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NORTHERN CAPE

The landscape of the Northern Cape is characterised by vast arid plains with outcroppings of haphazard rock piles. The province has fertile agricultural land and grapes, fruit, wheat, peanuts, maize and cotton are produced. The Northern Cape is also rich in minerals, particularly diamonds.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

1 Kimberley: Kimberley is famous for its quality diamonds and the "Big Hole", dug by miners during the country’s "diamond rush" in the late 19th century. The Big Hole was mined to a depth of more than 800m, and is the largest hand dug excavation in the world. The Kimberley Mine Museum, next to the "Big Hole" consists of original and carefully reconstructed buildings which preserve a great deal of the city's past.

2 Kgalgadi Transfontier Park: One of Africa’s great parks, comprises an area of over 3,6 million hectares, an abundance of game and 3 rest camps. Visitors to the park can expect extreme heat during the day and extreme cold during the nights as this park is located in the Khalahari desert district.

3 Upington: It is an ideal winter holiday resort. A place not to be missed is Die Eiland (The Island), a holiday resort situated on an island in the middle of the Orange River, with a date palm entrance avenue of 1041 meters, making it one of the longest and densest palm avenues in the Southern hemisphere.

4 Witsand Nature Reserve: Few eco destinations in the Northern Cape are as scenic as the Witsand Nature Reserve. It is a 2500 ha island of dazzling white sand encircled by a sea of conventional Khalahari red sand. Dunes six to twenty meters high and up to 9km long cover a vast quantity of this reserve.

5 Namaqualand: This is one of the worlds most awe-inspiring floral regions. Particularly enthralling is springtime after the short rainy season, when the arid land is suddenly covered in a lush carpet of wildflowers.

Website: www.northern-cape.co.za