Cherry Festival

Ficksburg didn’t mean that much to me until I visited the pretty little town set on the banks of the Caledon River. It lies at the foot of the beautiful Imperani Mountain in the Free State, for those of you who didn’t know, and I had only heard of it before the festival because a school friend of mine hailed from there (and since we were at school in Durban at the time, you can understand how she was regarded with a fair amount of  incredulity).

First off let me say that if you’re a fan of cherries, then this is the festival to attend. For the last couple of years at least, cherries seem to have given the shelves of my local Pick n Pay the run around. That, or they were in and off the shelves so fast that I didn’t even catch a whiff of the dainty red stoned fruit! Thus a trip to the Eastern Free State around the third week of November may be the closest you will get to this delectable dainty …

Cherry Blossom

The Ficksburg Cherry Festival is the longest running festival in South Africa – 42 years old this year. The whole town comes out in celebration. There is a huge market, cherry tours, a half marathon, cherry product competitions, beer fests, a new food and wine fiesta, the incredibly popular, and slightly horrifying, cherry pip-spitting contest, the ‘ready, steady, bake’ competition as well as a quick lesson in how to make cherry mampoer, a cherry liqueur known as the local ‘moonshine’.

Since I was there the festival has had a slight shift in focus and now sport is placed high on the list of agenda, which is probably not going to do that much by way of encouraging me to return. But a rather large percentage of our society would scorn my general disregard for sport, and would love to watch ex stars of the cricket, soccer and rugby world sharing their skills with young hopefuls.

The Steam Train

If, however, you’re after something with a little more culture, then there are visits to both cherry and asparagus farms, and cruises along the waterways just outside the town of Ficksburg aboard what is described as the country’s only floating cigar bar known as the White Mischief, which includes a gourmet meal and several malt whiskies. There are cooking workshops for the more creative at heart, or you can do as we did – take a steam train from Sandstone Estate and escape Ficksberg completely, cherries in tow!

The steam train, in similar fashion to the now no longer functioning Apple Express in the Eastern Cape, leaves Ficksburg and travels through farmlands towards the Caledon River on the Lesotho border. It was an amazing journey filled with sunflowers, fields of corn, amazing examples of sandstone farmhouses and an incredible sunset.

The Scenery

It gives you a couple of hours to quietly reflect and gaze at scenery whilst reliving what it must have been like in the days when steam engines were the main form of transport around the country. The downside was that we left our ride until pretty late – hence I was starving and our entire quota of cherries for the weekend quite depleted by the time of our return (we hadn’t reckoned on the length of the journey).

There is also an annual Reefsteams Association steam train ride to the Cherry Festival from Boksburg East, if steam trains are your thing, although by all accounts these are already fully booked! (contact them on +27 (0)11 956-6409)

Ficksburg Cherry Festival

During our visit, we managed to stay in a little cottage in the neighbouring town of Fouriesburg, as by the time we began our search for somewhere to stay, all the ’spots’ in town had already gone. Totally off the beaten track we had a little cottage set beneath a pretty bower of jasmine all to ourselves, and could use the excuse of travel to lie in in the mornings (we had family to meet at the festival).

The first successfully planted cherry trees in the country were in the Clocolan district in the year 1905, brought into South Africa by German missionaries with early settlers. Today there are around 500 hectares worth of cherry trees in the Eastern Free State mainly in and around Ficksburg, Clocolan and Fouriesburg. Cherries are harvested from October to December (hence the choice of November for the festival).

Cherry Picking

This same region is also known as the asparagus region of South Africa and from September, hundreds of tons of asparagus are harvested. I can attest to how delectable this particular vegetable is when fresh from the farm!

But it is the tiny ruby-red fruit, ripe and ready to eat that is undoubtedly the star of the festival. Take a tour to neighbouring orchards to pick and guzzle and perhaps, by the close of the weekend, you may have satiated your desire for this luscious delicacy.

For those of you who actually intend returning with enough cherries intact (ungobbled) to follow this recipe, it is well worth savouring, and borrowed from the official cherry festival website, courtesy Ronel Thake-Fouriesia:

Danish Cherry Tart
Fill a flaky pastry shell of flan case with stoned cherries, soaked in sugar and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon.

