THE Augrabies Falls National Park is one of the star attractions of the Green Kalahari, that intriguing slice of the Northern Cape that is watered by the Orange River.
Although one of South Africa’s biggest rivers, the Orange is normally a placid waterway. It starts its journey as the Senqu River, high in the mountains of Lesotho. Leaving the mountain kingdom, is flows steadily westward to the Atlantic Ocean through South Africa’s dryland, where it is again undergoes a name change. Here it is known as the Gariep – the ‘big river’. In the final stages of its long, cross-country journey it serves as the border between South Africa and Namibia until it empties into the ocean at Alexander Bay.
There is something miraculous about the ‘big river’ as it winds its way through the flat, dry Northern Cape, trailing the life-giving ribbon of green that marks its passage through the semi-desert. Here, it has has been tamed, led off into irrigation canals, over waterwheels and onto lush, productive farmlands and vineyards. This gift of precious water brings prosperity to places like Upington, the main centre of the region, and a string of attractive, smaller settlements like Groblershoop, Keimoes and Kakamas, the nearest town to Augrabies National Park.
We are used to seeing the Orange in its tame, placid incarnation so it was fascinating to discover its wilder nature on our first and only visit to Augrabies National Park. Here, the mighty Orange thunders its way through a ravine, cut through ancient granite, before hurtling over the main falls, a drop of 56m. We saw it when the river was relatively dry and even then it was an impressive sight. In full spate, with some 400-million litres of water going over the falls every minute, it must be spectacular.
Unlike the green and pleasant farming towns in the area, the national park surrounding the falls is a rather harsh, rocky place and this serves to highlight the fact that this generally polite river has an untamed, wilful side. Augrabies means ‘the noisy one’, a good name, as the river certainly makes itself heard at this dramatic stage of its journey.
The facilities at the park are excellent. It boasts comfortable and well-appointed camping area and chalets, extensive walkways and view sites overlooking the falls, a classy restaurant, bar, shop and information centre near the view sites, a short network of good game-viewing roads, a three-day hiking trail with hiking huts, shorter walking trails and picnic sites.
Our short visit there, just a couple of days, was a very pleasant one and, although we haven’t managed to find our way back there, it is certainly not because we were unimpressed with the park. A return visit is on our ‘must do’ list.
Viewing the falls was an amazing experience but somehow, it is an evening drive to Moon Rock that really stayed in my mind.
We’ve spend the afternoon doing the tourist thing, traipsing round the walkways and viewpoints in the sweltering heat and learning how to do the Augrabies wave. Learning this is a matter of survival at certain times of the year when annoying little gnats – I’ve heard them called Orange River flies – dive bomb you in their hundreds. Afterwards we escaped the heat and the squadrons of Orange River flies by enjoying an icy cold drink in the attractive pub area before returning to our comfortable campsite.
The afternoon heat is starting to dissipate and we eventually decide to take a game drive to round off our fascinating day. We meander through a veritable quiver tree forest and find ourselves at a place called Moon Rock. It is a perfectly descriptive name for an amazing place, a bleak moonscape if ever there was one. It is such an other-worldly landscape, though, and we stay for a long time, enjoying the peace and silence, the cool evening air and one of the most dramatic sunsets we have ever seen.
