Wakkerstroom was established in 1859, making it the second oldest Boer town in Mpumalanga. The town is surrounded by a huge wetland area and is well known throughout the international birdwatching fraternity as being one of the best places to visit in Southern Africa. Around Wakkerstroom are found some of South Africa's most threatened bird species. Birding guides may be hired in Wakkerestroom for tours of the birding areas. Wakkerstroom houses several old buildings including Boer homesteads and British blockhouses, and was witness to several nearby battles during the Anglo-Boer wars. The Kruger Bridge built in 1893 over the uThaka River is a National Monument.

Some of the earliest settlers in Wakkerstroom were a number of gentlemen who had been, against their wishes, on the way to Australia. They broke out of their leg-irons and jumped ship in Durban, making their way to the closest place outside the jurisdiction of the Natal Colonial Police, Wakkerstroom.

My Trip to Wakkerstroom
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"Wakkerstroom, the perfect stop-over from our home in Durban en route to Dullstroom.
Only 30-odd km from Volksrust and what a delightful little town it was. Wakkerstroom is one of those typical historical towns not unlike Clarens (in the Freestate) except on a much smaller scale. We took a long shot and checked into Wakkerstroom Inn and it was just perfect.

Generally, accommodation in Wakkerstroom is very reasonably priced and the town is smothered in history.
Watching rugby in the cozy ambiance of the Wakkerstroom Inn's little pub, followed by a fireside dinner whilst guzzling gallons of red wine ended the day perfectly. Incidentally, the fire in the pub / restaurant of The Wakkerstroom Inn has remained burning for the past 32 years!!

Some of the visiting bikers preferred to request the communal braai facilities. Apparently Wakkerstroom is a very popular stop-over for bikers because of it's situation.

We woke up in the morning with glorious hangovers, and tucked into lekker breakfast before hitting the road to Dulltroom.
The upside to Wakkerstroom included visits to the little arty-farty gifts and knick-knack shops. The only downside ....... No showers in our room (onlya bath).

Apparently all the low-lying marshland makes this a very popular destination for enthusiastic bird watchers, but you don't have to love bird watching to love Wakkerstroom." - Avril and Frank