photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Tessa Joughin | profile | all galleries >> Fact and Fiction >> Ficksburg and The Eastern Free State tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Ficksburg and The Eastern Free State

Ficksburg is a small farming town in the Eastern Free State highlands of South Africa. Famous for it's annual Cherry Festival, it also produces crops of asparagus, grain, sunflowers and deciduous fruits amongst other lesser crops. Some of the farmers specialize in cattle farming. But it's most attractive feature is it's setting. The Eastern Free State is spectacular for it’s rocky outcrops of sandstone cliffs.

Founded on 12th June 1867 and named after General Jan Fick, Ficksburg has some beautiful sandstone buildings built from the stone quarried in the area. Situated on the banks of the Caledon River, Ficksburg is the gateway to Lesotho, a small land-locked kingdom in the middle of South Africa. https://pbase.com/tessajoughin/lesotho__mountain_kingdom

Sandstone Estates,( https://pbase.com/tessajoughin/steam_at_dawn ) a private farm which lies on the banks of the Caledon River features quite prominently in this gallery

Behind Ficksburg lie the Witteberge (white mountains) and across the border in Lesotho are the Malutis. The Eastern Free State is a beautiful area and in this gallery I am going to try to show it in it’s many moods. I like to take images of the same scene under different lighting conditions and at different seasons. I shall be adding to this gallery so the images will be random.
'Soutkop', Ficksburg's signature 'Koppie'
'Soutkop', Ficksburg's signature 'Koppie'		 Soutkop sunset
Soutkop sunset		 Avril from Sandstone Estates steaming past Soutkop
"Avril" from Sandstone Estates steaming past Soutkop		 Soutkop - late summer and storms
Soutkop - late summer and storms		 Soutkop winter scene
Soutkop winter scene
Ficksburg Town Square
Ficksburg Town Square		 Town Hall
Town Hall		 NG Church and Maluti Mountains
NG Church and Maluti Mountains		 Beautiful cast iron on the restaurant
Beautiful cast iron on the restaurant		 McBrides House
McBrides House
Main Street
Main Street		 Stormy dusk in main street
Stormy dusk in main street		 The modern side of Town Square
The modern side of Town Square		 Farm
Farm		 Looking over 'Sheep Rock'
Looking over 'Sheep Rock'
Thunderstorm at Nebo
Thunderstorm at Nebo		 Road to Bloemfontein
Road to Bloemfontein		 Morning mists at Sandstone Estates
Morning mists at Sandstone Estates		 Visierskerf Mountain & Sphinx shaped rock
Visierskerf Mountain & Sphinx shaped rock		 Road to Bethlehem
Road to Bethlehem
Rocky sandstone outcrop
Rocky sandstone outcrop		 Cosmos and The Sheep
Cosmos and The Sheep		 Sandstone Estates wheat and the Malutis
Sandstone Estates wheat and the Malutis		 Sandstone ruins
Sandstone ruins		 View into Lesotho
View into Lesotho
Summer wheatlands
Summer wheatlands		 Neighbouring Fouriesburg
Neighbouring Fouriesburg		 Scaring the birds from the cherry crop
Scaring the birds from the cherry crop		 View to the Witteberge
View to the Witteberge		 Snow brings the Malutis closer!
Snow brings the Malutis closer!
Snow over Sandstone Estate's lands
Snow over Sandstone Estate's lands		 Sunset, dams and snow over Sandstone Estates
Sunset, dams and snow over Sandstone Estates		 Sunset, snow and silhouettes over Sandstone Estates
Sunset, snow and silhouettes over Sandstone Estates		 Behind snow-capped Versierskerf
Behind snow-capped Versierskerf		 Farmlands
Farmlands
Mountains and streams
Mountains and streams		 Sandstone Estates morning mist
Sandstone Estates morning mist		 Sunrise at Sandstone Estates
Sunrise at Sandstone Estates		 Cliffs and Cosmos on Sandstone Estates
Cliffs and Cosmos on Sandstone Estates		 Steaming through the cosmos on Sandstone Estates
Steaming through the cosmos on Sandstone Estates
Steam! on Sandstone Estates
Steam! on Sandstone Estates		 Indigenous Erica on Thaba Thabo
Indigenous Erica on Thaba Thabo		 Bird's eye view
Bird's eye view		 Farm Dam
Farm Dam		 Rooi-Kranz (red cliffs) in the sunset
Rooi-Kranz (red cliffs) in the sunset
Meulspruit Dam from Thaba Imperani
Meulspruit Dam from Thaba Imperani		 'White Mischief' on Meulspruit Dam
'White Mischief' on Meulspruit Dam		 'Kom Weer'(come again) Dam
'Kom Weer'(come again) Dam		 Dam on Sandstone Estates
Dam on Sandstone Estates		 Steam Train over the dam at Sandstone Estates
Steam Train over the dam at Sandstone Estates
Steam at Dawn photoshoot on Sandstone Estates
Steam at Dawn photoshoot on Sandstone Estates		 Sandstone cliffs over the water
Sandstone cliffs over the water		 Cosmos on the verges at Easter time
Cosmos on the verges at Easter time		 Road to Clocolan
Road to Clocolan		 Lombardy Poplars in Autumn
Lombardy Poplars in Autumn
St Joseph's Mission near Ladybrand
St Joseph's Mission near Ladybrand		 Golden Gate
Golden Gate		 Cemetry under the cliffs
Cemetry under the cliffs		 Golden Gate Nature Reserve
Golden Gate Nature Reserve		 Towering cliffs
Towering cliffs
Green and Gold
Green and Gold		 Nature's Cathedral
Nature's Cathedral		 Polo ponies at the Franshoek stream
Polo ponies at the Franshoek stream		 Vendors selling fruit from the local farms
Vendors selling fruit from the local farms		 Sundown on Thaba Thabo
Sundown on Thaba Thabo
Watsonias on Thaba Thabo
Watsonias on Thaba Thabo		 Erica Cerinthoides (heath) on Moolmanshoek
Erica Cerinthoides (heath) on Moolmanshoek		 Erica Cerinthoides
Erica Cerinthoides		 Hyobanche Sanguinea on Moolmanshoek
Hyobanche Sanguinea on Moolmanshoek

