When I was younger I had the luxury of going on a a fair amount of family holidays within South Africa. Minus the warm egg mayo sandwiches and the long boring drives...: “Mooooommm are we there yet?” I really loved them and will always hold great memories for me. One thing I remember loathing was the frequent stops to check out the little museums and memorials along the way.
As I learnt more South African history through school and then University I really grew to love it. I think that as South Africans we often tend to put all our efforts into one particular theme or one particular event…although granted some of them were more important.
There are however hundreds of little forgotten memorials and museums dotted all around South Africa…you may have seen the signs while driving down to the coast…or even on the way to Pretoria. Yesterday I followed one of these signs and discovered a little bit of South African history first hand.
Between Centurion and Pretoria lies the Airforce memorial to the 3000 members of the Air Force who have died while serving South Africa. The memorial offers a unrivaled view of the base and its runways.
This building is designed in the shape of a triangular star and consists of three wings. One if these is a neutral chapel for family services. A memorial hall and memorial stone on a scarlet red background takes up the centre. 
Why: stunning views, a quick lesson in history
Where: Route 101 (Old Johannesburg Road) , Zwartkop Air Force Base , Old Johannesburg Road,Valhalla.
