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The Northern Cape lies to the south of the mighty
Orange River and comprises mostly desert and semi-desert. The landscape is
characterised by vast arid plains with outcroppings of haphazard rock piles. The
cold Atlantic Ocean forms the western boundary. This region covers the largest
area of all the provinces yet has the smallest population. The last remaining
true San (Bushman) people live in the Kalahari area of the Northern Cape. The
whole area, especially along the Orange and Vaal rivers, is rich in San rock
engravings. The province is also rich in fossils.
The first people of the Northern Cape were the
San, who were gradually pushed out of the area by the arrival of Europeans, and
other African tribes. The Dutch came to the area to mine for copper under
the famous Cape governor Simon van der Stel. Mining has always defined the
history in this part of the world and, when diamonds were discovered in
Kimberley, unprecedented growth took place in the province under the leadership
of men such as Barney Barnato and Cecil John Rhodes. In 1899, the Northern
province was the scene of the Anglo-Boer War, where Kimberley was one of the
first towns to be besieged by the Boers.
The Northern Cape semi-arid
region climate has little rainfall in summer. The weather conditions are extreme
cold and frosty in winter, and extremely high temperatures in summer.
Sutherland, in the Hantam Karoo, is one of the coldest towns in southern Africa
with an average winter minimum is -6: Celsius. In winter, snow often
blankets its surrounding mountains.
The Northern Capes sheer size, clear skies,
flamboyant sunsets, brilliant starry nights and incredible silence is powerfully
intoxicating. This is the kind of place you want to take in slowly.
Major attractions in the
area:
Richtersveld National Park
Created in 1991, the Richtersveld National Park is situated in northwestern
Namaqualand. Here, the landscape is rough and unforgiving. Some of the more
rugged landscapes have been given names such as Skeleton Gorge, Devils Tooth and
Helskloof (hells gorge). This area is home to the fascinating Nama people
who are mainly sheep or goat-herders and live a simple life in these harsh
surroundings. The Richtersveld is popular with 4x4 enthusiasts and nature
lovers.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, together with the Gemsbok National
Park in Botswana, is Africa's first Tran frontier game park, known as the
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is one of the largest nature conservation areas
in southern Africa, and one of the largest remaining protected natural
ecosystems in the world. The Park provides unfenced access to a variety of game
between South Africa and Botswana, and has a surface area of more than two
million hectares.
Augrabies Falls National Park
One of the lesser known game parks in the country, it is here, on the
Orange River, that Africas second largest waterfall thunders down into a granite
gorge in a spectacular display. Adventure activities are par for the course at
this attraction, including rafting, hiking and cycling as well as canoe trails.
Flowers, Flowers Everywhere
During August and September, the area of Namaqualand is transformed into a
brilliant carpet of wild flowers. The area is world-famous for its transformed
landscape and floral beauty and photographic safaris to the area are very
popular with both local and international tourists. Nowadays, it can be said
that the Namaqualand experiences something of a `gold rush during peak
season.
Rock Art
The province is rich in San rock art paintings that date back to time
immemorial. The San were hunter-gatherers who lived off the desert, and their
rich heritage has been preserved in numerous paintings found in caves all over
the Northern Cape region.
Diamond Digging Country
Kimberley boasts an excellent museum called the Kimberley Mine Museum. Part of
the museum includes the viewing decks into the Big Hole, as well as a number of
historic buildings. The old shops, bars, restaurants, churches and banks appear
almost exactly as they were during the diamond digging days. Known as a `living
museum, a visit here is like stepping back in time to the days when Barney
Barnato and Cecil John Rhodes were kings; and diamonds were there for the
picking.
The Big Hole at Kimberley
The famous five-hundred-meter wide cavity that sits at a depth of around 240m
was dug manually by pick and shovel by diamond miners, and is known to be the
largest man-made excavation sight in the world. This hole remains the major
attraction for visitors to this part of the world.
Trains and Trams
The capital city's railway station is in Florence Street, close to the city
centre. South Africas famous and luxurious Blue Train stops over in Kimberley,
en route to Cape Town or Johannesburg and passengers can board or disembark at
Kimberleys quaint station. The Kimberley Tram Service - a vintage tram dating
back to the turn of the century, carries passengers from the City Hall to the
Mine Museum, daily.
Moffat Mission Station
Missionaries, Robert Moffat and his wife Mary arrived in the Kuruman area in
1820. Their aim was to convert the local people to Christianity, and Moffat was
the first person to attempt translating the Holy Bible into Tswana, one of the
indigenous languages. They built a mission station, which has now been revived
as an educational centre and retreat.
Wonderwerk Cave
Not too far from Kuruman, lies the Wonderwerk Cave. A keen stomping ground
for archaeologists and the like, the site is said to be home to human life
dating back nearly a million years. The area also includes precious artifacts,
fossils and San Rock art.
The Kalahari
The Kalahari is home to endless spaces and huge African skies. This arid
wasteland gets its name from the San word `kglagagadi, which means thirsty land.
The almost lunar landscape boasts a wide variety of unique flora and fauna.
Small-town delights
The Northern Province is littered with small towns that are fast growing in
popularity with the arty set. Places such as Nieuwoudtville, Calvinia, Poffadder
and Springbok are definitely worth a visit, especially for their warm-hearted
local hospitality.
Orange River Adventures
For adventure-junkies, canoeing down the Orange River is one way to get
an adrenalin rush in this part of the world. Not quite `white river rafting, the
Orange does offer a number of aggressive rapids to add to the roughing-it
ambience. Trips down the river can last anything from two to six days and are
organized by a number of accredited operators.
Pella Mission
Pella Mission is truly in the middle of nowhere. Approximately 150 km from
Springbok, Pella boasts a striking yellow cathedral that was built by French
missionaries in the late 1880s. The cathedral is still in use, today, and a
central focus for the religious community in the area.
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