Augrabies Falls National Park

IUCN Category II - National Park

F2

The National Park Augrabies Falls is a 120 km west of Upington situated nature reserve in South Africa, over 220 km ² along the Gariep River and extends. Main sightseeing attraction is the Augrabies waterfall, which plunges up to 150 meters wide, 56 m deep and 18 km long and up to 200 m deep rocky gorge, which has dug here the river.

History

The name was given to the Augrabies waterfall by the Finns Hendrik Jacob Wikar when he crossed the Orange River in 1778 there. Derived is the name of San Aukoerebis word, which means " place of the roaring noise ." This refers to the Orange River, which plunges roaring here be water over the main waterfall in the depths.

1954 asked the city of Upington, the National Park Authority to proclaim the waterfall as a national park. After the ministry had in 1955 granted approval in principle, the Office of Water Affairs objection raised against it, because the ( commercial) use of the Orange would be restricted by the National Park status. After several years of negotiations, the National Park was finally proclaimed on August 5, 1966.

Fauna

The rare subspecies of the black rhino Cape was settled here again. Another observation is of eland, Klipspringer, Rock Hyrax, steenbok, Caracal ( Caracal caracal ); Black Eagle (Aquila verreauxii ), African Fish Eagle ( Haliaeetus vocifer ) and Platysaurus broadleyi from the family of the Girdle.

Photo Gallery

Falls at high water

Augrabies waterfall viewing platform

Hyrax warms up in the morning sun

Artificial walkway with viewing platforms

The rock formation "Moon Rocks " in the Augrabies National Park

The twin case

Marathon

Every year in the park instead of an ultra -marathon, which has the goal Augrabies Falls, the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon. In addition to the Comrades Marathon is part of the run, which is more than seven days and a distance of about 250 km through otherwise inaccessible parts of the park, to the events internationally known.