Cover the cherries with a mixture of the following:
100g softened butter
100g sugar
100g ground almonds
2 eggs

Bake the tart in an oven at a moderate temperature. Leave to cool, cover with gooseberry jelly and glaze with rum.

Enjoy!

Useful Links:
Cherry Festival
Ficksburg Attractions
Ficksburg Accommodation
Fouriesburg Accommodation
Free State Accommodation

River Rafting

Don’t let the fact that the Free State is completely landlocked, and described with  regularity as ‘flat’, deter you from seeking adventure in this hidden treasure.

The Northern Free State, possibly because of its proximity to Gauteng, is fast earning itself a reputation for perfect weekend getaways that include the Vaal River, Vaal dam and numerous game farms that together with the Vredefort Dome, pretty undulating hills, and the ‘golden country’ of the Central Free State – dotted with fields of corn and sunflowers and plenty of modern little towns – and not forgetting ‘Bloemies’, as Bloemfontein is fondly known, combine for perfect, sun-filled adventure opportunities …

And the Southern Free State is as beautiful. The southern boundary is formed by the Orange River, which rises in the Maluti Mountains, and feeds the Gariep Dam – another source of adventure activities. Thabo Mofutsanyana, regarded as the most scenic part of the Free State, to the east, lies on the edge of the Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains and includes the Golden Gate National Park, as well as the winning villages of Ficksburg and Clarens.

There’s little that the Free State, which lies right in the middle of South Africa and many describe as its heart, doesn’t hold by way of adventure and outdoor living.

Sky Dive Bloem

Skydiving just outside Bloemfontein:
There is probably little that beats the adrenaline rush of skydiving. Just outside Bloemfontein is one of the country’s skydiving clubs, said to be the oldest in the country, at Tempe airport. Even if you’ve never skydived before, learning how to jump from an aeroplane, in tandem, in South Africa is one of the best places to learn – considering the number of cloud-free days the country enjoys! (particularly the Free State).

Besides the rush of adrenaline and the obvious gravitational pull, the aerial scenery is up there with the best. Hurtling earthwards, the blue of the sky behind you, and the undulating hills of the Free State meagre blips below you is difficult to beat.

Contact: Bloemfontein Skydiving Centre on +27 (0)51 451-1143 or +27 (0)76 394-6059

More River Rafting

River rafting along the Orange River:
Rowing the Orange River is at once relaxing, incredibly beautiful and at the same time exhilirating, given the magnificence of periodic rapids that swiftly bring you into the present. Depending on your needs, there are trails that break away for anything from two to six days, including hiking and camping on the banks of the Orange River.

Seeing the Free State from the water’s edge is a completely different view of things, and sleeping under the stars makes for an awesome adventure combination.

Contact: +27 (0)83 485-9654

Mountain Biking

Mountain bike the Vredefort Dome (Parys):
The beautiful Vredefort Dome, the world’s largest and oldest (2.02 billion years ago) visible blast crater (even if there is still controversy over whether this giant hole is the result of an asteroid impact or a blast from within the Earth’s crust) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yes, you can hike the mountains surrounding the dome or rock climb these heights to view San rock art, but why not go one better and mountain bike the semicircular mountainous landscape.

The tops of the hills give one incredible views of the Vaal River valley, whilst the deep valleys between the hills are home to cool mountain streams and shade from the heat of the day. These trails (Dampoort MTB trails) aren’t piddly trails either, but for those wanting something slightly less taxing, try the Hakuna Matata circuit.

Contact: +27 (0)56 818-1814 or +27 (0)82 475-8767

Quad Biking

Backpacking the Rooihaas trail in Vredefort Dome:
Still at the dome, for those less interested in cycling and more interested in remaining on your feet, the Rooihaas Hiking Trail is one of a network of hiking trails and mountain bike trails that make their way in and around the Vredefort Dome. The trail is named after the little rock rabbit that occurs in these rocky areas.

It’s a fairly tough hike, although the initial hour is along the Vaal River banks with ample opportunity to spot water birds. From there it’s uphill with several loop options left entirely to the hiker as to what type of walk you’re after (for day one, that is). Day two of the hike is relatively short, by comparison with day one, but filled with history, quiet, beautiful scenery and a chance to get away from it all.

