Nama Padloper Route

Rosh Pinah is situated near the Orange River in the southern part of Namibia known as the Karas region. Its location offers a range of natural attractions and scenic drives. The town lies about 160km north-west of the Noordoewer border post between South Africa and Namibia.

The route has an abundance of natural attractions with unique landscapes and a diverse range of fauna and flora. Most of the route falls within the Succulent Karoo Biome whilst the area east of the Fish River falls in the Nama Karoo Biome.

The Succulent Karoo:

The Succulent Karoo, which consists primarily of winter rainfall desert, is one of only two hotspots that are entirely arid (the other is the newly recognized Horn of Africa).

The region is commonly divided into two zones:

• Namaqualand, which extends along the west coast of South Africa and southern Namibia, with a mild climate which has contributed to the evolution of a rich array of endemic species; and
• The Southern Karoo, which experiences rainfall peaks in spring and autumn and has more extreme climate variations than the Namaqualand desert. Dwarf shrub-land dominated by leaf succulents is found throughout this hotspot. These drought-adapted plants have thick, fleshy leaves or stems for water storage.

In the Succulent Karoo, there are about 1 700 species of leaf succulents, a unique dominance found among the world’s deserts. The recent and explosive diversification of the Mesembryanthemaceae, the largest group, has been described as an event unrivalled among flowering plants. Stem succulents are also found here (around 140 species), as are seasonal bulbs and annuals that display magnificent spring blooms in the open spaces between the shrubs, particularly during spring in the Namaqualand. Hilly areas in the southern Karoo are dotted with evergreen shrubs and tall aloes.

The Nama Karoo:
On an enormous plateau where dinosaurs once roamed, wildebeest and eland now graze on shrubs and grasses. Tawny eagles, yellow-billed kites, and marshal eagles soar in the skies above the Nama Karoo. A wide diversity of rodents and reptiles scurry among the rocks and plants. Bat-eared foxes, riverine rabbits, dwarf shrubs, and many other interesting animals and plants have adapted well to the harsh climate of this region.

In the semi-arid climate of the Nama Karoo, droughts are common and temperatures fluctuate wildly. Temperature variations of 25°C between day and night are common, and rainfall is highly seasonal, peaking between December and March. The flat-topped hills of this region are covered with shallow, lime-rich soils. Fossils of some of the earliest forms of one - Mobileed life have been discovered in the Nama Karoo, indicating that life has existed in this region for more than three billion years. The richness of dinosaur fossils in this region is world-renowned.

In terms of flora, the environment in and around Rosh Pinah boasts a range of unique attributes. There is an exceptionally high level of endemism, with 1 050 identified plant species. Interestingly, 25% of Namibia’s entire floral species is found on 3% of the land surface, which includes the area in and around Rosh Pinah. There are 136 species endemic to the area, mostly succulent plants that are specially adapted to survive in an arid environment.

Visitors can also view fauna that is unique and endemic to the area. This includes an isolated and near-extinct population of grey rheebok that live in the Huns Mountains; the Nama padloper tortoise and the desert mountain adder. The Springbok frog can also be spotted near seeps in the Huns Mountains.

The route is named after the Nama padloper tortoise (Homopus solus). Homopus solus is the only Padloper that is endemic to Namibia. It grows up to 15cm) and has an orange to brown carapace, with dark pigmentation on the scute edges. Males have concave plastrons, but not as pronounced as in some other Padlopers. Neither males nor females have buttock tubercles. Females produce single-egg clutches.  Homopus solus occurs from Aus to Luderitz in the west and in the Huns Mountains in the south. This species has not yet been studied, and its biology is almost entirely unknown.

The name ‘Nama’ comes from the Nama people who inhabit southern Namibia. The Nama have much in common with the San (Bushmen), sharing the same linguistic roots, light skin and small build. The term padloper is an Afrikaans word which means ‘path walker’, ‘road walker’ or ‘trail walker.’
This main route is subdivided into four sub-routes, each with its own interesting sites and attractions. The first is a 160km drive from Noordoewer to Rosh Pinah, with a variety of accommodation, restaurants, bars and a grape farm, as well as some historical mining sites along the way. Activities include river rafting, camping and relaxing on the banks of the Orange River.

In Pinah accommodation ranges from camping or backpackers-style accommodation, to self-catering and luxurious guesthouses.

Rosh Pinah is a quaint town, with all the basic necessities, surrounded by some of Namibia’s most attractive landscapes. The town has a two supermarkets, banks and a fuel station that provides 24-hour take-aways and a general supply shop.
From Rosh Pinah, visitors can opt for a day drive through two scenic and historical routes or move on to Aus, Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop. The Kyk-in-die-Pot or Witputs sub routes offer scenic day drives or meander en-route to the above-mentioned destinations. The fourth route is the Rosh Pinah to Aus sub route.

