As you guys probably know we are backward down here in SA. We have summer in December and the whole country closes down in order that we can recharge our batteries in the summer months. Normally we would head to the cold wasteland that is Europe to visit our kids and granddaughter. This year we splurged out on a tour of Eastern Europe and had to count the pennies so we opted to tour the area known in South Africa as Mpumalanga (pronounced Um-poom-a-langer). This area has been known through the years as the “Eastern Transvaal” and simply the “lowveld” (meaning low land).
A bit of a geography lesson here; South Africa is mostly a high plateau rising some 1,700 metres (5,000 ft) above sea level, somewhat like Denver, Colorado. The Great Rift valley that starts in Egypt along the banks of the Nile ends in the Drakensburg mountains in Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa. The lowveld is where this incredible phenomenon passes through eastern South Africa and the “highveld” plummets down to sea level. There are areas where you can stand on a cloudy day and look down at the top of the clouds, or on a clear day look down at the land 1,000 metres (3,000ft) below you.
We toured this area with some good friends (the awesome eight) from other countries in 2008, and the Canadian friend reflected that the region was like Canada with its tree-lined mountains, whilst our American friends thought it was like the USA “but compressed”. The difference between the Grand Canyon and the Blyde River Canyon (apart from size) is that the Blyde River canyon is covered in vegetation, where I understand the Grand Canyon is not. The Blyde river canyon is designated as the third largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon in the USA and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia.
But the canyon is not the only attraction in this area. The whole region varies between hilly and mountainous with good pot-hole free tar roads and is a mecca for motorcyclists. There are the Bourke’s luck potholes, many waterfalls, a hotel preserved from the gold-rush days of the early 20th century that has arguably the best food in the country, and of course the world famous Kruger National Park. The area is studded with small hotels and B & B spots as well as campgrounds.
One road we took from Barberton to Piggs Peak rose 600 metres (2,000 ft) over a distance of 6km (3.7 miles)
I promised to publish pictures of the trip and will say no more, just let you see for yourself the country that we are blessed with, and encourage you to take the plunge and arrange a tour here yourseves, you will not regret it.
Long Tom Pass
Long Tom Cannon at the top of the Pass, a relic of the Boer War
Road to Pigg's Peak
Road to Pigg's Peak
Bourke's Luck Potholes
Blyde River Canyon
Three Rondavels - Blyde River Canyon
Lowveld Vegetation
Local Wildlife
One of my favourite photo's - The awesome eight at the entrance to the KNP 2008
NEXT POST
I am having work done on my softail ready for Africa Bike Week in April. I thought of doing a post on the work being done and the 3 professionals (and their teams) that are doing the customisation. Would that interest you guys out there? Please comment and let me know.
