Around the town of Upington, you will encounter an area known as the Green Kalahari which extends for hundreds of kilometres along the banks of the Orange River, improbably lined with lush, green vineyards and date plantations on the edge of the desert, and forming an oasis of unspoilt nature reserves.
The Northern Cape's weather is typical of most desert and semi desert areas. It is a large, dry region of fluctuating temperatures and rainfall (50-350mm per annum).
Summer (October-March) temperatures vary between 30-40 c.
Night time temperatures in winter (June-July) may well drop below freezing point, but winter days are warm and pleasant.
Humidity is very low and we advise you to keep a stock of lozenges to alleviate the possibility of a dry throat.
It is strongly recommended that you take along a good sun protection lotion of factor 8 or higher
There is so much to do in this region. South Africa's largest waterfall, the Augrabies Falls are situated 120km to the west of Upington in the Northern Cape. They form part of the Augrabies Falls National Park, which is rich with endemic and indigenous plant and animal species. If you are lucky you will hear the beautiful haunting cry of the African Fish Eagle as you enjoy multi-day paddling trips down the river – allowing you to camp outdoors and enjoy the silence and majesty of the landscape in your own time. Look out for raisin factories, catfish farms, wine cellars, tearooms, date palm plantations, sheep farms, old mission stations, and Augrabies Falls.
