South Africa for South Africans
Content
Ours is a big country ― we have a land area of just over 1.2 million km², about the
size of France and Spain combined. South Africans, therefore, are used to driving
vast distances simply to get from A to B (the road network totals 747,000km).
Just think: if you drive diagonally across the country, from Cape Town in the
southwest to Musina in the extreme north, you will traverse some 2,000km. Our
aim here, therefore, is to make travelling those distances as interesting as possible!
In South Africa for South Africans 23 driving routes of varying distances crisscross
the entire country, many of them taking in national or provincial roads. There is
plenty to explore across our nine provinces, and the big skies, boundless vistas and
hours of sunshine have turned us into an outdoor-focused, activity-loving nation.
That’s where the focus of this book lies. With each province radically different in
terms of biomes, landscape and climate, there is great incentive to slow down your
journey and have fun with the family along the way. After all, a long journey is
never solely about the destination.
The intention of this book is not to focus only on the major tourist attractions that
are so familiar to South Africans, but rather to turn away from heavily trodden
visitor paths, delving into lesser known, more unusual activities. From hiking,
mountain biking and wildlife watching to birding, fishing and beachcombing, this
book has some new surprises. Travellers are also invited to explore beyond the
usually uninspiring main road that cuts through little country towns. From quirky
farm stalls, small-town museums, monuments and city walks to battlefields,
cultural sites and interesting municipal parks, we’ve got them covered. You
might even learn a few things you never knew about your own country …
SOUTH AFRICA for South Africans
for South Africans
for South Africans
AL
TION
NA
LIFE
WILD
ENTS
UM
MON
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EW
ATUR
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ISBN 978-1-77026-515-8
ES
TUR
EN
ADV
By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
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1st edition © MapStudio™ 2014. All rights reserved.
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By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
CONTENTS
Page
Quickfinder
3
Map of South Africa
4
Route 1 - Tzaneen to Kruger
6
Route 2 - N2 Cape Town to East London
14
Route 3 - R62: Robertson to Oudtshoorn
24
Route 4 - Calitzdorp to Beaufort West
32
Route 5 - Calvinia to Upington
38
Route 6 - Upington to Thabazimbi
46
Route 7 - Swellendam to Saldanha Bay
54
Route 8 - Swellendam to Calvinia
62
Route 9 - Grahamstown to Uniondale
70
Route 10 - Aliwal North to Underberg
78
Route 11 - Bloemfontein to Harrismith
86
Route 12 - Pietermaritzburg to Harrismith
94
Route 13 - Durban to East London
102
Route 14 - Port Elizabeth to George
110
Route 15 - Swellendam to Gordon’s Bay
118
Route 16 - Calvinia to Kimberley
128
Route 17 - Johannesburg to Welkom
136
Route 18 - Beaufort West to Vryburg
142
Route 19 - Cape Town to Bloemfontein
150
Route 20 - Bloemfontein to Musina
158
Route 21 - Ceres to Clanwilliam
168
Route 22 - Durban to Mokopane
174
Route 23 - Harrismith to Kosi Bay
184
38
5
RkmO/8UhrTs 4E0 mins
787
CALVINIA TO UPINGTON
Calvinia, Nieuwoudtville & Vanrhynsdorp spring flowers, Springbok,
Augrabies Falls NP, Upington, Richtersveld
Kgalagadi
Transfrontier
Park
B
4
NAMIBIA
Fish River
Canyon
NP
|Ai-|Ais
Richtersveld
Transfrontier
Park
B
3
B
1
Alexander Bay
Port Nolloth
Upington
Augrabies Falls
NP
Vioolsdrif
N
14
N
7
Pofadder
Keimoes
Kenhardt
Springbok
Hondeklipbaai
Kamieskroon
N o r t h e r n
N
7
Nieuwoudtville
Vanrhynsdorp
Lambert’s Bay
C a p e
Calvinia
Williston
Fraserburg
Clanwilliam
Wes ter n
C a p e
SEASONAL INFORMATION
Best time or season to visit this region
Aug to Oct
National parks
Town plans
Best time for camping, walking,
mountain biking, hiking or trekking
Mar to Apr, Aug to Oct
Best time for river canoeing
Mar to Sep
Best time for flower viewing
Sep to Oct
Scan these QR codes to access national park maps
and town plans for this section (see last page of book)
COMPELLING REASONS TO VISIT
Making the annual pilgrimage to lose yourself in
landscapes shimmering with the exuberance of
spring is something you will never tire of –
simply because every year is different. The
spring flowers can be early – or late. They can
be sparse, or abundant, depending on the
benevolence of the season’s rain. There are
times when flaming orange and yellow prevail,
others when the earth is tamed by cool white
and purple. And in Vanrhynsdorp and
Nieuwoudtville, in particular, you get to see
fat-fingered plants that are somewhat shyer and
rarer but often no less beautiful. Time your trip
carefully, though – this flower phenomenon
only happens during two months of the year
(September and October).
Then, as you head northward, there are some
striking nature reserves, notably Namaqua NP,
which, even though it is more spectacular in
spring, still offers stony mountainscapes and
high wraparound views year-round. The northwestern part of South Africa can be blistering in
summer, though, with the mercury regularly
hitting the 40s, so it’s wise to avoid planning
your travels here in December/January.
Augrabies Falls NP is not too great a sidestep
off the N14, and the experience here should not
be overlooked. Even when the water is fairly
low, the Orange River roars and shudders over
the lip of a canyon so dramatic, photographs
simply don’t do it any justice. In full flood, there
can be up to 19 waterfalls, a wonderful sensory
experience. The rugged, wild landscape is great
for hiking, biking and driving – there’s something here for everyone.
ALONG THE ROUTE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS, FESTIVALS, RACES
HIGHLIGHTS Page
Nieuwoudtville and Vanrhynsdorp’s springflower spectacle
41
4km and 50km hikes in Oorlogskloof NR,
Nieuwoudtville
41
Walks, hikes, mountain biking and 4x4 trail in
Augrabies Falls NP
42
Water sports on Orange River, Upington
44
Mid-Mar Orange River Cellars Marathon & Half Marathon,
upingtoncrusaders.blogspot.com
Third week Mar Three-day Green Kalahari (Orange River) Canoe
Marathon, Upington,
www.gkcm.co.za
Third week Mar Kalahari Desert Festival, Askham (north of Upington),
www.kalaharidesertfestival.org
See Top Event below
>>Late Aug Hantam Vleisfees, Calvinia, www.hantamvleisfees.co.za
End Aug Four-day, 110–120km Namaqua Quest Trail Run, Springbok,
www.namaquaquest.co.za
See Top Event below
>>Sep/Oct (depending on flower season), Succulent Show,
Vanrhynsdorp,
www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Early Sep Daisy Marathon, Springbok,
tel: 083 491 0227
Early Sep Four-day Kalahari Kuierfees, Upington,
www.kalahari-kuierfees.co.za
End Sep/early Oct St Augustine’s Cultural Festival, Springbok,
tel: 084 597 7889 or 076 697 1055
Mid-Oct Seven-day, 250km Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon,
Augrabies,
www.extrememarathons.com
Late Oct Three-day Namaqua Festival, Vredendal,
www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Late Nov Two-week Namakwa Festival, Springbok,
tel: 084 956 1865
SO MANY THINGS TO DO OR SEE
Calvinia’s giant postbox
Calvinia Museum (old Jewish synagogue)
Hantam Huis museum & restaurant, Calvinia
Latsky Radio Museum, Vanrhynsdorp
Look out for corbelled houses on the way to
Springbok
Stop at Die Pienk Padstal, Kakamas
Taste wines at Orange River Cellars, Kakamas,
Keimoes and Upington
HEAD FOR THE OUTDOORS
Two hiking trails in Akkerendam NR, Calvinia
4x4 trail on Papkuilsfontein farm,
Nieuwoudtville
12km hike and mountain biking on
Papkuilsfontein farm, Nieuwoudtville
MTB and 4x4 trails in Goegap NR, Springbok
Caracal Ecotrail (176–200km) in Namaqua NP,
Springbok
Quad biking in Kalahari dunes, Pofadder
4x4 trails, hiking and mountain biking at
Riemvasmaak, Kakamas
Water sports for the kiddies on the Orange
Sunset boat cruise on the river, Upington
Dune boarding near roaring sands, Witsand NR,
east of Upington
SIDE JOURNEYS OF INTEREST
Loeriesfontein Windmill Museum
Two guided Shipwreck 4x4 trails along
Diamond Coast
Strandveld guided 4x4 trail inland of
Diamond Coast
Three-day Diamond Coast hiking trail
|Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
Spot big cats and raptors in Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park
40
40
40
41
42
43
44
40
41
41
43
43
43
43
44
44
44
41
42
42
42
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44
>> Top Event
Hantam Vleisfees
When it comes to the farming community, the Hantam Vleisfees (or Meat
Festival) in Calvinia is an excuse for a rip-roaring good time. And it’s not
only the locals who flock to the fees. People travel from all over to sample
skilpadjies (liver wrapped in fat) and country-style lamb delicacies,
watch an auction of whole sheep (skinned and ready for the pot) and
langarm to country musicians. Forming part of the multiday events are a
sheep-shearing competition, processions of veteran tractors and vintage
vehicles, drum majorettes and a beauty parade, and lots of entertainment
for the kids, including rolling around in giant inflated transparent balls.
>> Top Event
Succulent Show
Because Vanrhynsdorp’s Knersvlakte soils are so arid and stony (and the
little town is also at the start of the semi-desert Nama Karoo), the spring
flowers produced by the bulbs, corms and tubers are all the more amazing,
erupting out of nowhere to produce delicate blooms in the most vivid of
hues. Where many West Coast areas present a flamboyant, and prolific,
display of gazanias and daisies, these bulbs and fleshy plants are rarer
and restricted to the sere inland plains. The flowers are ephemeral, some
lasting only five days, so the annual Succulent Show is pretty special.
UNIQUELY SOUTH AFRICAN
GRIEKWA RATELGAT
The farm Ratelgat, about 20km north of Vanrhynsdorp, is owned by the Griqua (also Griekwa) Ratelgat Development Trust. As a land
restitution initiative, its objectives are to reunite the Griqua community and conserve their culture and heritage. Visitors to the farm can
stay in a traditional matjieshuis, consisting of a dome-shaped frame made of green saplings covered with woven reed mats, over a cement floor. The
interior is simple: two foam mattresses and a tiny bedside table holding a candle.
