Africa Travel, Attractions, Tourism

The Free State Province disposes of an extensive system of parks and reserves, including one national park (Golden Gate) and more than 80 provincial, municipal, and privately owned nature parks, nature reserves, game reserves, and game farms. A vast amount of wildlife species can be found and you are sure to find what you're looking for.

The Sterkfontein Dam is situated in the very upper reaches of the Vaal Dam catchment on the Nuwejaarspruit, a few kilometres from the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment. The dam receives its water via the Tugela-Vaal Project which is a pumped-storage scheme involving the net transfer of up to 630 million m3 of water from KwaZulu-Natal.

Vaal Dam, completed in 1938, is the main water supply for the PWV and minding areas. Vaal Dam is the largest watersport area abounding with power and sail craft. It has the largest concentration of sailing boats in the country, as many as moor in all the parts along our coastline.

The Free State is a rural province of wide horizons and blue skies, with farmland, mountains, goldfields and widely dispersed towns. The land of the windpomp and krummelpap is peaceful, with a high quality of life, good infrastructure and a low crime rate. The province covers an area of 129 464 km and has a population of 2,8 million – 6,4% of the national population. 71% of the province’s population – about 2 million people – live in urban settlements. Although the Free State is the third largest province in South Africa, it has the second smallest population and the second lowest population density.

The area was a no-man's land, but did not deter Jan de Winnaar from forming the farm called Verliesfontein. The town is named after his wife, Johanna Zastron.

Nestled in the rolling foothills of the Maluti Mountains of the north-eastern Free State lies the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

Xhariep (or Gariep) Dam, the youngest town in the Free State, officially became a registered municipality as recently as 1994. It was originally erected in the late 1960's for the construction workers building the Gariep Dam. After the official opening of the dam (originally called the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam, after the man know as the architect of apartheid) in 1972 the potential of the town as a tourist haven next to the largest dam in South Africa was recognised. Gariep Dam is situated virtually in the centre of South Africa. It is an ideal inland holiday destination as well as a perfect stopover for tourists travelling between Gauteng and Cape Town.

The Ficksburg area was subject to the usual internal bickering between the native tribes of the Caledon Valley and white settlers were warned to keep gunpowder, a rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition handy for immediate use. Another condition was that the settler’s homestead had to be erected within six months and have a strong surrounding wall in case of attack. The remains of some of these walls can still be seen today. After the final frontier war with the Basotho tribe in 1867, Ficksburg became one of the Free State strong points and lies at the foot of the Mpharane Mountain on the banks of the Caledon River. Up in the hills are numerous caves with lovely examples of San rock art.

Clarens is part of the scenic Highlands Route and is surrounded by mountainous splendour. The Rooiberge is the range encompassing the village, whilst further on towards the southeast, the mighty Maluti’s stand proud in shades of purple and blue. All around are the sandstone cliffs with their multi-coloured layers - this horizontal strata is a unique geological feature of the area, and is known, both here and much further afield, as the Clarens Formation.

Between the high sandstone Rooiberge and the Maluti Mountains, the picturesque little town of Clarens is aptly described as "The Jewel of the Free State".