After visiting the Sudwala Caves, we made a short stop at Elands River Waterfall and the old railway tunnel near Emgwenya, formerly known as Waterval Boven. The waterfall drops around 70–75 metres over the red cliffs in three separate ribbons.
To reach the viewpoint, we had to walk through an old railway tunnel built between 1892 and 1894 by the NZASM railway company as part of the Pretoria–Delagoa Bay railway line. The abandoned 211-metre steam-train tunnel is completely dark, so we used our flashlight to find our way through. A local guy also accompanied us and, of course, asked for a tip at the end — he got 50 ZAR. From there, we drove to a farm just outside Emgwenya, where we spent the night.
The following morning, we had a fascinating meeting in Emgwenya with Michael Tellinger at his mysterious stone circles. We spent several hours talking not only about their possible origins and meaning, but also about the future of humankind, our own past, and where our civilisation might be heading. It was one of those unusual and thought-provoking conversations that stays with you long after you leave.
From Emgwenya, we continued to Kaapsehoop, a small historic mountain village about 30 kilometres from Mbombela (Nelspruit). Perched at roughly 1,640–1,712 metres above sea level on the Drakensberg escarpment, the village overlooks the lush De Kaap Valley, about 800 metres below.
Kaapsehoop is known for its frequent morning mists, weathered sandstone formations, surrounding pine and macadamia plantations, and, most famously, its population of around 200 free-roaming wild horses. The village was established during the local gold rush in the 1870s and 1880s and was originally known as Duiwels Kantoor, or “Devil’s Office”, before later being renamed Kaapsehoop.
After the gold mining declined, the settlement gradually transformed into a quiet tourist destination and artists’ village. Today, its historic buildings are mixed with small craft shops, cafés and restaurants. We had a great lunch at the Bohemian Groove Café, accompanied by a live local band — a perfect atmosphere for a mountain village like this.
The surrounding area also offers several scenic hiking trails through the sandstone landscapes and down towards hidden waterfalls. We even paid for a permit to visit Battery Creek Falls (🎟️30 ZAR), expecting it to be a short walk from the village. It turned out to be closer to an hour-and-a-half return trip, rather than the ten minutes we had been told, so with limited time we decided to give it up. We still had to reach our overnight destination in Barberton.
And, of course, things didn’t quite go according to plan. We were already running late when Google Maps found us a rather lovely “shortcut” — a dirt road winding through forests and local farms. It looked like an adventure, so we followed it. By the time we finally reached Barberton, the sun had already disappeared below the horizon.
Parking location – Emgwenya: 25.6774682S 30.3631981E (🚻,🚿,🏊,💦,🅿️140 ZAR/pax)