TOURISM INFORMATION
Grass & Wetlands Tourism
Tourism Information Centre
Kerk Street, Ermelo
Tel (Office Hours) 017 819 4707
Cell (After Hours) 082 786 7959
Information & General Assistance
Tourism Safety Line 083 123 2345
TRAC 24 Hours 083 227 8191
Highveld 013 753 3331
Lowveld 013 243 2222
Cities/Towns: Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Badplaas, Breyten, Carolina, Chrissiesmeer, Ermelo, Lothair, Morgenzon. Piet Retief, Volksrust, Wakkerstroom.
The Grass and Wetlands region is unequivocally a birding paradise that lures bird watchers in their droves. The route includes South Africa's largest freshwater lake at Chrissiesmeer. Chrissiesmeer also boasts a mysterious giant footprint in rock that matches one in Canada, and hosts an annual frog watching festival in summer and stargazing festival in winter. A fierce Anglo-Boer War battle that was fought at Chrissiesmeer is also re-enacted annually.
The route borders Kwazulu-Natal and Free State, as well as the kingdom of Swaziland, which is the last absolute monarchy in sub-saharan Africa. It is also home to the 1 000-year-old ruin of the lost Legoya people and San paintings.
Although the centre of South Africa's crude oil production and home to the world's largest underground mining complex, Cosmos Country explodes with colour when pretty pink and white cosmos flowers bloom in late summer.
