552 NORTHERN CAPE — Introduction modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Introduction — NORTHERN CAPE 553 Northern Cape The arid Kalahari Desert and the grassy plains and mountains of the Great Karoo dominate the Northern Cape. Every so often, a herd of animals or burst of foliage feeding off the Orange River and its tributaries punctuates the harsh and dry terrain. Though the Northern Cape makes up nearly one-third of South Africa, it remains the country’s most sparsely populated province and is dominated by Afrikaner culture. There are only two large cities within the province and driving between any sizeable town can easily take the better half of a day. The province’s capital, Kimberley, is best known for its history in the CAPE NORTHERN diamond industry and today boasts the largest manmade excavation in the world, aptly named the Big Hole. However, most visitors who are drawn to the Northern Cape stray far from its cities. It is in the region’s NORTHERN CAPE NORTHERN more rural lands where the Cape reveals its rich history of the Khoisan and Afrikaners, country hospitality, unique geology, millions of fossils dating back to the Triassic period, and a handful of beautifully rugged National Parks. 554 NORTHERN CAPE — Highlights C19 C19modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Highlights — NORTHERN CAPE 555 M24 M24 A2 A2 C11 C11 A A C27 C27 C14 C14 N N C hapter H igh L ights A A C15 C15 B1 B1 WW R378 R378 Northern Cape S S MafikengMafikeng Augrabies Falls National Park - Mar- R375 R375 KgalagadiKgalagadi T T R375 R375 vel at the awesome power of the Orange C17 TransfrontierC17 Transfrontier Park Park NAMIBIANAMIBIA C11 C11 R377 R377 River plunging down into a granite gorge C13 C13 C14 C14 O O R375 R375 R380 R380 that rifts the land for kilometers (p. 570) B B R507 R507 LuderitzLuderitzB4 B4 KeetmanshoopKeetmanshoop NORTHNORTH Aus Aus AansluitAansluit R377 R377 R380 R380 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - Stalk B4 B4 C16 C16 N14 N14 AndriesvaleAndriesvale Van ZylsrusVan Zylsrus WESTWEST predators and the migratory herds that WitdraiWitdrai VryburgVryburg R31 R31 R34 R34 drink from a network of watering holes B1 B1 SonstraalSonstraalR31 R31 N14 N14 as they pass through the Kalahari Desert HotazelHotazel R504 R504 C13 C13 (p. 567) BanknaraBanknara C11 C11 R380 R380 KurumanKuruman R506 R506 DibengDibengN14 N14 R360 R360 Ga SegonyanaGa Segonyana Kimberley - Stare into the depths of KathuKathu N12 N12 C12 C12 N14 N14 R373 R373 the Big Hole - the largest hand-dug exca- OlifantshoekOlifantshoek R371 R371 RictersveldRictersveld KarasburgKarasburg R31 R31 R708 R708 vation on earth - in the diamond mining B3 B3 R370 R370 NationalNational Park Park R325 R325 Mt. RupertMt. Rupert B1 B1 N14 N14 N12 N12 capital of the world (p. 557) N10 N10 Kara HaisKara Hais DelportshoopDelportshoop WindsortonWindsorton B3 B3 UpingtonUpington R375 R375 |Ai|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier R385 R385 BarkleyBarkley West West AugrabiesAugrabies N14 LouisvaleN14 Louisvale R64 R64 R309 R309 Park - Brave the rough and rugged des- NationalNational Park Park R325 R325 OnseepkansOnseepkans AlheitAlheit NellersdrifNellersdrif KimberleyKimberley GriekswastadGriekswastadR64 R64 ert, where succulents shaped like humans R370 R370 R64 R64 N12 N12 N7 N7 BladgrondBladgrond R357 R357 are said to hold the ancestor spirits of the N14 N14 R27 R27 DouglasDouglas N10 N10 RitchieRitchieN8 N8 Nama people (p. 574) PofadderPofadder R383 R383 R313 R313 R357 R357 R705 R705 R382 R382 SteinkopfSteinkopf R383 R383 Port NollothPort Nolloth NiekerkshoopNiekerkshoopR388 R388 N14 N14 KenhardtKenhardt MarydaleMarydale WitputWitput N7 N7 FREEFREE N10 N10 N12 N12 R355 R355 R369 R369 R357 R357 HopetownHopetown SpringbokSpringbok R27 R27 PrieskaPrieska OranjriverOranjriverSTATESTATER704 R704 KomaggasKomaggas OraniaOrania R358 R358 R361 R361 R355 R355 StrydenburgStrydenburg OnderstedoringsOnderstedorings R357 R357 PetrusvillePetrusville CAPE NORTHERN R27 R27 N7 N7 R403 R403N10 N10 R717 R717 Van WyksvleiVan Wyksvlei R357 R357 BrandvleiBrandvlei R386 R386 PhilipstownPhilipstown N1 N1 AlwynsfonteinAlwynsfontein R384 R384 VosburgVosburg BritstownBritstown De AarDe Aar R357 R357 ColesburgColesburg BrandfortBrandfort R358 R358 R384 R384 R355 R355 SakrivierSakrivier R403 R403 N10 N10 LoenesfonteinLoenesfontein CarnarvonCarnarvon N12 N12 R348 R348 N7 N7 R353 R353 HannoverHannover R27 R27 R398 R398 R357 R357 R63 R63 N10 N10 NORTHERN CAPE NORTHERN R63 R63 N1 N1 NoupoortNoupoort R355 R355 NieuwoudtvilleNieuwoudtville R63 R63 WillistonWilliston R308 R308 R63 R63VictoriaVictoria RichmondRichmond AA t l t a l a n n t i t c i c R27 R27 R56 R56 N7 N7 CalviniaCalvinia LoxtonLoxton N1 N1 R363 R363 R63 R63 R398 R398 R353 R353 BrandfortBrandfort R364 R364 N10 N10 R356 R356 N12 N12 OO c ec ea a n n N9 N9 N10 N10 N7 N7 R355 R355 R354 R354 FraserburgFraserburg R63 R63 R63 R63 N9 N9 R61 R61 LambertsLamberts Bay BayR364 R364 ClanwilliamClanwilliam R356 R356 N1 N1 CradockCradock Graaff-ReinetGraaff-Reinet N9 N9 R365 N7R365 N7 SutherlandSutherland R61 R61 R337 R337 R353 R353 N1 N1 R354 R354 R303 R303 