Game Parks in the Great Karoo

Addo Elephant Park

Addo is 72 km north of Port Elizabeth near the Zuurberg Range in the Sunday River Valley area. It is located in the dense, indigenous bush country. 

The Addo Elephant National Park was proclaimed in 1931 to preserve the last survivors of once numerous herds of elephants in the eastern cape which were hunted almost to extinction. 

The park is 12,126 ha of gently undulating valley Bushveld and is fenced. The elephants are gregarious, living in family groups led by a cow, and the dominant bull of the reserve does most of the breeding. For many years this bull was called Hapoor, whose ear had been nicked by a bullet. He was finally deposed in 1968, broke out of the reserve and was shot. His head is mounted on the wall of the park restaurant.

Elephants, buffalos, also East African black rhinoceros, red hartebeest, kudu, bushbuck, cape grysbok, duiker, Burchells zebra, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, warthog, ostrich, small spotted genet, springhare, suricate, yellow mongoose, tortoises and vervet monkey are found in the Park.

There are also more than 150 bird species ranging from ostriches, to raptors, and waterfowl.

To get to the Park from Port Elizabeth drive east to the Swartkops River, just outside the city and then turn left for the 29-km drive to Addo. Continue along the road to Corney to reach the National Park, 73 km from Port Elizabeth in the Sundays River valley and the Zuurberg mountain range. The access road from the main road is 4km and is tarred as far as the restcamp. The road within the restcamp is tarred but all other internal roads are gravel.

All accommodation is serviced daily and provides bedding, towels and soap. Six bed guest cottages each with two bedrooms, bathroom en suite, one with bath one with shower and a fully equipped kitchen. Four bed cottage include one bedroom, bathroom, and an open plan partially equipped kitchen.

Bungalows each with two single beds and a double sleeper, also a two-bed bungalow with bathroom.Two bed bungalows with bathroom and communal kitchen facilities.

Camping and caravan sites maximum six persons to one caravan with a side tent and one vehicle. 

For nature-lovers and botanists there is the four-hour Spekboom Trail, which lies inside a fenced-off botanical garden.

Valley of Desolation

Sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of Dolerite rise 120 metres from the valley floor, against the timeless backdrop of the vast plains of the Camdeboo. This is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over 100 million years.

This breathtaking site is a short 14 km drive from the town. Any visitor to the Reserve will be surprised to discover the diversity of fauna and flora. There are over 220 recorded species of birdlife, 336 plants and 43 mammals. Catch a glimpse of the endangered Cape Mountain Zebra, plenty of Kudu, Buffalo, the majestic Black Eagle and the Kori Bustard, the heaviest flying bird in the world.

You have a choice of scenic picnic sites in the Reserve, and for those a little more energetic, there are three walking trails which range from 1 hour in duration to overnight hikes - be sure to bring your camera! 

Karoo National Park

The Karoo National Park is situated close to the highway between Cape Town and the hinterland, approximately 1000km south of Johannesburg and 500 km north of Cape Town. The Great Karoo is a vast and unforgiving landscape in which the Karoo National Park is dominated by the lofty Nuweveld mountains and rolling plains. Towards late afternoon the great unyielding canopy slowly softens its fierceness and from pastel shades of pink and blue the colors deepen, setting the endless Karoo canvas ablaze with glorious hues of orange and red.

The park has 61 species of mammals the most common of which are classic and bat-eared fox and rhino. The Karoo National Parks has a wide variety of endemic wildlife many species of which have been located to their former ranges such as black rhino and buffaloes, as well as Cape mountain zebra and over 20 breeding pairs of black eagle.

Other attractions in the Park are a swimming pool, 2 information centres, game viewing, bird hide at the dam and 2 nature trails. The Springbok hiking trail which is a 3 day/2 night trail for a max of 12 persons and the Karoo Fossil Braille Trail and Karoo 4x4 trail for max of 8 persons are located in the Park.

The restcamp is 10 km from the town of Beaufort West and the Park is close to the N1 highway between Cape Town and the hinterland. By air - there is an airport 10 km from Beaufort West and car hire is available in Beaufort West. All internal roads are tarred with the exception of the 4x4 Trail and access roads to the Mountain View Rest camp.

