Miscellaneous S. Africa Pictures (Oct. 22, 1998)
Garden Route
I took the Garden Route part of the way from Cape Town to Kruger National Park.
It's touted on all the tourist guides, and I thought "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
Well, I shouldn't have been such a skeptic -- I found it to be one of
the most beautiful drives I've had.
Agulhas is the southernmost point in Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic
Oceans meet. It's a nice little town, with a lighthouse and a plaque there
letting you know you've made it as far south as you can get in Africa.
Dolphin Point has one of the most beautiful views from above on the Garden
Path -- there are many places on the Garden Route where the boundary between sea and land
is a dynamic and beautiful place, but Dolphin Point is exceptional.
Plus, it looks like a dolphin...
Tsitsikamma National Park
At the eastern end of the Garden Route sits Tsitsikamma National Park.
It's the only place I've been where I could go from thundering waves
to a tranquil forest within a 15 minute walk. Both the sea and the
trees have views that took my breath away.
Kimberley
I had to see the first source of Rhodes' wealth -- the "Big Hole" in Kimberley
where tons of diamonds (the sign says 2722 kg of diamonds = 6002 lbs. = just over 3 tons)
And yeah, it's a big hole -- one of the biggest manmade holes in the world. Well, see
for yourself...
There's a museum near the Big Hole, which shows what the mined and final products
look like...
A Couple of Landscapes
Finally, I think the South Africans have a great appreciation of how
beautiful their country is, since it seems they often try to blend
man-made and natural features to enhance both.
Back to the Main African Trip Page
Tom Loos