The organisers of the world-renowned Stars of Sandstone Steam and Heritage Festival set for 4-10 April 2019 in South Africa’s magnificent Eastern Free-State report bookings streaming in from across the globe. They have received feedback of local hotels and guesthouses fast filling up for the prestigious event and are advising visitors to confirm reservations for the festival as well as accommodation to avoid disappointment.
Arrive on the luxurious Blue Train
A further indulgence for some lucky guests wishing to be pampered at Stars of Sandstone 2019 will be the charter journey on the world-renowned Blue Train. Board the iconic train in Pretoria on 3 April, and experience the festival from 4 to 6 April in splendour.
The Blue Train will be stationed at Vailima at Sandstone next to the 2ft narrow-gauge line for easy access to the festival, from where guests will be transported by complimentary shuttle to the hive of activities at the festival.
Reserve a passage for The Blue Train Stars to Sandstone 2019 journey:
daver@sandstone.co.za - mobile +27 (0) 82447 9167
– landline +27 (0) 11 805 4692 – talk to Dave Richardson.
Heritage train excursions during the 2019 Stars of Sandstone include:
- The Mountain Wanderer offers scenic journeys at Sandstone. It traverses the full 30 km of track around the estate. Utilising up to 14 passenger coaches and two Garratt locomotives, which are former South African Railways steam locomotives, this train starts and finally ends at Hoekfontein Station. This station dates back to the 1890s and the journey takes between 90 minutes and two hours.
- The Lesotho Meander is a short trip of about 30 minutes to Grootdraai, which is on a hill above the Lesotho border with South Africa.
- The Stargazer is a magical evening journey departing from Grootdraai at 20h00 on selected evenings. Grootdraai is a short distance from the Lesotho Border, which is the Caledon River in the valley below. Passengers disembark at this point and observe the dazzling night sky. An astronomer provides an informative talk.
- Seb’s Railway for children offers 2,48 km of fun for youngsters – and the young at heart…
For more information on the Stars of Sandstone 2019 Steam and Heritage Festival, go to:
www.starsofsandstone.com
Some footage of what visitors will see and participate in during the 2019 festival: https://youtu.be/ziGauvrVDIA
Reservations for the Stars of Sandstone 2019 Festival:
http://www.starsofsandstone.com/index.php/info-booking/southern-african-residents
http://www.starsofsandstone.com/index.php/info-booking/international-residents
Accommodation:
The nearby towns of Ficksburg, Fouriesburg and Clarens offer many choices of hospitality: https://www.safarinow.com/destinations/eastern-free-state/hub.aspx