Contrary to popular belief, the Orange River was not named for its colour (it’s a muddy, orangey-brown) but after Prince William of Orange. It has an older name, though. The original inhabitants of this area called it the Gariep, meaning the Great River. And in this arid region, it is truly great – a linear lifeline through the rugged and mountainous desert of the Richtersveld. A thin, green oasis, it is South Africa’s longest river.
High in the mountains of Lesotho, bubbling streams leap down the escarpment in a number of spectacular waterfalls and then join together to form the Orange, which winds its sinuous way to the sea at Oranjemund, some 2,000km from its source. Along the way, it picks up a load of diamonds, which it deposits along its banks and in the Atlantic Ocean, forming the basis of South Africa and Namibia’s offshore mining industry.
From just downstream of Augrabies Falls to the coast, the river forms the border between South Africa and Namibia. There are some serious white water sections on this river, especially Thunder Alley, near Hopetown and the Orange River Gorge, near Onseepkans. The kayaking is great, and the annual white water rodeo near Hopetown attracts many agile and intrepid entrants. There is a fun, not-too-difficult, but exciting, half-day white water stretch just above Augrabies, but the most exciting white water is that of the Augrabies Gorge, just below the falls. The largest granite gorge in the world it is part of the Augrabies National Park, and access is jealously guarded. They have, however, allowed one raft race, so a precedent has been set.
The most popular section for river trips, though, is the dramatic Richtersveld, followed by the section below the Augrabies Gorge. The river runs through a desert area, so it can be extremely hot in summer, especially in February, when most of the trips are not run. Winter, on the other hand, can be lovely and sunny during the day and downright crisp at night.