Cradock Adventure Tours

Cradock is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, in the upper valley of the Great Fish River, 292 kilometres (181 mi) by rail northeast of Port Elizabeth. The town is the administrative seat of the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality in the Chris Hani District of the Eastern Cape. The estimated population in 2005 is 28,689. It is one of the Cape’s chief centres of the wool industry, and also produces beef, dairy, fruit, lucerne, and mohair. Due to its hot sulphur springs, the town enjoys a reputation as one of the best health resorts in the province. It stands at an altitude of 871 metres (2856 ft). 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the town are sulphur baths (temp 38°C (100°F)) used for the treatment of rheumatism. In the neighbouring district a few herds of mountain zebras survive, now protected by game laws. The town was founded on 27 August 1818 when a Dutch Reformed church was built; it is named after Sir John Cradock, governor of the Cape from 1811 to 1813. Interestingly, the design of the Dutch Reformed Church building is based on that of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The town’s other attractions include the Victoria Manor Hotel and the “tuishuise”, a collection of restored Victorian era craftsmen’s houses in Market Street.