Mountain Zebra National Park

The Mountain Zebra National Park, about 30 km from the small town of Cradock, is on the northern slopes of the 2000m high Bankberg and has magnificent views over the Karoo. The craggy heights of Mountain Zebra National Park embrace rolling plains and deep valleys and has become an entrancing preserve for the Cape mountain zebra. The proclamation of the Park in 1937 saved these animals from extinction and their current population is just 130.

The best time to visit is March to May. It is the most comfortable for visiting the park, summers are warm and winter nights are cold. Rainfall averages 390mm per annum and there is regular snowfall on high lying areas.

It's a small Park protecting one of the rarest animals in the world - the mountain zebra whose current population stands at 130. There are many antelope species, eland, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, and gemsbok, mountain reed buck, and grey rhebok frequent the higher areas, whilst caracal occupy the niche of primary predator. There are three species of zebra - Grevy's the biggest, Burchell's the most numerous, and the Cape mountain zebra the smallest and one of the rarest living mammals.

There are a swimming pool, picnic and braai areas, game viewing, horse riding and the Mountain Zebra hiking trail a 3 day/2 night trek for max 12 persons.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The park lies in the triangle segment of South Africa between Namibia and Botswana, covering an area of 959,103 hectares with mile upon mile of rolling rust red sand dunes, solitary trees and scattered grasses. For lovers of the ambience of untamed Africa this hauntingly beautifully region has a special appeal all of its own and the park is named after the gemsbok. If you yearn to experience the unspoilt beauty of Africa, to hear the nocturnal calls of wild animals stalking their prey, and be in at the kill with Kalahari lions, then this national park is the perfect holiday destination.

The Park is open throughout the year, but the best times for game viewing are February through May.

The red dunes and scrub fade into infinity and herds of gemsbok, springbok, eland and blue wildebeest follow the seasons. Imposing camel thorn trees provide shade for huge lion and vantage points for leopard, and many raptors, cheetah, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal.

Although the countryside is semi-desert it is richer than it appears and supports large populations of birds.

The Park is situated 358 km from Upington in the far northern Cape and 904 km from Johannesburg. 

There is no border post at Mata Mata and Namibia can be entered via Aroab/Rietfontein. Access roads in the Park have gravel surfaces. Travel time from the entrance gate at Twee Rivieren to Nossob restcamp is 3.5 hours and to Mata Mata 2.5 hours.

There are three rest camps. Twee Rivieren is at the southern gate of the park There is a 6 bed family cottage with bathroom and air-con and fully equipped kitchen. Also 3 and 4 bed cottages with bathroom, air-con and fully equipped kitchen and bungalows with 2 single bed, bathroom, air-con and fully equipped kitchen. there is also a swimmimg pool and information centre at the rest camp.

Nossob lies on the Botswana border north of the entrance gate and consists of six-bed family cottages with bathrooms and kitchen, three bed bungalows with bathroom and kitchen and three bed huts with shared ablution and kitchen facilities.

Matamata is situated on the Namibian border to the north west of the entrance gate and comprises a six bed family cottage with bathroom and kitchen and three bed chalets with communal ablution and kitchen facilities.

Camping and caravan facilities are found at all 3 rest camps.

The Vaalbos National Park

The Vaalbos National Park is an extraordinary 23,000 ha area along the Vaal River in the former heart of the alluvial diamond diggings near Kimberley. A tourist route, built with material from the diamond diggings using local labor, winds through the park, exposing visitors to all facets of it's three different ecosystems as they merge together as one. 

The name Vaalbos originates from the vaalbos (camphor bush) a prominent plant species in the park. Rainfall during summer could vary between 300m and 700mm per annum, winters are cold with temperatures as high as 44c.

Wildlife includes black rhino, white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, eland, red hartebeest and tsessebe.

Birdwatchers come to see the large raptors and the rare yellow-breasted form of the crimson-breasted shrike among others.

The park gets its rainfall mainly during summer, could vary between 300 mm and 700 mm per annum. Winters are cold with temperatures as low as 4 degrees C.

 Summer temperatures may be as high as 44 degrees C.

The park is a transitional vegetation zone where typical Karoo, Kalahari thornveld and grassveld meet.

At Block Dam picnic sites 17 km from the gate 10 barbecue complete with ablution facilities and hide created at a waterhole. River picnic sites are situated on the banks of the Vaal River some 2km from the gate with 20 barbecues. 

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