Bulwer, Drakensberg

Aside from a little supermarket, a smattering of houses, a Build and Save and an Engen garage, there is not very much to the little town of Bulwer, through which the R617, one of the main routes into the southern Drakensberg, passes.

But then the main reason for being here is not to visit the town. A village like Bulwer serves little other purpose than to refuel, both your car and possibly your food supplies, before entering the wilderness and beauty that is the Drakensberg. Although the little Yellow Wood church, built in 1886, is probably worth a slow drive-by. And the Sappi office is evidence of the huge forestry industry in and around Bulwer.

Bulwer Mountain, also known as Amahaqwa Mountain (misty one), is the major backdrop to the town of Bulwer, famous for its paragliding and hang gliding potential and fun flying mainly due to its easy toplanding; most people then land in a field just behind the garage on the south side of town.

The mountain forms part of the foothills of the Drakensberg and the area around here is particularly beautiful - lush, rolling hills, forests, lakes, dams and almost immediate access to a peace and quiet claimed in very few parts of the world. Around Bulwer you'll find beautiful farms set in restored farmhouses, rustic cottages, lodges, campsites and quaint country hotels that serve as peaceful retreats and havens away from it all. Bird life here is prolific and sightings of the endangered Cape parrot, surprisingly, are not unusual.

Those who live around Bulwer swear that the foothills of the berg offer an incomparable tranquility and hospitality, and you would be hard pushed to find a place that refreshes and rejuvenates in quite the same way.