A quick working visit to beautiful Golden Gate Highlands National Park last month provided a few leisurely hours to enjoy the reserve’s exceptional scenery. Heavy skies and regular downpours provided some much needed relief from the drought that has even this mountain paradise in its grip.
Arriving from Clarens’ side
Pied starling
What would a visit to Golden Gate be without the hiking trails!?
Heavy clouds add to the dramatic scenery
Golden Gate Hotel & Chalets, February 2016
Speckled pigeons
Downpour coming along the valley
What would a visit to Golden Gate be without the hiking trails!?
Mountain cascade following the heavy showers
Blesbuck
View from Highlands Retreat
View from Highlands Retreat
Black-backed jackal
Drakensberg view
Drakensberg view
Looking from the foot of Brandwag towards Clarens
Golden Gate Hotel & Chalets
Golden Gate Hotel & Chalets
Looking from the foot of Brandwag towards Clarens
At the foot of the Brandwag buttress
Eland cresting a nearby hill
Red-eyed bulbul
Mountain stream in full flow following the previous day’s good rains
Mountain stream in full flow following the previous day’s good rains
Mountain stream in full flow following the previous day’s good rains
Immature Cape Robin-Chat
A ray of sunshine illuminating the cliffs
Speckled pigeon
Crested Barbet
Rock Martins
DeWetsWild 
Reblogged this on Roaring Reservations.
Next time there I have to visit this place. Very green!
I can just imagine the kind of landscape photos you’ll be able to get at Golden Gate, Michael!
Thanks for sharing another beautiful location with us. Your bird pictures are lovely, especially the speckled pigeon!
Thank you Annette, nice to have you come with us to Golden Gate!
Exceptional photographs…. Where is this Golden Gate? Pardon my ignorance.
Thank you Shikha, and welcome!
Golden Gate Highlands National Park is located in South Africa’s Free State Province.
Our blog is dedicated to South Africa’s wild places, and you are most welcome to visit them with us!
Jy ry lekker rond!! 😉 Tog te mooi daar in die Vrystaat!! Ek hoor sekere deele het nog nie rerig reen gekry nie en ander plekke spoel amper weg!
Ons het die afgelope week goeie reen oor groot dele van die Noord-Ooste van SA gehad, en dit lyk of daar nog oppad is. Ons is baie dankbaar!
Beautiful. Prettier than ours.
Thank you Sarah! I think your Golden Gate is also an inspiring sight, even if from an entirely different perspective!
It’s totally different.
Have a wonderful week. Hugs
And you, thanks Sarah!
Hugs.
Thank you for sharing such great pictures. I am sure every outing is an adventure, one, we the viewers truly appreciate,
And we genuinely appreciate all the enthusiastic support and encouragement, thanks Dan!
What a fantastic place! Great photos, Dries. 🙂
Thanks Sylvia! Golden Gate is such a special place, we just can’t get enough of it.
Waar gaan julle die komende vakansie?
Ons mik weer na die wildreservate in die Noorde van KZN, Tina. En jy?
As mens in Polokwane bly ry jy nie die Paasnaweek rond as dit nie werklik nodig is nie. Hoop die parke het ook so mooi reën gehad
Ek kan my net indink hoe jul paaie gepak moet wees daardie tyd van die jaar!
Dit klink asof dit daar ook goed gereen het Tina, het juis gister fotos gesien op Twitter van die Swart Umfolozi rivier wat sterk loop. Ons sal beslis kom verslag doen!
Wonderlike nuus Nou is dit nog net die weste kant van die land wat goeie reën moet kry Ek hoor dit het in Botswana ook goed gereën
Pragtige foto’s van on mooi land! Bly dit gereen daar!
Oppad soontoe het ons n ou boer raakgeloop net na n lekker wolkbreuk oor sy plaas getrek het, en die spruit wat deur sy plaas loop in vloed afgekom het (so 300m breed geloop!). Ek sal nooit die geluk op die oom se gesig vergeet nie!
Dit is so wonderlik!!
What a FABULOUS run of photos! You all have such beautiful parks, and those Drakenburg views–absolutely breathtaking!!
Golden Gate’s such a spectacular place, Lori!
So beautiful, definitely one for the bucket list.
You’ll not be disappointed, Maamej!
Beautiful photos of the dramatic skies 🙂 Glad to hear some much needed rain has come your way.
The relief and joy on everyone faces as the rain was falling will stay etched in my memory for a long time, Jen!
Pragtige foto’s en ‘n plek wat baie goeie herinneringe vir my inhou,Dries.Dankie hiervoor!
Lekker om te weet jy’t die paar fotos so geniet Dina! Darem n groot kontras met jou Namib tonele ne 😉
Ja beslis ‘n kontras…die groenigheid teenoor die barre landskappe!
Whatever you do do NOT visit Clarence town prices for food and accomodation is up to 40% higher than other localities nearby!
I admit that I’ll also much rather spend my time in Golden Gate than in Clarens, but there’s no denying that the folks there have turned Clarens into a formidable leisure and lifestyle brand and are reaping the rewards of their hard work!
A very beautiful landscape!
Absolutely, one of our favourites! Thanks for coming along!
I like your Golden Gate better than the one in San Francisco! Beautiful country. That Crested Barbet is an adorable little one. I like the way he wears his colors. Those colors and the mussed look probably make for good camouflage.
Thanks Pat! Golden Gate Highlands National Park is one of our favourite destinations, and we’re glad to know the photos convey a bit of what makes it so special! And we also like the Crested Barbets very much, they are often very confiding and not shy at all!