Regarded as one of the coldest towns in Mpumalanga, it is one of South Africa’s   premier flyfishing destinations. The town is situated at 2100 m above sea level,  making it also one of the highest towns in the country. Dullstroom features the  highest railway station in South Africa at 2,077 m above sea level.

Dullstroom was established in 1883 by Dutchman Wolterus Dull to settle Dutch immigrants who made their way to the place of “eternal mist”. The first settlers from Holland arrived during the period 1884-1887.

Wolterus Dull visited the farm Groot Suikerboschkop during 1890 and found that the settlers had established a small village. This village was proclaimed  a town in 1892 by Paul Kruger and was originally named Dull’s-stroom, later simplified to Dullstroom, after Wolterus Dull and the Crocodile River (stream), which flows nearby.

During the Second Boer War the town was destroyed and most of the settlers returned to the Netherlands. After the war some of the immigrants, including T.N.H. Janson, returned and started to rebuild the village from the ashes. In 1921 the village was granted the status of  Town Council.

Dullstroom is on the panorama route, halfway from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park.

Dullstroom has five claims to fame:

• it is one of the coldest villages in South Africa
• it is South Africa’s premier trout fishing area
• it is the home of the highest railway station
• it is the only place where elm and beech trees grow in any number
• it is also the only region in South Africa where you will find the endangered Crowned Crane, the Blue Crane, as well as the Wattled Crane which are critically endangered.

In and around Dullstroom there are also numerous venues for accommodation and fly fishing.

Fitzgeraldstreet

The founder of Belfast was Richard O’Neil, whose grand-father was born in Belfast. Ireland. He possessed a large portion of the farm Tweefontein and some other property. On 30 June 1890 the farm Tweefontein was declared  a town by the name of Belfast by President Paul Kruger.

Near the Drakensberg escarpment and 210km east of Pretoria, Belfast is one of the coldest places in South Africa. The grassveld district is known for cattle, dairy and sheep farming. The wattle and bluegum plantations are the oldest in Mpumalanga.The town also boasts a tulip nursery that attracts large numbers of visitors in spring. Coal, black granite, fire clay and kaolin are mined. Large deposits of chrome and iron are found in the area.Many rivers and streams rise on this watershed. They are clear and cold and are renowned for their excellent trout  fishing conditions.

A large number of first class venues in and surround Belfast cater for accommodation, and fly fishing of which Treeferns Trout Lodge is proud to be one.

Sight-seeing and activities include:
Berg en Dal Monument
Anglo Boer war monument
Hiking Trails
Trout Fishing

At 2000 m above sea level, Vlakfontein farm is one of the highest on the Eastern Escarpment. It has a sub-alpine climate, and is well known for its windy, rainy, misty, cool weather, and undulating green hills reminding visitors of the Scottish Highlands.

                                  Proving the point Allen playing “Amazing Grace”.

Summers are moderate with rain, thunder showers, and occasional floods, somewhat unpredictable and often misty or drizzly with temperatures between 19 and 33 degrees.  Winters vary from cold to moderate with frost and occasional snow and temperatures zero to 15 degrees..  Prevailing wind direction is north to north-easterly. The rainfall averages 800 mm per year.

The climate lends itself perfectly to  trout favouring cool, clear water, and hence flyfishing for trout is popular in the region.

  All through the year one can expect fast changes in the daily weather conditions, and warm clothing is always advisable.

See Weather Update for past or current conditions.

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t an altitude of 2000 m, TREEFERNS TROUT LODGE lies between the hills and mountains of the Eastern Escarpment of Mpumalanga. The “Witrand” with its well-known FM tower, forms part of the farm, and offers a panoramic view of Dullstroom, Machadodorp, Waterval Boven, and the Lowveld by day, and sometimes Lydenburg’s glow on clear nights.

Visible from far the FM tower on the farm offers a clear beacon to the farm. It is also the site of several stone trenches dating from the Anglo-Boer War, and the Battle of Vlakfontein a description of which is also available on this web site.

The GPS co-ordinates are 25° 34′ 32.6 S, and 30° 10′ 47.5 E.