The historical town Bethulie, near the Northern shores of Lake Gariep, lies on the edges of Southern Free State koppies, the outlying countryside is spectacularly beautiful with wide desert skies and incredible sunsets and sunrises. Sheep, game and horse farms surround the town. The town has much to offer. People are keen on sport with tennis, golf, bowls, angling and cycling being the most popular and there is a country club and a swimming pool. There are schools, libraries, an old-age home, and three restaurants, a good clinic, a hospice and most churches are represented here ¿ after all, it owes much to the French Missionary, J.P. Pellissier who lived and worked here during the mid-nineteenth century and left his mark strongly. Archeologically, it is very interesting with important fossil sites commanding attention worldwide. Bethulie, along with eight other towns, is managed by Kopanong Municipality with offices in Trompsberg. There is a Municipal sub-office in the town. A group of local business people formed Bethulie Business Action (BBA), which is it¿s version of a Chamber of Commerce. The BBA runs the local newsletter. Six months ago residents formed a Ratepayers¿ Association. Projects which potentially will impact very positively on the growth of the town have been planned. There is a large and visible police force, as the Bethulie office is the centre of policing for the region. Nearby Lake Gariep, with 360-km2 surface, is the largest fresh water expanse in South Africa and offers superb opportunities for development of tourism-related industries. Development of the tourism potential around Lake Gariep is planned as a co-operative project between three Provinces and various stakeholders and they are establishing an Environmental Economic Development Zone with ecotourism to be the main thrust. Three provincial game reserves are to be amalgamated into a conservation area in excess of 85 000 hectares. The activities planned within the protected areas of Lake Gariep include game viewing by private vehicle, walking trails under the supervision of professional guides, angling, ornithology and simply the exploration of wild and unspoiled landscapes. The air is clean and healthy ¿ there is no pollution. The town is small enough for cars to be used minimally ¿ bicycles are a great form of transport. There are wonderful gardens where water is available ¿ many inhabitants can¿t afford to buy Municipal water and the look of some properties is of raked earth. It is a village full of trees; wild olives and pepper trees are abundant.Information supplied by Dave Spence of Metani Properties in Bethulie
