02 Feb Augrabies Falls National Park
It is always such fun to ‘hit the road’, and even more so when you are with friends or family.
This time we travelled with our son and his wife. The plan was to visit two national parks, Augrabies Falls National Park and the Tankwa Karoo National Park.
We planned our trip for the beginning of January, summertime in South Africa. We chose to visit these two parks because they are so vastly different from each in every way, and we were out for adventure. My boys always enjoyed the freedom, excitement and challenges of road travel and thankfully their wives too. So, it was with great excitement that we looked forward to and prepared for the trip.
I had been to Augrabies many years before and was quite excited to see how it had developed since I was last there. I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, quite the opposite. I loved how the place had been transformed, with pathways leading to the viewpoints. Thankful to the staff at SAN Parks for their dedication to conservation and the upkeep of these precious facilities.
The road from Cape Town, known as the “Cape to Namibia” route, is beautiful and scenic, making travel a pleasure. If you will allow yourself the time, there are many places to stop off at.
At this time of the year the park is very busy so we were not able to get self-catering accommodation in the park. It’s better to plan your holiday to this park well in advance. Camping and caravanning sites were available, but we had no camping gear with us this time. Fortunately, we found accommodation at Kameeldoring Camping, just outside the park.
Kameeldoring Camping
They offer tented chalets and camping. Their rates were reasonable, the location perfect and the accommodation was truly outstanding.
For more information or to book accommodation, visit their website at; https://www.kameeldoringcamping.co.za/
It was the middle of summer, and we were not expecting rain. The day we arrived however, the sky was overcast with cloud and there was a forecast of rain.
On the day that we entered the park it was cool and there was a slight drizzle. This did not deter us. At the reception we were welcomed friendly by SAN Parks staff and given directions to the falls. The falls is a short walk from the reception.
There are no words that can describe the true beauty of nature as you near the falls. From a distance you hear already the thundering sounds of the falls. The river was in full flow, and the falls majestic. Just watching the water gushing down and churning below is an awesome sight, captivating, mesmerising!
What to do?
We did not spend as much time in the park as we would have liked to. I suppose that we will just have to return to the park again.
We did part of the Dassie Nature Trail until Arrow Point. An interesting name until you get to the ‘arrow’. The trail takes you higher and higher, crossing many rocks along the banks of the Orange River. The assent is gradual until you reach the arrow, a rock on which you are standing.
At Arrow Point you have a panoramic view of the park below. Breath taking! Then we returned to our camp because it started raining.
We returned later the afternoon and walked along a shorter trail, closer to the entrance.
It is called the ‘Ebony Trail’ and is about three kilometres long. It is an interesting path, winding in on itself and is well marked out.
We did encounter a few smaller animals and even some tortoise. The terrain takes you through thick underbrush and is well marked out.
Soon we were at our camping site, enjoying a braai. Later that night it rained quite hard, but we were cosy in our tented accommodation
The next morning we returned to Augrabies to take a drive along the gorge and to stop off at some look out points. Here we visited the “potholes” and “Moon Rock”
Potholes has fascinating rock formations. I believe these must have been formed by water erosion, carved out over centuries. They are deep rock depressions, much like Bourke’s Luck Potholes in the Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga. You will have to watch your step around these parts and especially keep an eye on the children.
Moon Rock. The surface of this rock makes you feel like you’re walking on the moon, towards a distant horizon. The surface is large and the incline gentle. At the end you are rewarded with more views of the park and the river below.
There is just so much more to do, but you can read about this on the SAN Parks Augrabies website: https://www.sanparks.org/parks/augrabies/
The following day we left Augrabies for the Tankwa Karoo national park.
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