The Royal Society of South Africa, in conjunction with the South African Archaeological Society extended an invitation to join them on the 6th August for an outing to the world's oldest and largest known land meteorite impact site - THE VREDEFORT DOME.

The outing was ably led by Dr Uwe Reimold who hails from the Geology Department, Wits University, and Guide Peter Power.

True to form, the heavens opened on the afternoon of the 5th after almost two months of dry skies ! As the outing was to be in the form of a hike through some rather rough terrain, when Sunday dawned to be the most glorious day, newly washed and amazingly warm considering the time of year, a collective sigh of relief was to be heard wafting across the blue sky.

We met at a pre-designated point at 9h30, and continued in convoy towards our destination. The organisers were rather amazed, as the turn-out far exceeded their expectations - nearly three times the expected turn-out arrived at the meeting point. After about five kilometres or so, the convoy was halted and some rather strange hill-like formations were pointed out to us. Peter explained that the oldest granite bed rock had been brought to the surface by the cataclysm, almost a folding had taken place with the oldest, bottom rock layers being exposed whilst the alluvial, younger rocks were now folded beneath. Almost like a wave that the top had curled beneath the bottom. It was fascinating. The formation of fracture lines, and the unusual folding features were also pointed out. These weird formations formed concentric circles of hills and valleys as far as the eye could see, just a smattering of what must have occurred all those millions of years ago when the "body" slammed into the earth, causing the land and bed rock to react as if a pebble had been thrown into a still pond - awesome !!

Again in our vehicles, the convoy continued and we eventually reached our destination - Smilin' Thru Resort. We all piled into a darkened hall (rather packed like sardines as so many bodies were NOT expected) where Peter Power gave a lecture on the genesis of the impact dome, and what can still be clearly seen of the impact site after 2,020 million years. Satellite pictures of the impact area were startling to say the least, and the vastness of the destructive force of the impact "body" was really brought home - you could hear a pin drop as the scenario unfolded. Once Peter had impressed us all with his vast knowledge of this immense happening, Dr Reimold fascinated us all with his extensive knowledge of the Geology of the area, and proved to us beyond a shadow of doubt, that this was definitely an impact site of tremendous proportions, and not merely an old volcanic crater, as was previously believed.

In a near future meeting, Members of the Jo'burg Centre will be entertained by Dr Reimond lecturing on impact sites - not to be missed, believe me!

Next came the "fun" part. We all assembled in the car park, and the trek through the Bobbejaan Ridge began, this ridge, a tiny part of the dome which still remains in the centre of the impact crater.

Dr Reimold had a wealth of information about the "hole" area, the different rock ages, formations, geological abnormalities, and was fielding the eager questions that come thick and fast. It was fascinating to hear that if the impact had not occurred, there would not be a "Witwatersrand". It was explained the basin left by the impact (stretching well beyond the gold-bearing reef), the upheaval, as well as the gradual filling in of gold bearing sediment gave birth to our famous gold fields. Imagine the whole area encompassing Gauteng, Freestate, and parts of the N.W.Province being without mines - quite a sobering thought.

We were informed that this impact crater is far larger, and older than the one in Chixulub, that in theory was responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs.

The hike continued, and continued - the length of time seemed to have a bearing on one's level of fitness. We eventually reached our destination, the highest point in the vicinity and surveyed our breath-taking surroundings - standing on upturned bed rock that was almost as old as our mother earth, all of us quiet, and in awe - feeling the warm breeze - listening to the insect life droning about us, and seeing in our minds eye the cataclysmic event that tore into our earth, exposing her belly, and sending shock-waves that must have been felt throughout our green planet - 2,020 million years ago.