Eastern Cape Provincial Article - South African Vacations

NATURAL WONDERS
Spandau Kop: This imposing 1 400 metre mountain guards the town’s
southern entrance.
The Valley of Desolation: Situated
within the boundaries of the Karoo
Nature Reserve, the Valley of
Desolation is a geological
phenomenon characterised by sheer
cliffs of what looks like perilously
balanced dolerite pillars, some
120 m high, rising from the valley
floor. These pillars, exposed by
millions of years of erosion and
powerful geological processes are set
high on a hill overlooking Graaff-
Reinet. The barren and desolate valley
with its distinctive rock formations also
offers some remarkable local flora,
wildlife and interesting palaeontological
sites. A toposcope, mounted at the
lookout point, gives visitors a
panoramic view of Graaff-Reinet and
the surrounding countryside.
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