1 Blyde River Canyon
2 Cape Peninsula
3 Drakensberg
4 The Garden Route
5 Golden Gate Highlands National Park
6 Kimberley's Big Hole
7 Kruger National Park
8 Namaqualand Flowers
9 Robben Island
10 Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
Formations of mellow golden sandstone create a delightful landscape in and around Golden Gate, on the border between the Free State and Lesotho.
Mention to many South Africans that you are planning a trip to the Free State and you'll be told that there's nothing there except boring, open plains and mielie (maize) fields. Yet, while it is true that the western Free State is flat and relatively featureless, the eastern part is an enchanting area of sandstone cliffs, streams and green hills, with the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho looming in the distance.
The central attraction of this region is the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, so-called for the twin buttresses of golden sandstone that rear up either side of the park entrance. In the reserve you can see eland, oribi, red hartebeest and other antelope, as well as black eagle and bearded vulture. But it is really the landscape, rather than the wildlife, that visitors come to see. The deep layer of soft sandstone laid down over this region has been weathered by wind and water into fantastic shapes. In many places the red, ochre and gold layers, while protected from above by a cap of harder stone, have been eroded from below to create shadowy overhangs and great mushroom formations. Nearby is the picturesque town of Clarens, which is increasingly popular with tourists.Address: 18km east of Clarens, Free State
Phone: 058-255 0012 (fax 0928)
Open: 24 hours daily
Restaurant: Restaurant and pub (Moderately priced)
Air: Fly to Bloemfontein
Accessible: None
Admission: Day visitors, cheap
Other: Eastern Highlands of Free State
Practical: Horse riding Phone: 058-255 0951; fishing and hiking Phone: 058-256 1559
Info: Free State Tourist Office Phone: 051-430 8200
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