Eastern Cape Provincial Article - South African Vacations

Lady Grey Dam and Nature Reserve: Follow the lovely scenic drive
meandering through the forested areas east of the town to reach the two
reservoirs situated at the head of a pretty gorge. This is a popular venue for
picnics, swimming and trout-fishing.
Lammergeier Private Nature Reserve: The Lammergeier Reserve is a
holistically-managed 800 ha private reserve in the Witteberge. The
endangered lammergeier (bearded vulture) has given the reserve its name
and shares the skies with the majestic black eagle and the Cape vulture.
Other popular attractions include the beautiful wild flowers in the reserve, the
game and other species of birds. Adventure opportunities such as trout-
fishing, hiking, mountain biking, tubing and swimming, as well as 4x4 trails are
on offer.
HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURE
Anglo-Boer War sites: Several Anglo-Boer War battles were fought in the area
and these sites can be visited.
"Footsteps into the Past” Trail: This interesting trail leads visitors past all the
town’s historic sites.
Old Water Mill: The mill dates back to the time when the town was first
established. Several hand pumps and furrows can be seen.
Powder Magazine: See the old powder magazine, used during the Anglo-Boer
War, at the town’s Show Grounds.
MACLEAR (including Ugie)
In 1876, Thomas Maclear, Astronomer Royal at the Cape, established a
settlement in the valley of the Mooi River, beneath the rocky cliffs of the
Drakensberg Mountain Range. The town soon became the main centre of this
2 500-square km sheep- and dairy-farming area. From Maclear a winding dirt
road snakes its way up the highest road pass in South Africa, Naude’s Nek,
which, in places, reaches an altitude of 2 920 m and is often blocked by
snow in winter. A memorial to the Naude brothers who built the pass using
picks, shovels and a horse-drawn cart, was erected at the Rhodes side of the
bottom of the pass.
South of Maclear lies the small town of Ugie, founded in 1863 by the
Reverend William Murray and named after the Ugie River in Scotland. Ugie is
situated on the banks of the willow-lined Inxu River beneath the sandstone
cliffs of the southern Drakensberg Mountain Range. The impressive “Gatberg”
peak (”Hole Mountain”) lies north of the road between Ugie and Maclear.
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