Kingdom of Swaziland - 330km

BARBERTON

Situated at the foot of the Makhonjwa Mountains in the De Kaap Valley, Barberton is a picturesque town with a profusion of jacaranda, flamboyant and indigenous trees. The town owes its existence to the discovery of gold in the hills around the present-day town in 1883. A rush of miners and fortune-hunters ensued. The town was officially named on 24 June 1884 after Graham Barber and his two cousins, Fred and Harry, who discovered a rich reef in a creek to the southeast of the town, naming it Barber’s Reef. Among the town’s many links with the past is the classical façade of the Kaap Gold Fields Stock Exchange building, built in 1887. Its existence was short-lived, however, as most of the brokers left Barberton following the discovery of the rich goldfields of the Witwatersrand. Other historic buildings include the Lewis and Marks Building (1887) – the town’s first double-storey building – and the neogothic Masonic Lodge, built in 1884 as the Union Church and taken over by the Freemasons in 1887. The town’s three house museums – Stopforth House (1886), Fernlea House (early 1890s) and Belhaven (1904) – provide a fascinating picture of life in Barberton in the gold-mining days.

Also of interest is the statue of Jock of the Bushveld, the aerial cableway and the corrugated-iron blockhouse, built in Rimer’s Creek in 1901. Far less elaborate and smaller than the first double-storey stone blockhouses built in March 1900, the rectangular corrugated-iron building is the only surviving example of this type of blockhouse in South Africa. The Fortuna Mine Trail incorporates a 600-m-long tunnel built in 1907 to transport gold-bearing ore from the Fortuna Mine to the mill where the ore was crushed.

Best known among the rich diversity of flowering plants occurring in the area is the showy Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii), which has become world famous. Other noteworthy plants include the Barberton Lowveld sugarbush (Protea curvata) – endemic to the area – the Barberton mountain sugarbush (Protea comptonii), as well as several rare aloe species.

AERIAL CABLEWAY

Built in 1938, the aerial cableway linking the Havelock asbestos mine in Swaziland with Barberton dominates the slopes of the Makhonjwa Mountains. The 20,36-km-long cableway is supported by 52 pylons, with the longest unsupported span being 1 207 m and the highest point above the ground being 189 m. The cableway was built to bring asbestos to the Barberton railway station and to transport coal on the returning cocopans to the Bulembu power station. Able to carry loads of up to 200 kg per pan and moving at a speed of 11 km per hour, the cableway has a capacity of 13,5 tonnes per hour.

SONGIMVELO GAME RESERVE

Situated in the rugged Barberton highlands, Songimvelo covers 50 000 ha of grasslands, undulating hills, high mountain peaks, river valleys and deep gorges, and borders Swaziland’s Malolotja Nature Reserve. Game roaming the reserve includes elephant, white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, Burchell’s zebra and a variety of antelope – among them kudu, waterbuck, red hartebeest and impala. Grassland birds are well represented among the more than 300 bird species recorded to date. The area is rich in history, with archaeological sites dating back over 2 000 years, while relics of the Barberton gold rush of the 1880s can also be seen. Luxury and budget accommodation facilities are available in the reserve.

SWAZILAND

is a landlocked country covering 17 363 km2 of highlands, deep valleys, plains and lowlands. Along its eastern boundary, the Lebombo Mountains form a natural boundary with Mozambique and South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, while the western boundary with South Africa is demarcated by several high mountains. Although excavations have provided evidence that Iron Age people lived in the area some 1 600  years ago, the Swazi state was created in the early 1800s under Sobhuza I, who initially settled with his Ngwane people in the upper reaches of the Nkomati Valley after they were driven northwards by the Ndwandwe. Sobhuza later moved southeastwards, establishing his capital in the Little Usutu Valley. After Sobhuza’s death, the kingdom was ruled by a regent until 1845, when Mswati became king. He organised the Ngwane along military lines and his subjects became known as ‘the people of Mswati’. Various concessions for grazing and minerals and ‘friendship’ treaties with the Boers saw the kingdom’s territory reduced by half its original size. In 1894, Swaziland became a protectorate of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), and in 1906 it was detached from the Transvaal and became a separate British colony. Swaziland became independent in 1968 and is ruled by a king, Mswati III, who wields both executive and legislative authority. The Swazi people are still deeply rooted in their culture and traditions and are known for their beautiful crafts, which include basketry, mats, pottery, printed cloth, jewellery and soapstone carvings, and for their reed dance, or umhlanga.

HAVELOCK

Havelock, a mining town characterised by terraced miners’ dwellings built against the mountain slopes, is situated near the sprawling frontier town of Bulembu. The mine came into operation in 1938 following the discovery of asbestos deposits in the valley of the Duduzi stream in 1923 and in 1928. Named after Sir Arthur Havelock, Governor of Natal, the mine was once one of the largest asbestos mines in the world. By the mid-1970s, however, production fell by nearly half, to 20 000 tonnes, when the main ore body became exhausted. The mine was closed temporarily in 1992, but subsequently resumed operation. Although production rose to nearly 27 700 tonnes in 1999, low world prices and a reduced demand due to health concerns have affected the mine’s viability. The problems of transporting the asbestos from this mountainous setting were overcome by construction of the aerial cableway from the mine to Barberton.

