Northern Cape – Features of the Northern Cape Province
The Northern Cape is the largest province in South Africa and allows tourists to see some of the most impressive scenery in the country. It is the home of the ancient San people who lived here thousands of years ago. Although the San people have left the area, their heritage lives on in the rock art they have left behind. In addition to the McGregor Museum in the Kimberley, you’ll find plenty of San rock art at many different points along the Orange and Vaal rivers.
Among the best parts of the Northern Cape is the Augrabies Falls National Park. The thundering waterfalls are the focus of a place where people can hike, mountain bike or enjoy paddle boarding. The 90m falls plummet down a series of granite waterfalls.
In the far north of the province is the Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, which is a joint venture between South Africa and Botswana. It is home to magnificent creatures, including black-maned lions, gemsbok and oryx. This area of the North Cape is notoriously scorching, dry and remote. The only standing water is the Orange or Gariep River. There are few roads, so it is not an easy region to go to.
The main city is Kimberley and along with the many museums, art galleries and old properties, tourists will also come across “The Big Hole” which was created as a result of open pit mining for diamonds. It is the largest man-made hole on the planet that was dug during what was the largest diamond run in history.
Namaqualand is famous for its blooming flowers that flood the area with a magnificent array of colors for a few short weeks in August and September. Even so, this part of the North Cape is not much appreciated outside of the flowering time of the year. Desert and semi-desert regions have their attractions. The sky is wide open and wonderful, the distant slopes and multicolored stones produce their own fantastic spectacle.
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