Most people think South Africa’s ‘Lake District’ lies at the heart of the Garden Route, but then they have probably not been to gorgeous Chrissiesmeer. This delightful dorp, brimming with beautiful sandstone architecture and ancient oaks is situated in Mpumalanga upon the shores of Lake Chrissie.
This is South Africa’s largest freshwater lake by far, with at least another 270 lesser lakes and pans dotting this wetlands region. Every year, tens of thousands of flamingos descend upon this ‘Land of Frogs’ (the Swazi word, Matotoland, is derived from ‘maxoxo’, their word for frog). The first settlers near Lake Chrissie was a group of brave Scots who put down their roots here in 1867, naming the region New Scotland.
The largest of the lakes was named for President Pretorius’s talented daughter, Christina. Did You Know? Some anthropologists believe the Tlou-tle people settled here approximately 1,500 years ago and built enormous floating villages on the lakes. This enabled them to move around freely to follow fish or, in times of war, float an entire village to safety.
Chrissiesmeer Dam (named after the daughter of Boer president Pretorius, Christina) is the largest of the many wetlands that occur around th...