"From Upington, the region's principal town, your travels will take you from a raison factory to a catfish farm, from wine cellars to tearooms in the desert, from a luxurious lodge to the remains of a permanent Bushmen settlement at Bitterputs in the Verneuk Pan. In between you may spoil yourself by doing the 4x4 routes, river rafting, or go for a desert picnic on camel back.
Then experience the thundering power of the Augrabies Falls or touch the silence, gently mixed with a mosaic of bird chatter, while walking in one of the many quiver tree forests.
Don't leave out a visit to one of the world's truly unspoilt ecosystems, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (formerly Kalahari Gemsbok Park), renowned for its prides of awe-inspiring lion. To spend two, three days here guarantees a very rewarding event."
[Extract from 'The Green Kalahari - Images of a Living Desert']
The Richtersveld National Park in northern Namaqualand is a spectacular mountain desert. In the park, which is inhabited only by small groups of the indigenous Nama people, one finds a singular vegetation with innumerable species of succulents. This is the only place where the remarkable halfmensboom (half-human tree) grows. The top of thissucculent tree consists of a bunch of thick, crinkled leaves, reminiscent of a human head, the unusual appearance being the inspiration for its name.
The climate in the Richtersveld is extreme with summer temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius quite frequently. Rain is a rare event. Plants and animals get moisture primarily from the sea fog.
The Richtersveld National Park is not fully exposed to tourism. A four-wheel drive vehicle is essential to travel through the reserve. Especially difficult are some steep and rocky mountain roads and some sandy river crossings. One must report to the park office before one leaves and after returning to the gate. Only a few small groups at a time are admitted to the reserve, to protect the delicate ecosystem. Good maps and a compass are indispensable for a drive through the nature park, since sign posts have not yet been erected.
[See South Africa Online Travel Guide Website for more info]
'Famous for its large antelope herds, Kgalagadi (formerly Kalahari Gemsbok Park) is the largest conservation area in Southern Africa and represents an increasingly rare phenomenon: a large ecosystem relatively free from human interference'
Size & Location: 36 000km˛ in the south Kalahari Desert within Botswana and north South Africa
The dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob Rivers cut through this arid region, which is ground covered by an attractive yellow flower during summer, the devil's thorn. This plant invades a denuded area and, as such, is a sign of previous over utilisation of an area. Moisture, for survival of the wildlife, comes from the tsamma melon and gemsbok cucumber. Few other conservation areas have attracted so many research projects. This research has revealed a widely fluctuating environment, driven by rainfall events which vary widely in time and space, which produce a system that is difficult to predict and understand without long-term study.
When to visit the park: April - September (cooler winter months - preferred)
Climate: Fluctuation is extreme. Day: may exceed 40°C. Night: may drop below -14°C
Rainfall: 200mm per annum varying
Altitude: 900m - 1100mm above sea level
PARK INFORMATION:
Famous for its large antelope herds, Kgalagadi (formerly Kalahari Gemsbok Park) is the largest conservation area in Southern Africa and represents an increasingly rare phenomenon: a largeecosystem relatively free from human interference. A landscape of red sand dunes, sparse vegetation, semi-desert savannah, denuded grasslands whose crests are covered with grey Camelthorn bushes and Kalahari couch grass to the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob Rivers, the Kgalagadi Park is a famous and well protected conservation area in the southern Kalahari Desert.
Visitors to the park may view large herds of migrating springbok, oryx and blue wildebeest, the desert adapted gemsbok and the huge, black-maned Kalahari Lion. Kudu, grey duiker, red hartebeest, steenbok and the rare eland and impala. The oblong fruit of the Camelthorn tree is a welcome and vitamin-rich variation in the diet of many animals and in the midday heat the animals love to rest in the cooling shade of these deep rooted giants. Other predators found in this area include cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyena and wild dog. Smaller animals, like the cape and bat eared fox, yellow, slender and banded mongoose, honey badger, aardwolf, polecat, pangolin and genet also occur. More than 260 species of bird are found including a large number of raptors.
MAIN ATTRACTIONS:
* Fascinating Kalahari ecosystem
* Large herds of antelope, 280 bird species (raptors paradise)
* Protected Conservation area[See Uphadi.com Website for more info]
Highlight of the Orange route is a visit to the Augrabies Falls, the sixth-largest waterfall in the world. Centrepiece of the National Park named after it, the waterfall has a 64-metre final plunge. But combined with all the smaller cascades and channels, the Orange River drops by more than 190 metres. The gorge, a mighty example of granite erosion, is 240 metres deep and 18 kilometres long.
Few sights are as awesome or a sound as deafening as water thundering down the 56-m Augrabies Waterfall when the Orange River is in full flood. The Khoi people called it ‘Aukoerebis’, or place of Great Noise, as this powerful flow of water is unleashed from rocky surroundings characterized by the 18-km abyss of the Orange River Gorge. Picturesque names such as Moon Rock, Ararat and Echo Corner are descriptive of this rocky region. Klipspringer and kokerboom (quiver trees) stand in stark silhouette against the African sky, silent sentinels in a strangely unique environment where only those that are able to adapt ultimately survive. The 28 000 hectares on both the northern and southern sides of the Orange River provide sanctuary to a diversity of species, from the very smallest succulents, birds and reptiles to springbok, gemsbok and the endangered black rhino.
The park itself protects the local semi-desert vegetation, including the quiver tree, Cape willow, wild olive and a peculiar plant called the lithop, which resembles a stone. Black rhino, springbok and klipspringer are some of the animals found in the park. Various hiking trails are on offer, including one that combines canoeing on the river, hiking and mountain biking.
[See the Upington.com and CarToday.com Websites for more info]
Quiver Tree Forests
Wine Routes
Cultural Trails
Raisin Factories
Catfish Farms
Spectacular Rock Formations & Potholes
Natural Caves and Waterfalls
Agricultural Museums
Fauna Trails
Game Farms
Orange River Resorts
Hiking Trails
Backpacking & Camping Safaris
Scenic Drives
River rafting
Camel & Horseback Safaris
Canoeing
Paragliding
Night Game Drives
Mountain Biking
Quad Biking
Hot Air Ballooning
4x2 & 4x4 Safaris
Fresh Water Fishing
Abseiling
Natural Cave Explorations
Donkey Cart Rides
Bird Watching
Stargazing
Eco-Living Network Home Page
Location of Eco-Living Network
Prophetic Significance of Eco-Living Network
Land Acquisition
Settlement Formation & Infrastructure
Investment Opportunities
Tourist Attractions
Guided Tours
Bonus Page - Feedback from NCECN Visitors
Bonus Page - Namaqualand's Jewish Legacy
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