Bourke's Luck Potholes

[JuiceZA]

This picture was taken on our recent family holiday to the Kruger National Park.

This natural water feature marks the beginning of the Blyde River Canyon in the Mpumalanga provice of South Africa. Through countless eons the swirling whirlpools which occur as the Treur River plunges into the Blyde River caused waterborne sand and rock to grind huge, cylindrical potholes into the bedrock of the river.

The Potholes were named after a gold digger, Tom Burke, who staked a claim nearby. Although his claim did not produce a single ounce of gold, he correctly predicted that large gold deposits would be found in the area.



The flower is an Aloe, though I'm not sure if it's Aborensces or Mutabilis.

At the bottom of the pool you can see the glint of coins that people have tossed into the potholes for luck.

[beachcomber]

What a great story Juice, I love the idea of people converting the location into a sort of wishing well, and poor old Tom Burke, well perhaps his real joy was in the hunt for gold and not the owning of it. Love the picture, and what an unusual little flower, good post mate

[JuiceZA]

Hey, thanks! Yeah, poor Burke. Still, they eventually found gold not too far away which sparked off one of the biggest gold rushes in South Africa. There's now a very quaint tourist town there called Pilgrimsrest that's been kept pretty much preserved in that era.