Mpumalanga Explorations

After the Kruger National Park, we toured Mpumalanga and saw the biggest tourist attractions in this province over a few days, including places such as Pilgrim's Rest and the Blyde River Canyon. It was  an exciting (albeit exhausting) week and officially our last 'tourist-hat' days for a long time....Here follows what we did.

One fantastic Baobab Tree (Kremetart Boom) next to the road. We stopped spontaneously, as these trees are usually more north and we'd never seen one before.  

Coming out of the Kruger Park, we drove to Pilgrim's Rest and stayed in the caravan park that night. We arrived late afternoon and were just in time to check out the different museum buildings. 

Pilgrim's Rest are famous for the buildings made from sink, originally built by gold prospectors. 

Gold was first discovered by prospector Alec Patterson in 1873 who, when he grew tired of the nearby MacMac diggings, went out and explored the area on his own. He found gold in Pilgrim's Creek and soon more than a thousand people were panning for gold, resulting in a sudden village: Pilgrim's Rest. It only lasted a few years however, and then bigger companies moved in with proper equipment in order to mine the deeper gold ore. In 1986 the village was proclaimed a National Monument, and it is now mainly a tourist attraction as living memory of the gold rush years. 

Part of the museum, these are the kind of tents the gold prospectors lived in before they could build more solid dwellings. 

After a demonstration of what gold panning entails, the boys were in the freezing water and looking for gold themselves. They found flecks of gold, but it was so small it looked like misplaced glitter. 

In the transportation museum. Pilgrim's Rest is located between 2 passes, and thus in the old days it used to be very hard getting a car there. Cars and trucks had to be hauled over the mountains by horses/donkeys. 

The General Dealer store. Gold panning is very hard work - this guy was obviously a bit smarter than the rest of them, and got his gold by trading food and essentials with the panners. 

One of the old switch boards used when making telephone calls, in a museum. It was the first time we saw a machine like this. 

At the old Post Office museum - a Post Box really is a handy thing you know, how about a bit of appreciation?

One of the churches. 

Although the Pilgrim's Rest caravan park was a bit rundown, we decided to camp there as this 300-site park is beautifully situated amongst massive autumn trees with a lot of atmosphere. So, after looking for somebody to help us get permission and unlock the facilities, we camped there all by ourselves for one night.  

It got very cold as the campsite is next to a stream, but a local helped us with stacks of wood, so a good old campfire was made and it kept the cold at bay! 

Running amongst the huge autumn trees.

Pancakes for lunch the next day! 

Magical mirrors - I know you have a big brain and a long neck, but please shut your mouth. 

 We visited Echo Caves and enjoyed an hour-long tour of this surprisingly large underground network of tunnels and formations. Echo Caves were used by a black tribe as a hideout long ago, and when a farmer discovered it on his land in the middle 1900's, he found the evidence of their presence among the stalagmites and stalactites. He opened it as a tourist attraction soon after, however a big part of the caves (about 16 km) remain inaccessible to the public.

There were many interesting formations including a Madonna, an ostrich head, an ostrich body separate from the head, an elephant head, etc. Can you spot the ostrich head here? (It's upside down and just left of my dad's head).

Tree roots growing down more than 200 meters from the surface. 

Elephant skin rock (fascinating texture).

Apparently, some of the tribe members sometimes used stalactites as weapons/spears.

Red or blue, which to choose? 

We passed through Graskop (a town) and continued on to see some of the most popular sightings in Mpumalanga. The Lowveld Panorama Route (what the area around Graskop is called) is known for its spectacular views and many waterfalls, and we alternated between these, sleeping over at Blyde River Canyon Lodge. This is what we saw on route...

The Pinnacle, named for obvious reasons. 

Swartland and Surroundings

Porterville is a little town in an area called Swartland, amidst rolling fields of wheat (and here and there vineyards) at the foot of the Groot Winterhoek Mountains. We've seen some interesting places in and around it, including 22 Waterfalls Farm, the Jan Danckaert Museum (named after an explorer in 1660), and some magnificent scenery in the Groot Winterhoek Nature Reserve.

After a cooldrink in Porterville itself, we checked out the Jan Danckaert Museum. The Museum is not very big, but we were quite impressed by the San (Bushmen) Rock Art exhibition. The mountains in this area contain a lot of well preserved San art, but because it is risky to expose these paintings to people, some good pictures were taken of the paintings and these are now exhibited in the Museum.

Drinks in Porterville. 

The San Art exhibition. 

"Bulldog" tractor, of course I had to take a picture. 

