Mpumalanga
Overveiw
Mpumalanga cascades from Highveld grasslands and the greater Drakensberg escarpment down to the tropical Lowveld around Nelspruit in the east, and the grass and wetlands around Chrissiesmeer and Wakkerstroom in the south. Most visitors to Mpumalanga spend a day or more in the Kruger National Park, one of the world's biggest and finest game reserves. Nelspruit, the provincial capital, is an important stop en route to the Park and the many private game reserves on its fringes, and to Maputo in Mozambique. Area 77,490 sq kmsPopulation 3.1 million
Regions
- Highveld & Cosmos - this grassland area is one of the nation's power-generating centres as well as an agricultural, maize-growing region. Middelburg, Witbank and Stnaderton are three of its most important towns
- Escarpment - this spectacular region contains some of country's most beautiful scenery including the Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, Bourke's Potholes, the restored mining town of Pilgrims Rest and the winding road down to the Lowveld.
- Lowveld - the Kruger Park and more than two dozen private reserves on its border are the major feature of this otherwise important tropical fruit and vegetable growing region. Its major town is Nelspruit, the provincial capital
- Grass & Wetlands - this marshy grassland region between the high- and lowveld has become an important eco-tourist mecca. Bird watching is especially good in the Wakkerstroom area
People are drawn by the magnificent scenery, by the fauna and flora and by the saga of the 1870s gold rush era and a wealth of fascinating tribal legends. Aptly know as "Paradise Country", few regions in the world can match the extraordinary beauty of the Lowveld and escarpment. Mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests characterise the landscape. This is also Big Game Country , with a huge selection of private game reserves and of course the world renowned Kruger National. The entire area offers exceptional opportunities for bird-watching, hiking, horse-riding and fishing. Streams once panned for gold have become the haunts of eager anglers and lazy trout.
Steeped in the history of pioneers, hunters and fortune seekers, fascinating gold rush towns abound. Barberton and Pilgrim’s Rest are among the most famous. A special, additional dimension occurs in the Middleveld region which is inhabited by Ndebele people, notable for their traditional costumes and attractively decorated houses.
Driving in the area you have the advantage of some stunning scenery. Turn off the N4 to the village of Dullstroom, travel over the Long Tom Pass and its splendid panoramic views to Lone Creek Falls and the charming forestry town of Sabie.
Just beyond Sabie, the Mac Mac Falls are worth stopping for; and you can treat yourself to a swim in the crystal-clear pools. A small detour leads to Pilgrim's Rest; a fascinating historic town, well worth exploring before continuing to Blyderivierspoort Nature Reserve. In the reserve, you can feast your eyes on the Blyde River Canyon and the rich bird life. At the southern tip of the reserve, the view from God's Window stretches to eternity across the Lowveld. From there, it's a short and easy drive to some of the finest private game reserves in the country and Orpen Gate to the Kruger National Park
Nelspruit
Fruit put Nelspruit on the map in the 1890s, and fruit has always played a vital role in the town's development. The fertile Crocodile River Valley, in which the town lies, is also notable for its tobacco and timber industries.
Nelspruit today is the capital of Mpumalanga, the commercial and administrative hub of the Lowveld, and the centre of a vast citrus-growing region. The streets of this large, modern town are lined with jacaranda and flamboyant trees and impeccably tended suburban gardens abound, flaunting flowering subtropical plants and shrubs.
From Nelspruit, good roads radiate to many of the most beautiful and interesting parts of the Lowveld, including game sanctuaries, mountains and historic towns. Curio shops and wayside stalls offer excellent hand-woven rugs, carvings, leather goods and fresh farm produce. Hotels and caravan parks in town and the vicinity are convenient for stopovers, and several days can be profitably spent exploring the surrounding countryside. Hiking trails criss-cross this scenic area in every direction.
Useful numbers:
Mpumalanga Tourism Authority 013 752 7001
Lowveld Information, Nelspruit 013 755 1350
Nelspruit Publicity Association 0 13 755 1988
Pilgrim's Rest Information Centre 013 768 1060
Badplaas Tourism Association 017 844 1157
National Parks (for Kruger Park reservations0 012 343 1991 (Pretoria)
021 422 2810 (Cape Town)
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