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The Eastern Cape is
a diverse and largely undeveloped area in comparison with its neighbour, the
Western Cape. It includes the former homelands of both Ciskei and Transkei
and most of its population is Xhosa-speaking. This province has a long
coastline stretching from the Tsitsikamma National Park on the Garden Route,
to the spectacular subtropical Wild Coast of the old Transkei. Inland the
green hills around Grahamstown are referred to as "Settler Country", after
the British settlers who inhabited the area in the early 19th Century,
needing its fine grasslands, the 'Zuurveld' for their cattle. Port
Elizabeth, the capital of the province has the reputation of being the
'friendly city', and visitors to the area will enjoy both the hospitality
and the fine scenery of this province.
Steve Biko
Steve Biko apartheid struggle
heroe in the pantheon was born in Grahamstown and murdered by the police on
11 September 1977. Many books are written about this icon as well as a
famous movie.
Biko saw the struggle to
restore African consciousness as having two stages, "Psychological
liberation" and "Physical liberation". The non-violent influence of Gandhi,
and Martin Luther King, Jr. upon Biko is then suspect, as Biko knew that for
his struggle to give rise to physical liberation, it was necessary that it
exist within the political realities of the apartheid regime, and Biko's
non-violence may be seen more as a tactic than a personal conviction. You
will visit the grave of this famous heroe.
Those not wanting to visit malaria risk areas have
excellent safari opportunities in the Eastern Cape. Some of the 'Big-5'
reserves have international reputation. Some examples are Lalibela Private
Game Reserve, Kariega Private
Game Reserve, Pumba Private Game Reserve and Shamwari Private Gamer Reserve.
Port Elizabeth
Usually abbreviated by South Africans to P.E – Port
Elizabeth is South Africa’s fifth largest port. Along with Uitenhage and
Kirkwood, it forms the industrial and commercial centre of the Eastern
Cape. Port Elizabeth is also a popular holiday resort, with an attractive
townscape, endlessly long beaches, particularly to the south of the city,
and interesting hinterland. The safe and warm waters of Algoa Bay encourage
all water sports. Originally, the town was built as a military outpost to
protect the pioneers who settled here in 1820. The Cape Governor of the
time, Sir Rufane Donkin, named the city after his wife Elizabeth. |
Grahamstown
A
hauntingly beautiful region - arguably the crucible of South African history
- Frontier Country is a vibrant mix of all the best that Africa has to
offer. One of the premier tourist routes in the Eastern Cape, it has a
turbulent past, with more forts than the rest of the country combined.
Now no longer the scene of conflict and strife, it is about people breaking
through frontiers. Frontier Country is the historic heartland of the Eastern
Cape and embodies the spirit of the many and varied cultures who met here
and made their mark - Khoi, Xhosa, Boer and British
They brought with them a rich
heritage that can still be seen today in towns and villages all over the
Eastern Cape. The broad tree-lined streets and buildings of Grahamstown are
the legacy of a time when this was the Cape's second city. Take time to walk
through this historic centre and visit the Observatory Museum which houses
one of only two Victorian Cameras Obscura in the world - the other is in
Bath, England - with a magical mirror that reflects the town onto a large
circular table.
The town hosts annually the
second largest arts & crafts festival in the country next to the Klein Karoo
Kunste Feeste in Oudtshoorn.
This
lovely town lies in the foothills of the Sneeuberg Mountains in the Camdeboo
National Park (former Karoo Nature Reserve). Graaff-Reinet is named "The Gem
of the Karoo" with it's painstakingly restored buildings, it's monuments and
historic associations, it's virtually a living museum. The name
Graaff-Reinet is derived from the Cape Governor at that time, Jacob van der
Graaff en his wife Cornelia Reinet.
Voortrekker Boers
arrived in the Graaff-Reinet area at around 1770 after a long journey from
the Cape. The Government in the Cape did not have direct overview of the
happenings in the far northeast of the colony which claimed soon
independence. Once of the institutions established for its independence is
the local Drosty, the home of the governing magistrate.
The authonomy feel was so strong,
that in 1785 an independent Republic was established. This was however given
a short life as the British took over government in the Cape after the
Battle of Blouberg.
At the end of the 19th century,
the Anglo-Boer War broke out. The town played a major role in this mile pole
in South African history. Today there are more than 200 historial sites in
town.
Major attraction in town is the
Valley of Desolation in the national park, offering fantastic 80km views
over the valley and town.
Addo Elephant
National Park opened in 1931 when there were a mere 11 elephants surviving
in the Eastern Cape; now there are a total of more than 200 elephants
roaming its terrain, accompanied by the other 4 of Africa’s “Big 5”
(buffalo, black rhino, leopard and lion) and a variety of antelope species.
Addo is also rich in bird life, ranging from ostriches to eagles, and
sunbirds to secretary birds. The Spekboom Day trail allows visitors to see
the flora of the park in the safety of a botanical reserve. Horse trails are
available for those seeking a close encounter with wildlife. The Park is
situated 72 kilometres outside of Port Elizabeth, in the Sundays River
Valley and the Zuurberg Mountain range. Access is tarred as far as the rest
camp; other roads are of good-quality gravel.
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