Activities

This church is situated prominently in Springbok. It was completed in 1921 at an estimated cost of 18 000 pounds. Dressed stone and slate were used in the construction. The building of the church was initiated by the famous Dr W.P Steenkamp. Visits can be arranged via the local Minister.

This building, which is situated in Sinagogue Street, was bought by the DR Congregation before 1877. At first this building was not the seat of the congregation. After the turn of the century the church was used more frequently until 1921 when it was sold to the Jewish community to be used as a synagogue and later as a centre for ceremonial cleansing rites. The building now belongs to the municipality.

The pride of the Namaqualand Hebrew Congregation – the new synagogue, framed by pepper trees and situated alongside its predecessor. The Cape Copper Company gave its approval for the use of the ground and in April 1929, Mr M Klawansky’s building tender was accepted and the first concrete poured The foundation stone was laid in July and in September the Jewish community celebrated its first Rosh Hashanah in the new synagogue.

The smelter was erected in 1866 by the Cape Copper Company to smelt lowgrade ore from the Springbokfontein mine. The use of the smelter was discontinued after 1871 when the railroad to Port Nolloth was built. The smoke-stack, however, is all that is left. It is situated approximately 200 m from Breè Street and King Street and can be reached on foot. There is no sign board.

This church, situated next to the Post Office, was completed in 1861

This copper mine, situated against the hill west of Springbok, was the first commercial mine in South Africa. In 1852 the mining company Phillips & King started mining for copper at this site, thereby starting the copper industry in Namaqualand and South Africa. From this mining camp Springbok developed. The mine was excavated periodically until the end of the 19th century. The Blue Mine can be reached by foot from the gravel road which leads there. A look-out post has been erected.

The Goegap Nature Reserve, declared in 1966, is 15 km east of Springbok. The reserve was formerly known as the Hester Malan Nature Reserve, but after the farm Goegap was added to the reserve, the name was changed. It covers an area of approximately 36 000 ha and is the home of Hartman’s zebra, oryx, ostrich, springbok, klipspringer, duiker and jackal. Bird lovers will enjoy the more than 92 recorded South African bird species which can be viewed in the park including ostriches, black eagles, spotted dikkops and ground woodpeckers. Those looking for hiking and other outdoor activities will be pleased to know that the reserve is home to the Myers hiking trail which is an excellent option if spotting a wide variety of wildlife is on your agenda. A few other hikes are laid out in the reserve varying in length (from 2 to 8 kilometres) and suitable for all ages and fitness levels. A succulent display can be viewed at the information centre. There are hikings trails, a 4×4 route. The. A tarred road which is clearly marked, leads to the gate.

The mine is situated approximately 3 km south of Carolusberg. It is one of several shafts sunk by Simon van der Stel in 1685 during his visit to Namaqualand. At this spot the first ore was mined by Europeans in South Africa. A gravel road connects this historic site with Carolusberg. There are sign boards.

This pump, in its stone building, is situated in the centre of Okiep about 100 m west of the main road. The steam-driven Cornish Beam Pump was erected in 1882 to pump water from the mine. This type of pump, which was invented by the famous Thomas Newcomen in 1712, was improved by James Watt and Richard Trevithick. A similar pump was used in Okiep until 1929.

This koppie is due south of Concordia, close to the tarred road The koppie exhibits the best examples of orbicular diarite in South Africa. Although this rare rock type was previously only known to out- crops in Scandinavia, the Namaqualand Copper District is well-known for the occurrence of rock showing an orbicular texture. The koppie can be reached via a clearly marked gravel road.