Noordoewer to Rosh Pinah:

This route starts at the Vioolsdrift/Noordoewer border post between South Africa and Namibia. Shortly after crossing the border into Namibia, take a left turn (2.4km) at the Engen garage and follow the meandering Jan Haak road along the Orange River for about 160km to Rosh Pinah.  This scenic drive passes through the Aussenkehr area, famous for its export-quality grapes and the Aussenkehr Nature Park. Ask at the Norotshama River Resort reception desk for information on the unique features to be found in the park.

Apart from a number of lodges and camps along the route, points of interest include the Orange River crossing, the abandoned Lorelei Copper Mine with its dated machinery, and the reopened Sendelingsdrift pontoon crossing into the Richtersveld.

The Geology of the Lorelei Copper Mine:

The Lorelei Copper Mine exhibits typical Porphyry copper deposits. As hot igneous stock intrudes into the rock already present, it encounters underground water. The stock heats this water, which begins to move in large circular paths. As the water moves downward, it becomes hotter and leaches copper and other metals from the different rocks it encounters. As the metal-rich water moves back upward, it cools and changes its chemistry, so that chalcopyrite and other ore minerals are precipitated along the edge of the stock. The immediate sources of the metals are the rocks surrounding the igneous stock, the circulating groundwater is the transporting mechanism, and the cooling and changing composition of the groundwater is the precipitation mechanism.

In addition to forming ore deposits, this circulating water can form large bodies of altered rocks, known as alteration zones, surrounding the stocks. Minor copper mineralization can be formed away from the stocks within thin planar bodies known as veins. However, this mineralization does not usually contain enough copper to be considered ore.

As water and wind erode the surface of the earth, they remove the tops of the igneous stock, alteration zone, and porphyry copper deposit.

*Information supplied by Gisela Hinder – Senior Exploration Geologist

The route boasts scenic views of the river and surrounding Desert Mountains, which typify Namibia’s southern regions. The Orange River brings life to the surrounding arid lands and provides a habitat for varied birdlife, including red bishops, African darters and fish eagles.

The Orange River:

The Orange River, also known as the Gariep or Grootrivier, is a major South African river, discovered by indigenous people but only explored by Europeans in 1760. It was named by Colonel Robert Gordon after the House of Orange. Another account of its naming suggests that it may have been called after the orangey colour of its water.

The Orange rises in the Drakensberg mountains along the border between South Africa and Lesotho, about 193km (120mi) from the Indian Ocean at an altitude of over 3 000m. While in Lesotho, the river is known as the Senqu and parts of it freeze in winter, owing to the high altitude. It then runs 2 200km (1 367mi) westwards, along the south-western boundary of the Free State and then through the Northern Cape province, eventually meeting the Atlantic Ocean in the west where it forms the southern border of Namibia and the northern border of South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.

Kyk-in-die-Pot:

Kyk-in-die-Pot directly translated into English means 'look inside the pot'. The road and the route are named after a house along the route. The house is built at such an angle to the road that one can look into the kitchen and see what is cooking in the pot. This scenic route through spectacular landscapes makes an ideal day trip from Rosh Pinah.
Take the C13 road out of [Rosh Pinah towards Aus] and turn right onto the D727, 80km outside of Rosh Pinah onto the Kyk-in-die-Pot road. Fill your petrol tank before leaving Rosh Pinah as there are no fuel stations en-route. A variety of wildlife may be spotted along the 128km road, including kudu, springbok, baboons and zebra. The road has been upgraded from the original two-wheel track, but it is not recommended to use it at night.

There are mining sites and a few claims for diamond prospecting along the road. Marble is also being mined and there are rumours of a French geologist prospecting for oil. The farm Aukam had a tin and graphite mine discovered by Namaqualand Pegmatite prospectors. Although the mine was last operational in 1965 it used to produce 8-12 tonnes of tin concentrate per month and up to 400 tonnes of graphite per month in its heyday. 

Just before the road meets the B4 to Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop, you will see a water tank used to store water for steam locomotives in the old days. The Schakalskuppe (jackal dome) station adjacent to the tank was used to load tin from Aukam for transport to the Lüderitz harbour. After joining the B4, a further 50km will take you to the town of Aus, travelling towards Lüderitz. Before you reach Aus, stop at the Kuibis Restaurant.

The Witputs Route:

The Witputs Route is a scenic drive through farmlands between Rosh Pinah and the B4 to Keetmanshoop. Take the C13 from Rosh Pinah to Aus and turn right 47km from town onto the D463. The route takes you past the north-western boundary of the Fish River Canyon National Park, before heading to Feldschuhhorn, where it eventually meets the B4 to Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop.

The Fish River Canyon:

The Fish River is, at 650km, the longest river in Namibia. Its source lies in the eastern Naukluft Mountains and it flows southwest of Ai-Ais into the Oranje.

