HAERNERTSBURG

Known as the capital of the ‘land of the silver mist’ after T.V. Bulpin’s famous book on the area, the picturesque village of Haenertsburg in the Magoebaskloof mountains is perched on the slopes of the Wolkberg and Drakensberg, offering tourists a wonderful selection of things to do and see. It is conveniently situated on the R71 between Polokwane and Tzaneen, a mere three-and-a-half hours from Gauteng. The village is home to about 350 families and a further 2,500 people who live ‘on the mountain’, as the locals say. Originally the heartland of Bjatladi, land of plenty, once occupied by San and Stone Age people, the town traces its present form to the discovery of gold here in 1886 by Carl Ferdinand Haenert and his brother. The area became known as the Woodbush Goldfields and the town continued to grow steadily even after the gold rush, because of the flourishing timber industry in the area. Today economic activity in the region revolves mainly around forestry, with several large mills providing employment in their plantations and sawmills; orchards of avocado, macadamia, kiwi and other fruits; large nurseries and tourism. The town has succeeded in maintaining its rustic charm and is particularly pretty in spring when the cherry trees and azaleas are in full bloom.