Canoes, Canyons, Colonial History
Off to the south! If Namibia is the country of contrasts, then the surroundings of the Orange River are an area of contrasts. A trip right down to the South African border is definitely worth it.
The surrounding mountains are reflected in the water - even the very first moment of the canoe tour will become engraved in the memory. The two-seater boats are still lying at the riverside near Noordoewer on the Orange River, which forms the border between Namibia and South Africa. It is half past eight in the morning. The group, mostly Germans, intently listens to Abel's instructions. "When I hold the paddle up straight you have to follow in a line", says our guide from Felix Unite, the river adventure company.
Life jackets are donned, cameras are safely stowed away in watertight buckets for the time being - and off we go. In the seat behind me is Kate, a young British woman who works in the film business in Cape Town. Right - left - right - left. The going is nice and smooth. We are in the second boat and even about to overtake Abel. "Nobody passes the guide", he pulls us up short.
So we take a little breather (it's not a race, is it) and savour the natural environment around us: the clean air, the river, the green riverside, the birds and the mountains nearby and further afield. Postcard themes. The camera is swiftly pulled out for a few pictures - before the first, albeit gentle rapids take hold of us.
Time for a break. Duly following Abel's lead we land on the left, the southern bank. It takes a while before we realize that we are, in fact, in South Africa. Actually the northern bank is the border. Abel reassures us that this does not pose a problem for canoe tours and similar stops.
Soon we are on our way again. But the delight in the fantastic scenery is increasingly giving way to exertion. Lacking practice as we do, our arms are getting heavier, paddling slower and slower. On top of it a headwind is starting up... After a few more rapids, three hours and nine kilometres we pull our canoe onto the Namibian riverbank - somewhat exhausted, hungry, but happy.
Orange River and moreCanoeing, however, is far from being the only attraction at the Orange River. If Namibia is the country of contrasts, then the surroundings of the Orange River are an area of contrasts. A trip right down to the South African border is definitely worth it. Such huge, lush green fields of grapes are found nowhere else in Namibia. Table grapes for export worldwide are grown on 1150 ha of Aussenkehr Farm northwest of Noordoewer, or rather, Aussenkehr Nature Reserve which covers almost 100 000 ha (it's too hot for vines, but nowadays there is a distillery!); a total of seven companies are involved in the production and processing and provide jobs for up to 6000 people. The workers and their families (some 15 000 people altogether) live in a small village with countless thatched huts, many bars, a church and a primary school. But according to Beyers van Zyl the village is about to be shifted to a site a little further away from the river because its present location is too close to the fields and more space is needed for grapes.
Van Zyl is the park ranger and married to the manageress of Norotshama River Resort which is prettily situated on the riverbank, wedged between the water and fields of grapes. If you go on a sundowner trip with Beyers van Zyl he will show you the village as well as a nearby canyon. The locals call it the 'organ pipe canyon' because of the many vertical rows of sandstone which resemble organ pipes. What is more, the setting sun paints them a spectacular fiery red. Bolts can be seen in some places. Quite right, you can also go rock-climbing here.
There is also a 45-km-route to the Orange River canyons which anybody can drive - as long as the vehicle is a 4x4. A map with exact distances is available at Norotshama. A similar tour of 100 km is called "German Outpost". Get behind the wheel and go!
A small white arrow on the roadside between Aussenkehr and Noordoewer points to the left, into the wilds. The bumpy track along the border of Aussenkehr Farm leaves no doubt why a 4x4 is needed. Past quiver trees and dolerite rocks the track leads to the German Outpost, an old military outpost from German colonial times, when war was waged against the Nama people. Today just a few ruins remain. "There was an observation point over there", says Beyers van Zyl and points to a nearby mountain top. Next to the ruins, a small fenced-in cemetery still exists where 14 German cavalrymen, lance-corporals and sergeants were put to rest in a neat row of twelve graves. According to the epigraph they died for Imperial Germany at the start of the 20th century.
Conclusion: sports and hiking enthusiasts as well as nature lovers and those with a special interest in history will find Namibia's deep south worth their while.
Appendix:
Norotshama River Resort in Aussenkehr consists of 22 chalets next to the river, and even on the river, plus a campsite. Six chalets are self-catering. The price for a chalet for two is N$ 640 including breakfast. The sundowner trip costs N$ 150 per person; the fee for the Canyon Route is N$ 100 per car and to the German Outpost N$ 150 per car. Tel.: 00264-63-29 72 15, email: [email protected], web: www.norotshamaresort.com
The price for a canoe trip on the Orange River with Felix Unite in Noordoewer (Tel. 00264-63-29 71 61, web: www.felixunite.com) is N$ 150 per person. Norotshama charges N$ 200 per person including transfers to and from the River Resort (minimum 6 participants).
