Welkom - From heart-stopping views and vistas of the surrounding valleys, gorges and mountains to the green and pleasant lands of the Free State province, there's surely no better way to relax and get in touch with your wild side than discovering the magnificent wildlife of the Free State, one of South Africa’s Best Roads, the Golden Gate.
The Golden Gate Highlands National Park, through which the Caledon River flows, has over the years gained popularity as an ideal location for a family retreat or a romantic getaway for couples in search for tranquillity. Nestled in the rolling foothills of Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains and classed as South Africa's only grassland national park.
Journeying through the R712 reveals breathtaking and dramatic scenery leading up to the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, travellers get to experience the joy of travelling on a well-maintained tarred road.
It is no surprise that this road has been voted as one of the Best Roads To Drive in South Africa by car rental brand, Avis
Once considered a not so ideal holiday destination, the Free State has fast earned its stripes as a destination of choice for holiday makers, especially those who are wildlife fanatics.
The 11 600 hectares of unique environment is true highland habitat, providing home to a variety of mammals – black wildebeest, eland, blesbok, oribi, springbok and Burchell's zebra.
Bird watching is also very rewarding with a number of the high-altitude species regularly being spotted, including the rare bearded vulture, lammergeyer, and the equally rare bald ibis, which breed on the ledges in the sandstone cliffs.
For the lovers of open space and the smell of fresh mountain air, Golden Gate is a must see.
Adapted from a press release for IOL
* Explore South Africa’s Best Roads to Drive on www.avisbestroads.co.za.