Eastern Cape Provincial Article - South African Vacations

the best fishing-, swimming- (the warm Mozambique current flows here) and
surfing-spots in the world.
For the more culturally-minded there is the world-renowned African art
collection at Fort Hare University in Alice, (alma mater of former President
Nelson Mandela) as well as numerous San rock art sites and cultural villages,
to visit. The picturesque little village of Hogsback, set on the edge of the misty
Amatola Mountains, is said to have inspired the renowned author Tolkien, to
write his famous work, “The Hobbit”.
Since earliest times, the major river of the area, the Buffalo River, has played
an important role in the lives of all the inhabitants. The Khoi-Khoi, relatives of
the nomadic San, called the river “Ingaab ab” (buffalo) and the Xhosa tribes,
who arrived later, named it Bisho, also meaning buffalo. The British Settlers
translated this name into English. At the mouth of the river lies South Africa’s
only river port and the city of East London; now part of the Buffalo City
Metropolitan Area.
Buffalo City encompasses the coastal town of East London, Bisho, the
provincial capital, King William’s Town and the towns of Mdantsane and
Berlin. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Amatola District Municipality but is
awaiting confirmation of its status as the areas’ second Metropolitan
Municipality.
ADELAIDE
A military post built on the Koonap River at the start of the Sixth Frontier War
gradually grew into this small town. The town was named after Queen
Adelaide, wife of Britain’s King William IV. It is a centre for the wool and
mohair industries and is situated in a citrus-, beef- and merino-farming district.
HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE
Post Retief: An old Settler Fort, built during the frontier wars, still stands as a
reminder of those turbulent times.
Our Heritage Museum: This beautiful museum is surrounded by fragrant rose
gardens and exhibits some exquisite period furniture, silverware and
ceramics.
ALICE
In 1824, the Glasgow Missionary Society founded the Lovedale Mission
Station on the west bank of the Tyume River. The station was abandoned in
1834 during the Frontier Wars and re-established at its present site in 1836. It
was abandoned again in 1846 and reoccupied by the missionaries in 1847,
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