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UPPER KAROO - NORTHERN CAPE
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Upper Karoo Destinations and
Attractions: The Karoo is famous for its wide open spaces and healthy climate.
The seemingly arid soil of the Karoo bursts into life after rains, which totally transform
the landscape. Hardy succulents are complemented by grasses on which the region’s
cattle graze. Seemingly countless windpumps are indicative of the countless streams that
flow between cracks and fissures that lie beneath the dry but fertile soil.
Small towns with distinct Karoo architecture and their imposing churches lie in the
valleys between lone flat-topped koppies. Visit Colesberg, (a perfectly situated stopover
for travellers from Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal to the Cape) a sheep-farming centre, then
travel on to Hopetown where South Africa’s first recorded diamond was found. Return
via Orania which is a self-proclaimed Afrikaner 'volkstaat', and take some time to visit
the Rolfontein Reserve on the shores of the Vanderkloof Dam. |
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UPPER KAROO - DESTINATIONS
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  Britstown: Britstown is
a small farming town, named after Hans Brits who settled here after accompanied David
Livingstone on a venture into the interior. It was in the days of The Great Diamond rush
in 1877 that Britstown came into being. Fortune hunters stopped here en-route to diamond
fields, and a settlement mushroomed. |
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 Colesberg: This
quiet Karoo town which serves a thriving horse and sheep stud district, has retained a few
interesting reminders of the past. Make a point of visiting the old horse-driven mill pub,
the quaint Cape Karoo cottages in Bell Street and the Kemper Museum, which includes a
section on the Anglo-Boer War ... about Colesberg » |
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 De
Aar: The second most important railway junction in Southern Africa. The town has 110
km of track and a traffic rate of 92 trains a day. Olive Schreiner, the famous author and
feminist who wrote "Women and Labour", lived in De Aar and her house in
Grundlingh has been converted to a museum and restaurant ... about De Aar » |
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 Hopetown:
Best known as the site of the first discovery of diamonds in South Africa. The town serves
the surrounding fruit, stock, wheat and potato farms. The Gazella Game Reserve, on the
banks of the Orange River, provides sanctuary for gemsbok, eland, kudu and springbok. The
ultimate outdoor experience ... about Hopetown
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 Loxton: Travelling through the Karoo along the
popular R63 towards the West Coast and Namaqualand, the road passes through a little
cutting in a hill before revealing the tiny village of Loxton that stands surrounded by
endless plains. Loxton is one of those unexpected arboreal settlements, thanks to
far-seeing ... Loxton
Info » |
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 Marydale: North-west of the village of
Marydale, at Koegas, a quiver tree forest provides an unusual spectacle. Water sports and
angling are popular pursuits at Boegoeberg Dam Resort, some 40 km from Marydale. The town
depends mainly on sheep farming, irrigation farming and the production and processing of
cotton. |
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 Prieska: Set on the south bank of the
Orange river at the foot of the Doringberg, Prieska is renowned for its semi-precious
stones. A British fort (Anglo-Boer War) perches on the summit of the Prieska Koppie
(hill). Impressive collections of succulents are found at the Prieska Koppie Nature
Reserve and the Ria Husiamen Aloe Garden. |
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 Three Sisters: Three Sisters is not
actually a town, but a landmark along the N1 where a large refuelling point is situated
for travellers. The Three Sisters 'koppies' are an icon of the N1 and the Karoo. Three
Sisters is close to the turn-off from the N1 to the N12, being a major entry point to the
Northern Cape & Kimberley from Cape Town. |
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UPPER KAROO - ATTRACTIONS
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Vanderkloof Dam |
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Part of the Orange River Scheme, this is the
second largest dam with the highest dam wall in the country (108 m). The dam attracts a
great number of birds and water sports enthusiasts. The Eskom Hydro Power Station and
Douglas Hey Museum are open to the public.
Two reserves encompassing a typical Karoo landscape lie on the southern shore of the dam.
The Rolfontein Nature Reserve provides sanctuary for large numbers of game, including an
enormous eland population. The Doornkloof Nature Reserve supports kudu, hyena, steenbok
and bat-eared fox, among other game. Against the arid landscape, wildlife is easily seen.
Over 180 bird species have been recorded, including the fisheagle, blue crane, malachite
kingfisher and red bishop. |
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« Northern Cape Game Reserves
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Africa Game Reserves » |
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