The main centre of the Grass & Wetlands Region is a mining, power supply and agricultural town set in beautiful rural surroundings.
Ermelo is surrounded by sheep, cattle and sunflower farms, and is the commercial and industrial centre of the Eastern Highveld area as well as a centre for the mining of coal and anthracite.
The rural and parts mountainous area around Ermelo, with all its lakes and hills, is known for outdoors activities – in particular birding, fishing and game viewing.
Though the streets of Ermelo itself are rather drab and leave plenty to be desired architecturally (‘functional’ is an apt description – the historical town was destroyed and rebuilt) and though the air and view is a little sullied by the Ermelo Power Plant, Mpumalanga’s tranquil Lake District, including the pretty little village of Chrissiesmeer, is only 30 minutes drive from Ermelo. Carolina is also nearby, and north from Carolina the Komati Gorge near Machadodorp and the start of beautiful Highland Meander with its views and waterfalls that beckon the traveller, the photographer and the hiker – barely an hour’s drive away. To the south east, Swaziland is a whole new world. If you are on your way from Gauteng, stock up on supplies in Ermelo – paradise and adventure beckon just over the horizon in every direction.
