A Brief Overview
Hendrina's location midway between Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park has made it a favoured rest stop for travellers, but perhaps Antiek-Sjiek, an antique collector's haven, has something to do with that too.
Hendrina is situated in the heart of cosmos country, where autumn brings with it blankets of cosmos flowers – it’s truly a sight to behold. While Hendrina is predominantly a mining and farming town, that was founded in 1914 on the farm Grasfontein, its location midway between Johannesburg and the Kruger National Park has made it a favoured rest stop, but perhaps Antiek-Sjiek has something to do with that too. This antique collector’s treasure trove is found in a house that dates back to the 1920s, soon after the town was established. Each room tells a different story and visitors can delve through crockery, silverware, musical instruments as well as Singer sewing machines and jewellery. The beer garden is ornamented with an ox wagon, petrol pump and vintage car that stands alongside the farming equipment used to till the soil of neighbouring farms. The restaurant serves Afrikaans farm-style food, where one can savour everything from homemade bread and vetkoek to milk tart and other traditional delights. The gift shop will ensures that no-one leaves empty handed, even if it’s just padkos for the rest of the journey ahead.
Those with more time to spare, should explore the local municipality offices, just across the street from Antiek-Sjiek, where there’s an extensive collection of historical artifacts date back to the Anglo-Boer War that is freely open to the public. The lake on the outskirts of town has picnicking and playground facilities, otherwise grab those reins on a horseback outride.