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Free State - TransGariep Routes |  |
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This is a huge touring area that covers the whole of the southern Free State Province south of a line drawn just above the provincial capital Bloemfontein. The grassy plains that stretch away to the west of the city undulate gently to far horizons, the land, once home to immense herds of game animals, earth sustaining fine crops of maize, the pastures huge numbers of sheep. To the east the landscapes are more broken, more interesting, eventually rising in great sandstone formations that lie in the shadow of the high Maluti Mountains. To the south is the Orange River, the country's largest watercourse, which forms the provincial boundary between the Free State and the Western Cape. The Orange River was once called the Gariep, which is the Khoisan word for 'Great', and although the name hasn't been formally changed it is becoming known as that again. Its waters are erratic, their flow determined by seasonal rains; in good, wet summers it becomes a fast-running torrent sweeping across the country in a broad stream measuring up to 10 kilometres across in places; at other times it is benign, almost sluggish. The river has been massively harnessed to meet the growing demands of the farmlands and, especially, of the cities of the central and north-central regions. Principal feature of the great water conservation and distribution scheme - the Orange River Project - is the giant Gariep Dam (formerly the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam), the country's biggest reservoir. The dam covers, on average, 374 square kilometres of plateau countryside and contains 200 billion cubic metres of water. Another smaller but still major reservoir is the Vanderkloof (formerly the P.K. le Roux) Dam, some 150 kilometres upstream from the Gariep.
Thaba Nchu East of Bloemfontein. The town's name means 'Black Mountain' in seSotho, a reference to its role as a Barolong stronghold against the marauding Ndebele during the 19th century. It's generally a rather ordinary little centre but it does have its attractions, notably the beautiful hand-knitted jerseys made locally, a charming church, a lively hotel-casino complex, and the alluring Maria Moroka Park. The latter extends over much of Thaba Nchu Mountain and includes the large Groothoek Dam. The landscapes have interest as well as beauty - the sweet grasses of the plains, set against a majestic highland backdrop, sustain zebra, springbok and eland, red hartebeest and other antelope. Among the 150 bird species to be found is the rare blue korhaan. Also worth visiting is the Rustfontein Nature Reserve (a recreation area focused on a dam) and the Mabana Cultural Centre. Wepener South-east of Bloemfontein. The town, close to both the Caledon River and the Lesotho border, played a prominent part in the 'Basotho wars' of the 19th century (it was named after a Louw Wepener, a Boer hero). The main attractions are the willow-fringed riverbanks and the dam, centrepiece of the Caledon Nature Reserve. The town has some pleasant sandstone buildings. Jacobsdal West of Bloemfontein. Centre of a splendid irrigation scheme that produces nearly 200,000 tons of such crops as grapes, groundnuts, potatoes and emerald green lucerne. The area, though, is of special interest to military buffs: two of the more important battles of the Anglo-Boer war (1899-1902) were fought in the vicinity, namely Magersfontein, one of the three defeats suffered by the British during their so-called 'Black Week', and Paardeberg, where a 4,000-strong Boer force, out numbered 10 to 1, surrendered after ten days of bombardment. There's a site museum at the Magersfontein killing ground. Fauresmith West of Bloemfontein. An achaeologically important area, centre of the so-called Fauresmith Culture; many implements and artifacts dating from the Early and Middle Stone Ages (50,000 to 35,000 years ago) have been found in the vicinity, yielding significant clues to the lifestyles and capabilities of these ancestral folk (among other things, there are clear indications that they were proficient hunters of big game). Bethulie South of Bloemfontein; close to the Gariep Dam. The cattle-farming town started life (in 1829) as a mission station - sorely needed at a time when white frontiersmen were creating havoc among the local Griqua and Khoisan (Bushman) folk. The name means 'chosen by God'. Of interest is the Pellisier House Museum, the original mission and the Free State's oldest settler building. Gariep Dam Nature Reserve The nearly 12,000-hectare sanctuary, which flanks the dam's northern shore, is home to the country's largest population of the graceful springbok and to a number of other game animals, among them black wildebeest, Cape mountain zebra and various antelope species. On the reserve's western boundary is the Avontura Midwaters Resort, a pleasant family holiday centre from which there are fine views of the dam's waters and the surrounding veld and hills. The resort provides a wide range of leisure and sporting amenities (sailing, power-boating, angling, golf, bowls, tennis, horse-back riding and so forth). Tussen-die-Riviere Nature Reserve The southern Free State's premier game sanctuary, covering a 21,000-hectare triangular expanse of grassland at the confluence of the Orange (Gariep) and Caledon rivers. Visitors are able to see a variety of mammals introduced to the area during the 1970s in one of Southern Africa's most impressive restocking exercises. Wildlife now includes white rhino, plains zebra, blue and black wildebeest, mountain reedbuck and other antelope. Bird life is prolific and interesting, especially in the flood-plain to the west. Chalet accommodation is available. Oviston Nature Reserve On the other (Western Cape) side of the dam but easily accessible, of course, from the Free State. The reserve was established principally to preserve the region's vegetation (known as False Upper Karoo) and to support breeding herds of buck for translocation to other sanctuaries. Walks and hikes on offer, including a guided overnight trail. Vanderkloof Dam South Africa's second biggest dam, downstream of the Gariep, is flanked by two pleasant nature reserves. The Doornkloof sanctuary, which runs for 75 kilometres along the dam's south-eastern shoreline, is relatively new, established in the 1980s to help the land recover from over-grazing; wildlife includes antelope and the elusive brown hyaena. More rewarding is the Rolfontein Reserve, which fringes the western portion of the dam and has a good network of roads leading to game-viewing points and picnic spots. The rugged countryside (technically known as Renosterberg), however, can probably be better explored on foot, and is especially interesting to the botanist: it sustains fully 13 major plant communities and 14 varieties of grass. It's also home to 57 types of mammal, 16 of which are carnivores (including cheetah and brown hyaena). Among birds to be seen are herons, cormorants and fish eagles. Accommodation is available in Luckhoff, 40 kilomtres to the north. |
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TRANS GARIEP ROUTES Western Cape
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