Pilgrim's Rest

PILGRIM’S REST

Pilgrim’s rest is a National historic monument; in living memory of the early gold rush in South Africa during the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.

The town is found in Mpumalanga province, and split in two, the upper and lower Pilgrim’s Rest.

Royal Hotel is accommodation offering the old-world atmosphere with the surrounding houses offering over 50 double bedrooms. The Royal Hotel is made entirely of corrugated iron, where one can imagine the 1870’s gold rush where successful miners wanted to celebrate their success or those not so to drown their sorrows. The Royal Hotel is known for the Church Bar. A notice board states outside the hotel that it is tradition for every visitor to Pilgrim’s Rest have a beer at the Church Bar.  

 

Pilgrim’s Rest is a mine settlement lost in time. Here you can follow the footsteps of gold prospectors, have a drink in a legendary bar.

Pilgrim’s Rest is the town where the famous dog Jock of the bushveld lived with his master.

In September each year gold panning championships take place recreating the furore of the gold rush.

Wide varieties of shops can be found selling antiques, collectables, arts, crafts and curios.

You can explore Pilgrim’s Rest and surrounding areas in a 4x4 or try your hand at fly-fishing, over night hiking or hot air-ballooning.

For the adrenaline junky try one of the world’s largest cable gorge swings with a 68M freefall or fly across the 80M high gorge on the high wire slide, both are located at Panorama Gorge in Graskop about 15km from the village.

There are loads to see, firstly go to the Central Information Office where they will provide you with an overview of Pilgrim’s Rest, including brochures, maps and tickets for tours. At the information centre is a small museum with a number of interesting exhibits about the town’s history. There you will be able to get a good background about the history of the gold mining operations, the old photographs of the town and the people of the time. The Central Information Centre is located on the main street.

If architecture interests you, there are a few churches like the Sacred Heart Church, St Mary’s Church, Methodist Church and the Dutch Reformed Church.

Take a tour through the Digging and Gold Panning museum and experience how alluvial gold was panned, detailing the pioneer’s journey.

The Dresden Shop and House Museum with the town’s original general dealer including where the shop owner lived in the back of the house with the original goods displayed in the street side shop. The House Museum is a well-preserved Victorian era home that is open for public viewing. The rooms that are open for viewing is the living room, dining room, bedroom and kitchen, all the rooms contain period furniture and adornments.

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The Historic Cemetery has early graves of the town’s residents showing the common causes of death at the time. The 19^th Century grave of a tent robber caught in the act lies perpendicular to the others.

The Joubert Bridge built in 1896 is situated at the western entrance of the town, where there is a monument in remembrance of the 1938 Great Trek. The bridge was named after Commandant Piet Joubert.

Mount Sheba Nature Reserve has a series of outstanding walks throughout the reserve offering stunning scenery.

Pilgrim’s Rest offers daily or overnight horseback riding at the Ponieskrantz Stables.

The Central Garage Museum is the town garage of Pilgrim’s Rest. It now serves as a transportation museum with antique cars and trucks as well horse-drawn wagons and carriages.

The War Memorial was erected to honour the men of Pilgrim’s Rest who fought and died in the First and Second World War’s, there is an oak tree next to the memorial which was planted as an acorn from the Battle of Dellville Wood.

Our Golden Heritage Museum shows the history of gold in Pilgrim’s Rest, where gold was discovered in the Pilgrim’s Creek, which caused the first major gold rush in South Africa.

A tribute to the printing industry is the Printing museum.

The TGME Golf Course is a 9-hole with shared greens, the Clubhouse walls material was brought by ox-wagon from the Groot Marico.

 

  Take a trip to Pilgrims Rest, it will be well worth it, there are loads more to see, I have just scraped the surface.

HOWICK

A town 1050m above sea level and approximately 88 kilometres from Durban. Howick enjoys warm summers and cool winters which turn chilly when there are snowfalls on the Drakensberg mountain range.

 

 

Howick is a town steeped in history, as far back as the 1840’s.







 

To experience the beauty of Howick a visit to the Howick Falls is needed, the Zulu name for the Falls KwaNogquaza which means, ”the place of the tall one.” In the heart of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands are the Howick Falls with a spectacular drop into a fast flowing pool below, the pool is believed to be inhabited by powerful ancestral spirits. The Midlands Meander stretches from Pietermaritzburg to the Drakensberg Mountains. At the viewing site is the Umgeni River with its never ending flow to the Indian Ocean. Listening to the sound of the powerful Howick Falls fills one with a sense of inner peace and serenity.

An hour long walk will allow you access to the base of the falls to the pools and gorge where the tributaries of the main river converge, otherwise a picnic would be ideal with a view of the magnificent Falls from the platform or enjoy the local restaurants in walking distance.




