Driving The Panorama Route

Last year June myself and my friend Michael booked our tickets for our trip to Joburg, for Calli and Richard’s wedding.

We decided to make the most of it, and take a rather long drive up to Graskop in Mpumalanga to drive The Panorama Route, and see sights like God’s Window, and Bourke’s Luck Potholes.

We arrived in Graskop on Thursday evening.  Friday, 6am we were driving The Panorama Route.  Unfortunately that morning God’s Window was hidden in the clouds, so we moved on to see things, like Pinnacle, which luckily wasn’t covered by clouds, because every other time we drove past it was hidden!

Pinnacle Rock is a tall column of weathered quartzite. It sticks 30m above the indigenous forest below Driekop gorge. A source of the Ngwaritsana river cascades through the dark depths of the narrow cleft to the right of the gorge.

Pinnacle Rock is a tall column of weathered quartzite. It sticks 30m above the indigenous forest below Driekop gorge.

Our next stop along The Panorama Route, Berlin Falls, which were named after the farm on which they are situated the falls are 45m high, and they are one of numerous waterfalls in the area and were truly magnificent.

Berlin Falls is a 45m high waterfall situated on The Panorama Route.

After Berlin Falls we continued along The Panorama Route to Bourke’s Luck Potholes, which are situated where the Treur and Blyde rivers converge and is one of the most remarkable geological phenomena in the country.  Over millions of years, the swirling whirlpools which occur where the rivers converge, have caused sand and rocks, found in the water, to grind deep cylindrical potholes into the bedrock of the rivers.

The potholes are named after Tom Bourke who recognised the gold potential of the area. He became involved with the mining enterprise which owned the property.

Cascades near Bourke’s Luck Potholes. Another site along The Panorama Route

After getting some great shots of the potholes we headed further along The Panorama Route to see the Three Rondavels which is a magnificent views of the famous peaks of quartzite and shale, the Blydepoort dam lies far below.

On our way back to Graskop we stopped to check out the Louwveld View Site which is situated on a flat rocky mountain top at an altitude of about 1200m above sea level, and offers the most amazing view. Far below, the Blyde river flows along the rocky canyon floor winding around where it eventually flows into the Blydepoort Dam.

A view of Blyde River Canyon. The Panorama Route

Just before heading back into Graskop for a quick lunch we stopped at one of the last waterfalls on the Panorama Route, the Lisbon Falls which falls into a dark green pool far below and are the highest waterfalls in Mpumalanga at 95m .

After lunch we went to see the Mac Mac Falls on the road to Sabie, The Mac Mac diggers were responsible for rearranging the face of the earth a little, by changing the single waterfall into the double waterfall as we see it today.

We then headed to the town of Pilgrim’s Rest..but more about that in another blog entry!