The small centre known as De Wagensdrift is situated some 30 kilometres to the north-east of Pretoria. Just to the south-west of De Wagensdrift is the Roodeplaat Dam and Nature Reserve.  Roodeplaat Dam is surrounded by a number of campsites, self-catering chalets and full board resorts. Camping facilities are available in the section of the nature reserve on the western bank. The dam offers a wide variety of species for the bird lover and in several different vegetation types. There can be found open water, reedbeds, dense Acacia and mixed thornveld. There are a great variety of water birds as well as warblers, prinias, weavers and robins.

Pretoria itself was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius, a leader of the Voortrekkers, who named it after his father Andries Pretorius. During the First Boer War, the city was besieged by Republican forces in December 1880 and March 1881. The peace treaty, which ended the war, was signed in Pretoria on 3rd August 1881 at the Pretoria Convention. Pretoria achieved official city status in 1931.