The Willem Pretorius Game Reserve is situated in the heart of the Free State with the Allemanskraal Dam (with a surface area of 2 771) forming the central part. The reserve itself covers some 12 005ha. It has a great variety of game and bird species.

The great variety of game and bird species is not the only draw card for tourists. On the northern side of the dam there is a range of hillocks, surprisingly bushy for the Free State. On the summit of one of these hillocks, Doringberg, one can find a well-preserved ruin of a prehistoric settlement, apparently of the long-vanished Leghoya people.

These people built extremely small huts, cattle kraals and walls, all from stone, but without mortar. The size of the huts was possibly dictated by the difficulty of roofing with slabs of stone.

On Doringberg there are many of these ruined buildings, each pervaded by ghostly reminders of their former owners. One of these settlements has been restored and proclaimed a national monument.

The southern part of the reserve consists of undulating plains of grassland, contrasting with the rocky ridges and ravines in the northern section. Among the many game species are the world's largest herd of black wildebeest, as well as springbok, blesbok, gemsbok, kudu, red hartebeest, eland, zebra, white rhino and giraffe. There are no large predators in the park - caracal and blackbacked jackal are the two largest carnivores in the reserve

There is also a wealth of bird life, with a total of about 220 species. Martial and fish eagles and flocks of aquatic birds will be one of the highlights on the twitcher's itinerary.

Notable among the trees in the reserve are white stinkwood, sweet thorn (Acacia karoo), karee, taaibos, buffalo thorn, wild peach, highveld cabbage tree, ghwarrie and wild olive.

An extensive network of roads ensures excellent game viewing. Other activities include fishing, boat tours, a swimming pool, sporting facilities and picnic sites. A special feature of the reserve is the environmental education centre, controlled by the Directorate of Environmental and Nature Conservation.

Within the boundaries of the reserve there are ten fully-equipped chalets, a caravan and camping ground with ablution facilities, and a bush camp (sleeping sixteen people) with separate ablution and kitchen facilities.

To get to the park, take the N1 from Bloemfontein towards Kroonstad. About 30 km north of Winburg turn right at the signpost for another 8 kilometres to the entrance. Access is also possible from the R70 between Ventersburg and Senekal.

Contact
Tel. (057) 651 4168
Fax. (057) 651 4005