The Fish River Canyon, on the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in southern Namibia. It developed predominantly during the pluvial times – a rainy epoch – many millions of years ago. With a depth of up to 550m, the Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon of America. This enormous gorge meanders for about 160km through the fissured Koubis massif, down to Ai-Ais. The canyon runs for 161km, from Seeheim to Ai-Ais.

The Fish River Canyon was created about 500-million years ago by water erosion and the collapse of the valley bottom due to movements in the Earth’s crust.

Because the Fish River is being dammed in Hardap near Mariental, it only has a small amount of running water, and in the dry winter season, the riverbed is often compley dry. After the summer rainfall, the river is often transformed into a raging torrent.

The canyon forms part of a nature conservation park. The gate is found at the Hobas rest camp, from where a 10km-drive takes you to the canyon, which offers a stunning view of Hell’s Bend.

The Fish River Canyon has become a popular hiking destination, but hikes require good physical health and should only be undertaken during the cooler winter months (between May and September). A permit from Namibia Wildlife Resorts in Windhoek must be obtained. The hike is 86km and takes about five days. Just after the turn off from the main road look out for the original Witputs farmhouse ruins on your left. The owner, Reinier Coetzee, was apparently the last person to ever see Adolf Lüderitz alive. On the right is the police garrison that patrols the area up to the Sendelingsdrift gate. On the hill behind the building there are remnants of old South African World War One trenches and ruins. General Manie Maritz stayed at Witputs for three months to train horses for the Schutztruppe. Maritz was charged with treason in the 1920's for having joined the German forces in South-West Africa in 1914.

The Maritz Rebellion:

The Maritz Rebellion (Boer Revolt) (Five Shilling Rebellion), took place in South Africa in 1914 at the start of World War I, in which men who supported the recreation of the old Boer republics rose up against the government of the Union of South Africa. Many government members were former Boers who had fought with the Maritz rebels against the British in the Second Boer War, which had ended 11 years earlier. The rebellion failed, and the ringleaders received heavy fines and terms of imprisonment.

The outbreak of hostilities in Europe in August 1914 had long been anticipated, and the government of the Union of South Africa was well aware of the significance of the common border South Africa shared with the German colony of South-West Africa. Prime Minister Louis Botha informed London that South Africa could defend itself and that the Imperial Garrison could depart for France. When the British government asked Botha whether his forces would invade German South-West Africa, the reply was that they could and would.

South African troops were mobilised along the border between the two countries under the command of General Henry Lukin and Lt Col Manie Maritz early in September 1914. Shortly afterwards, another force occupied the German port of Lüderitz.

When the South African government offered to invade the German colonies, the commander-in-chief of the Union Defence Force, general Christiaan Beyers resigned, writing, “It is sad that the war is being waged against the ‘barbarism’ of the Germans. We have forgiven but not forgotten all the barbarities committed in our own country during the South African War,” referring to the atrocities committed by the British during the Boer War. A nominated senator, general Koos de la Rey, who had refused to support the government in parliament over this issue, visited Beyers. On September 15 they set off together to visit major JCG Kemp in Potchefstroom, who had a large armoury and a force of 2 000 newly trained men, many of whom were sympathetic to the rebels’ ideas.

Although it is not known what the purpose of their visit was, the South African government believed it to be an attempt to instigate a rebellion, as stated in the Government Blue Book which covers the historic event. According to general Beyers, it was to discuss plans for the simultaneous resignation of leading army officers in protest against the government’s actions, similar to what had happened in Britain two years earlier in the Curragh incident over the Irish Home Rule Bill.  On the way to the meeting de la Rey was accidentally shot by a policeman at a road block set up to look for the Foster gang. At his funeral, however, many Nationalist Afrikaners believed and perpetuated the rumour that it was a government assassination, which added fuel to the fire, which was even further inflamed by Siener van Rensburg and his controversial prophecies.

General Maritz, who was head of a commando of Union forces on the border of German South-West Africa, allied himself with the Germans and issued a proclamation on behalf of a provisional government which stated that "the former South African Republic and Orange Free State as well as the Cape Province and Natal are proclaimed free from British control and independent, and every White inhabitant of the mentioned areas, of whatever nationality, are hereby called upon to take their weapons in their hands and realize the long-cherished ideal of a Free and Independent South Africa." It was announced that Generals Beyers, De Wet, Maritz, Kemp and Bezuidenhout were to be the first leaders of this provisional government. Maritz's forces occupied Keimoes in the Upington area. The Lydenburg commando under General De Wet took possession of the town of Heilbron, held up a train and captured government stores and ammunition. Some of the prominent citizens of the area joined him, and by the end of the week he had a force of 3000 men. Beyers also gathered a force in the Magaliesberg; in all, about 12,000 rebels rallied to the cause.

