Things to Do in Plaston

Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre is perfect for the whole family to enjoy a day out. The variety of shops range from galleries housing African art to boutique clothing stores. Entertainment is on offer at The Barnyard Theatre, cinema and live music at Magnolia Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 09:00 - 16:30 Sunday 09:00 - 16:00 www.casterbridge.co.za

White River Country Estate is a scenic golf course situated on the outskirts of White River and not far from Kruger National Park. The 18-hole course offers a good mental and physical challenge for golfers of all skill levels. With Gary Player behind the design of the course, White River Country Estate is considered a world-class facility. The estate also offers a swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, and plenty of entertainment for the whole family.

The Mbombela Stadium is one of the new stadiums constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The elevated stadium can comfortably seat 40,000 people and has excellent views from all positions. Situated eight kilometres north of Nelspruit, it is the closest venue to the hugely popular Kruger National Park. The bustling boom town of Nelspruit is the gateway to Kruger National Park. This busy commercial centre has excellent facilities, shopping malls and air links with Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Maputo. Nelspruit is also a major stopover for motorists travelling on the N4 en route to Kruger National Park, Swaziland and Mozambique. It is situated really close to Malelane Gate and Crocodile Bridge Gate, entrances to the Kruger National Park.

This legendary bushveld concert and party venue is nestled in the hills just 10km south of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga. Blue Moon is a unique, custom-built, multi-purpose function venue with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.As a music venue, Blue Moon is not genre specific. Local and international highlights include Seether, Dana Winner, Freshly Ground, Prime Circle, The Parlotones, Malaika, Mafikizolo and Steve Hofmeyr.As a functions venue, Blue Moon is unique and versatile, suitable for hosting corporate end-of-year functions, launches, award dinners, weddings and birthday parties. Blue Moon's multiple stages, decks, bars, kitchen, amphitheatre, chalets, bunkhouse, trees and creative lighting can be adapted to suit just about every need. The small team of three owner-operators is always keen to accommodate exciting and challenging ideas.

Alkmaar Raceway is a world class Motocross venue hosting national and international events. The 2008 World Motocross Grand Prix took place here.

Meet the Elephant Sanctuary’s gentle giants. During the “Trunk in Hand” programme, an experienced guide introduces visitors to the elephants. Guests are able to touch, feel, feed, interact and walk trunk-in-hand with the elephants. After the interaction visitors can opt for a short elephant ride – a privilege historically reserved for kings! It is a truly awesome experience to ride these magnificent animals. This amazing sanctuary provides a halfway house for young African elephants in need of a temporary home. The sanctuary’s vision is to release all their elephants into an environment where they can be more independent when they are mature. The Elephant Sanctuary is conveniently situated 5 km from Hazyview and 10 km from Kruger National Park’s Phobeni Gate. Facilities include elevated wooden walkways, beautifully constructed decks overlooking the river and a curio shop. View www.elephantsanctuary.co.za for bookings and details of various experiences.

Situated in the centre of Hazyview, the Rendezvous Tourist Centre is a small shopping centre with a convenient mix of amenities ranging from arts and crafts, to restaurants and pubs.

Gliding above one of the last natural forested valleys along the Sabie River. Neighboring the Kruger National Park, the aerial cable trail takes visitors on a thrilling ride down into the valley basin. Skyway is the longest cable trail in Africa with a length of 1,2 km and a total of 10 platform stops. The platforms allow visitors an opportunity to check out the views of the forest floor and birdlife. Qualified guides lead groups along the trail. Skyway Trail has been designed and built to South African civil engineering standards and all the equipment has been tried and tested worldwide.

The modern Blue Haze Mall is the biggest shopping centre in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, offering 186 shops. Key tenants include SuperSpar, Standard Bank, FNB, Pep Stores, Ackermans, Jet, Ellerines, Boxer, Pick n Pay, Edgars, Woolworths, Mr. Price, Foschini, Clicks, ABSA, Nedbank, Truworthsa and KFC. Need to know? +27 (0) 82 883 3305 edwaleni@mweb.co.za www.twincity.co.za

The Sabie River golf course near Nelspruit and White River is one of only four 18-hole golf courses Mpumalanga. Water hazards are plentiful so it is wise to bring plenty of balls. Numerous hippos and crocodiles are permanent residents in the course's main dam (next to the 14th and 15th holes). The course is very popular during winter and spring from July to October. Bring your binoculars if you’re a keen birder.

Designed by Gary Player in 1992, the Kruger Park Lodge Golf Course offers 9 holes (18 tees), Par 72, 6100 m (5152 m ladies) and has a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5. The attractive course has numerous water features that regularly attract hippo and abundant birdlife. Impala antelope are able to roam freely. Golfing in this wilderness environment is an unforgettable experience. Golf carts and golf clubs can be hired from the Pro Shop.

