Augrabies Falls National Park

Guests should bring a hat and plenty of sunscreen while exploring the park. A lot of the sights can be seen on foot, so prepare yourself for days spent hiking. You should also bring your camera. Some of the things you see here, you’ll want to look back on!

Brief History

Augrabies National Park takes its name from its most famous waterfall. The first European to come across it, a Swede by the name of Hendrik Jakob Wikar, was the person to name this waterfall when he passed through the area in 1799.

It is likely that he heard the Khoi name for the waterfall, “Aukoerebis”, and created his own variation of their Nama word, which translates to “a place of great noise”. And seeing that the falls drop a staggering 56 meters into the Orange River Gorge, creating a mighty thunderous sound, the name is fitting.

As for the park itself, it was only in 1954 that the Upington Publicity Association requested that the government proclaim the falls and the surrounding area a national park, likely in a bid to protect it and to fuel tourism. While the park was approved in 1955, the Department of Water Affairs objected. It would take a further ten years of negotiations to have the park officially proclaimed and today, the park covers 55 383 hectares of pristine land.

This is simply the history of the park. The earlier history dates back to the pre-historic times when our earliest ancestors inhabited the area, drawn by the Orange River. Tools and graves dating way back to these times have been found. The Nama people were the original inhabitants and they learned to survive some of the harshest environments in Africa. They lived in special domed huts which were well adapted to the intense heat and survived on hunting and gathering.

Augrabies National Park has been created to serve a few purposes, one of which is to preserve the natural flora and fauna that lives in the area, and to research the various plant and animal species thriving here. The park also aims to educate those who visit while it also serves the purpose of protecting the region to ensure that it stays in the same natural, untouched by man state that it was found in.

Both day visitors and intrepid adventurers can look forward to an exciting stay, which will give you ample time to enjoy the great outdoors.

Augrabies National Park Accommodation

Given its rather remote location, guests planning a trip to the park can look forward to a wide variety of comfortable accommodation, some of which is in walking distance from the parks most famous waterfall. If you intend to hike, it’s advised to book accommodation so that you can take your time and simply enjoy nature.

Rest Camps

There is probably no better experience than a little camping. Both the camping sites and the caravan spots are shaded by trees and a minimum of 6 people, one vehicle and one caravan is allowed per site. Each site also has its own power point.

Guests will need to share a communal kitchen and a communal bathroom. The communal kitchen has a two-plate stove as well as a sink while the bathroom has your regular bathroom facilities, a laundry room and a place to iron.

Chalets

The natural aesthetic of the chalets is part of the appeal. If you are not keen on the rather rustic accommodation that is camping, you can always rather opt for the comfort of a chalet.

There are a few chalets available for guests to use and they are all self-catered. With 2 beds, a double sleeper couch which is not suitable for adults to sleep on, and a lounge/bedroom and kitchenette, guests are given plenty of space to unwind. The bathroom has a shower and your basic washing up facilities and toilet, while the kitchen has a microwave, crockery and cutlery. There is also a place to braai. Those guests who don’t want to cook for themselves can use the restaurant.

One of the chalets has been made to be accessible to disabled guests.

Family Cottages

Bigger groups who aren’t keen on camping can book one of the family cottages. There are 2 cottages available.

The first cottage has 2 single beds and a sleeper couch on which children can sleep. The cottage has an open plan kitchen with crockery and cutlery, a lounge, and a full bathroom. Guests can also braai in the outside braai area or enjoy a meal at the restaurant. To keep cool on the hotter days, guests will be happy to know that the cottage has air conditioning.

The other cottage has 2 bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite with a double bed and one with 2 single beds. There is also a sleeper couch. The bathroom has both a bath and a shower, as well as a toilet and washbasin. In the kitchen guests have a microwave, cutlery and crockery, allowing them to prepare their own delicious meals. The outdoor veranda has braai facilities and those guests who don’t feel like cooking can visit the restaurant.

Guests staying at Augrabies National Park need not worry about bringing along every food item they need or worry about perishables, as there is a shop close to the accommodation.

Augrabies National Park Flora and Fauna

Flora

The park has some of the most unique plants and flowers, and there are 70 different species of plants, trees, herbs and shrubs to be found here. The park is the largest conservation area in the Orange River Broken Veld Vegetation. Given the semi-arid desert, all of the plants have over the centuries grown quite adapted to the climate. Some plants are found around the rest camp area while most of the bigger trees grow along the nourishing banks of the river. Keep an eye out for Shepard’s tree, Sweet thorn tree, Camel thorn tree, and the Namaqua fig.

Many of these trees have unique medicinal properties or other important uses.

Fauna

Seeing that the park is a tremendously dry and arid place, some animals roam here. Some of the animals and birds to keep a lookout for include aardwolf, African wild cat, caracal, rock dassies, giraffe, various antelope and the park is also home to a few very shy leopard.