|
Mpumalanga The capital and gateway to the province of Mpumalanga is Nelspruit. The city is two hundred miles (325km) east of Johannesburg and is South Africa's fastest growing city with a vibrant Central Business District. Although not much of a tourist attraction in itself, Nelspruit is situated in the heart of a region rich in natural attractions, which makes it a favourite jumping off point for exploring the Lowveld area. The city's train station and airport welcome travellers several times a day, most of whom are en route to the world famous Kruger National Park, whose southern Malelane Gate is about 40 miles (63km) from Nelspruit. For those travellers staying in the town, there are plenty of accommodation options. It is a pretty place - with a hot and humid sub-tropical climate and a fertile soil region around the Crocodile River valley that thrives with fruit, vegetable and flower plantations. There are good shops in the area, an active nightlife and excellent restaurants. Lowveld National Botanical Garden Covering 393 acres (159 hectares) on the banks of the Crocodile River at Nelspruit, the Lowveld Botanic Gardens has the largest collection of cycads in the world and the biggest assortment of indigenous trees in South Africa, totalling 650 of the 1,000 known species. The gardens have 600 plant and 245 bird species occurring naturally on its turf, but about 2,000 more plant species have been added to this collection making this haven a feast for botanists. A two-hour trail meanders along the Crocodile River banks and passes three waterfalls. | Address: Off White River Road; Telephone: (013) 752 5531; Opening time: Daily 8am to 6pm (October to April),and until 5.15pm from May to September; Admission: R9 (adults), R5 (children) | | | Pilgrim's Rest Had it not been for its picturesque setting, Pilgrim's Rest would probably be a ghost town. It is, however, a popular tourist destination, existing today for little other purpose than to entertain and inform visitors about its colourful heyday. It all began in 1873 when a Scots miner, Alex ‘Wheelbarrow' Patterson, shouted ‘Eureka', having discovered gold at Pilgrim's Creek. Before long fortune seekers had clogged the little valley, and the town of Pilgrim's Rest was born. Mining continued for decades, but started to dry up in the 1940s and the final mine closed in 1972. The town has now been declared a national monument and many of its corrugated iron buildings have been restored. These now exist as living museums, and some as souvenir shops. There is an Information Centre on the Main Road where visitors can learn the history of the town before exploring it. Pilgrim's Rest is part of the scenic ‘Panorama Route' north of Nelspruit. | | | | | Blyde River Canyon The spectacular vista of the Blyde River Canyon, with its sheer cliffs dropping into a bush-covered valley, is part of the scenically breathtaking Panorama Route, worth doing as a self-drive trip from Nelspruit, or on a bus tour. Other sights on the route include the Three Rondavels, a trio of green-clad peaks set in the canyon, and the Bourke's Luck Potholes - huge wells in the mountainside formed by grinding sand. | | | | |
|
