 Free State
The plains of South Africa's interior plateau between the Vaal and Orange Rivers form the Free State Province.
This tranquil land of the ever-present windmill is the geographic and agricultural centre of South Africa. Of all the provinces, this one presents the classic scene of the sunny veld, the high-lying, spacious grass-covered prairie land with deep-blue African skies, majestic cloud formations in the summer and a skyline broken by the occasional flat-topped koppie (hill-like mountain).
The Free State is fast becoming a tourist destination in it's own right. Famous for it's warm South African hospitality, boerekos (traditional Afrikaner farm style cuisine) and decidedly slower-paced lifestyle, this province has become a Mecca for holiday-makers intent on exploring small-town South Africa.
Known locally as South Africa's bread basket, the Free State is cultivated by more than 30 000 farms to produce over 70% of South Africa's grain consumption. It is also home to the most productive gold and diamond mines in the world.
Clarens (Free State)
Although it seems counter productive, hunting safaris play a vital role in the conservation of vital African species. With grass lands taken up by farming and the reduction of large predators, carefully controlled hunting practices control populations and provide vital support to local economies. Regulations are strict, and there are only specific locations and times when certain animal can be hunted. Tracking in the African bush Rudyard Kipling style with only your rifle and your wits is the dream of many, and South Africa's hunting and shooting lodges and safaris will not disappoint.
Bloemfontein.
Bloemfontein, the capital City of the Free State Province in South Africa, is centrally situated roughly in the middle of the province, as well as in South Africa. The "City of Roses", as it had become known locally, is placed with more pivotal importance than any other city in the country.
The granary province as it is known is embraced by several of the other provinces of South Africa, the Free State lies in the geographic heart of South Africa, between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the South. Crossing the Orange River into the Free State, the sight that will meet your eyes is one of the immense grassy prairies and endless fields with maize, sunflowers and wheat, chequered with farmsteads and windmills.
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