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South African Information - Free State Province
The landscape of the Free State is characterised by the
typical expanse of the South African interior plateau. The treeless grass
plains are now maize and wheat fields or, especially in the drier regions,
sheep farms. The "platte Land" is the heart of rural South Africa.
To this day many of the Afrikaans families who live here, claim ancestors
who came into this area during the Great Trek. These very hospitable people
are known to be conservative and Godfearing. Their moral values are stamped
by the Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) that came into the country
with the very first colonists of the Cape in 1652.
International tourism has - quite wrongly - neglected
the Free State so far. But the province offers many worthwhile spots.
Besides the very attractive Golden Gate Highlands National Park, the game
and nature reserves of Sterkfontein Dam, Willem Pretorius and Soetdoering
are of particular interest. They are never as crowded as the big game
parks in Mpumalanga or in KwaZulu-Natal, and excellent accommodation and
camping sites are available.
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