The Richtersveld is a remote region; hot, dry and seemingly lifeless. It has a certain esoteric beauty, but why should such a barren place be worthy of World Heritage status? The Richtersveld has both natural and cultural criteria that make it unique. In other words, there’s more to the Richtersveld than first meets the eye.
The Richtersveld National Park is a rugged, desolate and in parts hauntingly beautiful ‘mountain desert’ set in a great loop of the Orange River. It is one of the most important of the country’s conservation areas, not only for the dramatically unique landscapes, but also for its status as South Africa’s first contractual park, an arrangement that brings SANParks and the local community together in a pioneering system of co-management.
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| Orange River |
This is a place of deep canyons, jagged mountain ranges, landscapes made vivid by the unusual colours of the rocks and soils, of extremely rare succulent plants such as the curious Kokerboom or quiver tree and the even stranger halfmens, and in the north by the broad, languid stretches and white water rapids of the great Orange River.
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| Evening Storm in the Richtersveld |
Tucked away on the Atlantic coast in the far northwest corner of South Africa, the Richtersveld’s northern and eastern borders are defined by the “big bend” of the Orange River ( also known as the Gariep, which means ‘Great River” in the Nama language). Its western perimeter lies on the desolated Atlantic shores, which are flanked by the freezing waters of the Benguela Current. Its southern border roughly follows the road linking Port Nolloth on the coast to Steinkopf, which is about 60 kilometres north of the nearest important town of Springbok.
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