Burke’s Luck Potholes

Useful Information

Location:	Along R532 north of Graskop.
Open:	All year daily. [2008]
Fee:	nominal entrance fee. [2008]
Classification:	Gorge
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Tel: 013-759-5300. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Burke’s Luck Potholes are actually Geology potholes, a typical erosion form of fast-flowing water. The water runs in circles and whirls, the movement transports sand and gravel and erodes the rock of the riverbed. The results are tubs of various sizes, looking like some huge wells. Bourke’s Luck Potholes are formed by the Treur River, a tributary to the Blyde river, tight in the side wall of Blyde River Canyon.

Burke’s Luck was named after Tom Bourke who discovered this area in the 1870s. He was searching for gold, and he discovered some at this place (that’s the luck part). As a result there was a (small) gold rush to this place, which fortunately caused no damage to the site.

The site is well developed, with a visitor center and souvenir shops. From the car park at the Panorama route (R532) a paved trail leads to the upper part of the canyon. Two bridges across the gorge allow visitors to see all Geology potholes from above. A second trail to the north leads to the lower part of the gorge with another set of potholes. The distance is about one kilometer, 15 minutes walk.