Two hugely significant events occurred in 1912.

The first was the maiden voyage of the Titanic. The second was the establishment of a small town called Clarens in a picturesque valley in the eastern Free State.   But while the Titanic came to a sudden and tragic end, the town of Clarens sails serenely on, attracting an ever-growing number of tourists to its eclectic charm. This coming weekend the town plays host to the 50th birthday celebrations of the Mini Cooper, that impossibly British car that is irresistibly connected in most people’s minds to John Cleese and Cool Britannia.  Around 700 Minis are expected to assemble in the town square in a two-day event that will also see the unveiling of a special 50-year Birthday car, one of only five special-edition Minis.  There will be 10 birthday parties around the world, organised by current Mini owner, BMW, and the Clarens event is attracting Mini lovers from all over Africa and the Middle East.   The country’s top bands and DJs get an outing in possibly the most varied music event on the continent.  So why did the Mini’s half-centenary end up being hosted in Clarens? “We pitched for it,” says Simon Kerr, restaurateur and owner of events company Clarens Adventures.  “We hold any number of international events here – recently we hosted a Ducati motorcycle rally and a Harley Davidson get together.  Clarens is a marvellous town for motoring:  the roads lend themselves to driving, there are off-road facilities, and everywhere you go there is this magnificent scenery.” And as far as scenery goes, it doesn’t get much more magnificent than the region around Clarens.  The Eastern Free State is a magnet for artists and photographers, who leap around in creative frenzy when confronted by the blue summer skies, the green valleys, the golden sandstone mountains and the peaceful lines of poplar and willow.  This is when they are not leaping around in equal frenzies at the mountain snowscapes in winter, the tawny grass plains of autumn and the flowering blossoms of spring.  “This is a lovely area for anything,” says Simon, chairman of a newly created forum that brings together the tourism operators of the town and the business community, which should add further acceleration to Clarens’s voyage into tourism legend. “There always something to do, with appeal to everyone.  There’s white-water rafting on the Ash River, which is fed by the tunnel from the Katse Dam and therefore always has white water; there are arts and crafts from some of South Africa’s most illustrious artists; there’s sport like abseiling and golf and horse-riding; there is history and rock art and geological formations to clamber over.  In fact, if there is something that Clarens doesn’t have, you must please tell us so that we can get it!” On the other hand, Clarens does have something that is completely unique:  the surrounding mountains are a never-found-anywhere-else golden rock called Clarens sandstone.  Local houses are built of this rock which, along with the elegant willows and statuesque poplars, creates the kind of dreamy landscapes that cause artists to bite their brushes in half. Actually, here’s something that Clarens residents might not even know themselves:  the landscape around this area is so exactly like the art deco artscapes of the 20s and 30s that one has a hard time deciding whether art is imitating nature or the other way round. It’s like living in a Pierneef painting. When I recently hosted an American journalist on an educational around the country, she was relatively blasé about our attractions.  Cape Town reminded her of San Francisco;  the Garden Route reminded her of the Southern coast; Johannesburg looked just like Dallas;  the Karoo was just like Texas.  But when we got to the Eastern Free State and Golden Gate, she was lost for words. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said.  And I felt more than a little smug.  Clarens is well placed for international events:  it is centrally situated for Johannesburg, Durban and Bloemfontein. Its strategic position, as well as a number of energetic individuals who have rolled up their sleeves and got down to work, means that the dreamy small town is headed for great things. “We have a fantastic community spirit,” continues Simon.  “The municipality and the businesses have become aware of the benefits of tourism and so there is co-operation from the smallest mom-and-pop businesses like coffee shops and shebeens to large undertakings like property development. The more we work together, the more benefit everyone sees.” Unfortunately there is no room left for anyone wanting to attend the Mini birthday party in Clarens this weekend, unless they’re prepared to sleep in their Mini.  Day visitors are welcome, however, and there is nothing to stop anyone from stopping in Clarens at any other time. Check out the forthcoming attractions on the website www.clarenstourism.co.za