These huts sit at the foot of a rock amphitheatre that backs onto a San cave, which holds faded rock paintings. A guide will show you the Griqua
stone monument, remains of packed-stone lime-processing structures, San artefacts, a trance dance painting, and rock engravings of circles, wavy
lines and suns. You might also be shown the tiny fleshy ‘stone plants’ of the Succulent Karoo. In the evening, you can try grilled meat and roosterbrood
cooked over an open fire and eaten under the stars.
% 027 213 5472 : wwww.ratelgat.co.za/home.htm : www.griquas.com/2011/26.htm
39
BOTSWANA
40
Keetmanshoop
Calvinia
B
4
Rietfontein
Aroab
Van Zylsrus
Vanrhynsdorp
Seeheim
B
1
CALVINIA MUSEUM
TAKE A PHOTO OF CALVINIA’S POSTBOX
If you’re more into architecture than history, you’ll
If it’s the oddities of a town that tickle your fancy, try out Calvinia’s giant
want to admire the elegant curves of Calvinia’s heritage
postbox forNAMIBIA
size. At some 6m high, the town claims it’s the biggest in the
institution housed in the old Art Deco synagogue, which
world, but who knows if that’s merely the stuff of legend. It was once an
Fish River
dates to 1920. Should curiosity get the better of you
standing
in an area that cried out for a spruce-up.
Canyon NP abandoned water tower
B
Ariamsvlei
Karasburg
and you do venture inside the museum, you will see –
When
the wife of local3resident and raconteur Erwin
Coetzee dismissively
N
R360
|Ai-|Ais
among much else – a bakkiespomp (a Persian wheel
attraction10was born. The post office
Augrabies
Richtersveld likened it to ‘a postbox’, a new tourist
Falls
fitted with buckets), a flour mill, and a collectionTransfrontier
of
became involved, and when the massive
mail receptacle
was unveiled in
Lutzputs
NP
Park
Upington
utensils used in the making of soap and candles. There
1994, the townspeople were invited to post their
letters here, which would
Augrabies
N
is also a Class 24 steam locomotive standing outside a
then be stamped with a flower emblem. Question is, if this practice still per-10
Onseepkans
second historic building affiliated to the museum.
sists today, how
on earth do people get to Kakamas
the mail-slot? The
secret … there
Keimoes
4
O ra
nge
1
Vioolsdrif
N
is an opening lower down, on the side of the box. Nevertheless, Calvinia
has
Groblershoop
got itself a photographic magnet. Visitors love it.
7
HANTAM HUIS
A national monument still sporting an authentic reed
roof, Hantam Huis was originally built in 1854 (in spite
of being a mid-19th-century building, it still leaned
Kleinsee
Goegap
on late 18th-century building methods). The T-shaped
NR
Springbok
building is part restaurant, serving traditional Karoo
dishes (think bobotie, curried tripe or green bean
Namaqua
bredie), part museum and curio store, sellNP
ing home-made preserves and handcrafted
Kamieskroon
wares. If your yen for country fare is still
Hondeklipbaai
unsatisfied, you can sample their moerkoffie,
Garies
or ginger beer just like ouma brewed it.
2
Pofadder
N
14
2
3
4
N
6
7
Brandvlei
8
Loeriesfontein
6
8
7
Williston
5
4
3
1
R
63
Loxto
2
Calvinia
Vanrhynsdorp
TWO HIKING TRAILS IN AKKERENDAM NR
Lambert's Bay
These trails traverse the small Akkerendam Nature
Clanwilliam
Reserve, which climbs the flanks of the Hantam
Mountains, a connected series of flat-topped kopjes
and ridges. Don’t be fooled by the 2km trail; two hours
is not uncommon for an outing. If that doesn’t scare
you, try the 6–7hr trail which has you cresting the
plateau, giving onto a booted eagle’s view (you may see
one of those too) across the stony Karoo plains. If you’re
carrying binoculars, try ticking off a few of the 65+
recorded bird species.
The dry Karoo
Carnarvon
50
9
3
Van Wyksvlei
9
Nieuwoudtville
Strandfontein
R
27
5
N
7
5
ROUTE
Marydale
1
Km
Groenriviersmond
Kenhardt
Fraserburg
Uitspankraal
Cederberg
Wilderness
Area
Tankwa Karoo
NP
Sutherland
Calvinia’s giant postbox
41
Kakamas
Upington
SPRING IN NIEUWOUDTVILLE AND VANRHYNSDORP
If the rains around April and May are good (only 100–115mm in a
good year), drought-resistant seeds that have lain dormant in the
Karoo soils burst out in August or September in a blaze of hot pink,
fiery orange and sunshine-yellow. The Nieuwoudtville Wildflower
Reserve (115ha) has its share of pretty annuals – Namaqualand
daisies, white Cape rain daisies, lilac felicias, burnt-orange gazanias,
farm-butter-yellow Bittergousblom, perdebos and sandbietou. But
it’s better known for its geophytes (bulbs, corms and tubers); one of
the highest concentrations in the world occur right here in the Karoo.
Of the 300+ species around Nieuwoudtville, you’re likely to recognise
the delicate irises and bulbinellas.
Further along this route, Vanrhynsdorp finds itself
in the Knersvlakte (literally, ‘gnashing plains’ for
its stony terrain over which transport riders’
wagon wheels crunched). In tune with the
unforgiving terrain, wildflowers here are
more fleshy and succulent – indeed,
it’s showtime for the mesembryanthemums, or vygies, and lithops, or ‘flowering stones’. Succulents tend to flower
a little later than the annuals, closer to
October. On the coastal Sandveld, look out
for volstruisvygies segueing from orange-red
to cerise to mauve.
Now, if you’re lucky, and you hit a season in Nieuwoudtville in which a late-summer residual rain of over 15mm has fallen
during February and March, soon afterwards you could get to see a mass
of pink round-headed blooms erupt out of the earth, like a hundred
Medusas. They are the Brunsvigia bosmaniae, a beautiful bulb of the
Amaryllis family, which flowers en masse only with the right rains.
5
LOERIESFONTEIN WINDMILL MUSEUM
In such a tiny one-horse town as Loeriesfontein (the ‘garage’ is a
couple of pumps, the lone diesel pump sitting on the roadside!),
you’ve just got to love the sight of a silent mass gathering of shiny
silver windmills outside this little settlement. Okay, probably not so
silent when the wind blows and 27 sets of blades start creaking and
moaning in unison. From an American Aeromotor to a Conquest
(Germany) and a Southern Cross (Australia), the windmills were
collected and sponsored by interested South Africans.
6
Windmill Museum, Loeriesfontein
50KM HIKES (x2) IN OORLOGSKLOOF NR
There are 147km of tough hiking trails in this 5,577ha reserve,
sprawling across deeply incised gorges sliced by the Oorlogskloof River through the Bokkeveld mountain plateau. The
reserve and river inherited their name from the warring that
took place here in 1739 between the pastoralist Khoikhoi and
local Dutch farmers. The rugged scenery of tight-knit rockcapped kopjes, kloofs and valleys is thanks to their placement
in the uppermost reaches of the Cederberg. Marked routes map
out a 4km one-day route and two 50km treks (the Rock Pigeon
and Rameron Pigeon trails) of 4–7 days. For the twitchers, over
90 bird species flit through the canyons; for the botanists, the
fynbos and Karoo biomes promote great plant diversity.
7
SPRING FLOWER VIEWING
Remember these tips for maximum enjoyment: the petals
unfurl facing the full sun so cloudy days are no good for
viewing flowers. When the sun is out, the most colourful
perspective is when you’re driving with the sun behind you.
And blooms are at their prettiest between 11:00 and 16:00;
after that the petals start turning in.
4x4 TRAIL ON PAPKUILSFONTEIN FARM
WATERFALL HIKE AND MTB TRACKS ON FARM
Papkuilsfontein farm adjoins the Oorlogskloof reserve, and its
rocky mountain territory is just what’s needed to give 4x4
adventurers a steep, stony and immensely scenic trail to the
top of a kloof. The 15km route has a difficulty rating of 4–5 and
climbs to the edge of a 180m canyon, then tracks along it to a
camp site. Astounding views take in the Nieuwoudtville Waterfall and the Knersvlakte rolled out to every horizon. A 12km hike
to the canyon waterfall, and a network of rough gravel roads,
will make both walkers and mountain bikers very happy.
8
LATSKY RADIO MUSEUM
Well, hopefully this rather different museum will still be around
by the time you read this, since its owner is not a young man any
more – judging by the first time he started collecting his Bakelite
tabletop and wooden-cabinet valve radios (1947). He has since
amassed some 400 old valve specimens, from the 1920s to World
War II. Additional memorabilia include a radio receiver from a
Lancaster Bomber and a Russian spy ship radio that once encrypted Cold War messages for Moscow. Do call before you visit.
9
UNIQUELY SOUTH AFRICAN
RICHTERSVELD WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Most people know of the Richtersveld National Park but few are aware of the
Community Conservancy, which recently became the core of a World Heritage
Site, attached to the park’s southern boundary and the Orange River to the east. It’s a vast
area of 160,000ha in which no mining is allowed, and the last refuge of the Nama people
who migrate seasonally from mountains to river with their livestock, living in harmony with
the fragile succulent ecosystem. Visitors can explore the stark, wild beauty of the mountains
and the unusual plant life via 4x4 trails, hiking, cycling or horse riding. Cultural tours include
donkey-cart rides, story telling, a performance of the Nama stap dance, or viewing petroglyphs engraved on black dolerite. Guides can be hired in Eksteenfontein and Kuboes.
% 027 851 7108 (Eksteenfontein) % 027 831 2363 (Kuboes) % 027 851 8580 (Lekkersing)
: www.richtersveld.net : www.richtersveld-conservancy.org
42
Calvinia
TWO SHIPWRECK 4x4 TRAILS
STRANDVELD 4x4 TRAIL
DIAMOND COAST HIKING TRAIL
Although they are guided excursions (permits required), the
two half-day 4x4 trails between Kleinsee and Koingnaas are
self-driven. Both are circular routes of 4–5hrs each, one 27km,
the other 37km. They run along the coastline through a previously
restricted diamond-mining area, crossing thick sand and sections
of pebbled stone, but the driving is not difficult. The route takes
in bays and promontories, sharp rocky outcrops, and the shipwrecks Arosa, Border and Piratiny, which ran aground between
1943 and 1976.