PIGGS PEAK

Following the discovery of alluvial gold in north western Swaziland in 1872, a gold-bearing reef was discovered in the hills to the west of the town by a French prospector, William Pigg, in 1884. Mining began soon afterwards, and as the mine was initially an open-cast operation, the ‘Peak’ soon disappeared. Later, a shaft was sunk and eight levels were mined, with the mine producing some 120 000 ounces of gold between 1889 and 1954. By the mid-1950s, however, the ore body was exhausted and the mine was closed down.

Situated amid plantations of blue gum and pine trees, Pigg’s Peak is the centre of the region’s forestry industry, while tourists are attracted by the magnificent scenery and the many scenic drives. The area is famed for its handicrafts, ranging from mohair articles and carpets to beadwork, grass mats and baskets. The 500-ha Phophonyane Nature Reserve has as its main attraction the Phophonyane Falls, which cascade down a cliff into a series of pools. Situated a few kilometres to the northeast of the town, the reserve has a bird checklist of some 230 species.

MALOLOTJA NATURE RESERVE

...covers 18 000 ha of mountains, deep valleys, waterfalls, plateaux and plains in the northwest of Swaziland. Regarded as one of southern Africa’s most impressive mountain parks, Malolotja is rich in history and is a sanctuary to a diverse flora and fauna. Among its outstanding features are numerous waterfalls, among them the Malolotja Falls – Swaziland’s highest – and the Mahulungwane Falls, as well as two of the country’s highest peaks: Ngwenya (1 829 m) and Silotwane (1 680 m). In addition to a variety of small mammals occurring naturally in the area, the park has been stocked with eland, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, blesbok, common reedbuck, impala and Burchell’s zebra. To date, over 280 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, which is an important breeding ground for species such as the blue swallow, bald ibis and Stanley’s bustard. Among the other noteworthy species are blackrumped buttonquail, African finfoot, grass owl and broadtailed warbler.

In the south of the reserve, the Lion Cavern in the Ngwenya Mountain is the oldest known mine in the world. Here, Middle Stone Age people excavated a 12,8-m-long tunnel into the mountainside in search of hematite and specularite; iron oxides used for ceremonial and cosmetic purposes. Research has shown that the mine, dated at between 45 000 and 41 000 years old, was used for about 20 000 years. Also of interest is the old Forbes Reef Gold Mine which lies in the reserve and is easily accessible. Visitors can explore the reserve along a 25-km road network leading to four viewpoints, but the best way to see it is on foot. There are a number of short day walks and an overnight trail network covering over 200 km. Accommodation ranges from fully equipped log cabins to campsites and backpacking camps.

In the south of the reserve, the Lion Cavern in the Ngwenya Mountain is the oldest known mine in the world. Here, Middle Stone Age people excavated a 12,8-m-long tunnel into the mountainside in search of hematite and specularite; iron oxides used for ceremonial and cosmetic purposes. Research has shown that the mine, dated at between 45 000 and 41 000 years old, was used for about 20 000 years. Also of interest is the old Forbes Reef Gold Mine which lies in the reserve and is easily accessible. Visitors can explore the reserve along a 25-km road network leading to four viewpoints, but the best way to see it is on foot. There are a number of short day walks and an overnight trail network covering over 200 km. Accommodation ranges from fully equipped log cabins to campsites and backpacking camps.

FORBES REEF

This wayside village owes its name to the gold reef discovered here in late 1883 or 1884 by Alec Forbes and Charles Swears. The Forbes Main Reef became the second most productive mine in Swaziland, and between 1884 and 1935 production totalled 31 037 ounces. The mine closed in 1935, but mining of some of the other reefs continued until 1966. The Forbes Reef Mine lies in the Malolotja Nature Reserve.

BADPLAAS

Situated in the foothills of the Hlumuhlumu Mountains along the Seekoeispruit, Badplaas owes its name, meaning ‘bathing place’, to the strong thermal spring surfacing here. The spring has a temperature of 53°C at its source.

Long before the first white pioneers learnt about the spring, however, its curative powers were known to the Swazi people, who named it Emanzana, or ‘the healing waters’. In 1876, a hunter named Jacob de Clerque chanced upon the spring, and it soon became a popular winter escape for people living on the Highveld.

Covering 65 ha, the Badplaas resort has 14 swimming pools, a spa, supertubes, water slides, a river ride with a 170 m drop and a host of other recreational facilities. Visitors can choose from a wide range of accommodation options. A variety of game can be seen in the adjoining 1 000-ha natue reserve.