The Northwest Province referred to locally as ‘the
Platinum Province’, as it has some of the richest
platinum and vanadium mines in the world, is one
of Gauteng’s immediate provincial neighbours.
The Hartbeespoort Dam, which is just across the provincial
border with Gauteng, with Pecanwood Golf & Lifestyle Estate
as its golfing ‘crown jewel’, forms a natural gateway to the
rest of the province.
The Hartbeespoort area, which adjoins the Cradle of
Humankind, a World Heritage site, is steeped in history both
in terms of its anthropological heritage through to its much
more recent historical role during the Boer War.
Not surprisingly the area is also geologically ancient with the
Magaliesberg Mountains, at 2 billion plus years, being home
to some of the oldest mountains on Earth.
A combination of factors such as the Hartbeesport’s
proximity to two of Africa’s largest conurbations - Tshwane
(Pretoria) and Johannesburg and the mix of restaurants,
B&B’s, guest houses, Sunday markets and the water activities
at the dam, makes it one of the most visited areas, by South
Africans, in the entire country.
Sun City – Africa’s ‘pleasure dome’ – is only a about a 1 hour
drive further north. Apart from Sun City’s own resort style
attractions, including two of the country’s finest golf courses
in the Gary Player Country Club and the Lost City Golf Club,
the complex also has the Pilanesberg National Park as its
immediate neighbour.
The National Park is possibly one of the best kept secrets in
the country, as it is much closer to the major centres than its
big brother, the Kruger National Park, and yet offers all the
natural attractions that a visitor could hope to see in a park,
including the obligatory ‘big 5’.
International travellers arriving in Gauteng by air can enjoy
the attractions of Gauteng, before transferring seamlessly
by road into the Northwest. The onward travel options are
equally attractive; these include flights from Lanseria Airport,
which is situated between Hartbeespoort and Johannesburg,
and offers services to all South Africa’s major centres and
Mauritius, while country’s major airport, OR Tambo, can be
reached in just over an hour.
There is also the option to travel by road to the adjoining
provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo or, for the more
adventurous, the drive down to the coastal province of
KwaZulu Natal which would enable a stopover in the beautiful
Natal Midlands. Any visitor who has Gauteng on their itinerary
should see the Northwest, either a primary destination, or as
a must do addition on their travel schedule.
Hartbeespoort Dam Arch with Crest gates monument.
DG
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SAIO
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2020
2020
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