One interesting place to see is the Nelson Mandela Memorial Capture Site, there you will find a sculpture by highly acclaimed artist Marco Cianfanelli commemorating Nelson Mandela’s 50-Year Anniversary of what began Nelson Mandela’s “long walk to freedom” as the centre point of the site. This significant site is where Nelson Mandela was apprehended while driving incognito from Durban to Johannesburg on the 5^th of August 1962 at a point on the R103.



The Karkloof Farmers Market is an indoor market with a wide variety of goods on sale from fresh vegetables to home-baked treats. Karkloof is 3.5km from Howick. Karkloof also has canopy tours where you can go on a journey through there magnificent forest.



Craft Southern Africa is a curio store operating in the Agricultural Hall, one of Howick’s few remaining Victorian buildings. The building was a cinema in the 1950’s and after years of neglect was refurbished twenty years ago and visitors can purchase keepsakes to take home while experiencing the wooden ceilings and old floors.





 

Have a look at the Laager Wall which was built to protect the residents of Howick from possible Zulu attacks during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879.


 

There are many hiking trails where one can see the beautiful birdlife, like the crowned and martial eagles and tiny warblers.





The Benvie Gardens is must see, the explosion of colour invites one to stroll along the paths from one enchanting discovery to another. See trees from all over the world brought here over a century ago, the stunning arrangement of Azaleas and Rhodedendrons and beautiful rolling lawns, dense foliage and flowers.




 

The Umgeni Valley Reserve is home to Giraffe, Zebra and a variety of Antelope. Around the main education centre is an indigenous tree trail and self-guided walks mingling with the animals in this Valley Nature Reserve. A bird watchers paradise.



Howick has many guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and self-caterers, like Shafton Grange, Howick Guesthouse, Harrow Hill Guest Farm, Penny’s bed and breakfast, Howick Falls Hotel, Nutmeg B&B, Country Lane Guest House, Biggy Best cottages to name just a few.





















 

Howick is a beautiful town, a must see on your journey through South Africa where the locals will welcome you with open arms.

  

PATERNOSTER

Paternoster means “Our Father”, this town’s name is derived from the ship-wrecked Portuguese sailors.

Paternoster is a small fishing village about 90 minutes drive from Cape Town.

Paternoster is one of the oldest towns on the West Coast and is known for its Crayfish and traditional fisherman’s architecture with never-ending white sandy beaches.

While there you might have the opportunity to see Whales and Dolphins entertaining you in the ocean.

 

After the first spring rains usually late July to September, a carpet of indigenous flowers adorns the landscape in their multi-coloured glory and for bird lovers; Paternoster is home to 250 species of birds with sea birds – Seagulls, Sacred Ibis, Oystercatcher and Cormorants.

On the pristine beaches one can take a beach buggy ride along the coastline or a peaceful long walk on the beach or catch crayfish in a boat or on land.

Paternoster also offers diving, spear fishing, hiking trails, mountain biking and sea kayaking.

Paternoster has a 60 year old charming red and green tin house restaurant which overlooks the sand, sea and sky, while enjoying your meal you can take in the amazing sunset and watch the whales frolicking in the sea.

The Paternoster coast is littered with a graveyard of ships where diving is offered to experience the history of each wreck.

A must see is the Gerhard van den Heever pottery studio and a fishing trip on a traditional boat.

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A place to stay is Die Opstal Self Catering Cottages which is a simple functional style house which can be seen all around Paternoster, reminding one of a Grecian village with rustic furniture synonymous of a fisherman’s village with an ambiance that is found in houses that are unique with country chairs, robust sofas, antique hats and framed plates, a four poster bed, ideal for couples or bigger families.

The Paternoster Hotel is rich in history, tradition and old age charm. The hotel has 10 en-suite hotel rooms each with a double and single bed with selected DSTV channels, for those who prefer more privacy there is a fully equipped self-catering house (Buona Sera) with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms for six people.

The Paternoster Hotel has a unique and famous pub that first served as the Paternoster jail. In 1974 Johan Carosini started the collection of “honeymoon panties”. The panty collection had to be taken down in June 1983 after a Dominee(Reverend) had tea at the hotel and reported this “unholy” practice to the police. Needless to say the policeman who was responsible for the confiscation of the panties, was thereafter called “Panty’ Basson by everyone who knew. 

The collection was once again started in the nineties by Johan's son and now co owner Giorello and is still flourishing today,which brings me to another thought not because of the panty collection but the scenery is absolutely picturesque for your big day.

This beautiful,picturesque old fisherman's village is must see on your journey around South Africa.