18 free (or cheap) winter outings

1.    Go sightseeing on the Panorama Route. Load up the family for a memorable drive that showcases some of the country’s most incredible views over the grasslands of Africa. 
2.    Stop at Lisbon Falls. At 94 metres, it’s the highest, most dramatic waterfall in the area. There are lovely trees for families to enjoy a scenic picnic.
3.    Explore Kaapse-hoop. Visit this Lowveld village to marvel at wild horses, swim under the waterfall, take in the sweet smells of pears with an orchard picnic or do a midnight tour to spot the ghost of Kaapsehoop.

1.    Feed the bunnies at the Bunny Park on Joburg’s East Rand. The rabbits, as well as donkeys, cows and goats can be hand-fed so don’t forget the carrots!
2.    Have a history lesson at Walter Sisulu Square which offers shops, offices, the Open-Air Museum, a shisa nyama braai area and the Freedom Charter Monument in the heart of Soweto.
3.    Relax at Zoo Lake. A local favourite, kids will love feeding the ducks and a paved path allows for bike adventures, with picnic spots aplenty.

1.    Explore our African Wonder – Table Mountain. The cableway is free on your birthday! Don’t forget your hiking shoes because walking the trails don’t cost a cent 
2.    Warm up with Mountain Biking at Meerendal. Fun for the whole family and great for beginners, the Meerendal tracks are relatively flat and easy to navigate. Some hills offer stretches of magnificent views. Just R50 for adults; R20 for kids.
3.    Visit the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, near Worcester. Entry is free between 1 November and 31 July, outside flower season but you’ll still be treated to a wide range of desert and semi-desert plants.

1. Get lost in a maze in Hogsback. The walk is roughly 1,4 kilometres and one of the largest of its kind so is perfect for meditation, recharging, finding inspiration or simply having fun. 
2. Get a headstart on your letter to Santa. Post a letter from South Africa’s oldest official letterbox that stands on St Andrew’s College corner in Grahamstown, and receive a special frank. 
 3. Watch whales frolic at St Francis Bay between the months of May and September.

1.    Meander the Midlands. Take in any of the five beautiful routes that form the famous Midlands Meander. Think natural and historical attractions, and try your hand at weaving, candle-making and wood carving. 
2.    Go hiking in Skyline Nature Reserve between Uvongo and Margate, and see the 40-year-old arboretum.
3.    Take in the rich history of Durban’s Indian community at the Durban Cultural and Documentation Centre showcasing cultural artefacts, paintings, culinary art, traditional clothing and beautiful jewellery. 

1.    Take a Game Drive in Franklin Game Reserve to spot zebra, blesbok, springbok, giraffe and eland. Walk to the top of Naval Hill and inhale the breathtaking views.
2.    Enjoy the permanent exhibition at Oliewenhuis Art Museum. Kids are encouraged to climb on googley-eyed sculptures of wild imagination. 
3.    Camp out in the snow. Pack your thermals for a winter wonderland at the Golden Gate National Park. In winter, you can have an entire campsite to yourself with snow on all sides.

Go wild about wildlife

A Wild Card gives you free access to more than 80 of the country’s reserves. Marvel at elephants in Addo, explore rock formations at Cederberg, take in the sights at the Augrabies waterfalls, go game-viewing in Kgalagadi, take a day trip to Kruger Park or saunter through the Richtersveld.

Do good at SANCCOB.  Book a behind-the-scenes tour to see how a seabird hospital works and watch how the penguins are cared for and fed. Like what you see? Then give back too.

Hitch a ride on an old steam train. Reefsteamers, part of the Transnet Heritage Foundation, preserves and rebuilds old steam locomotives with return rides from Johannesburg to Magaliesberg. Take your camera to photograph locomotives in the morning light on their special Winter Photo Day.

Take a trip to the Babylonstoren Garden. Situated in Klapmuts, this French-inspired garden is home to more than 300 varieties of plants with vegetable areas, stone and deciduous fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, ducks and chickens, a prickly pear maze, with so much to explore. Everything in the garden is edible and the fruit and vegetables are harvested all year round for use in the farm-to-fork restaurants. 

Play some cave golf. The V&A Waterfront offers putt-putt in a cave-like setting, right next to the Scratch Patch where kids can dig for gems. Fun in any weather! R35 per player.
Go foraging Join Veld & Sea to pick your own dinner. Find edible mushrooms, harvest local wild plants, and learn how to prepare a delicious meal with your findings.