Rhodesia's Capital City - SALISBURY

To tourists, primarily attracted to Rhodesia by the Victoria Falls. Wankie National Park, Zimbabwe  Ruins and Lake Kariba, the first visit to Salisbury comes as a pleasant surprise. Instead of an  undistinguished inland town, this is a clean, shining, spacious city with an impressive skyline of tall  and unusually attractive buildings.

 Among the buildings, flowering trees; in the shops and restaurants, smartly dressed men and  women.

 Night life is sophisticated, the atmosphere ranging from the cosiness of the discreet bar to the hospitable harmonies of the night-clubs. Food, wine and entertainment of a standard expected by  the present-day tourist is offered in a wide variety and at prices that compare very favourably with those to be found in equivalent establishments in the most sophisticated cities in Africa.

 After a day of travel and sight seeing, it is pleasant to relax in one or other of Salisbury's leading hotels and then to go on to a  night spot or enjoy the hotel's own evening amenities.


An aerial view of Salisbury (frequently called the "City  of Flowering
Trees"), when the Jacarandas lining many of the streets and avenues
are in flower


Lightning flashes rival the bright night lights of Salisbury.

 
Fantastic shapes and great splashes of colour attract
tourists from all parts of  the world to  the unique
garden of aloes, cycads and cacti at the Ewanrigg
National Park.


Typical of the pleasures of LakeMcIlwaine are these sailingboats, gay
in the brilliant sunshine of Rhodesia. Fish of manykinds make the
lake an angler's delight.

 Equally important is that Salisbury has departmental stores and boutiques that stand comparison with any in Southern Africa for their variety of merchandise from all over the world or produced by Rhodesia itself.

 Surprising, too, to the visitor to Salisbury is that there is so much to see and do in and around the city the Rhodes National Gallery, where the work of African artists may be purchased; the National  Archives with its historic treasures; Parliament, where the public may watch debates; the Queen  Victoria Museum, where the story of man and animals is told.

 Twenty-five miles from Salisbury is the Ewanrigg National Park, a garden of aloes, cycads and cacti, regarded as unique in Southern and Central Africa. The aloes are  in full glory in the winter months of June, July and August, but the garden should not be missed at any time of the year.


Rhodesia is famous for its many fantastic rock formations. This pile of
precariously-balanced rocks can be seen at Epworth Mission, in an
area known as the "Grant's Playground"

 
A visit to the Mazoe Valley a rich golden valley of agriculture,beauty
and outdoor enjoyment, should not be omitted, if only to see the vast
orange groves cf the Mazoe Citrus Estates.

 
 Salisbury's main swimming-pool, flanked by skyscrapers, is of Olympic
size and standard. In 1965 the South African swimming and diving
championships were held in this pool.

 
 In the small game park in the McIlwaine National Park are to be seen zebra, giraffe, eland, gnu (wildebeest), kudu and sable. Well worth visiting.

 In another direction, also 25 miles from the city, is the rich Mazoe Valley, fed by streams and by the Mazoe Dam and clothed with acre after acre of citrus-bearing trees of the great Mazoe Citrus Estates, founded by the British South Africa Company over 60 years ago. The lovely dam and fruit laden orchards will delight many visitors.

 In a third direction, also within a half-hour's motoring distance of Salisbury, is the Robert McIlwaine National Park. The Park includes the man-made Lake McIlwaine, third in size in Rhodesia, where angling and every form of aquatic sport can be indulged in; a game park, where many species of wild animals roam at will; and many easily-accessible caves, where may be seen some of the numerous examples of prehistoric rock art to be found in the Salisbury area.

 For those who are only on a brief visit to Rhodesia and who wish to savour "the real Africa", the delightful thatched chalets and self-contained cottages in the national park (within easy distance of  the game park) provide an unusual contrast to the city's hotel accommodation.

 For the rest, Salisbury, as be fitting a capital city and an international airport, offers all the usual cultural and sporting amenities.

 For the rest, Salisbury, as be fitting a capital city and an international airport, offers all the usual cultural and sporting amenities.

 And if you should visit Salisbury in the spring or summer you will be delighted by the flowering  trees that line the streets and avenues. There are the blue Jacarandas, orange Spathodeas, scarlet  Flamboyants, Sterculias (commonly known as "Flame Trees") and the Bauhinias, in white and purple shades, which are the first to herald spring.


 Near Lake McIlwaine are caves with interesting prehistoric paintings. Picture was taken at Bushman's Point.

 
 Salisbury is noted for its art gallery  — the National Gallery of Rhodesia,
where outstanding modern sculptures and  paintings by Rhodesian
artists, African and European, may be seen.


 Inside one of Salisbury's nightclubs.

Reprinted from "Rhodesia Calls" by Unitas Press, Rhodesia, and issued by the Rhodesia National
Tourist Board.

End

Extracted and recompiled by Eddy Norris from material made available by Darryl Burlin . Thanks Darryl.

 Comments are always welcome, please send them to Eddy Norris at orafs11@gmail.com
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