mountains

Read more about the article Compassberg, looking down on the surrounding Karoo Heartland
Firefly the Travel Guy

Compassberg, looking down on the surrounding Karoo Heartland

If you've ever been to Nieu-Bethesda then you would have spotted Compassberg on the horizon. In fact, it's not difficult to miss. The Compassberg (2502m) is the highest peak in the Sneeuberg range and also the highest peak in South Africa outside the Stormberg-Drakensberg massif. It was named by Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon when he accompanied Governor Joachim van Plettenberg on a journey to the eastern frontier of the Cape Colony in 1778. Compassberg together with its neighbouring mountains provides a critical water catchment area, covering…

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20/11/2023
Read more about the article Tsitsikamma Mountains in shades of blue
Firefly the Travel Guy

Tsitsikamma Mountains in shades of blue

Johannes Kerkorrel did a rendition of the FAK sangbundel song called "Al lê die berge nog so blou" and how could I not help but to start humming it when I saw this sight? It's not a sight that was new to me as I have seen it many times during the years I worked as a tourist guide. It's been a while though. "Where is it?" you ask. It's the Tsitsikamma Mountains as you came out of the Tsitsikamma…

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27/06/2023
Read more about the article Karoo views and landscapes along the Swaershoek Pass
Firefly the Travel Guy

Karoo views and landscapes along the Swaershoek Pass

I don’t know how many times my tourism friends in Cradock and Somerset East have asked me if I have driven over the Swaershoek Pass yet. I just heard about the beautiful Karoo landscape and stunning views but because the route is 76km of dirt road I’ve been a little hesitant. But that changed recently when the N10 road outside Cradock was blocked due to protests and I had to take the alternative between the two mentioned towns in the…

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04/05/2022
Read more about the article Blue mountains of the Karoo
Firefly the Travel Guy

Blue mountains of the Karoo

There is an Afrikaans folk song made famous by Johannes Kerkorrel that starts off mentioning the blue mountains. "Al lê die berge nog so blou,al lê die berge nog so blou,al lê die berge nog so blou,haar woorde sal ek steeds onthou."Whenever I see the blue silhouette of mountains on the horizon this song always pops up in my head and it was no different while driving through the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland on my way to Graaff-Reinet. This time…

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04/10/2021
Read more about the article De Toren on the way to Nieu-Bethesda
Firefly the Travel Guy

De Toren on the way to Nieu-Bethesda

If you have ever been to Nieu-Bethesda in the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland, you would have dropped down the winding pass towards the village and noticed the typical Karoo koppie on the other side of the valley below. Did you wonder what it's called? In case you did, it's called De Toren, translated to English as The Tower.

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22/12/2020
Read more about the article A hike up Lady’s Slipper outside Port Elizabeth
Firefly the Travel Guy / Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

A hike up Lady’s Slipper outside Port Elizabeth

In a way, walking up Lady's Slipper has become for Port Elizabeth what walking up Lion's Head is for Cape Town. At one stage only a few people did it, but lately it has become a very popular outing. Not very far distance-wise, but a tough cookie as far as terrain. It has been on my "To Do" list for so long and the other day I decided to tackle it with the family in tow. As the trail and…

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04/12/2020
Read more about the article The Lady’s Slipper
Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

The Lady’s Slipper

For years I would drive along the N2 past Lady's Slipper mountain looking at it and wondering where the actual slipper was. At one stage I thought it may be the peak standing out over the mountain, but I just could not see it. That was until I heard that the slipper isn't visible from the N2 at 90 degrees side on, but rather that you have to be on the old road between the Falcon Rock turnoff and the…

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01/12/2020
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Koffiebus and Teebus on a moody day in the Karoo

The Karoo Heartland has a unique beauty which I have really learned to appreciate more and more as I have gotten older.  If you're a forest or beach person then the Karoo may not be for you, but if big skies and open spaces feed your soul then there is no better place.  One of my favorite Eastern Cape Karoo Heartland landmarks is the Koffiebus and Teebus mountains outside Steynsburg.  Although there are many similar Karoo koppies throughout the whole region,…

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03/11/2017
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A couple of surprises in the Camdeboo National Park

No visit to Graaff-Reinet will be complete without a visit to the Valley of Desolation yet I wonder how many people actually realise that the Valley of Desolation is located within the Camdeboo National Park, which actually reaches all the way around the town, and that you can also go game viewing in the park.  On our long weekend in Graaff-Reinet we spent our Saturday exploring the town's historical heart on foot and kept the Sunday to explore the Camdeboo National…

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28/08/2017
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The view from Lady Slipper

We all know Lady Slipper.  When you head west out of Port Elizabeth (or vice versa) on the N2 you drive right past it.  But have you ever been on top of the mountain.  The easiest way up is by following the road up to the towers from the back of the mountain and this is the view awaiting you from just below the Telkom tower at the top.

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03/06/2017