Exploring the Orange River: South Africa's Longest River and Its Natural Wonders
The Orange River, known as "eGariep" to the Bushmen and "die Grootrivier" too early explorers, is a significant geographical feature of South Africa. Despite common misconceptions, its name isn't derived from its color. Instead, it was named "Oranjerivier" in 1777 by Robert Jacob Gordon, a Dutchman of Scottish descent, to honor Prince William of the Royal Dutch House of Orange.
As South Africa's longest river, the Orange River originates from the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho and travels approximately 2250km to the Atlantic Ocean, making it the world's 39th longest river. Its primary water source is the Caledon River and its tributary, the Vaal River. The river has been dammed at two locations: the Gariep Dam near Colesburg and the Vanderkloof Dam downstream.
The Gariep Dam, covering an area of 374 square kilometers, has a capacity of 6000 million cubic meters of water when full and generates 320MW of hydroelectric power. The Vanderkloof Dam holds 3000 million cubic meters of water and produces 220MW of hydroelectric power.
The Orange River forms international borders between South Africa and Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Despite not passing through any major cities, it plays a crucial role in the South African economy by supporting agriculture, industry, and mining.
The river is home to the Augrabies Falls, one of the world's six largest waterfalls, located just below the town of Kakamas in the Northern Cape. This natural wonder, whose name means "place of great noise," is a sight to behold.
The river's course changes direction in the Richtersveld area, where it heads north before continuing westwards through the Northern Cape coastal plain and finally reaching the Atlantic Ocean between Alexander Bay and Oranjemund on the Diamond Coast of South Africa and Namibia.
The Orange River is a popular destination for River Run adventures in South Africa, offering thrilling yet safe river trails. Rapids along the stretch between Noordoewer and the Fish River Junction reach a grade of 2 to 2.5 (graded between 1 and 6, from gentle to impossible).
These river safaris, lasting 3 to 6 days and covering about 20 kilometers per day, offer a unique wilderness experience. Participants can expect to sleep under the stars, enjoy spectacular desert sunsets, stunning rose-colored mountains, unusual rock formations, and evenings around the campfire. The river is home to 276 species of birds, and lucky visitors might spot baboons, vervet monkeys, leagues, and even wild desert horses coming to drink at the water's edge.
