The place of the rising sun - Mpumalanga - stretches out on either side of the N4 highway. As thick mealie fields tickle the horizon in all directions it's difficult to imagine that The Big Smoke of Johannesburg is no more than a few kilometres behind.
Within an hour's drive from the city, weary smoggy souls can be breathing fresh crisp air in the countryside, heading higher and higher into the Highlands Meander along wide welcoming asphalt. In the distance, beyond the mealies, towers and trellis shafts hint of mining and lazy grazing cattle dot the middle distance.
What's most important, though, is that within just under three hours you can be in Dullstroom, casting a fly line and catching a rainbow trout - or riding a mountain bike in the smooth grassy hills of the Highlands.
Plus there's some of the finest paragliding, rock climbing, excellent birding and more in the area.
The drive through Witbank and Middleburg is relaxed. After the Middleburg Plaza tollgate, a left swing onto the R540 drops you into the main street of Belfast - good for its flyfishing in neighbouring dams. Then a right turn off the main street takes you out onto the "Highlands Highway" through grassy hills and trout streams, wall to wall.
Now you're in Africa's own Scotland, in the foothills of the Steenkampsberg mountains.
At 2 100m high, the quaint stone village of Dullstroom is cool and crisp with sunny summer days and fireside winters. Dullstroom is arguably the flyfishing capital of South Africa, with renowned river and still water fishing, and of course the scenic splendour of the area adds to the ambience of calm.
Excellent shopping and fine restaurants also add to the charm of the town, where you can eat trout for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Uniquely, Dullstroom also boasts a high altitude fitness centre - internationally prized by athletes needing to train at altitude.
With Dullstroom's stone buildings in the rearview mirror, the R540 follows the Kwena Basin and crosses the Dorps River numerous times on route to Lydenburg.
There are plenty of places to stay and to fish along the way, but just driving the route clears your mind and reiterates the extreme natural beauty of South Africa. Rain and mist en route add to the ambience of the Highlands, and again smack of Scotland.
Quite unexpectedly, the whole Lydenburg area is littered with all sorts of Stone Age and Iron Age artefacts and rock engravings, but most curious of all are the very unusual Lydenburg Heads in the town's little museum.
The seven heads - six human and one animal - are believed to be from early Iron Age settlers (490AD) and are in fact ceremonial masks.
If you turn off right just before Lydenburg, the R36 takes you past fields and farms and the picturesque Kwena Dam en route to the quaint hamlet of Waterval Boven - also a flyfishing favourite on the Highlands Meander.
Quite different to Dullstroom, Waterval Boven is a railway town with quirky, colourful houses set against the mountainside. Trout fishing dams lie below the town. Only 15km down the N4 is Machadodorp, with its elegant church central to the town. Here more dams beckon flyfishermen and the easy access to the town from the N4 makes it the most accessible spot.
It's a dozy little town, but there's plenty of accommodation for weekend wanderers who prefer frying their own trout for dinner.
The Highlands Meander is scenic and peaceful, yet remarkably close to the city. It's a getaway for body and mind. And your soul will thank you too.
- The Route: From Joburg take the N4 towards Nelspruit. Then take the R540 to Belfast and on to Dullstroom and Lydenburg. Just before Lydenberg, turn right onto the R36 to Waterval Boven. From Waterval Boven turn left onto the N4 to Machadodorp.
- Where to stay: In Dullstroom, Walkersons Hotel offers luxury accommodation. See www.walkersons.co.za
- Waterval Boven: Shamrock Arms is a stone guest lodge on the main street. See www.shamrockarms.co.za
- Machadodorp: Kloppenheim Country Estate offers luxury accommodation. See www.kloppenheim.com
Just 1 More Cast Cottages in town offer affordable self-catering accommodation. Tel: 011 802 8076 or 082 892 1364.Fishing at one of the numerous trout dams in the area is just one of the many relaxing pastimes to be enjoyed on the Highlands Meander.
The Machadadorp church adds to the overall serenity of this quiet little town.
It's not difficult to see what the main attraction is - just check out the road signs! (right).
If you go...
- Dullstroom - Harrie's Pancakes in the main road. Trout pancakes and creamy horseradish sauce like no other.
- Tel: 013 254-0801.
- Lydenburg - Vroutjies Coffee Shop is a legend in the area for cake and coffee.
- Tel: 013 235-3016.
- Waterval Boven - The Shamrock Arms - old world Irish pub and restaurant serving hearty homecooked meals.
- Tel: 013 257-0888.
Useful contacts:
- Belfast Visitors and Accommodation Centre
- Tel: 013 253 0408.
- Dullstroom Accommodation and Information
- Tel: 013 254 0020; email: [email protected]; visit www.dullstroom.co.za; www.proudlydullstroom.co.za
- Dullstroom Reservations. Tel: 013 254 0254; email: [email protected]; see dullstroomreservations.co.za
- Lydenburg Tourism. Tel: 013 253 0408; email: [email protected]; see www.highlandsmeander.co.za; www.lydenburg.org
- Waterval Boven Tourism.Tel: 013 257 0444; email: [email protected]; see the website: www.linx.co.za/watervalboven