Upington, on the northern bank of the Gariep (Orange) River,
is the gateway to the Kalahari and the linear oasis formed by the river. Guests
on a South African holiday can visit this town, which developed around a
mission station established by the Reverend Christiaan Schröder in 1871. Eight
years later, the mission – named Olyvenhoutsdrift (fording place of the wild
olive trees) – was visited by Sir Thomas Upington, the Attorney-General of the
Cape, and was renamed in his honour. Today, Upington is an important commercial
and agricultural centre serving the farms along the Gariep River.
The Oranjerivier Wine Cellars is the largest co-operative in
the country and processes up to 110 000 tonnes of grapes each season, while the
town is also the centre of the country’s dried fruit industry. The factory at
Upington is the second largest of its kind in the world and is especially known
for its sultanas, produced from the sultanina grape which has been grown along
the Lower Gariep River since 1918. Other crops produced in the area include
cotton, lucerne, groundnuts, peas and lentils.
On your South African holiday, visit the prominent local
landmark, the Palm Tree Avenue, which is leading to Die Eiland resort. Planted
in 1934–35, the 1 041-m-long avenue has over 220 palms 2 and is the longest
such avenue in the southern hemisphere. Upington also has two unique statues,
one symbolising the contribution of the donkey to the development of the area,
and the other serving as a reminder of the role of the camel during the early
days of policing.
The Kalahari Oranje Museum is housed in the historic church
built between 1873 and 1875 by the Reverend Schröder. Its theme is the history
of Upington and the Lower Gariep River. The Spitskop Nature Reserve, 13 km
north of the town, has a network of game-viewing roads and picnic spots. Game
to be seen includes eland, gemsbok, springbok and red hartebeest.
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