Eastern Cape
The climate and terrain of the
Eastern Cape varies tremendously from the
dry
Karoo to the rolling hills of
Transkei.
Within this varied landscape are many wonderful malaria-free game parks, reserves,
and farms, offering great opportunities to see the wonderful wild life
of South Africa. Sea side resorts, mountain resorts (including a Ski resort!), rolling plains, and semi-desert vistas are the reward of being able to travel within this provence.
The Eastern Cape's only metropolitan city is
Nelson Mandela Bay.
It incorporates
Port Elizabeth,
Uitenhage, and
Despach and has the honour of having the fourth best climate in the world for a
coastal city.
Neslon Mandela Bay has also been
appointed the host city for the
2010 Soccar World Cup. Due to it's
varied history, the city contains wonderful examples of Victorian, Art Deco, and
Modern architecture. The temperature ranges between 18ºC to 30ºC in summer and 8ºC to
20ºC in winter. With sea temperatures as warm as 21ºC and rarely colder than
14ºC in winter, this area is also a great sea-side holiday destination!
The
Buffalo City municipal area is a grouping of urban developments within an aspirant metropolitan corridor which stretches from the port of
East London in the east, to
Dimbaza in the west and includes the capital of the Eastern Cape -
Bhisho,
King William’s Town,
Mdantsane (South Africa’s second largest township) and the industrial hub of
Berlin (a town established by German military settlers in the 1800s when British government encouraged European settlement in the area).
Dotted with names such as
Berlin,
Stutterheim,
Humberg and
Potsdam, you would think that you’re looking at a map of Germany! The towns and villages around
Buffalo City
are all testimony of the history between Germany and Buffalo City.
The connection began in 1857 when 2500 German soldiers enlisted in the British army were stationed here. It continues strongly today in the presence of a DaimlerChrysler South Africa (DSCA) manufacturing plant and a German Lutheran church.
The
Amathole, which means “the calves of the Drakensberg” in
Xhosa, is a mild and temperate part of the
Eastern Cape,
with rolling grasslands and hills, unspoiled estuaries, malaria-free game reserves, and a beautiful and wild coastline. The
Wild Coast, Sunshine
Coast,
Frontier Country and
Amathole Mountain Escape
tourism routes fall within the boundaries of the
Amathole district. The Wild Coast is synonymous with rolling green hills dotted with traditional Xhosa villages, the rugged coastline and adventure tourism.
Port St Johns
is one of the northern highlights on the Wild Coast tour route.
The
Cacadu district in the western reaches of the
Eastern Cape
is situated at the tail end of the
Garden Route. It can be accessed by air travel via the airports of Port Elizabeth and George and the smaller airstrips of Graaff-Reinet and Plettenberg Bay.
The climate sees temperate winter rainfalls of 500mm to 700mm annually along the coast with the dry interior supported by the
Sunday River and
Fish River, fed by the Orange River Project – allowing viable, irrigated farms. Key towns include
Steytlerville, Willowmore, Cookhouse, Pearston, Somerset East, Aberdeen,
Graaff-Reinet,
Nieu-Bethesda, Jansenville, Klipplaat, Hankey, Humansdorp,
Jeffreys Bay,
Oyster Bay, Patensie,
St Francis Bay, Joubertina, Kareedouw, Alicedale,
Grahamstown, Riebeeck East, Alexandria, Bathurst, Boknes, Bushmans River, Cannon Rocks, Kenton-on-Sea,
Port Alfred,
Addo, Kirkwood, and Paterson.
In the heart of the Eastern Cape you will find rare zebras, aloes, game farms, mohair, heritage and great hospitality. This central district is characterised by a changing topography that slopes down from the
southern Drakensberg Mountains
and crosses the eastern grasslands to the
Karoo. It is named after assassinated freedom fighter Chris Hani and it offers game reserves, rock art, fossils, farmstays, heritage and agriculture.
Key towns pegging this district are
Cradock,
Middelburg,
Queenstown,
Elliot
and
Cofimvaba.
Key tourism gems include the Mountain Zebra National Park near
Cradock, one of South Africa’s great conservation success stories, and the Denorbin farm between
Barkly East and
Elliot, where the longest known gallery of San rock paintings in South Africa exists.
Ukhahlamba, meaning “Barrier of Spears” in Xhosa, is the indigenous name given to the mighty
Drakensberg that are part of the northern
Eastern Cape. Bordered by Lesotho to the east and the Limpopo Province to the north-west;
these flat grazing plains rise up to mountains that are covered with snow in winter. The main natural features of this district are the winding
Orange River,
Lake
!Gariep and the
Southern Drakensberg boasting Southern Africa’s only snow ski resort at
Tiffindell near
Rhodes.
Lake !Gariep – shared by the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State – is a water sport enthusiast’s paradise, stretching 90km in length and 374 km² in size, and offering sailing, jet skiing and power boating. The 16 000-hectare Oviston nature reserve overlooks the Eastern shores of the lake. This district includes
Aliwal North, famed for its hot springs and Anglo-Boer War Garden of Remembrance while the town of
Lady Grey offers pretty churches, fossil trails and the renowned Lady Grey Arts Academy.