Sunday, March 17, 2013

BEAUTIFUL FOLD MOUNTAINS AND PASSES








If you have had the pleasure of travelling to and through Prince Albert, you would have noticed the beautiful folds of the majestic Swartberg Mountains, the rubicund rocks and the verdant lichen that clings to them on certain slopes.

There are two options to getting through the mountains, one is over the Swartberg Pass, which has now been upgraded and fixed and makes for an exciting drive on a narrow road with sheer drops.  The views are breathtaking.  I have not climbed the mountain to get the perfect perspective shot of the pass with the road winding through yet, but you can get an idea of what it looks like and the small stone walls on the steepest edges.  The pass was built by prisoners and ruins of the buildings they slept in are still evident here and there as in one of these photos.

Once you are almost at the top you can take the turn off to 'Die Hell' or Gamkaskloof as it is officially called.  Be prepared for a long trip of about three hours each way from town.  Make it all about the journey and not just the destination.  Make sure you go with enough water and take along some 'padkos' and your camera.  There is an abundance of wild flowers and birds and you may be lucky enough to see tortoises, Klipspringer or Mountain Reedbuck along the way too.  For the very lucky you may have the chance to spot a lynx.

The other option through the mountains is via the Meiringspoort, which is just as spectacular as the Swartberg Pass, only you are passing through at ground level with the mountains looming over you.  You cross various rivers 27 times.  I always tell people that both the Swartberg Pass and the Meiringspoort should be on your list of 50 things to do before you die. They are magnificent!!

PROPERTY FOR SALE IN PRINCE ALBERT












This beautiful 7.3 Ha small holding right on the edge of town is probably one of the best buys available.  For someone looking at settling into the perfect lifestyle of owning a little 'farm', this one offers some of the best views and will keep you busy enough without your having to work full time.  If you chose to of course, you could.  There are currently over 1300 olive trees and some other fruit trees for bottling and preserves.  A number of various crops have been successfully grown here such as lucerne, sunflowers and artichokes.  You could grow seeds for the co-op or just put it to pastures and let a few sheep, a cow and a horse graze peacefully while you enjoy watching them.

There is an art deco style house, a large shed and a labourers cottage on the property.

Price:  R4 000 000

No comments: