Where to go for your autumn adventure
Autumn travel is for colour, culture and smaller crowds – as these six destinations prove. When Britain’s summertime ebbs away to autumn,
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Pretoria is Africa with a touch of Europe and a pinch of oriental spice. Hooting taxi’s, cars old and new, buses and trains drive past hawkers selling an array of fresh fruit and vegetables from nearby farms. And high up on Meintjeskop, Sir Herbert Baker’s famous architectural wonder – the Union Buildings housing Government offices views it all. Steeped in history, Pretoria offers many places of historical interest which are well worth visiting, such as the magnifecent Sammy Marks House, the modest home of President Paul Kruger with the railing coach he used while in exile in the Eastern Transvaal during the Anglo Boer War, the Hero’s Acre where Kruger and Pretorius are buried, Church Square with Anton van Wouw’s statue of “Oom Paul”, the old Raadsaal, the Palace of Justice, and Melrose House where the peace treaty which ended the Anglo Boer War was signed in 1902.
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The city of Tshwane, formerly known as Pretoria, lies 36 miles north of Johannesburg and provides a complete contrast to the City of Gold. South Africa's administrative capital was founded in 1855 and named after the Voortrekker leader, Andries Pretorius. Often referred to as the "Jacaranda City", this nickname refers to the thousands of trees lining the streets, their purple blossoms heralding the approach of summer each October. The tour begins with a visit to the Voortrekker Monument, a striking memorial built to honour the early pioneers. Continue to the central part of the city, which has retained the name of Pretoria, visiting Kruger House Museum and Church Square, where the statue of Paul Kruger looks down on the passers by and Melrose House, a classic example of a Victorian suburban townhouse. Proceed to the imposing Union Building, which houses the offices of the State President, Deputy President and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Take in the impressive view over the city, before returning to Johannesburg. Tour departs daily except on Christmas Day, New Years Day & Good Friday and the duration is a maximum of 5 hours. We recommend a tour departure time of between 8am and 1pm. Avoid taking this tour on a Monday as Melrose House is closed.
Visit the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Nestled in the foothills of the Magaliesberg in North West Province, the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Research Centre is situated an hour from Johannesburg and 45 minutes from Pretoria. Ann Van Dyk and her brother Godfrey established the De Wildt Cheetah Centre in 1971, with the aim of breeding this endangered species. Since then over 750 cheetah cubs have been born at De Wildt – a dramatic contrast to the days when the cheetah population of South Africa was estimated at a mere 700. While the cheetah project was the base from which the centre launched its conservation ethic, it soon grew to include other rare and endangered animals such as wild dogs, brown hyenas, servals, suni antelope, blue and red duikers, bontebok, riverine rabbits and vultures, including the very rare Egyptian vulture. Many of these have been successfully bred for later reintroduction into the wild, thus helping to repopulate areas where such species had disappeared or are no longer abundant. On your tour of the facility, see these endangered animals at close quarters and also learn about their successful reintroduction to various reserves in southern Africa. This excursion can also be taken from Johannesburg.
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