more info & for MG call 021 430 5302 or click on www.africanpridehotels.com/mount-grace-country-house-and-spa for more info.

Thanks as always to adrian@52.co.za for the suggestion and info.

 Thanks as always to Adi for this review

On April 10, Maropeng and iHominin will give budding palaeontologists a rare opportunity to explore a 1.5-million-year-old fossil site. Cooper’s Cave, 1.2km from the famous Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg, is a relatively newly discovered fossil site, where several species of animals and a number of stone tools have been found. The day’s activities include an interactive fossil and site talk, exploring a cave, a chance to look for fossils, and learning how to make stone tools. This is a must-do for adults and children with an interest in palaeontology and archaeology. Remember to pack a hat, apply sunscreen and wear comfortable walking shoes – oh, and bring your camera! The price is R350 per person and it includes a light picinic lunch. The tour will start at 09h00. For more information, contact Maropeng on +27 (0) 14 577 9000 or e-mail: info@maropeng.co.za.

Upcoming Cooper’s Cave picnics: 01 May and 08 June

Art Africa 62 Tyrone Avenue, Parkview 011 486 2052 Mondays to Fridays 9am to 6pm Saturdays 9am-4pm

Vibrant colour and extensive use of recycled materials, there are lots of funky items which show a real eye for design – many from self-help groups throughout South Africa. There are mirrors made out of brand name labels, copper wire bowls, bottled top handbags, beaded ornaments and great African jewellery. There are also fabulously colourful textiles, wooden mobiles, Nigerian beaded ceremonial chairs and paintings of South African brand icons (Marmite, Surf, Peck’s Anchovette) alongside large voluptuous women in the genre of Precious Ramotswe of Number One Lady Detective Agency – just gorgeous. A great place to buy gifts as there are lots of small transportable items and if you do fall in love with a larger item, Art Africa will pack and send for you. The larger items coming from all over Africa are found in the rooms at the back.

Kim Sacks Gallery 153 Jan Smuts Avenue Parkwood 011 447 5804. Mondays to Saturdays 9.15am-5pm, Sundays 10am-1pm  http://kimsacksgallery.blogspot.com/

Housed in a double volume mud coloured building on Jan Smuts, I wrote about this gallery in a blog of 17 July. Beautifull quality objects – both traditional as well as pottery and porcelain by contemporary ceramicists are exquisitely and seductively displayed. There is always a changing exhibition usually with associated walkabouts so there is always something on the go. Like Amatuli. Kim Sacks will also pack and send items.

Togu’na 235a Jan Smuts Ave Parktown North 011 447 7654 www.toguna.co.za

Located in a great contemporary building with a large airy almost industrial space, Togu’na has some great items which are well displayed. Toguna takes its name from the structure which is found at the centre of every Dogon village in Mali. A togu’na is a meeting place where men discuss important matters and decide on public issues.

Totem Meneghelli Gallery Shop U 17a, Upper Level (near entrance to Sandton Sun Inter-Continental Hotel – Function Rooms) Sandton City Shopping Centre 011 884-6300 Monday to Friday – 9am – 6pm Saturday – 9am – 5pm  www.totemmeneghelli.co.za

Vittorino Meneghelli opened the first Totem Gallery in Jeppe Street in Johannesburg in 1968. Long associated with arts patronage in Italy, after he came to South Africa he was a patron of the Amadlozi group of artists. Over the years he has made almost eighty trips into Africa, mainly West Africa, many of which were with his son, Andrea, who is involved in a consulting capacity at Totem. The Meneghelli Gallery prides itself on selling authentic or genuine pieces. They define genuine on their website as: ‘Technically, the term means all objects created by African artists, but Western scholars and collectors have applied a more restrictive definition that depends on the how an object was used. Thus a genuine African artefact must have been made by an African artist, and also must have been used during tribal ceremonies. This concept excludes most of the modern creations of African art, including objects manufactured for the tourist trade.’ personalon, and has stocked his galleries with high quality, authentic African art – many bought from the tribe themselves and others bought through his vast array of trusted merchant friends from the cities.

Amatuli Fine Art 170 Corlett Drive Bramley 011 440 5065, Mondays to Fridays 8.30am-5pm, Saturdays 9am-1pm

Owner Mark Valentine has been in the business of selling African art and artefacts for almost 20 years. He operates from a house off Corlett Drive in Bramley with rooms in the house and outside as well the more open garden and driveway area all densely packed with a wide range of items – sculptures, utilitarian items like benches, canoes, doors and doorposts and chairs, as well as textiles and clothing items like Zulu married women’s headgear, Ndebele beaded skirts and Ghanaian Kente cloths. While a lot is made specifically for Amatuli by craftspeople from all over Africa, Mark also goes on buying trips through Africa. Amatuli will pack and send for you.

Rooftop Market www.craft.co.za/rooftop (011) 442 4488

In 1993 2 innovative entrepreneurs (Brent and Bruce, hence B&B markets) saw a gap and started a quality market (Sundays and public holidays only) in the covered roof top parking area of the Rosebank Mall. It has now become one of Gauteng’s foremost Sunday destinations for shopping and entertainment. There are well over 600 stalls which offer quality clothing, ceramics, arts and crafts, handcrafted items from all over Africa, furniture and jewellery, as well as food to eat on site and to take away. There is always entertainment offered in the form of various artists such as buskers, mime artists, stilt walkers, ceremonial bands and dancers.

The Rooftop Market is not to be confused with the African craft market 011- 880 2906 The Mall, Cradock Avenue, Rosebank, 011 880 2906   www.themallofrosebank.co.za/att_artscrafts.htm  which is open 7 days a week and although it offers much of the same fare as the Rooftop Market, there are far fewer South African items for sale. Here you will find more of the mass produced colon figures from the Ivory Coast; baskets from Botswana; soap stone sculptures, verdite bowls and bead work from Zimbabwe, Kuba cloth from Zaire; milk gourds from Kenya; and of course masks from various west African countries.