21st of March to
23rd of March 2014
Many may wonder why I decided
to go to Pretoria for a long weekend because after all, what is in Pretoria to
see…?
Although I only spent three
days in the Jacaranda City I can tell you that there are many things to see and
reasons to visit Pretoria. Here are five to start with.
1. The
Karoo Café
Good friends of ours, Heinrich
and Elize, made the move to Pretoria about a year ago and I’ve being wanting to
visit them for a while now, therefore when the opportunity of a long weekend
presented itself I clicked ‘buy’ online, packed a bag and flew north for a
visit.
Heinrich and Elize are settled
at the Karoo Café on Lynwood Road, a creative community where members have the
opportunity to pursue endless possibilities of innovation, design and creation
while share their knowledge and the simple beauty of life.
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Elize and I relaxing at the Karoo Café.
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There is much to offer visitors
at the Karoo Café – from hand-made furniture and imaginatively made pottery, to
silk collections and jewels. And if you would like to get creative yourself you
can partake in pottery classes or see what the nursery has to offer for your
garden
Wander round the
second-hand bookshop or peruse the artwork and crafted home décor products. Or maybe if you would like,
come enjoy music or a poetry evening at the Asbos Theatre.
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The Karoo Café on Lynwood Road provides a perfect atmosphere to come unwind and enjoy the creativity of the various members of its community.
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Freshly roasted coffee will
draw you to the restaurant where you can enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch. And
very soon you will be able to enjoy a craft beer at the brewery next to
restaurant.
As a friend of Heinrich and
Elize I was spoiled rotten and got to enjoy an exclusive short climb up the
mountain on the farm and enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the landscape.
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Who can deny that Pretoria adds to South Africa’s portfolio of beauty.
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2. The
Pretoria Zoo
Although the drive to the National
Zoological Gardens of South Africa, or the Pretoria Zoo as it is well known,
will seem dodgy and maybe deter you from going, my advice, don’t let it.
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There is plenty of activities for children, big and small, to enjoy at the Pretoria Zoo.
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It is most definitely worth
a visit. You will be amazed by the amount of animals you will see and the
experiences you will have for only R75.
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The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa is the largest zoo in the country and the only one with national status. The amount of species the zoo houses will astound you.
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The zoo covers an area of 85
hectares and houses thousands of specimens of mammal, bird, fish, invertebrate,
reptile and amphibian species. An aquarium which is the largest inland marine
aquarium in the country and Reptile Park also form part of the zoo.
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The animals are so close you could easily reach out and touch them, although it is strongly not advised.
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Not to mention, the third
largest collection of exotic trees can be found at the zoo.
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Within a large glass house one can walk up four platforms, viewing a forest and the birds within.
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| The gentle giants of Africa. |
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Interesting animal facts, an elephant ways the equivalent of 80 men with an average weight of 75 kgs.
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| Another large mammal of the African kingdom and one to beware of. |
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| Cheetahs on the prowl. |
There were two moments at
the zoo which make it hard for me to choose which my favourite was.
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The breathless beauty of a tiger.
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I have always found wild
cats intriguing. Their mere presence and supremacy demands respect and their
steady stare demands obedience, even when you simply watching them in awe.
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An incredible opportunity to see a white tiger.
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A great treat was to be
there when the zoo keepers came to feed the tigers. The zoo keeper explained to
us that the Bengal tiger was currently part of an enrichment programme. He had
to tie a large chunk of fleshy meat to a pole in order for the tiger to earn
his meal. This exercise served two purposes. Firstly it was to ensure that the
tigers in captivity did not get lazy and secondly, they could watch the tiger
try to capture the chunk of meat and in the process judge if the tiger was
injured in any way.
As the meat hang from the
pole like a hoisted flag on a flagpole, it was fascinating to watch the tiger
jump at least 2 meters in the air to claw and grasp at the meat until after
several attempts; he tore off a decent size to feast on.
Still enthralled by the
activity we heard deep roars coming from the lion’s den and raced over to see
what we were missing.
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The zoo provides you with rare opportunities of seeing so many animals, like a lioness, nearer than you ever would likely be able to in the wild.
