Lone Creek Falls and other Sabie, South Africa Things to Do Tips

The first morning after our arrival in Sabie, we decided to take in some of the many famous waterfalls in this area. Because of the mountains catching the moisture of the clouds, many streams running down the steep escarpment feature magnificent waterfalls, including Bridal Veil and Lone Creek Falls. After the long winter season, the area was quite dry so we decided to bypass Bridal Veil and concentrate on the 200-foot straight drop Lone Creek Falls. Although it too was far below its peak flow, it was still an interesting stop at its base, only a few miles from Sabie. Here, there is a nice little parking lot and a footpath around the base of the Falls where you can get some good views of it. Unfortunately, I took many of my shots with the video camera in my pre-VT days, so you will have to be satisfied with this fleeting shot through the surrounding vegetation! Judging from the amount of rain that fell overnight during our stay, I am sure that these waterfalls were soon getting back up to speed!

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Address: A few miles outside Sabie

Due to its cooler temperatures and malaria-free conditions on the slopes of the Drakensbergs, Sabie was a prime choice for white settlements in the 1800's. From here, hunting trips and other expeditions could be made in the less hospitable area of the Lowveld. In the 1870s, one of these hunters accidently struck a rock with a bullet, revealing a rich seam of gold - the Rush was on! Pilgrim's Rest is one of the reminders of this period, a preserved gold-mining town that features small shops, museums and restaurants. We had a very pleasant stop here after we had finished with Lone Creek Falls, wandering up and down the single street as we enjoyed the views and observed the old buildings. Later, as my wife shopped for trinkets in one of the curio shops, I retired to the verandah of the old Royal Hotel for a Lion Lager! While we were both engaged in our tasks, a couple of the local lads washed our car for the going rate of 5 Rand (US$1.50). Altogether, a very pleasant break after a hard morning of vine-swinging (see Local Customs)!

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The Blyde River Canyon in the northern Drakensberg Mountains is 33 km (20 miles) long and, even though I saw Arizona's Grand Canyon a few years later, I still rate it as a fantastically impressive sight! We were unfortunate to be there on an overcast day with the odd shower and an early summer haze - so my photos were nowhere near as good as they could have been. The Canyon runs between whirlpool-formed rock holes called 'Bourke's Luck Potholes' and three huge dolomite spires called 'The Three Rondavels' (because they resemble round grass thatched African huts). It was amazing to admire the fantastic views as we wandered around the edges of this precipice which plunges 2600 feet down to the river below! Shortly after this mid-afternoon photo was taken, as we were on our way back down to Sabie, we came across a troop of baboons meandering through the bush scrub below the road. We stopped to watch them for a while with our binoculars before the rain and fog set in and we then continued on our way back down the winding road to town.

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Directions: Not far from Graskop

The day after we had been to 'The Three Rondavels' broke sunny and fresh, so we headed back into the mountains for one more pass before continuing onward to Kruger. We drove on what is known as the 'Panorama Route' in the Drakensbergs, where we came upon the Pinnacle. This is one of the many sites on this Route that is famous for its view out over the Lowveld. The Pinnacle is a single quartzite rock that juts up out of the surrounding forested canyon, accentuating the amazing view that opens before you. This whole area of the Drakensbergs is home to the largest man-made forest in South Africa. As a result of the gold rush in this part of the continent in the late 1870s, most of the original forest was cut down for firewood and mining timbers. One visionary, Joseph Shires, realized that it would be necessary to replenish the forests by hand if settlements were going to be able to continue here. Thus were born the huge pine and eucalyptus forests that presently cover large areas of the mountains, providing the life-blood of Sabie's existence as a lumber town. Coming from New Brunswick, Canada, the most heavily forested province or state in North America (at 90%), I felt right at home!

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Address: Near Graskop in the Drakensberg Mountains

Another of the lookout points along the Panorama Route, God's Window offers one of the best views of the 3000 foot difference in elevation to the Lowveld, gateway to the big game roaming in Kruger National Park. Among the reasons that many small towns sprung up in the Drakensbergs was that the cooler air of the higher altitudes not only felt more comfortable, but it was also a malaria-free area. A busload of tourists arrived as we were finishing up here, but so did the clouds. As we headed down the escarpment toward Hazyview and Kruger, the clouds opened up again in a downpour.

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Finally, it was time to descend into the heat of the Lowveld! As we came down off the Drakensbergs and headed for the southern gate into Kruger National Park, we passed through the small village of Hazyview. There, we simply had to pull over to the side of the road to take the photo that you see. These three trees bring back such great memories - and here we had them all together. A pink Frangipani tree, such a sweet smell that I have never forgotten it - my first landing in Africa at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and that was the smell that greeted me. The red Bougainvillea that grows like a vine in many tropical countries, in a variety of colours - we had those in Papua New Guinea at our home. And finally, the purple Jacaranda tree - what an amazing colour for a guy used to green trees in Canada! They graced the steets of Luanshya during my Zambia days and I can still picture them in Pretoria, South Africa as you look down on the city from the seat of government!

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Address: Hazyview