It is not every day that Heart of the Wild Tours & Safaris does cultural tours. Touring with special guests and friends of ours, John and Peggy, we made an exception.
Harties Boat Company
We took them on a boat cruise at Hartebeestpoort Dam for a very special Woman’s Day Sunday lunch. John and Peggy had an absolute blast and all smiles from when the boat left the dock till they returned.
Pretoria
Pretoria delivered all it promised. We started the morning off at the Voortrekker Monument. John and Peggy really surprised and amazed by the size of the monument as well as all the amazing artifacts inside the museum, could not get over the enormity of it all.
Next, after the Voortrekker Museum, we headed to Freedom Park which held quite a surprise for all of us. The “Wall of Fame” containing all the names of people who fought for freedom throughout the world. The walls with the names of those who fought in WW2 and the Angolan war.
The breathtaking amphitheater and the beautiful gardens and walkways kept us in delight. We walked a good 2km on the walkways looking out over the city at the different lookout points.
Next was a quick visit to the Schanskop Fort. We headed inside to have a look at the shape of the fort and the way they had designed it. In this small little fort, they had a small hospital, soldier and officers quarters, an ammunition room, mess hall, and stables.
Then it was off to the Union Buildings. This was a little disappointing as there were no disabled parking areas and no wheelchair ramps. After speaking to security, they went out of their way to accommodate us. They guided us down to the massive statue of Nelson Mandela. This statue is amazing in size and really breathtaking.
Finally, to top the day and end it all off, we headed to Irene. We needed a coffee and scone at the idyllic Smuts House Museum tea garden. Set in the forests of Irene, this beautiful place is quiet and peaceful. Smuts House is just the perfect spot for some peace and quiet to end the day.
