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Find excitement in the desert
Extreme Adventure, Northern Cape
Orange River lends itself to extreme adventure.
© Chris Marais
Did you know?
Three paragliding world records were broken in one day at De Aar in 2008.
For a long time tourism in the Northern Cape Province was seen in terms of wild flowers, wide landscapes and dramatic evening skies. People came to the Northern Cape for the peace and quiet; the pure escape of being isolated. They also came to take a break from the city rush.
Now there’s a new ‘rush’ being explored in the Northern Cape: extreme adventures. From the Richtersveld to Namaqualand, the Upper Karoo to the upper reaches of the Orange River - adventure companies are coming up with all sorts of new ways to keep their clients happy – and excited. The Northern Cape is ideal for extreme adventure.
One of the best outdoor experiences in South Africa is to canoe down the Orange River, which is an interesting mix of calm, open water paddling and sudden rapid action.
For those who like their adventures a little more motorised, the Northern Cape offers all manner of 4X4 trails and challenges through the windswept semi-desert lands of the Kgalakgadi Transfrontier Park, Witsand, Riemvasmaak and its golden canyon, and the haunting stony world of the Richtersveld. Many of these routes are also great for off-road motorcycling.
Motor companies have known about the Northern Cape for a while. German luxury vehicles are put through their paces on a test track outside Pofadder – because of its all-year-long warm temperatures.
For the walkers and trailists, there are routes through the magic moonscapes of the Augrabies National Park, along the Diamond Coast and into Namaqualand. Look to the skies on a clear day and you’ll see the paragliders, the microlighters and the gyrocopter flyers having the time of their lives.
Then there are the slightly more eccentric activities like ‘bakkie skiing’ – skiing on a
board behind a pickup truck – and half-day camel rides which are proving to be very popular.
And the diamond-mining town of Kimberley now has a world-class skatepark for high speed extreme adventure.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Koppieskraal Guest Farm Camel and Horse Riding
Tel: +27 (0)83 564 4613
Tel: +27 (0)82 336 9110
Email: koppieskraal@gmail.com
Diamond Coast Trails for 4x4s and shipwrecks
Tel: +27 (0)27 807 2999
Fly De Aar Paragliding
Tel: +27 (0)53 631 1555
Email: flydeaar@telkomsa.net
Felix Unite River Adventures
Tel: +27 (0)21 702 9400
Email: dboots@felix.co.za
Gravity Adventures Orange River Rafting
Tel: +27 (0)21 683 3698
Email: adventure@gravity.co.za