We used the little town of Dundee as a base to explore the battlefields of South Africa. We received a warm welcome from our host at the BBI Backpackers and got details on how to get to the various battlefield sites. Talana Museum Before heading off to the battlefields went checked out the Talana museum that is located right in the town of Dundee. The museum has several displays of glass work which used to be one of the main industries in the area along with coal mining. There is a mock coal mine to go through, complete with sound effects. Some of the original farm houses are still on … [Read more...]
Hlehluwe/Imfolozi Park
We have been in some remote parts with little or very poor internet connection. Otherwise known as dial up, ughhhh. So it's been a while since we have been able to post some pictures and let everyone know what we have been up to. After spending days in the pouring rain in St. Lucia, we decided we must move on. Which is unfortunate because we didn't get to see all the wonderful things St. Lucia had to offer. Of course the day we check out there was a break in the rain. We drove onward to a highly recommended park in this area of South Africa. It is now two parks combined into one. … [Read more...]
Blyde River Canyon
Blyde River Canyon The Blyde River Canyon, is like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon. It is actually the third deepest canyon in the world. There are several spots to stop and take in the beautiful scenery. A few of the main ones are God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes and the Three Rondavals. From Graskop you can reach the Panorama Route by the R532 roadway. This is a beautiful and popular travel destination in South Africa. It takes you through the mountain range of the northern Drakensberg. Also on the Panorama route is a 262 foot waterfall called Berlin Falls. They are just … [Read more...]
Graskop, The Land of the Pancake!
We left the sleepy little town of Hazyview and drove a short distance to another small town called Graskop. You must pronounce it with a thick Dutch or German like accent. That's how they say it. It is a touristy place within a short distance of many scenic sights. We ended up staying at two different places while in Graskop. We went to a hostel that was highly recommended. We wanted to book four nights but they did not have a room available for the first night. They gave us a suggestion of a place to go to for one night and then we could come back for the following three. Peacock's … [Read more...]
Kruegar Park, Not What We Were Expecting
Try To Visit A Less Touristy Area Of The Park Anyone reading this will have to take our info with a grain of salt. First of all we had just done a safari in the Serengeti, I don't know if you can fairly compare anything to that. Secondly we went to the southern area of the park. This is the smallest section of the park and sees the heaviest traffic due to the fact that it is so easily accessible. It is said to have some of the best game viewing though. The park is huge, so I'm sure you could go on a multi-day safari to other areas and have a much different experience than we did. It was … [Read more...]
Christmas Wishes From South Africa
Hello everyone, We are in South Africa now. In a city called Pretoria. We are just getting our bearings and making plans for what we are going to do in this country. We have just rented a car and will be driving north to spend 3 days over Christmas in a beautiful area of the country. We will update you later. For now we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. We will be thinking of you all over the holidays and missing everyone very much. Have some extra stuffing and potatoes for us, lol! Lots of love from Audrey and Jack … [Read more...]
Small Town Hazyview
From Pretoria we drove to a much more scenic part of the country. We were headed to Hazyview, a small picturesque town in the province of Mpumalanga. The 100km area surrounding the town is where over half of South Africa's bananas are grown. It also has a large amount of farms producing avocados, mangoes and macadamia nuts. It was a much cooler temperature when we arrived. It was the end of December and when we called home to Vancouver Island we found out that it was the same temperature there. It was a case of two extremes. They were having unusually warm weather at home and lower … [Read more...]