 Porterville also has a rather impressive church (for such a small town anyway). 

It has competition from its neighbouring town Piketberg though – some more dramatic religious architecture awaits.

On the 22 Waterfall Farm (which lie just outside Porterville) there runs a stream down a rather steep 'kloof' of the Olifants River Mountains. There are 22 waterfalls, big and small, up the 'kloof' and to see all of them is approximately a 9-hour hike. We only had an hour and so we saw just a few of them, but it was worth it - we even had a swim!

Some rock climbing in between the waterfalls. 

The Famous Robben Island, a Museum, and a Beach

February 6th we went on a much-looked-forward-to tour of Robben Island (meaning 'Seal Island'), a historically rich World Heritage Site as well as National Heritage Site, located in Table Bay. We also visited the Chavonnes Battery Museum for the international Wildlife Photography exhibition there, and then put our toes in the sand at Bloubergstrand.

Robben Island's claim to fame is the fact that it has been used as a means of isolating mostly political prisoners since as early as the 17th century (a Hottentot was imprisoned here by Jan van Riebeeck (the founder of Cape Town) in 1658; it's a rather amusing story actually). Nelson Mandela (South Africa's first black president as well as an incredible inspiration) was imprisoned here along with many other anti-apartheid activists during the Apartheid years (1940's to 1990's).

The tour consisted of a ride by ferry to the island, a guided tour through the prison area, and a bus tour to see some of the main features on the island.

Waiting in the mist at the Waterfront before the tour began. The entire harbor and Waterfront was shrouded in mist when we arrived. 

Departure; looking back at the Museum and another ferry. 

"Ghost harbor". The mist was very disorientating. 

 Our first sight of the island. 

The prison tour was given by a former prisoner himself. 

A court where prisoners labored. 

A cell like that which Mandela was kept in. 

 "Prison picture."

On the bus tour we learned a few interesting things, such as that Robben Island was not just used a prison, but also as a way of isolating the disease leprosy. The Leper community was relocated to Pretoria in 1931.

More than a thousand patients with leprosy died on Robben Island, and the Leper Graveyard is thus notable.

Everything used by the Lepers was destroyed except the Church of the Good Shepherd, which was built for Lepers by Lepers in 1895. It was not demolished along with other Leper Buildings because it is privately owned (it's actually the only privately owned building on the island).  

The only other historic church on the island is the Garrison Church (built in 1841), and our guide told to the group's great amusement how once a year on February 14th (Valentines Day) couples are allowed to marry in this church. Apparently their marriage would then be guaranteed to last. 

This beautiful primary school was built in 1894 for the island wardens and residents' children. It has only recently closed down due to not having enough pupils. Now, any children living on the island actually has to go to school on the mainland by ferry every single day! 

Table Mountain above the clouds. 

South Africa's French Legacy

Exploring the Cape one Saturday at a time, we couldn't skip Franschhoek, and thus on January 30th we drove to this beautiful French-established town via Sir Lowry's Pass, Grabouw and Vyeboom (places' names). Here follows everything we did. 

On the way, we stopped in Grabouw at the Elgin Apple Museum, apparently one of only two apple museums in the world. Unfortunately it is very old and not well kept, but its location is appropriate in the Elgin Valley, where 60% of South Africa's national apple crop is produced. It is also the largest single export fruit producing area in Southern Africa. 

Orchard upon orchard - we almost felt at home (after living in the fruit producing Kammanassie valley last year). 

In the Apple Museum. 

Theewaterskloof Dam.  

In 1688, 176 French Huguenot refugees (due to being persecuted in France for their religion) arrived in the Cape and were giving undeveloped farms in a mountain-surrounded area called 'Olifantshoek' (Elephant's Corner). Soon a town was established, and today it is called Franschhoek (French Corner), a beautiful little town surrounded by renowned wineries (the Frenchmen brought their winemaking skills and experience with them). Today one of the main attractions is the French Huguenot Museum and Monument, both of which are quite impressive and in good condition.

Descending down into Franschhoek on the Franschhoek Pass. Notice how the mountains are on both sides of the town. 

I couldn't take pictures inside the museum, but the buildings were 'worth a shot'. 

Lunch at a quaint little restaurant next to the museum. 

The Monument's Gardens. 

Smile! 

Seeking shade (it was a very hot day). 

We also stopped at the Franschhoek Motor Museum established by the Ruperts family. In contrast to the rather dilapidated Apple Museum, the Motor Museum was in another league. The atmosphere was very professional, and the buildings were built specially for the cars.

There were fast cars...