comment | share
Johan van Rensburg 30-Nov-2012 07:01
Beautiful and professional. Congratulations. I am willing to pay copyright to be able to use some of them as reference for paintings. I am not a professional artist.
Thank you,
Johan
zak 31-Aug-2008 16:41
wow your photos are beutiful!!! i grew up in maseru and ladybrand and love the scenery of the area! but battle to get source materials for my amature drawings, would you mind if i drew some of your photos???
LESLEY 11-Aug-2008 18:14
VERY BEAUTIFUL & ATTRACTIVE.THANKS FOR SHARING WITH US..
Eurika 04-Aug-2008 13:52
Unbelievably beautiful! Thanks for sharing this, I've always thought that the tourists to SA, miss out on seeing one of the most beautiful places on earth.
They seem to stay on the coast or go to the parks mostly.
The Eastern Free State is one of my favourite parts or South Africa.
I am now living in the Caribbean and really miss scenery like this!
Glen Allen02-Feb-2008 00:56
nice gallry thnx for sharing
Iowa-City 19-Dec-2007 21:57
Hello Tessa what a good job u have done with this beautiful pictures I have been there before, u posted them just the way they look at home, good job.
Liz Taylor 14-Dec-2007 17:04
what beatiful photos you have taken! My daughter will be visiting next year 2008 and staying for 6 month's working holiday in Bloemfontein with a friend. She is very lucky to be visiting such a beautiful region.
Guest 18-Sep-2007 14:26
Hi Tessa, your photos are very beautiful and atmospheric; as a former "Bloemfonteiner" now living in Scotland (and missing the Free State dreadfully) I was delighted to see "The Road to Bloemfontein" among your collection. Delightful!
Heather
Guest 10-May-2007 03:45
Hi Tessa :) Its been a rare treat viewing all your photos. You have amazing talent. I found your galleries doing a search for Ficksburg, in particular the monument to Gen. Fick. Of course, there just isn't a photo on the net of the monument, but your photos more than made up for it. Thank you for showing this beautiful part of my homeland!
Tint~
www.tintalasia.com
Jane Joughin 02-Jan-2007 23:52
I have just treated myself to a viewing of all of your galleries. It was a great pleasure. Thanks!!!
Ola 02-Sep-2006 11:15
Fantastic !
Claudia Kisch 01-Sep-2006 21:39
Totally amazing set! Congratulations!
Eldar Kadymov01-Sep-2006 18:43
Knockout gallery, every single image leaves you in awe ! V
Rob Legeland01-Sep-2006 15:03
Wonderful set of pictures! Gives a good impression of the area. Very well done...
click on thumbnails for full image