Kimberley Information and Tourist Attractions
Kimberley Information
Kimberley, the capitol of the Northern Cape Province is widely known as the City of Diamonds. With the discovery of diamonds in 1871, 50 000 fortune hunters flocked to the little shanty town of New Rush that later became known as Kimberley. The koppie that was situated here is no more and in its place you will find the biggest hole ever dug, dug almost entirely with picks and shovels. Today the big hole is an open air museum.
Kimberley is rich in history and the cities museums, monuments and art galleries are a must for visitors. You will find many original and reconstructed buildings at the Kimberley Mine Museum Village adequately demonstrating what life in a shanty town was like more than a century ago. Not to be missed is the underground guided tour of De Beers diamond mine and Kimberley’s ghost trail that reveals all the haunted corners of the city.
Kimberley is now a modern city offering tourists comfortable accommodation outlets, bustling shopping centre’s, top class restaurants and food outlets, and much more all set in pretty tree lined streets with attractive parks and gardens.
Accommodation options are varied and tourists can choose from Hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, Guest Houses, Self Catering and much more.
Climate
Kimberley has a sub tropical climate receiving most of it’s rainfall during the Summer months. Average daytime temperatures range from 18”C in July to 32”C in February. More information
Places of Interest
Kimberley Mine Museum
Consisting of original and carefully reconstructed buildings this open-air museum has preserved a great deal of the city's past. The first officially recorded diamond discovered in the country, the Eureka, can be viewed here.
Diggers Memorial
The Diggers Memorial, a statue in the form of a diamond sieve is located in the Ernest Oppenheimer Gardens. The five diggers represent the five diamond mines of Kimberley and the contribution made by all diggers to the development of Kimberley
Ernest Oppenheimer Gardens
The gardens serve as a memorial to Sir Eernest Oppenheimer former mayor of Kimberley and mining magnate. A statue of the mayor gazes over the beautiful rose gardens.
Magersfontein Battlefield
Kimberley is a town that is filled with history, and the Magersfontein Battlefield situated nearby is looked upon with both pride and heartache. The Magersfontein Battle was a short and furious battle, and although many lives were lost, this battle has an interesting story attached to it. A story of bravery, respect, empathy and compassion.
Widebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre
On the outskirts of Kimberley in the Northern Cape, South Africa, is a community-based public rock art project, the Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre. "You can connect here with the past in a new and deeply spiritual way” More Information
Township Tours
You would not have completed a Kimberley tour without visiting any of the city's surrounding townships. Unlike any other township in South Africa, where different races or tribes live in different sections of the townships, the Kimberley townships are a unique mix of the San people, Tswana people as well as the coloured people all living harmoniously together. Visit the Galeshewe cultural village in Galeshewe township, just a few kilometres outside the city, and be enriched by a unique mix of all these cultures in action.
The Original Drive-Thru
While you tour Kimberley, have a test of the original meaning of drive-thru take-away. Simply park your car at Half Way house, hoot and a waiter will come to take your order and when ready they will deliver your order to your car. Half Way House's traditional drive-thru is said to be Cecil John Rhodes' idea. Apparently he didn't like the idea of disembarking his horse just to buy food. His unique snack purchasing style has lived on.
Mokala National Park
"Where Endangered Species Roam..."
Mokala is, situated approximately 80km south-southwest of Kimberley, and west of the N12 freeway to Cape Town. Nestled in the hills, Mokala's landscape boasts a variety of koppieveld (hills) and large open plains. The isolated dolerite hills give the place a calming feeling of seclusion. A big surprise awaits when you pass through the hills and are confronted by the large open sandy plains towards the north and west of the Park. Drainage lines from the hills form little tributaries that run into the plains and drain into the grasslands in the nest of the Park. More Information