Within the same restricted area is the Strandveld trail, this time
mainly a bleached-sand-dune route over an inland dune field. It
forms part of a system that is, in fact, mobile rather than fixed and
static – and the dunes carry no vegetation, so there is no chance of
harming any flora or fauna. The system is believed to be the result
either of a drop in sea level during the Ice Ages, which exposed the
sand, or of sand that was deposited by sea or river action and blown
into the interior over centuries by the wind. The Noup huts, formerly
inhabited by diamond divers, provide your roof for the night.
If shifting sand beneath your feet is your preferred way to go,
the three-day Diamond Coast hiking trail is a guided, portaged
trek over 48km. Dunes, shipwrecks and diamond mines all form
part of the experience.
10
RICHTERSVELD, THE ULTIMATE IN WILDERNESS
If it’s the real untrammelled wilderness that makes your soul sing,
and you own a 4x4, then the |Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier
Park should be right near the top of your bucket list. Its remoteness demands that you don’t venture there alone, and you need
to carry all your own water. But the mountain desert is quite
spectacular: stacked peaks as far as the eye can see, in chocolate
shades of cream, brown and black; rockscapes from granite and
quartz to schist and sandstone; giant whaleback boulders with
weathered, peeling skins.
Although there are several camp sites, it would be a pity not to stay
in at least one of the wilderness camps, each one unique and built of
reeds, canvas, and wood or stone in remote and beautiful settings.
11
Vanrhynsdorp
CORBELLED HOUSES
On your way to Springbok, look out for the remnants of corbelled
houses, whose structure dates to the mid-1800s. An absence of wood
for roof trusses forced the early settlers to use flat stones to build
their houses where, to create the domed roof, successive layers were
stepped inward. Cement consisted of chaff and soil blended with
water; lime, a good binding substance, was obtained from anthills.
Damp earth was smoothed to create the floor, which was then
hardened and polished with a combination of fat and ox blood.
AUGRABIES FALLS NATIONAL PARK
3HR HIKE ABOVE GORGE
THREE-DAY WALKING TRAIL (DIFFICULT)
ROUTE 5
94KM WILDERNESS ROAD 4x4 ROUTE
MOUNTAIN-BIKING TRAIL ALONG CANYON
Here, the Orange River tumbles some 56m over a high granite cliff,
as the Augrabies Falls, into a tightly hemmed-in gorge. Before the
summer rains, when the river is low, some 2 tonnes of water a second
pummels and pounds its way through an eroded channel. But this can
swell to 8 tonnes during floods, as it did in 1988. This ‘place of great
noise’, translated from a Khoi word, most certainly is as it’s described.
The thunder fills your head long before you’ve reached the beautifully
crafted wooden platforms suspended over the edge of the massive
granite canyon. The power of water is nowhere more evident than in
the abraded fissures and scoured holes in the ancient pitted rock
surrounding you on all sides.
The 3hr (5km) Dassie hiking trail follows the canyon edge, taking in
the Twin Falls (one big, one small) and filing around the spectacular
Arrow Point, where this ribbon of river and its narrow gorge reconnect
with the main canyon, then to the whaleback hump that is Moon
Rock, and back to camp. You need to be fit for the rigorous three-day
Klipspringer trail (36km), open only from 1 April to mid-October due to
the intense summer heat.
For the less energetic, you can drive to Ararat, Oranjekom and Echo
Corner (guess what you do here!), where viewing decks allow you to
peer in awe along the sheer granite walls of the 18km-long chasm. The
more testing 4x4 trail takes around 6hrs, but break your adventure
at the halfway picnic spot with its braai and ablution facilities. The
mountain-biking track visits all the scenic viewpoints.
Stay the night at Augrabies just to merge the roar of the water with
your dreams; you have a choice of camp sites or self-catering chalets,
some of them family size.
12
Richtersveld
Augrabies Falls
43
Kakamas
Upington
MTB AND 4x4 IN GOEGAP NR
This is the place of spiky kokerbome and halfmens trees, lording over their
kingdom of bald-headed granite kopjes and flat-ironed plains. A 35km maze
of gravel and jeep tracks, threading among gemsbok, Hartmann’s zebra and
klipspringers, eventually climbs to the crown
of Carolusberg. Along the way,
Koës
sand, stone and rock slabs nicely challenge both 4x4ers and two-wheelers.
For the more sedate, there’s the Hester Malan Wildflower Garden (in spring).
QUAD BIKING IN KALAHARI DUNES
If you’re not in a hurry to get to your destination and you
have the need to shake off the rigours of the long road – and
Kgalagadi
aTransfrontier
bit
of rough-and-tumble on four fat wheels is your kind of
thing Park
– stop off in Pofadder (c’mon, you’ve got to see what
the jokes are all about; you might be surprised). Enquire at
the Pofadder Hotel: there’s a guided 18km trail to Diep en
DeurBOTSWANA
(2hrs 30mins), taking in all sorts of interesting little
historical attractions along the way (and a Verreaux’s eagle
nesting site); or you could
opt for Dinky’s Dunes, two guided
Van Zylsrus
25km trails (2–5hrs) through brick-red Kalahari dunes, rock
outcrops and silky grasses. Later you’ll be stretching out
under a star-studded galaxy at the camp site for the night.
But before that, the showers are hot and no doubt there’ll
be no shortage of stories to tell around the braai coals after
the day’s adventures.
15
13
Keetmanshoop
Rietfontein
NAMAQUA NP 4x4 TRAIL
Aroab
The Caracal
B Ecotrail, which can be done in sections or as a single trail,
4
varies in its
entirety
from 176km to 200km, taking 6–8hrs if not returning
Seeheim
to the park. Test out your tyres on steep gravel and stone ascents, dongas,
B
a couple of river crossings and an extensive
sand-dune corridor. From the
1
park’s Skilpad offices, the route traverses mountains and a couple of passes
on its meandering way to the coastline. A 50km stretch of often mistNAMIBIA
enshrouded seashore – miles and miles of rock and deserted white sands –
finally leads you to the Groenrivier mouth.
14
Fish River
Canyon NP
nge
|Ai-|Ais
Richtersveld
Transfrontier
Park
O ra
11
DIE PIENK PADSTAL
You seriously won’t miss this quirky farm
N
R360
stall on the outskirts of Kakamas, where
10
Augrabies
everything is as pink as ouma’s powder
Falls
Lutzputs
NP
puff – inside and out. You’ll be waylaid by
Upington
12 Augrabies
chalked-up
smile-inducing quotes and all
N
16
10
sorts of interesting artefacts; the bathKakamas
Keimoes
rooms, too, put the fun into piddling. Your
Groblershoop
kids will be so entertained they won’t want
50
Km
to leave, so in the meantime eat a homemade mutton pie, buy country jam and
Pofadder
chutney, or get your hands on some Klein
Kenhardt
Pella dates (available from April on).
Marydale
Ariamsvlei
B
3
Karasburg
Onseepkans
Vioolsdrif
15
N
7
Kleinsee
Springbok
N
14
N
13 Goegap
NR
4x4 ROUTES (x3) IN RIEMVASMAAK
THREE HIKING (PLUS ONE MTB) TRAILS IN
14
RIEMVASMAAK
This little settlement north of Kakamas got its
Kamieskroon
Van Wyksvlei
Brandvlei
name (‘tying of thongs’) from the manner in
10
Hondeklipbaai
which a Damara local lowered himself into a
11
Garies
gorge to get to a mineral spring for his rheuma12
tism. It isCarnarvon
set in a chaotic jumble of stone-strewn
13
hills filled with rock pillars and canyons alongLoeriesfontein
N
Groenriviersmond
14
7
R
side 63
which
the Orange River flows. The three
15
4x4 routes (Deurspring, Perdepoort and the
Williston
16
Nieuwoudtville
Loxton
most technically
challenging, Molopo) are badly
marked, so a good sense of direction is a useful
Calvinia
attribute to have. Each is easily done in a day;
expect deep sand, steep rock plateaus, dongas
Vanrhynsdorp
Strandfontein
Fraserburg
and crunching
stone beneath your tyres.
Three
hiking
trails cross some of the same
Carac
al
Ecotra
il
Uitspankraal
Lambert's Bay
terrain,
with
one
hugging a stretch of the Orange
Cederberg
Tankwa Karoo
Clanwilliam Wilderness
River
bank,
while
a thick sand and rocky track
NP
Sutherland
Area
(with complimentary dongas) can be explored
by mountain bike. Camp sites for all activities
are plentiful but rough and minimal: a walled enclosure holding a tree. A fun additive is the bluewatered hot spring pools backed by high canyon
walls. Extreme options of comfort are offered:
rudimentary camping or equipped chalets with
water and electricity (albeit sporadic).
10
Namaqua
NP
16
R
27
44
Calvinia
Vanrhynsdorp
ORANGE RIVER WATER SPORTS AND BOAT CRUISE
17
If the kids have had enough of ‘I Spy’ games and counting white
18
bakkies from the narrow confines of your car, give them a treat
19
of fresh air and lots of splashing about. In the heart of Upington,
20
Sakkie’s Adventures will kit them up and load them onto a water Koës
snake, tubes or take them kneeboarding. If it’s the adults who’ve
had enough, they could try spotting fish eagles instead. Sakkie
se Arkie is a dual-level riverboat that plies the Orange River
slap-bang in the middle of the town. Fear not, though, it does
Keetmanshoop
take you on a sunset cruise along tree-lined banks and into
Aroab
copper-painted skies.