From here you pass through the landscape to the Huns Mountains. The area is known for the Apollo 11 cave. The cave contained painted rock slabs from the middle stone age (25 000-27 000 BC). The painted slabs were discovered by Wolfgang Wendt in 1969.

The seven slabs of rock with traces of animal figures that were found in the Apollo 11 Cave have been dated with unusual precision for ancient rock art. Originally brought to the site from elsewhere, the stones were painted in charcoal, ochre, and white. Until recently, the Apollo 11 stones were the oldest known artwork of any kind from the African continent. They are located on the farm ‘Uitsig’ but are not open for public viewing yet, although it is being considered.

The route takes you further to the Konkiep River where you can see the ruins of an old farmhouse with an old well (see map for location). From here you will pass along the Canyon Nature Park where you can take 4x4 drives into the canyon as well as hiking trips. Further down the road, you come to Rooipunt farm, where you find the ‘singing stones,’ so named because they can be  brought to life by knocking on them in different places to create a sound resembling that of a xylophone.

Rosh Pinah Town:

Rosh Pinah is a mining village southwest of Namibia. Mining started in 1969 when the Rosh Pinah Lead-Zinc Mine commenced operations. In 2001 the village received another economic boost when the Anglo Skorpion Zinc Mine started their mining operations. The village that wants to be a town, is growing in size and in terms of the services it provides for residents. Some long-standing locals, like Willie and Annalize Coleman, recall how, in the early days, the village only received delivery of meat and vegetables, a doctor and a priest once a month. Even stranger was the fact that the only bank visited the village every two to three months, which meant residents resorted to borrowing each other’s cheques when they ran out of money. “You would erase the person’s details on the cheque and replace it with your own to draw money from the mine’s cashiers or from the shop,” recalls Willie.

These days the village boasts two banks, supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops, shopping mall and a car rental office. The town has also improved in other ways: Many residential homes have green gardens and many of the houses have recycle bins – a mine initiative to reduce its environmental impact. The most significant aspect of the village is its people. Expect to be welcomed and treated with genuine friendliness by the people who live in this harsh desert landscape.

Apart from being an ideal base from which to explore surrounding areas, the village has a few of its own attractions: a golf and tennis club and a number of accommodation options. The gravel road between Rosh Pinah and Aus has also recently been tarred.

Rosh Pinah to Aus:

This route stretches along the C13 from Rosh Pinah to the small town of Aus between Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop. The town gained some importance in 1906 when the railway line from Lüderitz finally reached it. In 1915, after defeating the German Forces at Otavi, the South African army established a camp for German prisoners of war east of Aus. The village of Aus became one of two detention camps for prisoners of war. Military police and officers were sent to a camp in the north and the non-commissioned officers went to Aus. After the treaty of Versailles, the camp was dismantled and by May 1919 it had closed. Virtually nothing remains of the original camp, but several WWI graves remain immediately north of the village.

On the desert plains west of Aus live some of the world’s only remaining populations of wild desert-dwelling horses. There are several theories about the origins of these horses. One theory suggests they are descended from German Schutztruppe cavalry horses abandoned during the South African invasion in 1915. Others claim they were brought in by Nama raiders moving north from beyond the Orange River. Another tells of shipwrecked horses en-route from Europe to Australia. Still, others maintain that they are descended from the stud stock of Hans-Heinrich von Wolf a German Baron who had built Duwisib Castle , He set off for Germany to fight in the First World War but was killed in battle in France, never returning to Namibia.

The wild horses number between 150 and 160 animals. Their only source of water is the Garub Pan, which is fed by an artificial borehole.


 

Useful Links

http://www.namibia-travel.net/southnamibia/orange_info.htm
http://www.namibiatourism.com.na/tourism.php
http://www.namibian.org
http://www.skep.org
http://www.met.gov.na
http://www.nacobta.com.na
http://www.ausnamibia.com
http://www.southernnamibia.com

Suggested Reading List

Atlas of Namibia. A Portrait of the Land and its People. John Mendelsohn, Alice Jarvis, Carole Roberts and Tony Robertson. 2002. Cape Town: David Philip Publishers, for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Namibia: Fascination of Geology. Nicole Grunert. 2000. Windhoek/Gottingen: Klaus Hess Publishers.

Namibia: The Bradt Travel Guide (2nd Edition). Chris McIntyre. Available from www.amazon.com.

Namibia Space. Julienne du Toit. 2006. Available from www.longditudebooks.com.

Sands of Silence: On Safari in Namibia. Peter Hathaway Capstick. Available from www.amazon.com.

Wild Flowers of the Southern Namib. Antje Burke. 2003. Windhoek: Namibia Scientific Society. E-mail: nwg@iafrica.com.na.

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