VelddrifVelddrif R355 R355 WelgernoedWelgernoed N1 N1 PiketburgPiketburg N12 N12 SaldanhaSaldanha N10 N10 R354 R354 R407 R407 EASTERNEASTERN N1 N1 50mi N1 N1 R329 R329 100km DarlingDarling WESTERNWESTERN CAPE CAPE N9 N9 CAPECAPE MaimesburyMaimesbury R336 R336 R341 R341 556 NORTHERN CAPE — History modernoverland.com modernoverland.com Kimberley — NORTHERN CAPE 557 KIMBERLEY writers and the first Secretary-General of the African GPS: S 28 44.518 E 024 46.151 National Congress, Kimberley has more draw in its pop. 170,000 | elevation 1,230 m/4,035 ft history than in its present. But if you look closely, you can still catch a glimpse of glamour from days gone The city of Kimberley was built on diamonds. Initially by and the eerie depths of its mine cavities is an established as the rowdy mining town of New Rush, unforgettable sight. Central Kimberley is somewhat the area teemed with rough and tumble opportunists hard to navigate, with many winding and confusing hoping to strike it big. But the vast diamond wealth one-way streets, no doubt a product of the city’s eventually transformed the haphazard settlement rushed development. Head southeast out of the city into one of South Africa’s major cities. Cecil Rhodes center on Du Toitspan Road and you’ll find most of made his early fortune here, buying up smaller the good eats, pubs and museums. mining claims and launching De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1888. But all the glitz and glamour came at a price. Hordes of immigrants flocked to Kimberley TOURIST INFORMATION HISTORY wealth-filled region and persuaded the resident with big dreams and empty pockets. De Beers Griqua to request their protection against the employed thousands of migrant black laborers, who Diamond (Diamantveld) Visitors Centre (S The Northern Cape is home to some of South advances of Boer settlers in the Orange Free toiled years for pennies in the depths of the Big 28 44.800 E 024 45.928, 121 Bultfontein Rd, Africa’s last remaining indigenous populations in State. In one fell swoop, the British established Hole, the world’s largest hand-dug excavation. But 053-832-7298, www.solplaatje.org.za, 8am-5pm the country. Art by the area’s original inhabitants, Griqualand West and brought the world’s largest their story is often outshined by the 2,722 kilograms Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat) has tons of brochures for the nomadic San, still adorn rock faces and caves diamond mine of the day within British control. of diamonds that they extracted from the earth. Kimberley as well as other provinces. They also throughout the province. The San were later joined The mining town was renamed Kimberley in 1873, Today, a visit to The Big Hole offers a glimpse into can help arrange or point you in the right direction by Khoikhoi pastoralists from the north; together after the Secretary of State for the Colonies, what life was like for these miners at the turn of the for tours in and around Kimberley. they became jointly referred to as Khoisan. When Lord Kimberley, and soon became a thriving twentieth century. Europeans settled in the Cape in the mid-1600s, metropolis. Cecil Rhodes, future Prime Minister Now officially part of the greater Sol Plaatje many Khoisan retreated north of the Orange River of the Cape Colony, made his fortune in the Municipality, named for one MONEY into the arid and barren landscapes of the Karoo Kimberley diamond mines after buying up smaller of South Africa’s greatest and the Kalahari Desert. Some Khoisan intermixed claims and establishing De Beers Consolidated ABSA (S 28 44.596 E 024 45.726, cnr Lennox St & with renegade Europeans and runaway slaves and Mines Company in 1888, history’s greatest Bultfontein Rd) has ATMs and a bureau de change. formed new clans such as the Griqua, Kora and diamond monopoly. Standard Bank is located across the street. Oorlams. By the mid-1700s, these mixed-race Kimberley’s opulent days came to an end FNB and ABSA (S 28 45.902 E 024 45.916, horseback hunters and traders became infamous during the South African War of 1899-1902. Within Diamond Pavilion Shopping Mall, cnr Oliver Rd/ NORTHERN CAPE NORTHERN for traversing the interior, raiding villages in days of the declaration of war, the Boer army N8 & Macdougall St) have branches within the search of booty and slaves to sell to the Cape laid siege to Kimberley and trapped its citizens. Diamond Pavilion Shopping Mall. Colony. Today, the Nama, who live along the For more than four months, British attempts to western coast of Namaqualand around present- break the siege were frustrated by guerilla tactics day Springbok, is one of the largest remaining of the Boer forces, but eventually the lines were Khoisan populations in the country. broken and the town relieved. Throughout the NORTHERN CAPE NORTHERN The relative independence of these indigenous remainder of the bloody war, the region was the inhabitants was undermined quite literally in 1685, stage for many of the major battles of the Western when an expedition from the Cape Colony led Campaign, the remnants of which have been by Cape Governor Simon van der Stel, invaded meticulously preserved.