B
17
4
Kgalagadi
Transfrontier
Park
BOTSWANA
20
Rietfontein
Van Zylsrus
N
Seeheim
ROB1UT
E5
nge
Ariamsvlei
Augrabies
Falls
NP
Onseepkans
N
10
R360
Lutzputs
Kakamas
N
DUNE BOARDING NEAR THE ROARING SANDS 7
Just east of Upington, off the N14, is the Witsand Nature Reserve,
whose pale cream sands are a sharp and interesting contrast to
their backdrop of burnt-orange Kalahari dunes. It’s here that the
Kleinsee
Goegap
brulsand, or ‘roaring sands’, occur. Under certain conditions,
NR
Springbok
the dunes emit a strange rumbling sound caused by
friction between the fine sand particles. What better
Namaqua
spot from which to head out to the
NPnearby slopes
and perform Cirque du Soleil manoeuvres on a
Kamieskroon
dune board? The Witsand hotel complex will
Hondeklipbaai
sort you out.
adi
Pofadder
18
Upington
N
10
Keimoes
Groblershoop
Kenhardt
Marydale
R
27
KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER
Van Wyksvlei PARK
Brandvlei
Because, from Upington, you simply point
20
the nose of your vehicle north and drive
straight for 250km to this transfrontier
reserve, we just can’t leave itCarnarvon
out. Oh, so
quickly,
the
wildness
of
the
place
gets under
Loeriesfontein
N
Groenriviersmond
7
R
your skin. But patience is key:
you
can drive
63
for hours andWilliston
not spot a thing; on the other
Nieuwoudtville
Loxton
hand, the open, unobstructed grasslands
provide the perfect sprint track for muscled cheetah,
Calvinia
and lions favour the acacia savannah where all the
grazers hang out. Do be aware that the Botswana side
Vanrhynsdorp
Strandfontein
of the transfrontier park is much moreFraserburg
vast, underdeveloped and the roads rougher, while facilities are
Uitspankraal
Lambert's Bay
limited to the most basic of camp sites. Travellers
Cederberg
Tankwa Karoo
Clanwilliam Wilderness need
toNP
be entirely self-sufficient, carrying all their
Sutherland
Area
water, food and fuel.
On the South African side, the best part of Kgalagadi
are the beautifully constructed wilderness camps,
blending into the natural environment and promising
blood-stirring calls of jackal and hyena at dusk or the
guttural grunt of a lion marking out his territory.
Garies
Camp in the Kgalag
N
14
19
17
Augrabies
Vioolsdrif
19
50
Km
O ra
WINE TASTING IN THE KALAHARI
NAMIBIA
Nosing and swirling wine in the Kalahari? Well, this is the green
River meandering
Kalahari, aided and abetted by thatFish
muscular,
Canyon NP
river of life. Upington is the hub of Orange River Cellars, whose
B
3
Karasburg
terraced vineyards stretch alongside the river for some
350km
|Ai-|Ais
and help to give the Green KalahariRichtersveld
its name. No fewer than five
Transfrontier
wineries have been established here,
the closest open for tasting
Park
at Kakamas, Keimoes and Upington. Cellar tours are run January
to March at 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00.
18
45
Kakamas
Upington
Along the Route: Sites and Accommodation
HIGHLIGHTS
Augrabies Falls NP: outdoor activities
% 054 452 9200
: www.sanparks.org
Nieuwoudtville & Vanrhynsdorp: spring flowers
% 027 218 1336
: www.namaquainfo.co.za
% 021 487 8600 or 021 201 3376
: www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Oorlogskloof NR, Nieuwoudtville: hiking
% 027 218 1159
: www.northerncape.org.za/ getting_around/
parks_reserves/
Diamond Coast hiking trail
% 027 887 0028
: www.diamondroute.co.za/sites_
namaqualand.htm
Diep en Deur, Dinky’s Dunes (Pofadder Hotel)
% 054 933 0063 or 083 232 2563
: www.pofadderhotel.co.za
Sakkie’s Adventures & Tours
% 082 575 7285 or 082 564 5447
: www.arkie.co.za
Witsand Nature Reserve & Hotel
% 053 313 1061/2 or 083 234 7573
: www.witsandkalahari.co.za
Strandveld trail
% 027 887 0028
: www.diamondroute.co.za/sites_
namaqualand.htm
THINGS TO DO OR SEE
Calvinia’s giant postbox
% 027 341 8100
: www.northerncape.org.za
Calvinia Museum
% 027 341 8100
: www.northerncape.org.za
Die Pienk Padstal, Kakamas
% 054 431 1457
Latsky Radio Museum, Vanrhynsdorp
% 027 219 1032
: www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Orange River Cellars, Upington
% 054 337 8800
: www.orangeriverwines.com
4x4 TRAILS
Caracal Ecotrail, Namaqua NP
% 027 672 1948
: www.sanparks.org
Diamond Coast Shipwreck trail
% 027 887 0028
: www.diamondroute.co.za/sites_
namaqualand.htm
Papkuilsfontein farm
% 027 218 1246
: www.papkuilsfontein.com
Remhoogte farm
% 027 541 1024 or 073 705 0929
Riemvasmaak
% 083 873 7715
: www.greenkalahari.co.za/index.php/
riemvasmaak
ACCOMMODATION
Calvinia, Die Blou Nartjie Guesthouse
% 027 341 1263
: www.nartjie.co.za
Calvinia, Hantam historical houses and units
% 027 341 1606
: www.calvinia.co.za
Springbok, Annie’s Cottage
% 027 712 1451 or 083 454 1252
: www.springbokinfo.com
Springbok, Blue Diamond Lodge
% 027 718 2624 or 082 492 8987
: www.bluediamondlodge.co.za
Upington, Aan’t Kanaal B&B
% 054 332 3722 or 082 4113 616
: www.sa-venues.com/visit/aantkanaal
Upington, Browns Manor Guesthouse
% 054 338 0384 or 082 371 8033
: www.brownsmanor.co.za
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Augrabies Falls
% 054 452 9200
: www.sanparks.org
SIDE JOURNEYS OF INTEREST
|Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
% 027 831 1506
: www.sanparks.org
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
% 054 561 2000 (South Africa)
% 267 686 0444 (Botswana)
: www.sanparks.org
Other Contacts
NATIONAL PARKS & RESERVES
|Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
% 027 831 1506
: www.sanparks.org
Akkerendam NR
% 027 341 8500
: www.northerncape.org.za/getting_around/
towns/Calvinia/
Goegap NR
% 027 718 9906
: www.springbokinfo.co.za/
Naturereserves.htm
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
% 054 561 2000 (South Africa)
% 267 686 0444 (Botswana)
: www.sanparks.org
Namaqua NP
% 027 672 1948
: www.sanparks.org
Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve
% 027 218 1336 (open seasonally)
: www.namaquainfo.co.za
CARAVAN & CAMPING
Calvinia, Klipwerf Camp/Caravan
% 027 341 1126 or 083 229 5707
Kamieskroon, Verbe Caravan Park (2-star)
% 027 672 1776
Keimoes, Tkabies Camping (3-star)
% 054 461 2424
Nieuwoudtville, Van Zijl Olive Caravan Park
% 027 218 1535
: www.nieuwoudtville.co.za
Riemvasmaak camp sites
% 054 431 0945 or 083 873 7715
: www.greenkalahari.co.za/index.php/
riemvasmaak
Springbok, Kokerboom Motel/Caravan Park
% 027 712 2685
: www.namaqualandflowers.co.za
Upington, Die Eiland Holiday Resort
% 054 334 0288
: www.kharahais.gov.za/eiland.html
RESTAURANTS
Calvinia, Die Blou Nartjie
% 027 341 1263
: www.nartjie.co.za
Calvinia, Hantam Huis
% 027 341 1606
: www.calvinia.co.za
Nieuwoudtville, Smidswinkel
% 027 218 1535 or 082 829 6855
: www.nieuwoudtville.co.za
Springbok, Tauren Steak Ranch
% 027 712 2717
: www.springbokinfo.co.za/Tauren.htm
Springbok, Titbits Restaurant
% 027 718 1455
: www.springbokinfo.co.za/titbits.htm
TOWN TOURIST CENTRES
Calvinia Tourist Information
% 027 341 8100/8131
: www.northerncape.org.za/getting_around/
towns/Calvinia/
Kakamas Tourism
% 054 337 2804
: www.kakamas.co.za
Nieuwoudtville Tourism
% 027 218 1336
: www.nieuwoudtville.com
Springbok Tourism
% 027 712 8035/6
: www.northerncape.org.za
Upington
% 054 338 7151
: www.upington.com
Vanrhynsdorp Tourism
% 027 219 1552
: http://tourism.matzikamamun.co.za
REGIONAL TOURIST CENTRES
Green Kalahari Tourism
% 054 337 2946
: www.greenkalahari.co.za
Northern Cape Tourism Authority (Kimberley)
% 053 832 2657 or 053 831 2789
: www.northerncape.org.za
West Coast Tourism
% 022 433 8505
: www.capewestcoast.org
Ours is a big country ― we have a land area of just over 1.2 million km², about the
size of France and Spain combined. South Africans, therefore, are used to driving
vast distances simply to get from A to B (the road network totals 747,000km).
Just think: if you drive diagonally across the country, from Cape Town in the
southwest to Musina in the extreme north, you will traverse some 2,000km. Our
aim here, therefore, is to make travelling those distances as interesting as possible!
In South Africa for South Africans 23 driving routes of varying distances crisscross
the entire country, many of them taking in national or provincial roads. There is
plenty to explore across our nine provinces, and the big skies, boundless vistas and
hours of sunshine have turned us into an outdoor-focused, activity-loving nation.
That’s where the focus of this book lies. With each province radically different in
terms of biomes, landscape and climate, there is great incentive to slow down your
journey and have fun with the family along the way. After all, a long journey is
never solely about the destination.
The intention of this book is not to focus only on the major tourist attractions that
are so familiar to South Africans, but rather to turn away from heavily trodden
visitor paths, delving into lesser known, more unusual activities. From hiking,
mountain biking and wildlife watching to birding, fishing and beachcombing, this
book has some new surprises. Travellers are also invited to explore beyond the
usually uninspiring main road that cuts through little country towns. From quirky
farm stalls, small-town museums, monuments and city walks to battlefields,
cultural sites and interesting municipal parks, we’ve got them covered. You
might even learn a few things you never knew about your own country …
SOUTH AFRICA for South Africans
for South Africans
for South Africans
NAL
ATIO
N
LIFE
WILD
MapStudio™ and the MapStudio™ device are trademarked to
New Holland Publishing (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd.
1st edition © MapStudio™ 2014. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from
the Copyright owner.
ANY COMMENTS [email protected]
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES, DOWNLOADS, MAPS, CATALOGUES & SPECIALS
9 781770 265158
MAC/CPT/0114/NB/GH/TG
M
ES
TUR
EN
ADV
EW
ATUR
N
UTES
RO
MTB
S
IELD
LEF
BATT
ALKS
MS
EU
MUS
S
ANT
AUR
REST
UTES
E FA
RMS
C RO
CENI
S
ES
ES
ERI
GALL
WIN
Scan this QR code to view
the MapStudio website
NTS
ME
ONU
By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
ISBN 978-1-77026-515-8
S
PARK
ASS
AIN P
NT
MOU
CU
LS
RAI
NG T
HIKI
AL
LTUR
S
SITE
HES
BEAC
By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
size of France and Spain combined. South Africans, therefore, are used to driving
vast distances simply to get from A to B (the road network totals 747,000km).
