Plan a Fun Cross-Country Road Trip this Holiday Season!

It’s that time of the year, again!  The festive season is upon us and it is the perfect time to enjoy Santa-themed online casino games at Springbok Casino.  It is also the time of year where families plan their cross-country holidays to visit friends and family, or to simply get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 

Now, you can easily hop on a plane for a quick one to two-hour flight to your chosen destination, or you can put solid road trip plans in place – and actually have fun along the way!

1400 km Between Joburg and Cape Town with Plenty to Do on the Way 

The N1 and the N12 are the two main routes to opt for when travelling between the Mother City and the City of Gold – and each can bring with it a unique sightseeing experience that everyone should attempt at least once.

Instead of tackling the 16-hour trip (rest-stops included) in one shot, why no stop, stay over – play some online casino games and enjoy the history and scenery?  You can spread the adventure over two, or even three days!

Pit Stop & Stay Over Worthy Destinations En Route 

Let’s assume Jozi is your starting point – although you can enjoy these adventures in either direction!  Most of South Africa is covered by cell phone towers, so along with taking snap shots and uploading them to your Insta and Facebook, you can line up some gaming at Springbok Casino almost anywhere.

The Free State 

Parys:  Take a short 15 km detour off the N1 South about an hour into your journey and you’ll find the quaint little town called Parys nestled against the banks of the Vaal River.  Coffee shops, antique stores and bric-a-brac shops – and even the Dog and Fig micro-brewery are worth a visit.  If you really have time on your hands, you can go flyfishing or white river rafting on the Vaal River.

Vredefort Crater:  A quick hop skip and a jump from Parys and you’ll find yourself in Vredefort – home to the largest verified impact crater on Earth, the Vredefort crater, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site!  Dated at around 2.023 billion years old, which places the event in the Paleoproterozoic Era, the Vredefort crater, or Vredefort Dome doesn’t offer online casino games – but it does offer hiking, abseiling, horse riding, mountain biking and much more!

Sand River Convention Monument:  Jump back onto the N1 South, and about another hour and 45-minute drive will land you between Ventersburg and Winburg at the Sand River Convention monument.  On 17 January 1852, the Sand River farm was where the treaty was signed with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland formally recognising the independence of the Boers north of the Vaal River. 

Bloemfontein:  Another hour and a half further south and you can visit the Free State National Botanical Gardens, after all, Bloemfontein means ‘fountain of flowers’.  There is also plenty of history to experience at the National Museum – established in 1877.  This is where you can see rarities such as the Florisbad Man, believed to be an ancestor of the San people.  The Florisbad Man was reconstructed from fossilised remains which were uncovered at Soutpan in 1932.

The Northern Cape 

Pass the Gariep Dam in the Free State, which in itself is worth a stop and a few snap shots, and you’ll soon find yourself in the Northern Cape.  The best sights in the Northern Cape are on the N12 route, which includes all the attractions that Kimberley offers.  There are also many places where you can lay out a picnic blanket, fire up some online casino games and enjoy playing at Springbok Casino surrounded by nature and history!

Kimberley:  This is the Northern Cape’s capital, nicknamed ‘The Diamond City’.  The major attraction is ‘The Big Hole’ which yielded 14.5 million carats of diamonds from 1971 to 1914.  At the time, the farm belonged to the de Beers brothers and after a prospector struck it lucky on their land, a diamond rush ensued. 

Over a 4-decade span, 22.6 million tons of earth was excavated, leaving a massive crater the size of eight football fields and creating the world’s biggest manmade hole.  There is plenty to do at the Big Hole, with tours, shops and restaurants.  Stop for a bite and enjoy diamond-themed online casino games like Diamond Dozen and Diamond Fiesta slots at Springbok Casino!

While in the neighbourhood, you can check out the Kamfers Dam just outside of Kimberley to spot massive flocks of lesser flamingos.  Visit the McGregor museums or travel 32 km south on a halfway decent gravel road to visit the Magersfontein Battlefield Museum.  This is an Anglo-Boer War site where the Battle of Magersfontein took place on 11 December 1899, which led to the Boers inflicting a dramatic defeat against the British army.

Colesberg:  Just off the N1 and about 300 km south of Bloemfontein, Colesberg is a favourite stopover as it’s almost situated at the halfway mark.  It is surrounded by ‘koppies’ (little hills), including the famous Coleskop.  The Coleskop koppie can be seen from over 40km away and is nicknamed ‘Towerberg’, which translates to Magic Mountain.  It creates the illusion that no matter how much you travel towards it, it never seems to get any closer! 

Colesberg has beautiful early Karoo architecture, many museums, rustic guesthouses and some exquisite restaurants.  You’ll definitely find the perfect place for a sleepover – with Wi-Fi so you can refresh, recoup and play online casino games before you continue your journey.

Victoria West:  Back on the N12, you’ll find the small town of Victoria West in the central Karoo region.  You can marvel at the beautifully restored Victorian architecture and enjoy the Apollo Threatre, known as the last Art Deco cinema in the country.  If you’re a rugby fan, be sure to check out the Mannetjies Roux Museum!

Look to the Stars in the Middle of the Karoo!

The 1400 km journey has so much to offer that mentioning it all is almost an impossibility.  What you do not want to miss out though is the Karoo night sky!  Stop in the middle of nowhere and look up for a spectacular display of the Milky Way on a clear night.  You might find yourself in a network dead-spot – so forget about online casino games for a moment and just enjoy the beauty!

Once you’ve reached your destination, enjoy the festive season with your family… and if you do feel like you need a break (let’s face it, family is best in small doses at times) play online casino games at Springbok Casino!  We have your back, 24/7, 365 – Christmas and other holidays included!