Harrismith - Northern Drakensberg
Harrismith is the centre of one of the five wool producing districts in
Southern Africa
Harrismith is the centre of one of the five wool producing districts in
Southern Africa. Harrismith was established in 1849 and was named after the
glamorous and hard riding British Governor, Sir Harry Smith. Unfortunately,
the first location for Harrismith proved to be deficient in water and the
town was moved to the present site, in January 1850. During the diamond rush
at Kimberly, Harrismith became a busy staging post on the Natal transport
route and hotels, stores and public buildings sprang up. In 1892 the railway
from Natal to Harrismith opened
but due to politics, did not go any further for several years.
A major base during the Anglo Boer War, Harrismith has progressed since
then to a delightful, spacious town, with several handsome churches and public
buildings. The Plattberg is the location for the annual Berg Marathon, one
of the most prestigious cross-country running events in Southern Africa.
The race began when a Boer War Major referred to the Platberg mountain as “That
little hill of yours”. One of the locals took exception and challenged
him to reach the top in under an hour.
Major Belcher accepted and won easily and donated a floating trophy to
the first person to reach the top in a race every year. It now covers several
peaks in the area.
Harrismith is among the best places in the
eastern free state to stock up on provision for outdoor adventures, including
steaks; the town is the capital of the country's top red-meat producing region.
Harrismith Information
Harrismith is just off the N3 between Johannesburg (314 km) and Durban (315);
the N5 from Bethlehem points west and terminates in Harrismith. Coming from
Johannesburg, the N3 exit to town (after the Intabazwe township) joins Warden
St., which runs into the city square. From Durban the exit (near
the Spar Village) joins McKechnie St.; turn right onto Piet
Retief St. to get to the city square. Downtown Harrismith is a mini-grid
of just a few streets; most stores are in the few blocks around the square.
The Tourist Office (622 3525; fax 623 0923) is on Pretorius
St., at the back of the city hall. (622 3525; fax 623 0923. Open M-F 8am-5pm,
Sa 9:30am-12:30pm.)
The Intabazwe Township Tour demonstrates how the effects
of apartheid survived its demise. With a population of 60,000 black South
Africans, Intabazwe is smaller than the townships surrounding the larger
cities. Tours include revealing snippets of day-to-day life at the township's
schools, shebeens (taverns), and spaza shops (improvised
general stores). Local children put on traditional dances or drum performances.
You can book 3hr. or overnight tours through the tourist office, a day in
advance. Overnight tours include a stay with a host family. (Day tours ;
overnight tours including dinner, bed, and breakfast.)
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