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Wupperthal Mission Station
This Moravian mission station, 74km southeast of Clanwilliam, dates back to 1830 and is reached along a gravel road. The original church and workshops – where handmade leather shoes (called velskoene ) are still made – are worth seeing.
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Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Timbavati was originally known for its white-lion population, although just two remain. Its accommodation settings are less sumptuous than those at Sabi Sand, so it tends to be more reasonably priced, without forgoing too many amenities.
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Tzaneen Museum
The town museum has an impressive collection of artefacts, ranging from a ‘house guard’ totem used by the Rain Queens to some pretty spine-chilling Congolese masks. It’s particularly interesting if you’re visiting Modjadji or the Venda region.
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Cecil Rhodes Statue
This bronze statue of the politician and mining magnate Cecil Rhodes was erected in 1908 in the Companys Garden on a plinth carved with the phrase ‘Your hinterland is there’, as the imperialist points towards the heart of the continent.
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Cape Medical Museum
The Disease and History exhibit at this quirky museum details in length (with some gruesome photographs) the history of major diseases in the Cape, from scurvy to HIV/AIDS. Less horrific are a re-created Victorian doctor’s room and pharmacy.
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SAB World of Beer
Take a 1½-hour jaunt through the history of beer. Taste chibuku in a mock African village, sample a cheeky half-pint at a recreated Victorian pub, then nail two free pints in the bar afterwards. You even get a World of Beer glass keepsake.
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Tankwa Karoo National Park
With a car with good clearance, you can access this 1430-sq-km park, where Tankwa desert moonscapes meet sheer Roggeveld cliffs. Theres great birdwatching and accommodation is available in the form of campsites or self-catering cottages.
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Rissik Street Post Office
One of Jozis most noteworthy heritage buildings is this grand post office dating from 1897. Sadly, the superb colonial-era building has been vacant and dilapidated since the 1990s, but there are plans to restore it to its former glory.
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Fernkloof Nature Reserve
This 15-sq-km reserve is wonderful if you’re interested in fynbos . There’s a 60km network of hiking trails for all fitness levels, and views over the sea are spectacular. A hiking map is available from the tourist information office.
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Stanford Hills
Taste the Jacksons pinotage here – a fine example of South Africa’s home-grown grape variety. There’s also charming self-catering accommodation available (cottage from R700) and a family-friendly restaurant offering a chalkboard menu of rustic fare.
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Fourscore viewpoint
Walking or driving up a slag heap for a view over open-pit mines may not sound appealing, but it’s surprisingly exhilarating up there, with views of Kruger and the Drakensberg Escarpment. The Fourscore viewpoint is 5km south of town on Selati Rd.
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Magersfontein
This was the site of an important battle in the Second Anglo-Boer War. Theres a small museum, as well as a decent audio-visual exhibit that shows what life in the trenches was like in 1899. Its 30km southwest of the city on the Modder River road.
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Blue Train
A fixture of the Mouille Point seafront for generations and great for toddlers, this child-sized loco and carriages chugs around a landscaped park, which includes other attractions such as see-saws, a mini zip line, bicycle track and jungle gym.
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Homestead Park
This park occupies a tiny part of the historic Oranje Zicht – the original farm that was established in the Upper Table Valley in 1709. Theres an old farm building here and some stone walls as well as a kids play area and the Oranjezicht City Farm.
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Planetarium
If youre serious about astronomy, consider visiting the Planetarium. You can look around for free, or attend shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – check the website for exact times. There’s an extra ‘space travel’ show on Saturday morning at 10.30am.
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Karoo National Botanic Garden
This outstanding garden takes in 154 hectares of semidesert vegetation – with Karoo and fynbos elements – and 11 hectares of landscaped garden, where many of the indigenous plants have been labelled. It’s 2km north of town on the other side of the N1.
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Polokwane Game Reserve
Go on safari at this 32.5-sq-km reserve less than 5km south of Polokwane. It’s one of the country’s largest municipal nature reserves, with 21 wildlife species including zebras, giraffes and white rhinos, plus a good network of roads and hiking trails.
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Lynedoch EcoVillage
Lynedoch EcoVillage South Africa’s first ecologically designed and socially mixed community is slowly taking form, with the design of energy-efficient houses and community buildings, and a focus on the establishment of a self-sufficient community.
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Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Northwest of town 15km, en route to Sun City, is this stadium, which hosted first- and second-round 2010 FIFA World Cup football matches. Built in 1999, it seats more than 40,000 spectators and its major shareholders are members of the Bafokeng tribe.
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Honoured Dead Memorial
This sandstone memorial remembers the soldiers who died defending the British-held city in the 124-day Siege of Kimberley, which took place during the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902). The large gun is Long Cecil, built to repel the Boers’ Long Toms.
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