When the summer heat of the Lowveld gets intense, Perry's Bridge Brewery is an awesome spot to visit to quench your thirst. With their own selection of beers on tap as well as a good selection of imports, it is the ideal place to relax with friends. For non-beer drinkers there is a range of wines and also a mouth-watering menu.

Be fascinated by the mysterious world of reptiles at Perry's Bridge Reptile Park. ‘From inspiration springs conservation’ is the mantra of dedicated workers at the park and their passion is contagious. Knowledgeable guides unlock the secrets of these often misunderstood creatures and reveal their elegance, magnificence, specialisation, and adaptability. Do you ever wonder what the largest serpent in the world is? Or want to find out how and what they eat? Here you will find these answers and a whole lot more intriguing discoveries. Perry's Bridge Reptile Park is home to a variety of venomous snakes, large constrictor lizards, crocodiles, tortoises and frogs in surroundings simulating their natural environments as closely as possible. Check out anacondas, reticulated pythons, deadly black mambas, green mambas, rattlesnakes, boomslang, gaboon adders, cobras, iguanas, ancient leopard tortoises, poison dart frogs, and enormous Nile crocodiles. Small visitors will love Pum Pum, Peaches and Pumpkin, the potbellied pigs; Daisy and Gandalf the goats; Letitia and Lancelot, the peacocks; and an assortment of ducks and geese. Perry's Bridge Reptile Park is open daily 10:00 – 17:00 and offers demonstrations at 11:00 and 15:00. Crocodile feeding is on Sundays at 14:00. Where? Perry's Bridge Tourist Centre, corner of R40 and R536, Hazyview – 14 km from Phabeni and Numbi gates of the Kruger National Park. +27 (0) 13 737 7680.

Get up close and personal with six magnificent elephants on the banks of the Sabie River. The Elephant Whispers experience allows you to touch, exchange trunk greetings and offer tasty treats to tame and trained elephants varying in ages from nine to twenty six years. Visitors can also enjoy a thrilling elephant ride meandering down shady paths and enjoying the view. Several excursions are available – view http://elephantwhispers.co.za for more details.

At the core of Shangana Cultural Village is a busy African market where local craftspeople work and trade their crafts. Trained guides take guests on informative and interactive trips to villages during the daytime as well as midday tours with lunch and the famous Evening Festival in the Chief's Kraal. Shangana was created and built by the local Shangaan people and is a source of great pride. The village preserves their rich heritage and is an example of South Africa's great cultural diversity.

The Sudwala Caves are an incredibly deep system of caverns lying in the Mpumalanga region of the Drakensberg escarpment. Considered the oldest known caves in the world, this astonishing unplumbed complex of passages and giant chambers extend into the mysterious Mankelexele massif. The caves are situated in the Precambrian dolomite rocks of the Malmani Group, formed over a period of some 3 000 million years, capturing in stone an era when this place was a shallow inland sea. The very earliest known life forms are preserved in fossil form in these rocks. In the cave are fossils of the first oxygen producing plants on the earth called collenia – fossilised bacterial colonies that date back 2.2 billion years! And there's a Dinosaur Park too. Kids will love the life-size monsters guarding the cave entrance. Keen for adventure? Time your visit on the last Saturday of the month and join one of the popular Crystal Tours inside the deeper chambers. You will be required to crawl through some sections be prepared to get wet. It lasts for six hours and bookings are essential. +27 (0) 13 733 4152 www.sudwalacaves.co.za

Phabeni Gate is situated 10 km from Hazyview and serves as a convenient entry point for visitors entering the southern part of the Kruger National Park. Guided night drives in open safari vehicles are on offer - advance bookings are essential.

Visit the ruins of a 19th century trading post established by the famous Portuguese trader, Joao Albasini at the new Phabeni Gate, 10 km from Hazyview. For centuries prolific trading activity has taken place in the southeastern region of Africa. Maputo (formerly Lourenco Marques) would have been the starting and end point for many of the old trading routes that crisscrossed the southern continent. Albasini set up a network of trading routes that reached the Lowveld. By 1845, he had established a trading post at Magashula’s Kraal, now known as Albasini Ruins.

Visit an active silk farm and be amazed by the silk making process at this unique African development venture. After taking an interesting tour, you can spoil yourself purchasing silk clothing, silk-filled duvets or even silk skincare products. Guided one-hour tours are offered on the farm for a minimal fee. These tours take place from Monday to Sunday. After the silk farm tour visitors can relax at the Deck Restaurant for light meals and refreshments. The ice-cold homemade gingerbeer is a winner.

Take a slow stroll along the Heritage Walk from Barberton Museum to see a relic from yesteryear. This lovely old locomotive was brought to Barberton on its own steam in 1971, having served on the railway line between Barberton and Kaapmuiden from 1899. The Barberton Steam Locomotive was manufactured in 1898 by Nielson & Co. for the Cape Government Railways. The Kaapmuiden-Barberton railway line was opened on 1 April 1896 and similar locomotives were used on it.