Just think: if you drive diagonally across the country, from Cape Town in the
southwest to Musina in the extreme north, you will traverse some 2,000km. Our
aim here, therefore, is to make travelling those distances as interesting as possible!
In South Africa for South Africans 23 driving routes of varying distances crisscross
the entire country, many of them taking in national or provincial roads. There is
plenty to explore across our nine provinces, and the big skies, boundless vistas and
hours of sunshine have turned us into an outdoor-focused, activity-loving nation.
That’s where the focus of this book lies. With each province radically different in
terms of biomes, landscape and climate, there is great incentive to slow down your
journey and have fun with the family along the way. After all, a long journey is
never solely about the destination.
The intention of this book is not to focus only on the major tourist attractions that
are so familiar to South Africans, but rather to turn away from heavily trodden
visitor paths, delving into lesser known, more unusual activities. From hiking,
mountain biking and wildlife watching to birding, fishing and beachcombing, this
book has some new surprises. Travellers are also invited to explore beyond the
usually uninspiring main road that cuts through little country towns. From quirky
farm stalls, small-town museums, monuments and city walks to battlefields,
cultural sites and interesting municipal parks, we’ve got them covered. You
might even learn a few things you never knew about your own country …
SOUTH AFRICA for South Africans
for South Africans
for South Africans
AL
TION
NA
LIFE
WILD
ENTS
UM
MON
ANY COMMENTS [email protected]
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES, DOWNLOADS, MAPS, CATALOGUES & SPECIALS
9 781770 265158
MAC/CPT/0114/NB/GH/TG
N
RO
MTB
S
EUM
MUS
S
ANT
AUR
REST
UTES
IES
ER
GALL
WIN
Scan this QR code to view
the MapStudio website
EW
ATUR
UTES
S
IELD
LEF
BATT
ALKS
RMS
E FA
ISBN 978-1-77026-515-8
ES
TUR
EN
ADV
By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
MapStudio™ and the MapStudio™ device are trademarked to
New Holland Publishing (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd.
1st edition © MapStudio™ 2014. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from
the Copyright owner.
S
PARK
AL
LTUR
CU
LS
RAI
NG T
HIKI
S
SSES
PA
TAIN
N
MOU
C RO
CENI
S
SITE
HES
BEAC
By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
CONTENTS
Page
Quickfinder
3
Map of South Africa
4
Route 1 - Tzaneen to Kruger
6
Route 2 - N2 Cape Town to East London
14
Route 3 - R62: Robertson to Oudtshoorn
24
Route 4 - Calitzdorp to Beaufort West
32
Route 5 - Calvinia to Upington
38
Route 6 - Upington to Thabazimbi
46
Route 7 - Swellendam to Saldanha Bay
54
Route 8 - Swellendam to Calvinia
62
Route 9 - Grahamstown to Uniondale
70
Route 10 - Aliwal North to Underberg
78
Route 11 - Bloemfontein to Harrismith
86
Route 12 - Pietermaritzburg to Harrismith
94
Route 13 - Durban to East London
102
Route 14 - Port Elizabeth to George
110
Route 15 - Swellendam to Gordon’s Bay
118
Route 16 - Calvinia to Kimberley
128
Route 17 - Johannesburg to Welkom
136
Route 18 - Beaufort West to Vryburg
142
Route 19 - Cape Town to Bloemfontein
150
Route 20 - Bloemfontein to Musina
158
Route 21 - Ceres to Clanwilliam
168
Route 22 - Durban to Mokopane
174
Route 23 - Harrismith to Kosi Bay
184
38
5
RkmO/8UhrTs 4E0 mins
787
CALVINIA TO UPINGTON
Calvinia, Nieuwoudtville & Vanrhynsdorp spring flowers, Springbok,
Augrabies Falls NP, Upington, Richtersveld
Kgalagadi
Transfrontier
Park
B
4
NAMIBIA
Fish River
Canyon
NP
|Ai-|Ais
Richtersveld
Transfrontier
Park
B
3
B
1
Alexander Bay
Port Nolloth
Upington
Augrabies Falls
NP
Vioolsdrif
N
14
N
7
Pofadder
Keimoes
Kenhardt
Springbok
Hondeklipbaai
Kamieskroon
N o r t h e r n
N
7
Nieuwoudtville
Vanrhynsdorp
Lambert’s Bay
C a p e
Calvinia
Williston
Fraserburg
Clanwilliam
Wes ter n
C a p e
SEASONAL INFORMATION
Best time or season to visit this region
Aug to Oct
National parks
Town plans
Best time for camping, walking,
mountain biking, hiking or trekking
Mar to Apr, Aug to Oct
Best time for river canoeing
Mar to Sep
Best time for flower viewing
Sep to Oct
Scan these QR codes to access national park maps
and town plans for this section (see last page of book)
COMPELLING REASONS TO VISIT
Making the annual pilgrimage to lose yourself in
landscapes shimmering with the exuberance of
spring is something you will never tire of –
simply because every year is different. The
spring flowers can be early – or late. They can
be sparse, or abundant, depending on the
benevolence of the season’s rain. There are
times when flaming orange and yellow prevail,
others when the earth is tamed by cool white
and purple. And in Vanrhynsdorp and
Nieuwoudtville, in particular, you get to see
fat-fingered plants that are somewhat shyer and
rarer but often no less beautiful. Time your trip
carefully, though – this flower phenomenon
only happens during two months of the year
(September and October).
Then, as you head northward, there are some
striking nature reserves, notably Namaqua NP,
which, even though it is more spectacular in
spring, still offers stony mountainscapes and
high wraparound views year-round. The northwestern part of South Africa can be blistering in
summer, though, with the mercury regularly
hitting the 40s, so it’s wise to avoid planning
your travels here in December/January.
Augrabies Falls NP is not too great a sidestep
off the N14, and the experience here should not
be overlooked. Even when the water is fairly
low, the Orange River roars and shudders over
the lip of a canyon so dramatic, photographs
simply don’t do it any justice. In full flood, there
can be up to 19 waterfalls, a wonderful sensory
experience. The rugged, wild landscape is great
for hiking, biking and driving – there’s something here for everyone.
ALONG THE ROUTE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS, FESTIVALS, RACES
HIGHLIGHTS Page
Nieuwoudtville and Vanrhynsdorp’s springflower spectacle
41
4km and 50km hikes in Oorlogskloof NR,
Nieuwoudtville
41
Walks, hikes, mountain biking and 4x4 trail in
Augrabies Falls NP
42
Water sports on Orange River, Upington
44
Mid-Mar Orange River Cellars Marathon & Half Marathon,
upingtoncrusaders.blogspot.com
Third week Mar Three-day Green Kalahari (Orange River) Canoe
Marathon, Upington,
www.gkcm.co.za
Third week Mar Kalahari Desert Festival, Askham (north of Upington),
www.kalaharidesertfestival.org
See Top Event below
>>Late Aug Hantam Vleisfees, Calvinia, www.hantamvleisfees.co.za
End Aug Four-day, 110–120km Namaqua Quest Trail Run, Springbok,
www.namaquaquest.co.za
See Top Event below
>>Sep/Oct (depending on flower season), Succulent Show,
Vanrhynsdorp,
www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Early Sep Daisy Marathon, Springbok,
tel: 083 491 0227
Early Sep Four-day Kalahari Kuierfees, Upington,
www.kalahari-kuierfees.co.za
End Sep/early Oct St Augustine’s Cultural Festival, Springbok,
tel: 084 597 7889 or 076 697 1055
Mid-Oct Seven-day, 250km Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon,
Augrabies,
www.extrememarathons.com
Late Oct Three-day Namaqua Festival, Vredendal,
www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Late Nov Two-week Namakwa Festival, Springbok,
tel: 084 956 1865
SO MANY THINGS TO DO OR SEE
Calvinia’s giant postbox
Calvinia Museum (old Jewish synagogue)
Hantam Huis museum & restaurant, Calvinia
Latsky Radio Museum, Vanrhynsdorp
Look out for corbelled houses on the way to
Springbok
Stop at Die Pienk Padstal, Kakamas
Taste wines at Orange River Cellars, Kakamas,
Keimoes and Upington
HEAD FOR THE OUTDOORS
Two hiking trails in Akkerendam NR, Calvinia
4x4 trail on Papkuilsfontein farm,
Nieuwoudtville
12km hike and mountain biking on
Papkuilsfontein farm, Nieuwoudtville
MTB and 4x4 trails in Goegap NR, Springbok
Caracal Ecotrail (176–200km) in Namaqua NP,
Springbok
Quad biking in Kalahari dunes, Pofadder
4x4 trails, hiking and mountain biking at
Riemvasmaak, Kakamas
Water sports for the kiddies on the Orange
Sunset boat cruise on the river, Upington
Dune boarding near roaring sands, Witsand NR,
east of Upington
SIDE JOURNEYS OF INTEREST
Loeriesfontein Windmill Museum
Two guided Shipwreck 4x4 trails along
Diamond Coast
Strandveld guided 4x4 trail inland of
Diamond Coast
Three-day Diamond Coast hiking trail
|Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
Spot big cats and raptors in Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park
40
40
40
41
42
43
44
40
41
41
43
43
43
43
44
44
44
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>> Top Event
Hantam Vleisfees
When it comes to the farming community, the Hantam Vleisfees (or Meat
Festival) in Calvinia is an excuse for a rip-roaring good time. And it’s not
only the locals who flock to the fees. People travel from all over to sample
skilpadjies (liver wrapped in fat) and country-style lamb delicacies,
watch an auction of whole sheep (skinned and ready for the pot) and
langarm to country musicians. Forming part of the multiday events are a
sheep-shearing competition, processions of veteran tractors and vintage
vehicles, drum majorettes and a beauty parade, and lots of entertainment
for the kids, including rolling around in giant inflated transparent balls.
>> Top Event
Succulent Show
Because Vanrhynsdorp’s Knersvlakte soils are so arid and stony (and the
little town is also at the start of the semi-desert Nama Karoo), the spring
flowers produced by the bulbs, corms and tubers are all the more amazing,
erupting out of nowhere to produce delicate blooms in the most vivid of
hues. Where many West Coast areas present a flamboyant, and prolific,
display of gazanias and daisies, these bulbs and fleshy plants are rarer
and restricted to the sere inland plains. The flowers are ephemeral, some
lasting only five days, so the annual Succulent Show is pretty special.
