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If you have a week to spend in this part of the country, you have hit the jackpot. You can visit both Kimberley and the Golden Gate National Park – two of the highlights of South Africa’s tourism offering.
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Set off for Kimberley straight after breakfast along the N8. It’s about a two-and-a-half hour drive, three if you’re cruising. The history of Kimberley (located just over the border in the Northern Cape province) is as rich as the haul of diamonds it delivered during the days of the Diamond Rush – 14,5 million carats in all by 1914. (This is also the town where rugby star Jonah Lomu married a local woman shortly after the 1995 Rugby World Cup).
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The most visible reminder of the Diamond Rush days is Kimberley’s Big Hole, with its 1.6km perimeter. It reached a depth of 1,098m eventually, but operations have long since ceased. Period paintings, printing presses and mining paraphernalia are housed in restored buildings from the time, which make up the Kimberley Mine Museum. Visitors get the chance to pan for diamonds on the premises, and those who do find something win a prize.
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Stay the night outside town in a wilderness area like Marrick Safari Park and go on a game drive. If you prefer town then visit the Duggin-Cronin Gallery that houses 8 000 photographs, taken of the indigenous population in the area over a 20-year period.
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Motor back to Bloemfontein, but bypass the city and carry on to Thaba ’Nchu along the N8. Overnight either at the local casino or in the Maria Maroka Nature Reserve (a spot rich in Basotho history).
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Take it easy this morning, leaving at around 11h00 for the town of Ladybrand and have lunch at one of the local guesthouses. Afterwards, carry on to Ficksburg and stay overnight at a local B&B. Take your time to explore the region’s sandstone architecture (you can’t help but notice the buildings – they’re gorgeous) and pop into a local bar whenever thirst and hunger hits.
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From Ficksburg drive to the town of Clarens at the edge of the Golden Gate National Park, famous for its sandstone outcrops like the Sentinel. At night these are lit up, and the display of rock and colours is quite a sight. Overnight in either Clarens or Fouriesburg down the road. You have to do the drive between Clarens and Fouriesburg anyway, as this is one of the most scenic routes in the country. (Clarens is famous for its community of artists, local restaurants, craft shops and dinosaur fossils in the vicinity.)
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Fouriesburg boasts a delightful inn – with a good bar and pool table – and many attractive sandstone buildings; actually, the church across from the bar is the best example.
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If you like horses, check in with Bokpoort Safaris and go trekking on horseback. A horseback safari can really get you close to the land, the open skies, the ancient Bushman rock art and the quiet of the Highlands (the border area between Lesotho and the Free State).
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To return to Bloemfontein at the end of your stay, motor from the area to Bethlehem, and from there along the N5 to Bloemfontein.
Once finding yourself in the desolate splendour and spectacular silence of the Northern Cape, you may wish to spend a few more days – The rugged Richtersveld National Park, the spectacular Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (spilling over into neigbouring Botswana) and the thundering Augrabies Falls are for the brave and unpampered only – but rich in reward for patient off-roaders and nature lovers.
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