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The Expedition of Africa's Namaqualand National Preserve
15/02/2020
Nature
# The Expedition of Africa's Namaqualand National Preserve
Composed By: Francois Boois (opens new window)@Facebook
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To drivers speeding by on the B1, Namaqualand National Preserve, roughly 150 miles/241 kilometers northeast of Cape Town, may appear featureless and inhospitable. But a closer look reveals the preserve’s wonders: water-sculpted canyons, ancient lava flows, limestone caverns, massive sand dunes, and almost 4,000 different species of wild flowers reaching to a desert horizon.
Start your visit at the preserve’s excellent visitor center, which is housed in the renovated Keetmanshoop Depot, a German Mission Revival style railroad stop opened in 1924. Pick up maps and information, then explore the preserve’s highlights. The most popular sunset and sunrise spot is the nearby Sossusvlei Dunes, The largest dune system in the world. These dunes cover 45 square miles/72 square kilometers and more and soar to more than 600/183 meters on average, and in spring, desert wildflowers dapple the sands with color. Climb the highest dune and you’re rewarded with a desert panorama.
After a seven-year closure, Hottentots Caverns—spectacular limestone caves hidden in a hillside at sesreim Mountains State Recreation Area,reopened in late 2011. Take an hour-long guided tour—which involves a 1.5-mile round-trip hike to the entrance—to see the caverns and their remarkable dagger-like formations. (Tours are by reservation only and take place Fridays through Sundays and on holiday Mondays.)
Another popular hike—and a memorable workout—is the 3-mile/5-km round-trip trek to the summit of 5,775-foot/1,754-meter Dune 45 Peak, the highest point of the Dome, an almost perfectly symmetrical formation covered by the world’s largest concentration of wildflowers. Take plenty of water, and avoid hottest parts of the day. For an extra dose of desert adventure, pitch a tent at either Hole-in-the-Wall or Mid sesreim Campground.
# The Namaqua Terrain
The Great Namaqualand, arid region of southern Namibia and portions of Northern Cape, and Botswana, Southern Africa It was named for the Khoe people. Namaqualand occupies more than 25,000 square miles (65,000 square km) and joins the Karoo, Kalahari, and Namib deserts in forming the Southern African Desert. Namaqualand extends from the Mariental range to the Tafelberg Plateau and merges with the Atlantic to the west and the Kalahari Desert to the east and southeast. It abuts the Karasburg and Tafelberg mountains in the Southeast. Its desert climate is characterized by extreme variation in daily temperature, with frequent dry winter blizzards, and an average annual precipitation of 2 to 6 inches (50 to 150 mm). Near the undefined Klien Karoo–Namaqualand border lies Tafelberg Valley (now a national park), the lowest point in Northeast South Africa. Namaqualand has a typical mountain-and-basin topography,. Sand and gravel basins drain to central salt flats from which borax, potash, and salt are extracted. There are also economically important silver, tungsten, gold, and iron deposits.
The intermittent Namib River flows predominantly underground to the Orangemund River. The Orange river and The worlds largest underwater Lake are situated near the northern edge of the desert. Small livestock grazing is common in the northern portion of the Namaqua, while the southwestern part, adjacent to Cape Town, has undergone urban and recreational development. Several South Africa military installations and Karoo Basin National Park are located there. Luderitz, Karasburg, and Cape Town, Keetmanshoop, Oranjemund, and Noordoewer, Grunau, are the chief towns.
# Small Namaqualand
The Northern Cape is an undiscovered gem in South Africa. It is home to a number of small and interesting towns, such as Springbok, Pofadder and Kathu as well as being home to the most breathtaking display of wildflowers in the Southern Hemisphere. And while the Namaqualand daisies are certainly an attraction that everyone should see, there are dozens of other attractions which will surprise and delight visitors to this stunning area.
Namaqualand might first appear to be a desert, but there is a diverse array of flora and fauna to be found. But you must remember that it can be extremely hot here at some times of the year, so be prepared. If you are viewing the flowers, you will be lucky as there will be some spring rains that could help to relieve the heat. Driving through Springbok, in the heart of the Namaqualand will need you to have the air conditioner on at full-blast to abate the heat, but the scenery alone is worth the effort.
