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This province is the largest province in South Africa,
but also the least populated. The mighty Orange River is the lifeline
running through an area that becomes desert-like on the fringes of the Karoo
and the Kalahari. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park is one of South
Africa's major attractions and shares an unfenced border with Botswana,
letting the game roam freely between the two countries. To the North of the
Orange River, where South Africa borders Botswana, there are sparsely wooded
Acacia savannah and grasslands. To the South, the Karoo offers its woody
shrubs and succulents. On the West coast of this province is the
Namaqualand area, famous for its profusion of spring flowers (end of August
to end of October).
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Central to this
province is Kimberley, a name that was synonymous with diamonds in the 19th
Century, when they were discovered on a farm owned by the De Beers family.
Although Kimberley's “Big Hole” has long been abandoned, there are still
important mines functioning in the area.
The Big Hole – Kimberley
Kimberley developed around this huge hole in the ground, formerly a small
hill known as Colesberg Koppie, where diamonds were discovered early in
1871. An observation platform provides a good view of the Big Hole, about
365m deep and covering an area close on 15.5h. Between 1871 and 1914, men
toiled to remove some 25 million tons of earth from the site. It yielded
about 14.5 million carats of diamonds.
Augrabies Nationaal Park
The name of the
falls derives from the Namaqua word for ’place of great noise’. The ravine
is 18 km long and has several impressive cataracts. The main falls drop 56
metres, the Bridal Veil Falls on the north side, 75 metres. One of the most
impressing facets of the park is the fascinating desert/riverine environment
on either side of the river. The park has a harsh climate and it covers an
area of 82,000 hectares and the flora includes kokerbooms, the Namaqua fig,
several varieties of thorn trees and succulents. The park also has an
excellent complex including a restaurant, open-air café, numerous cottages
and a caravan park.
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The Namaqua
National Park was proclaimed in 1999. It is a developing park, devoted to
conserving the globally significant Succulant Karoo biome and is renowned
for its spectacular spring flower displays. One of the natural wonders of
South Africa is the annual blossoming of the Namaqualand wild flowers in the
Karoo Succulant Biome, which transforms this semi-desert into a fairyland.
The park is
situated in Hardeveld – otherwise known as the Namaqualand Klipkoppe. These
'Klipkoppe' (or rocky outcrops) are made up of a fragmented chain of
mountains measuring approximately 50kms in width. The chain separates the
low-lying Sandveld to the west and the Bushmanland plateau to the east.
Significant to the topography of the area are the characteristic large
granite outcrops surrounded by sandy alluvial valleys.
Amphibians and
reptiles are well represented, with a number of endemic species present.
Birds are typical of the dry arid western regions of the country. The mammal
species that have adapted to these harsh conditions include springbok,
klipspringer, steenbok, duiker, meerkat, baboon, bat-eared fox, black-backed
jackal, aardvark, porcupine, caracal and leopard.
Formerly known as
the Kalahari Gemsbok Park (proclaimed as such in 1931), it is set between
the mostly dry beds of the Auob and Nosssob Rivers in the province of the
Northern Cape. It encompasses 960,000 hectares, roughly half as much as the
Kruger National Park. If the adjacent Gemsbok National Park in Botswana is
factored into this area, it totals 3.6 million hectares. It is acclaimed as
one of the great African parks, not least of all due to the fact that it
shares an unfenced border with a Wildlife sanctuary across the Nossob in
Botswana.
Red sand dunes,
sparse vegetation and the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob show antelope
and predator species off at a premium, providing excellent photographic
opportunities. Kgalagadi could be considered a haven for birders, especially
when interested in birds of prey. Gemsbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest
and springbok are all fairly common in the riverbeds and visitors may
occasionally see a group of eland, though the species tends to remain in the
dunes. Diminutive suricate and black-backed jackals as well as bat-eared
foxes are often seen scurrying about in the late afternoon. Visitors will be
fortunate to see kudu, impala or leopards, but they may see Hyenas at night.
Traveling times
from the entrance gate at Twee Rivieren to Nossob rest camp is 3,5 hours and
to Mata Mata 2,5 hours. When driving from one rest camp to the other,
travellers should depart with travelling times in mind to ensure arrival
before sunset as no travelling is allowed in the park after dark. Please
consult the website for gate times as they vary throughout the year.
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