Maropeng’s hot winter events

Maropeng has loads of exciting events to offer families this winter. Whether you're celebrating Father's Day, enjoying a public holiday, or simply looking for a fun day out with the kids, we have something you'll enjoy.

Do something different on Youth Day. Gather young and old (as long as they’re young at heart), and come to Maropeng for the day. Not only will you have a great day learning about where we come from, the Tumulus Restaurant will save you worrying about what’s on the menu with our Youth Day carvery.

Treat yourself to a stay at our exclusive four-star boutique hotel, taking advantage of our June and July accommodation specials.

Want to give your dad a unique Father’s Day? Bring him to the birthplace of all fathers, the Cradle of Humankind. Make it something to remember and treat him to our wonderful carvery at the Tumulus Restaurant, where he can relax to the sounds of our resident band, Acoustic Moodz.

Are you a fan of our local weatherman and environmentalist, Simon Gear? The Maropeng Hotel is hosting an evening where you can hear Simon’s tips on Going Green: 365 Ways to Change Our World. The talk will be followed by an delicious three-course meal, and is an ideal reason to get off the couch and learn how to make some meaningful changes in your world today.

Maropeng will also be hosting its monthly Stargazing evenings in June and July. For further details please see the story below.

Read about these offers and events on our website calendar. Click here to make an online booking for any of these events and more.

Stargazing (June 13)

The vast open spaces at Maropeng and the unpolluted skies at the Cradle of Humankind are ideal for a spot of Stargazing. Bring the family and allow Vincent Nettmann, Maropeng’s resident astronomer, to take you on a journey of galactic proportions. After the presentation enjoy a buffet dinner followed by viewing through the telescopes outside.

The theme for this month’s Stargazing evening is “Our Winter Skies”, and the evening will be hosted by the Tumulus Restaurant at the Maropeng Visitor Centre.

If you are attending the Stargazing, why not take advantage of our accommodation special?

The dates of the Stargazing events for the rest of the year are as follows:

July 4 – Journey to the moon
August 22 – Explore the Milky Way
September 19 – Jupiter and Galileo
October 17 – Living amongst the stars
November 14 – An introduction to our summer skies

A range of large-aperture telescopes will be available to guests. Make sure you
dress warmly as these evenings can get very cold.

Click here to make a booking online.

Scientists suggest new find is the “missing link”

A remarkable fossil, believed to show a "missing link" between primates and the early mammals they evolved from, was unveiled by scientists in New York on May 19, 2009.

Scientists are calling the 47-million-year-old fossil – which is believed to be female – “Ida”. Her scientific name is Darwinius masillae, in honour of Darwin’s 200th birthday, which was celebrated on February 12, 2009.

Ida was discovered in Germany’s Messel Pit, an area that has yielded many fossils from the Eocene epoch (roughly 55-million to 33-million years ago).

The "masillae" part of the name is derived from "masilla", an ancient name used by local monks for the Messel pit site where the early fossilised primate was found.

The fossil skeleton is 95% complete, and even individual hairs on her body and the contents of her stomach have been preserved.

This is being hailed as an amazing find that appears to fill in the gap between our

One of South Africa’s own fossil treasures, a full skeleton, is still being uncovered inside the Sterkfontein Caves. “Little Foot”, an early form of Australopithecus, is between 4.1-million and 3.3-million years old, making it the oldest known hominid from the Cradle of Humankind.

Win movie tickets with Maropeng

Maropeng is offering five lucky readers the chance to see history come to life in A Night at the Museum 2 at the IMAX cinema in Menlyn Pretoria.

In the movie the Museum of Natural History has been closed for renovations, and its priceless exhibitions have been stored safely in a federal storage at the Smithsonian Institution, or so everyone thinks. Larry (Ben Stiller) knows better. He’s seen the likes of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) and Cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) come alive and cause havoc night after night. Their new home, though, is more dangerous than the last. Kahmunrah, an evil Pharaoh is dead set on attacking the new tenants, and Larry is their only hope.

Win one of five sets of tickets to watch this exciting film. To enter the competition, please answer the following question:
If Mrs Ples came alive at night, what would you ask her?

Please send answers to info@maropeng.co.za with the word “competition” in the subject line. The competition closes on June 25, and winners will be announced in the July newsletter.

Maropeng is flighting a new advert at the IMAX cinema before the feature. Watch the clip first on our website.

Maropeng is going places, and Sylvia Makgetla with it

Continuing our series of staff profiles published on the site, we have published a profile on Maropeng’s marketing and sales assistant,, Sylvia Makgetla.

Below is an extract from the article:

The minute Sylvia Makgetla walks into the room, you feel you’re in good hands. Confident and friendly, she is one of those unusual people who actually enjoy having questions to answer and problems to solve.

“It’s a blessing that everyone has so much faith in me,” she says.

Read the full story here.

Maropeng goes green with Simon Gear (July 18)

On July 18 Simon Gear, South Africa’s favourite weatherman and environmentalist, is coming to the Maropeng Hotel to talk about his new book Going Green: 365 Ways To Change Our World.

The book is a step-by-step guide to help readers get involved and live greener one day at a time. Come along at 18h00 to get your autographed copy, and hear him give his green tips in person.

Gear's book gives readers simple tips to be implemented at the office and home. Setting your printer to print on both sides, and inflating your tyres correctly to save petrol, for example, are easy things you can do. These will not only be a step towards saving the environment, but should lessen the drain on your wallet too.

Simon Gear is one of South Africa's top climatologists and is an authority on global warming and green issues. The opportunity to hear him talk is not to be missed.

The event will be hosted by the Maropeng Hotel, and includes a sumptuous three-course meal.

Click here to book for this event online.