Northern Cape Archives - TRAVELBUCKET

KAKAMAS – POOR PASTURES – NO WAY!

In Khoi Kakamas means “poor pastures”. I think that they got it wrong! Make an effort to visit the region surrounding the Orange River and you will appreciate the fact that the river brings life to the surrounding area where temperatures soar in summer and experience freezing desert temperatures during winter. The town came about between 1800 and 1900 when there were a war and a worldwide depression. People of the area were bitterly poor due to rinderpest and drought and came to the church for help to survive. In exchange for care the local people, under supervision of Japie Lutz, dug and built a canal system by hand. This system is still in operation even today. The system includes two tunnels of 97m and 175m respectively, turning the area to a greenery. Augrabies Falls surely is the most visited place in Kakamas, but there are some other interesting features… Read more >

THROUGH THE MOORDENAARSKAROO TO SUTHERLAND

This time we took the little Jimny a bit further into the Karoo on our ladies trip. We had a look at the map and said, yes, that road through the Moordenaarskaroo, that is the one we want to take to Sutherland and the Roggeveld Karoo, little did we know that we chose a shake rattle and roll road! We were wondering what was happening in the Moordenaarskaroo to be blessed with such a name … so we went to explore. As the road snakes through the harsh and washed-out landscape there is not much to see – no animals, no man, no murderer – yet, there is a certain beauty to the stark scenery. There are a few theories about the name Moordenaarskaroo. Firstly, that it is named so due to the extreme heat and cold, because both can kill you. The second theory is that a couple of… Read more >

BRITSTOWN AND BEYOND

On our flash pack trip in February, we travelled along the N10 that stretches all the way to Upington and beyond to the Namibian border. Britstown is more or less a dot on the map that is never an option for us to stop in. Although it was a flash pack trip, I quickly Googled to see what comes up on Britstown and ta-ra-ra there you go! Something new that I discovered so we had to stop to take the picture before we moved on. Britstown was named after the local farmer J J F Britz (with a Z), better known as Hans. Now what made Hans so important that a town was named after him? Hold your hats! The platteland never disappoints and always come up with some interesting facts and stories. Hans Britz met the Dr David Livingstone, who visited his father-in-law, Robert Moffet, when he was on… Read more >

ONCE IN A LIFETIME SPECTACULAR – 10 TIPS FOR AUGRABIES FALLS

The past weekend we made a quick road trip to see the Augrabies Falls in flood. This was a flash pack trip, packing as light as possible, as our time was very limited. We needed to be back in office on Monday with bright eyes and bushy tails, but, hey, we love a challenge! To make everything smooth sailing on your visit we are sharing some handy tips to keep in mind. Here we go: We stayed in nearby Kakamas, which is only about a 20-minute drive from Augrabies, but do get up early and arrive early at the gate. We arrived at about 06:20 and there were already about 20 cars in front of the gate. The other option is to rather go late in the afternoon, it is hotter then, but there will be less visitors as well. Plan your trip beforehand The gates for day visitors open… Read more >

THE BIG HOLE @ KIMBERLEY, SOUTH AFRICA

by Inge Triegaardt Upon entering Kimberley, one might find that the capital of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, is just another dull, dusty town with heat waves in summer and cold, winter nights with temperatures below zero degrees Celsius. The impression one gets when driving down the streets of this once “rich” town, is definitely not one of glamour and shiny diamonds. Being the host city of the De Beers Mining Company HQ, Kimberley still preserves the rich history that made this town one of the most sought after places to be during the early 1900’s. One might think that visiting a big hole in the ground should be nothing spectacular these days, given that we have seen comets create big craters all over the world. So what makes the Big Hole in Kimberley so special that one will pay to take a selfie in front of a… Read more >

KALAHARI RED DUNE ROUTE

We had an amazing time out at Loch Maree deep in the beautiful landscape of the Kalahari. As we headed north, deeper into the Kalahari, the scenery started changing. It was just big blue skies and wide open spaces. Basically lots of nothing. The road was quiet and empty. Besides a few passing vehicles, the only signs of life were the gigantic nests of the sociable weaver birds that seemed to colonies trees and electricity poles. I read that some of these huge nests have colonies of up to 50 chambers housing as many as 300 birds. We also saw some of the nests that had fallen to the ground – I presume when they just get too heavy to sit to the telephone pole or tree. The Kalahari is not only amazingly rich in diversity but also reflects an endless variety of moods, making each new encounter different from… Read more >

ST AUGUSTINE’S, FRAZERBURG

During 2011 me and my hubby riding buddy went on a motorbike trip to Namakwaland to see the spring flowers in all its majesty. The first night we slept at the sleepy town of Frazerburg in The Groot Karoo. Waking up to a freezing but spectacular sunrise and after a hearty breakfast we set off on our long day’s ride. First of all we had to get Daisy (for those of you who do not know – that is my GS) and Ogre (that is hubby’s GS) going in the chilly weather. Like our cold and stiff fingers they were not used to these low temperatures of the Karoo. Welcome in the heartland of the Karoo! On our way out of town I was fortunate enough to track down another Sophy Gray church at 31°55′00″S 21°30′47″E which was built in 1870 – one year before her death on 27 … Read more >

Tag Archive: Northern Cape