The hot dry Karoo in South Africa has a sparse barren landscape, where the main economic activity is wool and meat from hardy Karoo sheep. The Karoo pleatau actually covers much of South Africa but we will concentrate on the area where the visitor can find some interesting little towns to visit. The British flag flying village of Matjiesfontein is a national monument in its entirety, and was once a Victoran health retreat as well as a base for Anglo-Boer War British soldiers.
The wide streets of
Graaff-Reinet have more National Monument buildings than any other town
in the Karoo and is a delightful oasis in the scrubland. Nearby is a most spectacular
natural wonder known as the 'Valley
of Desolation', where the ground falls dramatically away, and strange dolomite
pinnacles rise like rockets from a launching pad. Nieu-Bethesda
is home to the strange Owl House - an unusual collection of sculptures and lifetime’s
work of an eccentric artist.
It may seem vast and empty but the Karoo is full of eccentricities waiting to be found. Take a look at the map locations of Beaufort West, Fraserburg, Graaff Reinet, Karoo National Park, Laingsburg, Matjiesfontein, Murraysburg, Nieu Bethesda and Prince Albert.
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Make an enquiry with Merl at Amakhulu Central reservation about the Karoo She offers a very professional service and at no extra cost to you. |
The Great Karoo Desert is a vast and unforgiving landscape of which the Karoo National Park is but a small portion. Being the largest ecosystem in South Africa, the Karoo is home to a fascinating diversity of life, all having adapted to survive in these harsh conditions. Karoo National Park is dominated by the lofty Nuweveld mountains and rolling plains, where many species that originally occurred here now occupy their former ranges.
The Karoo National Park has a wide variety of endemic wildlife. Many species have been relocated to their former ranges - such as black rhino and buffalo, as well as Cape mountain zebra. Over 20 breeding pairs of black eagle find sanctuary within the park. There is also a wide diversity of succulent plants and small reptiles.
Scenic drive along the picturesque Klipspringer Pass with
environmentally sympathetic style of construction and scenic viewpoint
at Rooivalle.
Annual rainfall totals 260 mm, with the plains being hot in summer, and the mountain areas relatively cool throughout the year. During mid-winter snow occurs regularly on the peaks of the Nuweveld Mountains.