Mooi River, the northern gateway to the Midlands, is a busy agricultural centre for the surrounding cattle and dairy farms, as well as several racehorse studs.
The town was named after the Mooi River, Afrikaans for 'beautiful river'. The river was a tributary of the Thukela, which rises high in the Drakensberg. Mooi River was originally named Lawrenceville after the Irish farmer who formalised its settlement during the 1800s. The town received its current name, Mooi River, because the early settlers were so impressed by the 'mooi' (pretty) river.
In Zulu, however, the river is Mpofana, Place of the Eland. Today, Mooi River forms part of the popular Midlands Meander and is part of the self-drive arts and crafts route while all around there are opportunities for outdoor recreation. The Mooi River area is home to stud farms of which several offer tours to visitors.
Visitors to Mooi River should definitely visit the Rhodes House Museum, which offers a variety of local history exhibits depicting activities about the area. Trout fishing in South Africa started in Mooi River in 1890, certainly still relevant as the upper reaches of the Mooi River offer some of the finest brown trout angling in the country.
The town of Mooi River is a gateway to the activities of the Drakensberg such as the Kamberg Nature Reserve about 40 km from the town....