UNIQUELY SOUTH AFRICAN
GRIEKWA RATELGAT
The farm Ratelgat, about 20km north of Vanrhynsdorp, is owned by the Griqua (also Griekwa) Ratelgat Development Trust. As a land
restitution initiative, its objectives are to reunite the Griqua community and conserve their culture and heritage. Visitors to the farm can
stay in a traditional matjieshuis, consisting of a dome-shaped frame made of green saplings covered with woven reed mats, over a cement floor. The
interior is simple: two foam mattresses and a tiny bedside table holding a candle.
These huts sit at the foot of a rock amphitheatre that backs onto a San cave, which holds faded rock paintings. A guide will show you the Griqua
stone monument, remains of packed-stone lime-processing structures, San artefacts, a trance dance painting, and rock engravings of circles, wavy
lines and suns. You might also be shown the tiny fleshy ‘stone plants’ of the Succulent Karoo. In the evening, you can try grilled meat and roosterbrood
cooked over an open fire and eaten under the stars.
% 027 213 5472 : wwww.ratelgat.co.za/home.htm : www.griquas.com/2011/26.htm
39
BOTSWANA
40
Keetmanshoop
Calvinia
B
4
Rietfontein
Aroab
Van Zylsrus
Vanrhynsdorp
Seeheim
B
1
CALVINIA MUSEUM
TAKE A PHOTO OF CALVINIA’S POSTBOX
If you’re more into architecture than history, you’ll
If it’s the oddities of a town that tickle your fancy, try out Calvinia’s giant
want to admire the elegant curves of Calvinia’s heritage
postbox forNAMIBIA
size. At some 6m high, the town claims it’s the biggest in the
institution housed in the old Art Deco synagogue, which
world, but who knows if that’s merely the stuff of legend. It was once an
Fish River
dates to 1920. Should curiosity get the better of you
standing
in an area that cried out for a spruce-up.
Canyon NP abandoned water tower
B
Ariamsvlei
Karasburg
and you do venture inside the museum, you will see –
When
the wife of local3resident and raconteur Erwin
Coetzee dismissively
N
R360
|Ai-|Ais
among much else – a bakkiespomp (a Persian wheel
attraction10was born. The post office
Augrabies
Richtersveld likened it to ‘a postbox’, a new tourist
Falls
fitted with buckets), a flour mill, and a collectionTransfrontier
of
became involved, and when the massive
mail receptacle
was unveiled in
Lutzputs
NP
Park
Upington
utensils used in the making of soap and candles. There
1994, the townspeople were invited to post their
letters here, which would
Augrabies
N
is also a Class 24 steam locomotive standing outside a
then be stamped with a flower emblem. Question is, if this practice still per-10
Onseepkans
second historic building affiliated to the museum.
sists today, how
on earth do people get to Kakamas
the mail-slot? The
secret … there
Keimoes
4
O ra
nge
1
Vioolsdrif
N
is an opening lower down, on the side of the box. Nevertheless, Calvinia
has
Groblershoop
got itself a photographic magnet. Visitors love it.
7
HANTAM HUIS
A national monument still sporting an authentic reed
roof, Hantam Huis was originally built in 1854 (in spite
of being a mid-19th-century building, it still leaned
Kleinsee
Goegap
on late 18th-century building methods). The T-shaped
NR
Springbok
building is part restaurant, serving traditional Karoo
dishes (think bobotie, curried tripe or green bean
Namaqua
bredie), part museum and curio store, sellNP
ing home-made preserves and handcrafted
Kamieskroon
wares. If your yen for country fare is still
Hondeklipbaai
unsatisfied, you can sample their moerkoffie,
Garies
or ginger beer just like ouma brewed it.
2
Pofadder
N
14
2
3
4
N
6
7
Brandvlei
8
Loeriesfontein
6
8
7
Williston
5
4
3
1
R
63
Loxto
2
Calvinia
Vanrhynsdorp
TWO HIKING TRAILS IN AKKERENDAM NR
Lambert's Bay
These trails traverse the small Akkerendam Nature
Clanwilliam
Reserve, which climbs the flanks of the Hantam
Mountains, a connected series of flat-topped kopjes
and ridges. Don’t be fooled by the 2km trail; two hours
is not uncommon for an outing. If that doesn’t scare
you, try the 6–7hr trail which has you cresting the
plateau, giving onto a booted eagle’s view (you may see
one of those too) across the stony Karoo plains. If you’re
carrying binoculars, try ticking off a few of the 65+
recorded bird species.
The dry Karoo
Carnarvon
50
9
3
Van Wyksvlei
9
Nieuwoudtville
Strandfontein
R
27
5
N
7
5
ROUTE
Marydale
1
Km
Groenriviersmond
Kenhardt
Fraserburg
Uitspankraal
Cederberg
Wilderness
Area
Tankwa Karoo
NP
Sutherland
Calvinia’s giant postbox
41
Kakamas
Upington
SPRING IN NIEUWOUDTVILLE AND VANRHYNSDORP
If the rains around April and May are good (only 100–115mm in a
good year), drought-resistant seeds that have lain dormant in the
Karoo soils burst out in August or September in a blaze of hot pink,
fiery orange and sunshine-yellow. The Nieuwoudtville Wildflower
Reserve (115ha) has its share of pretty annuals – Namaqualand
daisies, white Cape rain daisies, lilac felicias, burnt-orange gazanias,
farm-butter-yellow Bittergousblom, perdebos and sandbietou. But
it’s better known for its geophytes (bulbs, corms and tubers); one of
the highest concentrations in the world occur right here in the Karoo.
Of the 300+ species around Nieuwoudtville, you’re likely to recognise
the delicate irises and bulbinellas.
Further along this route, Vanrhynsdorp finds itself
in the Knersvlakte (literally, ‘gnashing plains’ for
its stony terrain over which transport riders’
wagon wheels crunched). In tune with the
unforgiving terrain, wildflowers here are
more fleshy and succulent – indeed,
it’s showtime for the mesembryanthemums, or vygies, and lithops, or ‘flowering stones’. Succulents tend to flower
a little later than the annuals, closer to
October. On the coastal Sandveld, look out
for volstruisvygies segueing from orange-red
to cerise to mauve.
Now, if you’re lucky, and you hit a season in Nieuwoudtville in which a late-summer residual rain of over 15mm has fallen
during February and March, soon afterwards you could get to see a mass
of pink round-headed blooms erupt out of the earth, like a hundred
Medusas. They are the Brunsvigia bosmaniae, a beautiful bulb of the
Amaryllis family, which flowers en masse only with the right rains.
5
LOERIESFONTEIN WINDMILL MUSEUM
In such a tiny one-horse town as Loeriesfontein (the ‘garage’ is a
couple of pumps, the lone diesel pump sitting on the roadside!),
you’ve just got to love the sight of a silent mass gathering of shiny
silver windmills outside this little settlement. Okay, probably not so
silent when the wind blows and 27 sets of blades start creaking and
moaning in unison. From an American Aeromotor to a Conquest
(Germany) and a Southern Cross (Australia), the windmills were
collected and sponsored by interested South Africans.
6
Windmill Museum, Loeriesfontein
50KM HIKES (x2) IN OORLOGSKLOOF NR
There are 147km of tough hiking trails in this 5,577ha reserve,
sprawling across deeply incised gorges sliced by the Oorlogskloof River through the Bokkeveld mountain plateau. The
reserve and river inherited their name from the warring that
took place here in 1739 between the pastoralist Khoikhoi and
local Dutch farmers. The rugged scenery of tight-knit rockcapped kopjes, kloofs and valleys is thanks to their placement
in the uppermost reaches of the Cederberg. Marked routes map
out a 4km one-day route and two 50km treks (the Rock Pigeon
and Rameron Pigeon trails) of 4–7 days. For the twitchers, over
90 bird species flit through the canyons; for the botanists, the
fynbos and Karoo biomes promote great plant diversity.
7
SPRING FLOWER VIEWING
Remember these tips for maximum enjoyment: the petals
unfurl facing the full sun so cloudy days are no good for
viewing flowers. When the sun is out, the most colourful
perspective is when you’re driving with the sun behind you.
And blooms are at their prettiest between 11:00 and 16:00;
after that the petals start turning in.
4x4 TRAIL ON PAPKUILSFONTEIN FARM
WATERFALL HIKE AND MTB TRACKS ON FARM
Papkuilsfontein farm adjoins the Oorlogskloof reserve, and its
rocky mountain territory is just what’s needed to give 4x4
adventurers a steep, stony and immensely scenic trail to the
top of a kloof. The 15km route has a difficulty rating of 4–5 and
climbs to the edge of a 180m canyon, then tracks along it to a
camp site. Astounding views take in the Nieuwoudtville Waterfall and the Knersvlakte rolled out to every horizon. A 12km hike
to the canyon waterfall, and a network of rough gravel roads,
will make both walkers and mountain bikers very happy.
8
LATSKY RADIO MUSEUM
Well, hopefully this rather different museum will still be around
by the time you read this, since its owner is not a young man any
more – judging by the first time he started collecting his Bakelite
tabletop and wooden-cabinet valve radios (1947). He has since
amassed some 400 old valve specimens, from the 1920s to World
War II. Additional memorabilia include a radio receiver from a
Lancaster Bomber and a Russian spy ship radio that once encrypted Cold War messages for Moscow. Do call before you visit.
9
UNIQUELY SOUTH AFRICAN
RICHTERSVELD WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Most people know of the Richtersveld National Park but few are aware of the
Community Conservancy, which recently became the core of a World Heritage
Site, attached to the park’s southern boundary and the Orange River to the east. It’s a vast
area of 160,000ha in which no mining is allowed, and the last refuge of the Nama people
who migrate seasonally from mountains to river with their livestock, living in harmony with
the fragile succulent ecosystem. Visitors can explore the stark, wild beauty of the mountains
and the unusual plant life via 4x4 trails, hiking, cycling or horse riding. Cultural tours include
donkey-cart rides, story telling, a performance of the Nama stap dance, or viewing petroglyphs engraved on black dolerite. Guides can be hired in Eksteenfontein and Kuboes.
