Kestell - South Africa
| The Kestell Golf Course offers 9 holes on a well maintained course. |
| The Basotho Cultural Village situated in the Qwa Qwa National Park is popular with both local and foreign vistors - beware the local brew - just a few sips is all it takes to make you feel light-headed (photos by Elaine Potgieter) |
| Winter wonderland garden (photos by Dean Foster) |
| Beautiful Sandstone homes on almost every corner |
| Serene mountain hikes, and great for mountain bike trails |
Things to do in and around Kestell .... |
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Kestell is a biker friendly village with excellent rides through to Fouriesburg, Clarens and Rosendal. The annual Bikers Toy Tun has grown to a National event which now includes Gauteng, Namibia, Limpopo, the Cape, KZN and towns like Bethlehem. Kestell is 40kms away. The annual Toy Run usually takes place in November with over 65,000 riders taking part country wide. The dirt roads and gentle koppies make ideal conditions for mountain bike fans. Hikers and bird-watchers will be enthralled by the countryside's offerings. The Golden Gate Trail is situated in the Golden Gate National Park, just down the road from Kestell. The trail is 28.1 kms long and is rated as moderate. It starts and finishes at the Glen Reenen Rest Camp and includes an overnight stay in the Ribbok Valley. Interesting sites include Ribbok Spruit & Waterfall, Lesotho View, Slagtersnek, Zuluhoek and the Langtoon Dam. For prices and to book you can contact the Golden Gate National Park +27 (058) 255 1000, or e-mail goldengate@sanparks.org, or visit their website www.sanparks.org, or write to P/bag X3, Clarens 9707
History buffs can soak up the nostalgia of old battle fields - most notably the Groenkop Battle site, only 20kms drive from the village, where General Christiaan de Wet destroyed a British column on the 25th December, 1901. There are a number of rock paintings, Boer War battlefields and archeological sites near the town.
Sight-seeing includes the scenic "Highland Route" of both the Drakensburg and Maluti Mountains. The Basotho Cultural Village located in the Qwa Qwa National Park offers guided tours and regularly hosts art exhibitions and stage performances at the Sandstone amphitheatre. Distances to nearest towns: Bethlehem - 47kms
At the end of a busy day, enjoy the tranquillity of Kestell at the local Kestell Golf Club, Le Shack (one of the local restaurants) or the Mont-aux-sources Hotel's tiny bar, or tavern situated behind the hotel. The local residents are friendly and welcoming - but be careful if you take up an offer for a game of darts or pool - unless you are really good, you can expect to be thoroughly beaten. Local Events Fouriesburg Spring Fair Just down the road in Fouriesburg on the 4th September. Contact 079 897 1669 or visit www.fouriesburgspringfair.co.za for more details
Click on Kestell Rugby Club to read more about our very own Rugby team.
SA Bird Atlas Project - calling all bird watchers The SA Bird Atlas Project is a project that any keen bird watcher can get involved in, it is not difficult, and it can be done as a small project in the area where you live. The aim is to produce a document showing the distribution and abundance of all the birds in Southern Africa. The country has been divided into over 17,000 squares of approximately 8 x 7 kilometers in area and each one will hopefully be visited on at least one or more occasions to record all the bird species found in that square. As you can see it is a big undertaking and the more people we can get involved in the project the better. If you are having an event that you would like local residents to know about, Church Bazaars, a dance, a sporting event, let us know and we will place on the website.
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