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Golden Gate Highland National Park Free State South Africa
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Although the Free State province doesn’t attract the same
tourist numbers as other scenic spots like the Western Cape and
Mpumalanga, it is a fascinating destination with lots of attractions
and activities on offer. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park
is one of the Free State’s major natural highlights, and a
great spot for traveller’s who enjoy the great outdoors. It’s
also just a 2-3 hour drive from Johannesburg, which makes it an
ideal self-drive getaway for the visitor with a few days to spare.
Scenery and Adventure
‘This 12 000 hectare park is one of the country’s
greatest natural assets in any season,’ says park manager
Johan Taljaard. ‘Autumn paints the scenery in gold, orange
and red, whilst spring changes the mountain slopes almost overnight
to an unreal florescent green. Summer offers mellow warm green summer
days with thunder storms and winter might just surprise visitors
with a brilliant white snow blanket.’He says the high
mountains, cosy valleys and majestic sandstone rock formations make
Golden Gate a must-see destination for anyone visiting the Eastern
Free State. It’s also a great adventure destination.‘This
mountainous park, with its clear skies and crisp air, is ideal for
hiking, horse riding, abseiling, canoeing on the dam, game and bird
watching, or for doing absolutely nothing specific, just enjoying
the tranquility whilst feeding your soul on the scenic beauty,’
he says.
Nature’s Playground
Taljaard points out that Golden Gate is a protected grassland area,
the only national park of its kind in South Africa. ‘Grassland
is one of the most threatened habitats in Southern Africa,’
he says. ‘But that’s not the only reason for
the parks attraction as the geological formations in the park are
world renowned and it also has the world’s oldest fossilized
dinosaur eggs and embryos.’Covering a diverse habitat,
Golden Gate is home to a wide range of fauna and flora. As it does
not have the Big Five, hiking adventure trails to its rocky outcrops
and deep valleys to view alternate game is a safe option. ‘Apart
from the normal Highveld grassland antelope, including eland, black
wildebeest, rooi haartebeest, blesbok, grey rhebok and mountain
reedbuck, there are also zebra and a few pairs of the highly endangered
Oribi,’ explains Taljaard. ‘The park also has a feeding
area for vultures, and the endangered bearded vultures, Cape vultures
and bald ibisses can be seen regularly.’
Golden Gate Must-Sees
Culture‘History buffs love Golden Gate,’
enthuses Taljaard. ‘The cultural resources in the park spans
from mid to late Stone Age through to Basotho and early Settler,
with numerous sites that are in the process of being developed for
tourism. The Van Reenen Family Graveyard is also very interesting.’
Scenic Beauty When it comes to scenic beauty, Ribbokop
is the highest vantage point in the park, and no matter what the
season, breathtaking views are part of the deal. Other than this,
Golden Gate has a number of look-out spots, including Generaalskop
and Zuluhoek. And don’t forget the Brandwag buttress rock
formation.
Adventure Activities In terms of activities, you
may want to try out one of the many walking trails through the area.
A favourite is the guided walk to Cathedral Cave or, if you want
something a bit more challenging, the 31 kilometre Rhebok Trail
is an option. Additional activities include horse-riding, kayaking,
abseiling and mountain biking.
Bird Watching For those who love bird watching
and photographic safaris, Golden Gate will not disappoint. So bring
your binoculars and camera.
Nearby Attractions
· Clarens, crammed with artists, is great for weekend getaways.
· At Bokpoort Horse Farm you can learn to be an African cowboy.
· Hiking in nearby Lesotho with local communities is a wonderful
way to get to know about authentic African cultures.
· The Sandstone Route from Clarens to Ladybrand is a gorgeous
scenic self- drive route.
Accommodation
There is a variety of accommodation available in the Golden Gate
Highlands National Park. Possibilities include the Glen Reenen Rest
Camp or the luxury Highlands Mountain Retreat. The Qwa Qwa Rest
Camp, which evokes an 18th century Basotho Village will soon be
ready for visitors and If you want the best of both worlds, book
into one of the quaint bed and breakfasts in Clarens where you can
enjoy fantastic restaurants and shopping combined with game viewing
and hiking adventures in Golden Gate.
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