The historical significance of the Klipkerk in Concordia embraces existence outlined in this volume; it also stands as a record in stone of changing thinking on racial issues in South Africa over close on 150 years. When it was first built and opened in 1874, it was meant to serve an exclusively Khoi population; in terms of German protestant theology at the time, the aim was for Khoi people themselves to take entire responsibility for the running of the church and also to undertake missionary work to convert the surrounding Khoi peoples to Christianity. That aim was never fulfilfilled by the time the Rhenish Mission, much weakened by the First World War, handed over its work to the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in 1933. The Klipkerk and its congregation, which by then was coloured rather than Khoi, became part of the Sendingkerk – the “Mission Church” – established by the DRC exclusively to serve the coloured people. This meant that this church excluded not only whites, but also black African and Indian people, who were assigned to ethnically separate churches.

This cemetery is immediately to the north of the village. There are graves dating back to the 19th century and the Anglo Boer War. It is easily accessible. but there are no sign boards. A Jewish cemetery is situated next to it.

This farm is situated approximately 8 km west of the N7 opposite Mesklip. A horse mill, which is still in good condition, can be seen on the farm. A road sign indicating Matjieskloof may be followed. Special permission is needed to enter. Request this from the owner.

The ruins of the old jail are situated approximately 48 km from Springbok along the “Messelpad” on the banks of the Buffels River. The buildings were erected in 1867 and were used to house the convicts who built the road. On completion of the pass in 1869 the buildings became derelict. This site can be reached either on foot or by using a Four-wheel-drive vehicle as it lies approximately 600 m downslope from the pass. There is no sign to indicate the site.

The Klipfontein Hotel was situated at the top of Anenous Pass to the north of the tarred road. Only the stone wall around the hotel and the water tower are left. The water tower was used to water the locomotives along the Port Nolloth railway line. The ruins can be reached via a gravel road. There are no sign boards.

These ruins are situated approximately halfway down the Anenous Pass between Steinkopf and Port Nolloth. These stone shelters were originally erected to guard one of the railway viaducts during the Anglo Boer War (1899 – 1902). The fort was besieged by General van Deventer in April 1902 but was never taken. There is no sign board.

Situated to the north of Steinkopf and west of the N7. At this historic site 32 Nama children were murdered during the 19th century by Bushmen while their parents were attending a church service at Steinkopf. The name refers to the communal grave of the children. There is no signpost.

A milkwood tree (ngoenie tree), east of the N7, 27 km south of Springbok, was the site where the Nama captains used to gather for deliberation. According to legend executions were also carried out there. The tree was much larger than it is now. There is no sign- board.

In 1798 a goatherd, Hendrik Stievert, was killed at this fountain by Bushmen under the leadership of Barend Goeieman, regardless of his pleas (soebat). This fountain can be reached either by vehicle or on foot. There are no signboards

This 103 000 ha park, 21km north-west of Kamieskroon, is open daily. A circular drive and short walking trails let the visitor experience the incredible floral diversity of the area. Ablution and picnic facilities and a new rest camp are in place.

Bowesville (later Bowesdorp) was named after the district surgeon, Dr Henry Bowe. The church ruins that can be seen from the N7, was the first church to be built in Namaqualand. As there was little room to expand in the narrow kloof the town occupied, the church council decided, in 1924, to rebuild it at Kamieskroon.

Situated just South of Springbok, Kamieskroon is set among the granite rock formations of the Kamiesberg range in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.  Kamieskroon’s origins lie in the 1860s, 7km north of its present position.

This church is situated at Leliefontein 30 km south-east of Kamieskroon. This Mission station was established in 1816 on a loan farm which was given to the Namaquas by Lord Cathcart. The church was completed in 1855, but the parsonage is much older. The church has neo-Gothic characteristics and originally had a thatched roof.

This grave, situated 15 km south of Kamieskroon on the N7 is the last resting place of lieutenant C.J. Darter who died in 1902 during the Anglo Boer war. It is the smallest piece of separately registered land belonging to Britain. The site is identified by a pepper tree growing just next to the grave, and can be very easy to miss when driving past on the N7. You will also need to climb over a small fence to get up close, but people have made it relatively easy by placing big rocks to step on.