% 027 851 7108 (Eksteenfontein) % 027 831 2363 (Kuboes) % 027 851 8580 (Lekkersing)
: www.richtersveld.net : www.richtersveld-conservancy.org
42
Calvinia
TWO SHIPWRECK 4x4 TRAILS
STRANDVELD 4x4 TRAIL
DIAMOND COAST HIKING TRAIL
Although they are guided excursions (permits required), the
two half-day 4x4 trails between Kleinsee and Koingnaas are
self-driven. Both are circular routes of 4–5hrs each, one 27km,
the other 37km. They run along the coastline through a previously
restricted diamond-mining area, crossing thick sand and sections
of pebbled stone, but the driving is not difficult. The route takes
in bays and promontories, sharp rocky outcrops, and the shipwrecks Arosa, Border and Piratiny, which ran aground between
1943 and 1976.
Within the same restricted area is the Strandveld trail, this time
mainly a bleached-sand-dune route over an inland dune field. It
forms part of a system that is, in fact, mobile rather than fixed and
static – and the dunes carry no vegetation, so there is no chance of
harming any flora or fauna. The system is believed to be the result
either of a drop in sea level during the Ice Ages, which exposed the
sand, or of sand that was deposited by sea or river action and blown
into the interior over centuries by the wind. The Noup huts, formerly
inhabited by diamond divers, provide your roof for the night.
If shifting sand beneath your feet is your preferred way to go,
the three-day Diamond Coast hiking trail is a guided, portaged
trek over 48km. Dunes, shipwrecks and diamond mines all form
part of the experience.
10
RICHTERSVELD, THE ULTIMATE IN WILDERNESS
If it’s the real untrammelled wilderness that makes your soul sing,
and you own a 4x4, then the |Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier
Park should be right near the top of your bucket list. Its remoteness demands that you don’t venture there alone, and you need
to carry all your own water. But the mountain desert is quite
spectacular: stacked peaks as far as the eye can see, in chocolate
shades of cream, brown and black; rockscapes from granite and
quartz to schist and sandstone; giant whaleback boulders with
weathered, peeling skins.
Although there are several camp sites, it would be a pity not to stay
in at least one of the wilderness camps, each one unique and built of
reeds, canvas, and wood or stone in remote and beautiful settings.
11
Vanrhynsdorp
CORBELLED HOUSES
On your way to Springbok, look out for the remnants of corbelled
houses, whose structure dates to the mid-1800s. An absence of wood
for roof trusses forced the early settlers to use flat stones to build
their houses where, to create the domed roof, successive layers were
stepped inward. Cement consisted of chaff and soil blended with
water; lime, a good binding substance, was obtained from anthills.
Damp earth was smoothed to create the floor, which was then
hardened and polished with a combination of fat and ox blood.
AUGRABIES FALLS NATIONAL PARK
3HR HIKE ABOVE GORGE
THREE-DAY WALKING TRAIL (DIFFICULT)
ROUTE 5
94KM WILDERNESS ROAD 4x4 ROUTE
MOUNTAIN-BIKING TRAIL ALONG CANYON
Here, the Orange River tumbles some 56m over a high granite cliff,
as the Augrabies Falls, into a tightly hemmed-in gorge. Before the
summer rains, when the river is low, some 2 tonnes of water a second
pummels and pounds its way through an eroded channel. But this can
swell to 8 tonnes during floods, as it did in 1988. This ‘place of great
noise’, translated from a Khoi word, most certainly is as it’s described.
The thunder fills your head long before you’ve reached the beautifully
crafted wooden platforms suspended over the edge of the massive
granite canyon. The power of water is nowhere more evident than in
the abraded fissures and scoured holes in the ancient pitted rock
surrounding you on all sides.
The 3hr (5km) Dassie hiking trail follows the canyon edge, taking in
the Twin Falls (one big, one small) and filing around the spectacular
Arrow Point, where this ribbon of river and its narrow gorge reconnect
with the main canyon, then to the whaleback hump that is Moon
Rock, and back to camp. You need to be fit for the rigorous three-day
Klipspringer trail (36km), open only from 1 April to mid-October due to
the intense summer heat.
For the less energetic, you can drive to Ararat, Oranjekom and Echo
Corner (guess what you do here!), where viewing decks allow you to
peer in awe along the sheer granite walls of the 18km-long chasm. The
more testing 4x4 trail takes around 6hrs, but break your adventure
at the halfway picnic spot with its braai and ablution facilities. The
mountain-biking track visits all the scenic viewpoints.
Stay the night at Augrabies just to merge the roar of the water with
your dreams; you have a choice of camp sites or self-catering chalets,
some of them family size.
12
Richtersveld
Augrabies Falls
43
Kakamas
Upington
MTB AND 4x4 IN GOEGAP NR
This is the place of spiky kokerbome and halfmens trees, lording over their
kingdom of bald-headed granite kopjes and flat-ironed plains. A 35km maze
of gravel and jeep tracks, threading among gemsbok, Hartmann’s zebra and
klipspringers, eventually climbs to the crown
of Carolusberg. Along the way,
Koës
sand, stone and rock slabs nicely challenge both 4x4ers and two-wheelers.
For the more sedate, there’s the Hester Malan Wildflower Garden (in spring).
QUAD BIKING IN KALAHARI DUNES
If you’re not in a hurry to get to your destination and you
have the need to shake off the rigours of the long road – and
Kgalagadi
aTransfrontier
bit
of rough-and-tumble on four fat wheels is your kind of
thing Park
– stop off in Pofadder (c’mon, you’ve got to see what
the jokes are all about; you might be surprised). Enquire at
the Pofadder Hotel: there’s a guided 18km trail to Diep en
DeurBOTSWANA
(2hrs 30mins), taking in all sorts of interesting little
historical attractions along the way (and a Verreaux’s eagle
nesting site); or you could
opt for Dinky’s Dunes, two guided
Van Zylsrus
25km trails (2–5hrs) through brick-red Kalahari dunes, rock
outcrops and silky grasses. Later you’ll be stretching out
under a star-studded galaxy at the camp site for the night.
But before that, the showers are hot and no doubt there’ll
be no shortage of stories to tell around the braai coals after
the day’s adventures.
15
13
Keetmanshoop
Rietfontein
NAMAQUA NP 4x4 TRAIL
Aroab
The Caracal
B Ecotrail, which can be done in sections or as a single trail,
4
varies in its
entirety
from 176km to 200km, taking 6–8hrs if not returning
Seeheim
to the park. Test out your tyres on steep gravel and stone ascents, dongas,
B
a couple of river crossings and an extensive
sand-dune corridor. From the
1
park’s Skilpad offices, the route traverses mountains and a couple of passes
on its meandering way to the coastline. A 50km stretch of often mistNAMIBIA
enshrouded seashore – miles and miles of rock and deserted white sands –
finally leads you to the Groenrivier mouth.
14
Fish River
Canyon NP
nge
|Ai-|Ais
Richtersveld
Transfrontier
Park
O ra
11
DIE PIENK PADSTAL
You seriously won’t miss this quirky farm
N
R360
stall on the outskirts of Kakamas, where
10
Augrabies
everything is as pink as ouma’s powder
Falls
Lutzputs
NP
puff – inside and out. You’ll be waylaid by
Upington
12 Augrabies
chalked-up
smile-inducing quotes and all
N
16
10
sorts of interesting artefacts; the bathKakamas
Keimoes
rooms, too, put the fun into piddling. Your
Groblershoop
kids will be so entertained they won’t want
50
Km
to leave, so in the meantime eat a homemade mutton pie, buy country jam and
Pofadder
chutney, or get your hands on some Klein
Kenhardt
Pella dates (available from April on).
Marydale
Ariamsvlei
B
3
Karasburg
Onseepkans
Vioolsdrif
15
N
7
Kleinsee
Springbok
N
14
N
13 Goegap
NR
4x4 ROUTES (x3) IN RIEMVASMAAK
THREE HIKING (PLUS ONE MTB) TRAILS IN
14
RIEMVASMAAK
This little settlement north of Kakamas got its
Kamieskroon
Van Wyksvlei
Brandvlei
name (‘tying of thongs’) from the manner in
10
Hondeklipbaai
which a Damara local lowered himself into a
11
Garies
gorge to get to a mineral spring for his rheuma12
tism. It isCarnarvon
set in a chaotic jumble of stone-strewn
13
hills filled with rock pillars and canyons alongLoeriesfontein
N
Groenriviersmond
14
7
R
side 63
which
the Orange River flows. The three
15
4x4 routes (Deurspring, Perdepoort and the
Williston
16
Nieuwoudtville
Loxton
most technically
challenging, Molopo) are badly
marked, so a good sense of direction is a useful
Calvinia
attribute to have. Each is easily done in a day;
expect deep sand, steep rock plateaus, dongas
Vanrhynsdorp
Strandfontein
Fraserburg
and crunching
stone beneath your tyres.
Three
hiking
trails cross some of the same
Carac
al
Ecotra
il
Uitspankraal
Lambert's Bay
terrain,
with
one
hugging a stretch of the Orange
Cederberg
Tankwa Karoo
Clanwilliam Wilderness
River
bank,
while
a thick sand and rocky track
NP
Sutherland
Area
(with complimentary dongas) can be explored
by mountain bike. Camp sites for all activities
are plentiful but rough and minimal: a walled enclosure holding a tree. A fun additive is the bluewatered hot spring pools backed by high canyon
walls. Extreme options of comfort are offered:
rudimentary camping or equipped chalets with
water and electricity (albeit sporadic).
10
Namaqua
NP
16
R
27
44
Calvinia
Vanrhynsdorp
ORANGE RIVER WATER SPORTS AND BOAT CRUISE
17
If the kids have had enough of ‘I Spy’ games and counting white
18
bakkies from the narrow confines of your car, give them a treat
19
of fresh air and lots of splashing about. In the heart of Upington,
20
Sakkie’s Adventures will kit them up and load them onto a water Koës
snake, tubes or take them kneeboarding. If it’s the adults who’ve
had enough, they could try spotting fish eagles instead. Sakkie
se Arkie is a dual-level riverboat that plies the Orange River
slap-bang in the middle of the town. Fear not, though, it does
Keetmanshoop
take you on a sunset cruise along tree-lined banks and into
Aroab
copper-painted skies.
