17/06/2017
Cornelis Uys offers private day tours to a number of prime tourist spots in South Africa's Gauteng and North West provinces.
The Pilanesberg National Park in North West province in South Africa is a popular destination, about three hours drive from Johannesburg. The reserve offers a unique experience for wildlife enthusiasts. It is situated on the remnants of an extinct volcano that was active 1 200 million years ago. The scenic malaria-free park, covering an area of about 580 square kilometers, is home to a wide variety of animal species including Africa’s Big Five.
Another interesting excursion is an underground tour of a working diamond mine at the historical village of Cullinan in the east of Gauteng. The mine was established in 1902 and the largest gem diamond ever discovered in the world, at 3106 carats, was found here in 1905. The first mining was done in an open pit. This “big hole” is today about a kilometre long, 500 metres wide and 450 metres deep. It is four times the size of the big hole in Kimberley in the diamond mining area of the Northern Cape province. The mining at Cullinan is today done by way of shafts, the deepest of which is more than 780 metres. Cut diamonds can be bought at Cullinan.
Itineraries also include the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site, and visits to the cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg.
The Cradle of Humankind lies in the west of Gauteng and across the provincial border into North West. This 47 000 hectare area contains dozens of fossil sites that reveal some of the mysteries of humankind’s ancient past. Beneath the 2.6-billion-years-old dolomitic hills are extensive caverns which have preserved a wealth of extinct hominin as well as animal fossils. Here guests can take part in a guided tour of the world-famous Sterkfontein Caves. More than 35 per cent of the world’s early hominin fossils have been found in the Sterkfontein area. Archaeological excavations have been going on at the caves for more than three decades and are still continuing.
Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa. A famous landmark in the city is the Union Buildings. This exceptional work of architecture was designed in the early 20th Century by Sir Herbert Baker. Another landmark is the Voortrekker Monument, visible from many directions when approaching the city.
Johannesburg, where gold was discovered in 1886, offers a great variety of tourist attractions including many historical buildings. The city is the provincial capital of Gauteng.
At Gold Reef City, a theme park built around an old gold mine shaft, visitors can see what Johannesburg looked like in the late 19th Century. A guided tour takes visitors down the shaft to the rock face underground.
Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked in Johannesburg in the early 20th Century. It was during this time that he developed his philosophy of passive resistance, which he later used to great effect in India. A statue of Gandhi stands on a city square that bears his name.
South west of Johannesburg lies Soweto, 185 square kilometres in extent. This large residential area is a worthwhile tourist destination. Among the attractions here is the house where Nelson Mandela once lived. It is open to visitors.