This is a collection of large rocks and stone walls which is situated 1km from Garies along the Kamiesberg road. The Letterklip is inscribed with the names of early travellers in Namaqualand as well as the names of British soldiers along with their regimental coats of arms. In 1901 – 1902 the British soldiers had a fortress at the Letterklip which accounts for their names and coats of arms being on the stone. This national monument is easy to reach but there are no signs to indicate the site.

Copper ore was exported from this coastal village up to 1969. As early as 1852, the first copper shipping by the “Bosphorus” to Wales. The first copper exported was a whopping 11 tonnes of copper.Hondeklip was the port for copper shipping to the United Kingdom.  The town never developed, as it was too far from the Springbok Magistrate. The small village or harbour point never seem to be able to expand. The semi-desert environment and limited water resources have strained Hondeklipbaai from any substantial growth. After the copper rush in 1925, Hondeklipbaai built a crayfish factory and started exporting crayfish. The local fishing communities are still living a simple and traditional lifestyle. Today Hondeklipbaai is a small community with a population of 300. The local fisherman still makes a struggling existence from the sea. There are some prospecting diamond concession holders in Hondeklipbaai. It is a traditional West Coast community that lies next to the newly proclaimed Namaqua National Park. It is an excellent escape from the bustling lifestyles of our cities. Hondeklip is the perfect place to visit for travellers that enjoy minimalism and traditional communities. Hondeklipbaai has some of the best beaches in Southern Africa. The World Surf League also recently started hosting a Namakwa Speciality surfing event  in August,2021 which put Hondeklipbay on the surfer community’s map in South Africa.

Dramatic and beautiful, the Richterveld is no pampered paradise, but rather a wilderness retreat for the self-sufficient explorer. Roam the park in your 4×4, by foot or paddle down the river taking in the awe-inspiring, seldom-seen purity of this unspoilt wilderness. The park has five camping sites that all have full ablution facilities. The wilderness camps of Tatasberg and Gannakouriebare fully equipped, self-catering camps (although you need to bring your own drinking water at Gannakourib) and at Sendelingsdrift there are 10 self-catering units and a swimming pool. The four surrounding Richtersveld community towns also offer unique new accommodation establishments.

Pofadder is situated 160 km from Springbok on the N14 on the main road to Upington and Johannesburg. In the earlier days Hottentots, Bushmen and Korannas lived in this area. The town of Pofadder was named after the Hottentot captain, Klaas Pofadder. Pofadder is mainly a farming community with mines in the area. The Pofadder hiking trails leads through picturesque scenery. On your way to Onseepkans, the border post, you pass a beautiful Quiver Tree Forest.

Pella is an oasis in Namakwa (Bushmanland) in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Earlier known as Cammas Fonteyn, the spring was used by a nearby stronghold of San people. In 1776 a South African Dutch farmer called Coenraad Feijt settled there and lived in harmony with the San despite their fondness for raiding the cattle of the Dutch farmers in the Hantam. A nearby farm called Aggeneys later became the site of the modern mining town of that name. In 1814 a missionary called Christian Albrecht moved with his assistants and converts to Cammas Fonteyn, having left Namibia where the Orlam Chief, Jager Afrikaner, had been persecuting them. He founded a mission station and renamed it Pella after the ancient town in Macedonia that became a refuge for persecuted Christians from the Romans. Other famous missionaries that visited Pella during the early years were John Campbell, Heinrich Schmelen and Robert Moffat.

Vioolsdrift is a small community in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.  Vioolsdrift is the official borderpost to Namibia and is situated on the Orange river in the North western part of the province.  Vioolsdrift is the ideal stop-over for travellers en route to the Richtersveld and Namibia. There are small pockets of fertile alluvial soil along the course of the river and these are used for growing crops, such as dates and melons, under irrigation. There are many river rafting trips along the Orange and through the Richtersveld start here. Stunning rock stratum and petroglyphs can be viewed.