B
17
4
Kgalagadi
Transfrontier
Park
BOTSWANA
20
Rietfontein
Van Zylsrus
N
Seeheim
ROB1UT
E5
nge
Ariamsvlei
Augrabies
Falls
NP
Onseepkans
N
10
R360
Lutzputs
Kakamas
N
DUNE BOARDING NEAR THE ROARING SANDS 7
Just east of Upington, off the N14, is the Witsand Nature Reserve,
whose pale cream sands are a sharp and interesting contrast to
their backdrop of burnt-orange Kalahari dunes. It’s here that the
Kleinsee
Goegap
brulsand, or ‘roaring sands’, occur. Under certain conditions,
NR
Springbok
the dunes emit a strange rumbling sound caused by
friction between the fine sand particles. What better
Namaqua
spot from which to head out to the
NPnearby slopes
and perform Cirque du Soleil manoeuvres on a
Kamieskroon
dune board? The Witsand hotel complex will
Hondeklipbaai
sort you out.
adi
Pofadder
18
Upington
N
10
Keimoes
Groblershoop
Kenhardt
Marydale
R
27
KGALAGADI TRANSFRONTIER
Van Wyksvlei PARK
Brandvlei
Because, from Upington, you simply point
20
the nose of your vehicle north and drive
straight for 250km to this transfrontier
reserve, we just can’t leave itCarnarvon
out. Oh, so
quickly,
the
wildness
of
the
place
gets under
Loeriesfontein
N
Groenriviersmond
7
R
your skin. But patience is key:
you
can drive
63
for hours andWilliston
not spot a thing; on the other
Nieuwoudtville
Loxton
hand, the open, unobstructed grasslands
provide the perfect sprint track for muscled cheetah,
Calvinia
and lions favour the acacia savannah where all the
grazers hang out. Do be aware that the Botswana side
Vanrhynsdorp
Strandfontein
of the transfrontier park is much moreFraserburg
vast, underdeveloped and the roads rougher, while facilities are
Uitspankraal
Lambert's Bay
limited to the most basic of camp sites. Travellers
Cederberg
Tankwa Karoo
Clanwilliam Wilderness need
toNP
be entirely self-sufficient, carrying all their
Sutherland
Area
water, food and fuel.
On the South African side, the best part of Kgalagadi
are the beautifully constructed wilderness camps,
blending into the natural environment and promising
blood-stirring calls of jackal and hyena at dusk or the
guttural grunt of a lion marking out his territory.
Garies
Camp in the Kgalag
N
14
19
17
Augrabies
Vioolsdrif
19
50
Km
O ra
WINE TASTING IN THE KALAHARI
NAMIBIA
Nosing and swirling wine in the Kalahari? Well, this is the green
River meandering
Kalahari, aided and abetted by thatFish
muscular,
Canyon NP
river of life. Upington is the hub of Orange River Cellars, whose
B
3
Karasburg
terraced vineyards stretch alongside the river for some
350km
|Ai-|Ais
and help to give the Green KalahariRichtersveld
its name. No fewer than five
Transfrontier
wineries have been established here,
the closest open for tasting
Park
at Kakamas, Keimoes and Upington. Cellar tours are run January
to March at 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00.
18
45
Kakamas
Upington
Along the Route: Sites and Accommodation
HIGHLIGHTS
Augrabies Falls NP: outdoor activities
% 054 452 9200
: www.sanparks.org
Nieuwoudtville & Vanrhynsdorp: spring flowers
% 027 218 1336
: www.namaquainfo.co.za
% 021 487 8600 or 021 201 3376
: www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Oorlogskloof NR, Nieuwoudtville: hiking
% 027 218 1159
: www.northerncape.org.za/ getting_around/
parks_reserves/
Diamond Coast hiking trail
% 027 887 0028
: www.diamondroute.co.za/sites_
namaqualand.htm
Diep en Deur, Dinky’s Dunes (Pofadder Hotel)
% 054 933 0063 or 083 232 2563
: www.pofadderhotel.co.za
Sakkie’s Adventures & Tours
% 082 575 7285 or 082 564 5447
: www.arkie.co.za
Witsand Nature Reserve & Hotel
% 053 313 1061/2 or 083 234 7573
: www.witsandkalahari.co.za
Strandveld trail
% 027 887 0028
: www.diamondroute.co.za/sites_
namaqualand.htm
THINGS TO DO OR SEE
Calvinia’s giant postbox
% 027 341 8100
: www.northerncape.org.za
Calvinia Museum
% 027 341 8100
: www.northerncape.org.za
Die Pienk Padstal, Kakamas
% 054 431 1457
Latsky Radio Museum, Vanrhynsdorp
% 027 219 1032
: www.tourismvanrhynsdorp.co.za
Orange River Cellars, Upington
% 054 337 8800
: www.orangeriverwines.com
4x4 TRAILS
Caracal Ecotrail, Namaqua NP
% 027 672 1948
: www.sanparks.org
Diamond Coast Shipwreck trail
% 027 887 0028
: www.diamondroute.co.za/sites_
namaqualand.htm
Papkuilsfontein farm
% 027 218 1246
: www.papkuilsfontein.com
Remhoogte farm
% 027 541 1024 or 073 705 0929
Riemvasmaak
% 083 873 7715
: www.greenkalahari.co.za/index.php/
riemvasmaak
ACCOMMODATION
Calvinia, Die Blou Nartjie Guesthouse
% 027 341 1263
: www.nartjie.co.za
Calvinia, Hantam historical houses and units
% 027 341 1606
: www.calvinia.co.za
Springbok, Annie’s Cottage
% 027 712 1451 or 083 454 1252
: www.springbokinfo.com
Springbok, Blue Diamond Lodge
% 027 718 2624 or 082 492 8987
: www.bluediamondlodge.co.za
Upington, Aan’t Kanaal B&B
% 054 332 3722 or 082 4113 616
: www.sa-venues.com/visit/aantkanaal
Upington, Browns Manor Guesthouse
% 054 338 0384 or 082 371 8033
: www.brownsmanor.co.za
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Augrabies Falls
% 054 452 9200
: www.sanparks.org
SIDE JOURNEYS OF INTEREST
|Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
% 027 831 1506
: www.sanparks.org
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
% 054 561 2000 (South Africa)
% 267 686 0444 (Botswana)
: www.sanparks.org
Other Contacts
NATIONAL PARKS & RESERVES
|Ai-|Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
% 027 831 1506
: www.sanparks.org
Akkerendam NR
% 027 341 8500
: www.northerncape.org.za/getting_around/
towns/Calvinia/
Goegap NR
% 027 718 9906
: www.springbokinfo.co.za/
Naturereserves.htm
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
% 054 561 2000 (South Africa)
% 267 686 0444 (Botswana)
: www.sanparks.org
Namaqua NP
% 027 672 1948
: www.sanparks.org
Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve
% 027 218 1336 (open seasonally)
: www.namaquainfo.co.za
CARAVAN & CAMPING
Calvinia, Klipwerf Camp/Caravan
% 027 341 1126 or 083 229 5707
Kamieskroon, Verbe Caravan Park (2-star)
% 027 672 1776
Keimoes, Tkabies Camping (3-star)
% 054 461 2424
Nieuwoudtville, Van Zijl Olive Caravan Park
% 027 218 1535
: www.nieuwoudtville.co.za
Riemvasmaak camp sites
% 054 431 0945 or 083 873 7715
: www.greenkalahari.co.za/index.php/
riemvasmaak
Springbok, Kokerboom Motel/Caravan Park
% 027 712 2685
: www.namaqualandflowers.co.za
Upington, Die Eiland Holiday Resort
% 054 334 0288
: www.kharahais.gov.za/eiland.html
RESTAURANTS
Calvinia, Die Blou Nartjie
% 027 341 1263
: www.nartjie.co.za
Calvinia, Hantam Huis
% 027 341 1606
: www.calvinia.co.za
Nieuwoudtville, Smidswinkel
% 027 218 1535 or 082 829 6855
: www.nieuwoudtville.co.za
Springbok, Tauren Steak Ranch
% 027 712 2717
: www.springbokinfo.co.za/Tauren.htm
Springbok, Titbits Restaurant
% 027 718 1455
: www.springbokinfo.co.za/titbits.htm
TOWN TOURIST CENTRES
Calvinia Tourist Information
% 027 341 8100/8131
: www.northerncape.org.za/getting_around/
towns/Calvinia/
Kakamas Tourism
% 054 337 2804
: www.kakamas.co.za
Nieuwoudtville Tourism
% 027 218 1336
: www.nieuwoudtville.com
Springbok Tourism
% 027 712 8035/6
: www.northerncape.org.za
Upington
% 054 338 7151
: www.upington.com
Vanrhynsdorp Tourism
% 027 219 1552
: http://tourism.matzikamamun.co.za
REGIONAL TOURIST CENTRES
Green Kalahari Tourism
% 054 337 2946
: www.greenkalahari.co.za
Northern Cape Tourism Authority (Kimberley)
% 053 832 2657 or 053 831 2789
: www.northerncape.org.za
West Coast Tourism
% 022 433 8505
: www.capewestcoast.org
Ours is a big country ― we have a land area of just over 1.2 million km², about the
size of France and Spain combined. South Africans, therefore, are used to driving
vast distances simply to get from A to B (the road network totals 747,000km).
Just think: if you drive diagonally across the country, from Cape Town in the
southwest to Musina in the extreme north, you will traverse some 2,000km. Our
aim here, therefore, is to make travelling those distances as interesting as possible!
In South Africa for South Africans 23 driving routes of varying distances crisscross
the entire country, many of them taking in national or provincial roads. There is
plenty to explore across our nine provinces, and the big skies, boundless vistas and
hours of sunshine have turned us into an outdoor-focused, activity-loving nation.
That’s where the focus of this book lies. With each province radically different in
terms of biomes, landscape and climate, there is great incentive to slow down your
journey and have fun with the family along the way. After all, a long journey is
never solely about the destination.
The intention of this book is not to focus only on the major tourist attractions that
are so familiar to South Africans, but rather to turn away from heavily trodden
visitor paths, delving into lesser known, more unusual activities. From hiking,
mountain biking and wildlife watching to birding, fishing and beachcombing, this
book has some new surprises. Travellers are also invited to explore beyond the
usually uninspiring main road that cuts through little country towns. From quirky
farm stalls, small-town museums, monuments and city walks to battlefields,
cultural sites and interesting municipal parks, we’ve got them covered. You
might even learn a few things you never knew about your own country …
SOUTH AFRICA for South Africans
for South Africans
for South Africans
NAL
ATIO
N
LIFE
WILD
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By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
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By Mariëlle Renssen and Hirsh Aronowitz
