Is in Matabeleland, about 40km from the Gwanda Rd. Its been on my to do list for sometime and was well worth the visit. We had a survey a short distance from here,a nd couldn’t resist a short detour.
Its low now, the water level marked on the rocks is down about two metre.
The dam was built in 1994 and is meant to supplement the Bulawayo water supply. The views around there are dramatic, the Matopos domes towering.
The road in is a little rough! But one part of it winds along the edge of the spillway gorge and looks almost as if it has been planted, with aloes and tiny flowering succulents.
Love these photos Frankie – beautiful ❤️❤️
Thanks!
Far from the madding crowd.
That is foreshuwa! Its very hard to get close to the water from the dam wall end, and so only people who own four wheel drives or are prepared to walk kilometers will go there. We intend to find a way through from the Shilo school – much cheaper than the $5.00 per person the council want. I object to paying that when I dont fish!
Absolutely picture perfect – love the shades, shadows, everything!
Thanks – I also like that photo (the first one) very much. I couldnt resist so many of the garden alongside the road – hope they were not too boring
Awesome. Hope some rains come or is it too late now?
They would be very welcome – several fields we saw had maize tasseling – any rain would give those people some hope of a few cobs. Grass grows no matter the time of year. If the rain settled in now and rained for a month…oopps, Im dreaming out loud!
In the late 1950’s my husband bought Sub-Section D of Florencedale Farm which had the Mtshabezi river flowing through it. The dam site was downstream in the Tribal Trust Land and the water backed onto the farm. The farm afforded the beautiful backdrop of the Matopos Hills.
Wonderful – off the old Gwanda Rd, I guess? On this blog, I have pics taken from Shumbashaba, which is further towards Bulawayo
Yes off the old Gwanda Road.
We would access Florencedale from Bulawayo through Burnside and onto the Criterion Road, passing Mzilikazi’s Old Bulawayo, where there were the ruins of the Jesuit Chapel and a waggon shed built by the Jesuits for Mzilikazi. We would sometimes have access from the Old Gwanda Road when rain made the Criterion Road impassable.
Yes, that is the route I know – but the Mtshabezi Dam rd does finally meet the Old Gwanda Rd – we would turn right and then your place would be a short distance. Did you pass the Matobo Mission?
Beautiful! Is there camping there?
Yes, but no ablutions, no water! Only a designated place where one can set up a camp. The problem is the rate is $5.00 per day, per person, which is ridiculous if you are not fishing! So we plan to drive from Lumeni, and ask a homesteader if we can stay with them near the waters edge
Thanks – I look forward to seeing more photographs.
That looks amazing, peaceful and tranquil.
It is – its lovely – the colours were very vibrant too