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I cannot describe the deep,
thundering sound that shook the ground. It was a sound that crept into your
bones and made you shiver with a fearful chill.
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After hearing lions roar I can understand why they are the kings of the animal kingdom.
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It is so easy to spend an
entire day at the zoo and not see everything. We searched in vain for the
gorillas and sadly did not see them but exhausted and happy, leaving something
to see on the next visit, we left the zoo.
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Families can pack picnic baskets for the day or even have a barbecue at the facilities available.
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3. The
Union Buildings
En-route home we made a
quick detour to visit the Union Buildings at sunset.
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The Union Buildings were designed by Sir Herbert Baker.
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The Union Buildings form
the official seat of the South African government and house the offices of the
president of South Africa. It was constructed in 1910 to commemorate South
Africa’s Union-status obtained in that year and completed in 1913.
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The Union Buildings form the highest part of the city and offer lovely views.
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A 9 meter bronze statue of
Nelson Mandela was unveiled on 16 December 2013, the Day of Reconciliation, to
signal the start of celebrating and living the late Madiba’s legacy and mark
the end of the mourning period.
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Mandela was lovingly called the father of the nation and with outstretched arms, resembles him embracing the nation for which he fought.
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| The statue was sculpted by Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren. |
4. The
Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit
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Nan Hua means ‘flower in the South’ and is home to the Humanistic Buddhist Order, Fo Guang Shan, in South Africa.
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Initially in 1992, Dr
Hennie Senekal, the Executive Mayor of Bronhorstspruit, donated 9 075 hectares
of land to Fo Guang Shan to build a Buddhist Monastery. However, he was so
moved by the magnificent vision of a Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan and its contribution
to society, as well as the enthusiasm of the Fo Guang Shan Order and its
devotees that he decided to donate 18 150 hectares of land.
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The Main Shrine is situated within a softly coloured tiled courtyard, surrounded by green manicured lawns and porticos intricately decorated with Chinese designs.
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On 23 October 2005, more
than 1 500 followers attended the official opening of the Main Shrine at the
Nan Hua Temple.
The steps leading to the
Main Shrine are meant to remind one of the aim to gain enlightenment. It is
believed that one cannot be given enlightenment but that one has to gain it
themselves.
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The steps leading to the Main Shrine, also called the Great Hero Hall are flanked by large mythical looking lions that even though they are statues, emit a sense of supremacy.
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Two of Fo Guang Shan’s four
objectives are to propagate Buddhist teachings through cultural activities and
purify human hearts and minds through Buddhist practice.
In the Main Shrine you are
given the opportunity to engage in Buddhist practices and experience the
cultural. You can sit at a table, tracing Chinese writing while thinking
clearly about your thoughts and actions or you can quietly sit on a mat and let
the peaceful ambiance wash over you.
Within the Main Shrine
there are three large Buddha statues. In front of each statue is a table where
one can place an incense stick in a bowl or light a small candle and, depending
on which Buddha statue you are standing in front of, you can ask for peace,
happiness or wisdom.
Outside the main gate of
the temple you will find the Guest House where one can enjoy a refreshment at
the Dew Drop Inn Tea House or for a small cost, enjoy a traditional lunch,
although lunch is only served between 12:00 and 12:30.
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Within the Guest House you will also find interesting Chinese cultural arts and Buddhist artifacts.
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5. Anton
Smit Sculpture Park
After our sight-seeing tour
of the Nan Hua Temple, we decided to go to the Anton Smit Sculpture Park, a 10
minute drive out of Bronkhorstspruit.
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It is a sensational experience to drive through the park towards the restaurant, allowing your eyes time to admire the various sculptures scattered across the lawn.
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| A quick walk through Anton Smit’s Art Gallery, appreciating his great talent. |
Unfortunately the restaurant was quite busy and we received no service, therefore after a displeasing experience we left.
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Before returning to Pretoria we did explore Bronkhorstspruit Dam but I must admit, the view of the dam from the top of the road was the best there was to see.
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| Good company, good food and good times in Pretoria. Who could ask for more? |
Helpful Links
The Karoo Café
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Pretoria Zoo
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The Union Buildings
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The Nan Hua Temple
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Anton Smit Sculpture Park
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