Contact: Dome Trails/Koepelroetes on + 27 (0)18 294-8572

Quad biking near Clarens:
Experience the Maluti Mountains on a quad bike, just outside of Clarens. Rides vary in length from one-and-a-half to two hours, and aside from acquiring new skills (if you haven’t quad biked before) there is also luscious scenery and wonderful hills to ride.

Contact: +27 (0)82 491-9788

Useful Links:
Check out our section on Things to Do in Free State for more activities and fun things to do whilst on holiday in the Free State. Activities range from horse riding to hiking to fishing and sight seeing … the beautiful Freer State has a lot to offer the adventure traveller! And book your accommodation in the Free State via SA-Venues.com if you want to save some money. You Deal Direct with the accommodation providers – pay no commission and no service fees, saving you money.

Horses on Free State farm – By and © Peter Taylor (Botswana)

Aldam Lion Man

This is a shout-out to all mountain bike enthusiasts!!  Get out your cycling gear and start practicing because the 3rd Annual Aldam Lion Man Mountain Bike Race will take place on 12 September 2009.

The first Lion Man Mountain Bike race was held at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve in Limpopo 9 years ago. The race has grown from under a 100 cyclists partaking in the event in 2001 to a very exclusive race that now allows a maximum of 1600 cyclists.  This race is now rated as one of the Top mountain bike races in the country …

The Aldam Lion Man takes place at Aldam Estate in the Free State, offering the trademark Lion Man distances of 35 km and 80 km options through typical bushveld vegetation. Starting and finishing at the Aldam Estate, the routes have been made harder and more technical this year than they were in the past - the long, fast, straight stretches have been exchanged for technical climbs, rocky terrain and single-track.

The short route will still be suitable for families, the less experienced and not-so-fit. The 80 km route promises to be much more challenging than in the past and experienced cyclists can prepare themselves. It also promises to be a fun-day filled for non-cyclists!  There will be entertainment for the youngsters, delicious food and a beer tent for those who prefer to sit back, relax and watch how the participants finishes the grueling race! 

On-line entries will open at the end of July or you can contact the race organizer on +27 (0)57 652-2200.

Useful Links:
For more destination information please see:
Free State Events
Free State Attractions
Free State Accommodation

Free State Landscape

This small town, situated in the foothills of the Maluti Mountains in the East of the province, has firmly established itself as a trendy destination and offers fine dining, arts and crafts, trout fishing, and outdoor activities. This, together with its small town charm, friendly locals and magnificent scenery has made it into a prime artistic destination the town has become a haven for artists with a growing community of famous residents.

Close to Clarens is the Golden Gate National Park offering a wide range of outdoor activities including hiking and horse riding all amongst the magnificent golden sandstone cliffs. Other small towns gaining in popularity are Ficksburg, with its annual cherry festival that draws traders from around the country, and Parys, a sleepy little town with a strong coffee shop culture as well as many arts and crafts shops to browse.

The Free State province borders on Lesotho and there are many Basotho in the province with the Basotho Cultural Village straddling the border between the Free State and the kingdom of Lesotho. The village is is a worthwhile stop on the itinerary, for anyone in learning more about indigenous culture in the area. If discovering ancient historic sites are your thing then a visit to the Vredefort Dome, site of a giant meteor impact over two million years ago, should be on your agenda.

Despite being landlocked, the Free State offers much in the way of water sports, from the trout fishing in the Eastern highlands to the much less sedate white water rafting on the Ash River, which offers dependable, year-round enjoyment.

Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein, the capital of the province, is a small and pleasant city, offering all of the amenities of modern living, but at a pace that is a little slower than its counterparts in the other provinces are.

The Free State’s borders are defined on two sides by rivers – the famous Vaal, separating it from the bustling province of Gauteng, and the Orange River to the South, starting in Lesotho. Locals used to call the area Gariep, and it is this area that is home to the enormous Gariep Dam, a magnet for water sports enthusiasts from around the country.

If a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, surrounded by natural beauty and friendly people is what you want, then the Free State may be just the place for you to find it.

Useful Links
For further information or to make bookings, please visit:

• Free State Attractions
• Things to Do in the Free State
• Free State Accommodation
• Free State Hotels