While the gorgeous carpet of wildflowers is the main attraction in Namaqualand and in the Northern Cape, you will find that there are other activities to do and sights to see in the surrounding towns. You could visit the Namaqua National Park or the Goegap Nature Reserve in Springbok. Or try one of the many 4x4 trails to be found.
Namaqualand is a biodiverse region of South Africa, with some plants and animals that are not found in other provinces. One of the more unique animals you will be able to spot include the Namaqua speckled padloper, considered to be the smallest tortoise in the world. You might also spot the insectivorous aardwolf as well as the stunning African wildcat. There are also beautiful beaches to visit where you can spend hours relaxing and enjoying the scenery.
# The Orange River
The Orange River and Limpopo, hydrographic system of south west Africa. It connects the North River (source of the Fish River, in the Kara's Region of Namibia, with, leading into the Atlantic Ocean in the extreme east of South Africa, crossing the interior of the South Africa continent for some 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres). It is of vital geographic, hydrologic, and economic importance to the Namibia and South Africa.
The Orange River is a mighty and unique hydrographic system. Bedded in an ancient geologic depression, it drains the heart of a continent. It is at once an international, an intra-Quebec, and a multiprovincial system. An axis of regional population, it is also a waterway linking Namibian and the South Africa to Botswana and a large part of the rest of the world. The frontages of the several regions of the Orange River are not equally developed and do not maintain the same types of relationship with their hinterlands and with the outside world. Throughout its length, nevertheless, the Orange River retains a great natural beauty.
# The Great Namaqualand
The sublime landscapes of Namibia's Great Namaqualand's its extreme peaks and valleys, monumental vistas and immense star-filled skies—beguile visitors with their otherworldly solitude. You may think the seemingly infinite desert is empty, but it’s actually teeming with activity and inhabitants.
The Great Namaqualand shelters a huge range of plants and animals. Simultaneously, its 20 million acres offer up a multitude of opportunities—from recreation to ranching, from mining to military training—for people. Iconic, immense and rich, the Great Namaqualand's natural benefits support life in Namibia in so many ways. They are, however, both finite and fragile. Through prudent planning, we can ensure that the The Great Namaqualand ample resources sustain people while preserving the Namaqua's irreplaceable and diverse plants and animals. Our goal is to encourage the development of clean energy, which is vital to Namibia's future, while protecting the Wilderness’s unique landscapes and ecology.
# PARAMOUNT TO PEOPLE
Namaqualand has long been an invaluable resource for people, and—as its human populations continue to grow—its importance can only increase. Miners, ranchers and farmers all depend on the veld for their livelihoods. With every branch of the military maintaining an installation in the desert, Namaqualand is a critical training location for the Namibian Defense Force. Visitors to Namaqualands three national parks can encounter hundreds of species of native and migratory birds as well as a spectacular array of plants, including wondrously colorful blooms that carpet the desert floor in spring. And the film industry makes frequent use of the region’s spectacular scenery, which has starred in a number of major motion pictures.
# SUCCESS IN SITE
The Unique wilderness is also playing a leading role in Namibia's ambitious renewable energy goals. Wind and solar energy installations are becoming an increasingly common sight in the desert. While those projects make important contributions to Namibia’s climate change objectives, they need to be pursued in places and ways that will allow Namibia’s natural habitats to continue thriving. The stakes are high for Namaqualands wildlife. Throughout the desert, underground rivers surface into a series of lush oases that support an extraordinary spectrum of life. Aquatic species existing nowhere else—such as the Namaqua Cameleon—share the desert’s resources with big eared foxes,aart wolfs, scrub hare and desert tortoises.
# DESIGNS ON A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
NWR's Development brings together everyone who depends on the region’s resources in order to ensure a permanent and amicable solution to the desert’s environmental and energy needs. By using NWR’s extensive scientific knowledge of the region, we can guide the development process and inform mitigation strategies to make Namaqualand a healthier place. Meanwhile we continue our conservation efforts on the ground, protecting, for example, the Fish River, where more than 100 species are targeted for conservation. In addition, our study of the ability of desert species to adapt to the heat and aridity of the desert advances our work with other species facing the increasing effects of climate change.
# FAST FACTS
The Namaqualand spans three Countries: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana. In Namibia, it takes up more then 20 million acres—about one-fifth of the country. The Namib deserts represent the largest intact ecosystem in the 3 contiguous countries.
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