The last time my wife and I ventured north my GPS placed me about 120km from my destination. There were no such problems this time...
The road from Joburg to Crystal Springs is relatively uneventful, although some of the potholes we encountered could hide a bus.
En route to our timeshare, my wife asked me to stop off at Mount Sheba, which she had last visited as a 17-year-old with her family. It lies 10km off the main road and, according to her, the road has had no work done to it since she was last there.
When the sign says "potholes" it means it, and caution needs to be taken driving this stretch.
Crystal Springs, which is at the top of the evocatively named Robbers Pass, can be seen from kilometres away as it clings to the side of an escarpment.
All the accommodation faces the valley and the sunsets here were spectacular.
In the mornings, when the fog rolled through the valley, it was fascinating to watch the chalets disappear one by one into the mist.
As this particular property is spread out, it does not feel like a timeshare resort where guests are constantly being cajoled to partake in one activity or another.
We ventured into the game reserve for a drive and were rewarded with a variety of plains game, including warthogs, which I find really comical.
There are also several hiking trails on the property.
And it is central enough to visit the surrounding towns and tourist attractions.
If you have timeshare and are able to swap, we can highly recommend Crystal Springs.
We visited Pilgrim's Rest, which at first was a disappointment until we realised we were in the old part of the town. The new part has the hotel and several museums which were far more interesting and lively.
Pilgrim's Rest seems to have been invaded by car guards and hawkers - but I suppose everyone has the right to make a living somehow.
We tend to make a habit of buying paintings on our road trips and this trip was no different.
In Graskop we revisited The Art Gallery where the entire family contributes to the inventory.
Mom does batik and print work, Dad makes the most incredible walking sticks (we bought one on a previous trip) and the son helps out behind the counter.
On this visit we bought a picture by a Nelspruit artist Braam van Wijk to add to our collection.
Graskop is also home to Harrie's Pancakes, a must-visit destination for either savoury or sweet pancakes. On the next block is The Silver Spoon, which serves the best Black Forest cake in the area.
Graskop, like most of the towns in this area, thrives on the tourist buses and holidaymakers.
The main industry of the area, aside from wood, seems to be silkworm farming.
A visit to this area would not be complete without a drive to God's Window. On our visit the "window" was closed by a blanket of fog that looked almost solid enough to walk on. My wife referred to this stunning phenomenon as God's Blanket.
A few kilometres outside White River lay Jatinga Country Lodge and Restaurant, a throwback to the old colonial days. Do not be fooled by the unimposing entrance, as behind the front door was a special venue. The White River flows along the lower boundary of the property and meanders past a wonderful open-air chapel that would be an ideal setting for that special day or to renew wedding vows.
The staff could not have been more helpful if they'd tried, and it was a pleasure spending time in their capable hands.
Our colonial suite was spacious and the black and white tiled bathroom gave us ideas for redoing our own bathroom back home.
From here a variety of activities are available to the holidaymaker... or you can just relax in the garden and enjoy the peace and tranquillity that the property offers.
Jatinga has kept the tradition of afternoon tea and scones on the veranda.
The freshly-made scones with homemade jam and lashings of cream are not to be missed. And dinners we enjoyed were worth waiting for (the dining room only starts serving at 7pm).
The dining room ambience was genteel with no invasive music, and the staff were attentive without being intrusive.
If we thought that the dinners were special, the breakfast was an eye-opener. The buffet style table groaned under the weight of a huge variety of fresh fruit and cereals.
Homemade pastries and muffins nestled in baskets next to pots of delicious jams and syrup.
Like the majority of towns in this part of the country, White River can be used as a springboard to visit a plethora of tourist attractions in the area.
But with temperatures reaching the mid-30s we decided to spend most of our time in the air-conditioned interior of Casterbrook Centre's various art galleries. This centre also boasts a great car museum.
Our last stop was at Greenway Woods Resort, which is a golfer's paradise. It is situated near the famous White River Golf Course and there are plenty of other activities to keep non-golfers occupied.
From here it is only 38km to Numbi Gate at the Kruger National Park and within easy distance of both White River and Nelspruit.
Although we arrived early it certainly did not put the reception staff out and we were allowed access to our room immediately.
There are 110 rooms on the property, which are set in a variety of configurations. From deluxe or standard, to garden-facing units, there is more than enough accommodation to choose from.
There are also 20 family (self-catering) units that can sleep six and have a fully-functional kitchen, three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The dinner spread was superbly prepared and there was more than enough variety to satisfy carnivore and vegetarian alike.
To quote Virginia Woolf: "One cannot think well, love well, or sleep well, unless one has dined well", and we certainly did all of the above during our trip.
- Contact details:
Jatinga and Greenway Woods Resort:
Three Cities on 0861 000 333
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website: www.crystalsprings. co.za.