Where to go in Carolina, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Carolina

Carolina is surrounded by the exceptional beauty of the Mpumalanga Grass and Wetlands region - dotted with rivers and lakes. Whilst known for the abundant birdlife, courtesy of the wetlands, it also provides a wonderful environment for hiking (with a large number of trails in the area), biking and any number of watersports - including boating, fishing - or just plain swimming.

History of Carolina
Carolina was formed out of neccessity - a vital stop-over point for the wagon route from Johannesburg to the gold fields of the Kaap Valley (now known as Barberton) in the late 19th century. One of the farmers behind this decision - Cornelius Coetzee - named the settlement after his wife, Carolina, in 1882. The subsequent Anglo Boer War resulted in the entire village being razed and later re-built - and there are still a number of Battlefields in the area worth visiting, as well as the Burger Monument in the town itself.

Today, Carolina is a mixed farming and small scale coal and precious stone mining community.

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Things to see in Carolina
Despite the blighted history, Carolina carries a number of perfect examples of the spectacular sandstone architecture - particulary in the public buildings.

Besides the fascinating architecture, this area boasts a few fine examples of San rock art which can be seen and explored.

Just outside Carolina is the magnificent Komati Gorge and linked Komati River.

The Nooitgedacht Nature Reserve is located north west of the town of Carolina, and is a very birding destination (home to more than 200 species), as well as horse and hiking trails - the latter including a number of 2-day hikes with accommodation in huts en-route.

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Carolina images