The surrounding mountains are reflected in the water - even the very first moment of the canoe tour will become engraved in the memory. The two-seater boats are still lying at the riverside near Noordoewer on the Orange River, which forms the border between Namibia and South Africa. It is half past eight in the morning. The group, mostly Germans, intently listens to Abel's instructions. "When I hold the paddle up straight you have to follow in a line", says our guide from Felix Unite, the river adventure company.
Life jackets are donned, cameras are safely stowed away in watertight buckets for the time being - and off we go. In the seat behind me is Kate, a young British woman who works in the film business in Cape Town. Right - left - right - left. The going is nice and smooth. We are in the second boat and even about to overtake Abel. "Nobody passes the guide", he pulls us up short.
So we take a little breather (it's not a race, is it) and savour the natural environment around us: the clean air, the river, the green riverside, the birds and the mountains nearby and further afield. Postcard themes. The camera is swiftly pulled out for a few pictures - before the first, albeit gentle rapids take hold of us.
Time for a break. Duly following Abel's lead we land on the left, the southern bank. It takes a while before we realize that we are, in fact, in South Africa. Actually the northern bank is the border. Abel reassures us that this does not pose a problem for canoe tours and similar stops.
Soon we are on our way again. But the delight in the fantastic scenery is increasingly giving way to exertion. Lacking practice as we do, our arms are getting heavier, paddling slower and slower. On top of it a headwind is starting up... After a few more rapids, three hours and nine kilometres we pull our canoe onto the Namibian riverbank - somewhat exhausted, hungry, but happy.
Orange River and moreCanoeing, however, is far from being the only attraction at the Orange River. If Namibia is the country of contrasts, then the surroundings of the Orange River are an area of contrasts. A trip right down to the South African border is definitely worth it. Such huge, lush green fields of grapes are found nowhere else in Namibia. Table grapes for export worldwide are grown on 1150 ha of Aussenkehr Farm northwest of Noordoewer, or rather, Aussenkehr Nature Reserve which covers almost 100 000 ha (it's too hot for vines, but nowadays there is a distillery!); a total of seven companies are involved in the production and processing and provide jobs for up to 6000 people. The workers and their families (some 15 000 people altogether) live in a small village with countless thatched huts, many bars, a church and a primary school. But according to Beyers van Zyl the village is about to be shifted to a site a little further away from the river because its present location is too close to the fields and more space is needed for grapes.
Van Zyl is the park ranger and married to the manageress of Norotshama River Resort which is prettily situated on the riverbank, wedged between the water and fields of grapes. If you go on a sundowner trip with Beyers van Zyl he will show you the village as well as a nearby canyon. The locals call it the 'organ pipe canyon' because of the many vertical rows of sandstone which resemble organ pipes. What is more, the setting sun paints them a spectacular fiery red. Bolts can be seen in some places. Quite right, you can also go rock-climbing here.
There is also a 45-km-route to the Orange River canyons which anybody can drive - as long as the vehicle is a 4x4. A map with exact distances is available at Norotshama. A similar tour of 100 km is called "German Outpost". Get behind the wheel and go!
A small white arrow on the roadside between Aussenkehr and Noordoewer points to the left, into the wilds. The bumpy track along the border of Aussenkehr Farm leaves no doubt why a 4x4 is needed. Past quiver trees and dolerite rocks the track leads to the German Outpost, an old military outpost from German colonial times, when war was waged against the Nama people. Today just a few ruins remain. "There was an observation point over there", says Beyers van Zyl and points to a nearby mountain top. Next to the ruins, a small fenced-in cemetery still exists where 14 German cavalrymen, lance-corporals and sergeants were put to rest in a neat row of twelve graves. According to the epigraph they died for Imperial Germany at the start of the 20th century.
Conclusion: sports and hiking enthusiasts as well as nature lovers and those with a special interest in history will find Namibia's deep south worth their while.
Appendix:
Norotshama River Resort in Aussenkehr consists of 22 chalets next to the river, and even on the river, plus a campsite. Six chalets are self-catering. The price for a chalet for two is N$ 640 including breakfast. The sundowner trip costs N$ 150 per person; the fee for the Canyon Route is N$ 100 per car and to the German Outpost N$ 150 per car. Tel.: 00264-63-29 72 15, email: [email protected], web: www.norotshamaresort.com
The price for a canoe trip on the Orange River with Felix Unite in Noordoewer (Tel. 00264-63-29 71 61, web: www.felixunite.com) is N$ 150 per person. Norotshama charges N$ 200 per person including transfers to and from the River Resort (minimum 6 participants).
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