Barkly East is a town in
Eastern Cape Province,
South Africa, seat of the
Joe Gqabi District Municipality, and 117 km by road E.S.E. of
Aliwal North, lying in the mountainous area just south of
Lesotho. The town lies at the southern tip of the
Drakensberg on the Langkloofspruit, a tributary of the
Kraai River which, in turn is a tributary of the
Orange River at an elevation of 1 790 meter (5 873 foot) above
sealevel. Barkly East is characterized by rugged mountains and green valleys. Snow falls in winter, and the hamlet of
Rhodes is 60 km or an hour's drive from Barkly East on the R396. Both are within the boundaries of the
Senqu Local Municipality. It has been one of the few areas in South Africa where winter sports are pursued, and in summer
fly fishing for
Rainbow trout and indigenous
Smallmouth yellowfish, trail running, mountain biking, ancient rock-art, tennis and the magnificent scenery draw tourists to the district. A more recent development is the mountainous terrain attracting off-road bikers who revel in traversing the numerous passes in the area. Even more recent is the opening of the winter fly fishing season on Wild Trout Association waters around Barkly East,
Lady Grey, Rhodes and Wartrail.