Upington, Northern Cape

Upington is the chief City in the Northern Region of South Africa. It was established on the bank of the Orange River in 1870. By uniting Christian Schröder’s 1871 Mission Station, 'Olyfenhoutsdrift' and the Upington Police Station. The Mission Station now houses the Town Museum, known as: 'Kalahari Orange Museum'. The Museum is also the Home of the famous donkey Statue, which recognizes the enormous contribution that this animal made to the development of the region during the revolutionary days of the 19th Century! The Town of Upington, named after the first Attorney General of the Cape, Sir Thomas Upington. This dry and hot Area is characterized by desolate Deserts and harsh Landscapes. Upington boasts a marvelous Oasis with the fertile and lush Orange River Valley, running through it. This shimmering Valley provides a green ribbon through the harsh Landscapes bringing life-giving water from the distant highlands of Lesotho. Upington currently boasts a population of 72 198 inhabitants. It was named after Sir Thomas Upington, the Attorney-General of the Cape. In the 1870's this Area, was inhabited by Griqua People under leadership of Klaas Lucas and of Klaas Pofadder. Back then these men were known as 'the river pirates', living on the many small islands situated in the Orange River. Even though the Landscapes in the Area are very arid, the soil is still very fertile and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The Area is best known for its export-quality grapes, raisins and wines, which are cultivated on the rich flood Plains of the Orange River. The Orange River is also a major source of relaxation and entertainment for travelers and locals alike. Its beauty and tranquility attracts people from all over the Country yearly. Upington also boasts many beautifully landscaped Gardens, rose beds and large, graceful trees all situated in a genuine atmosphere of peace and tranquility! Upington is an ideal Winter Holiday Destination, with all the modern conveniences on the major Routes to Namibia and Kalahari, Augrabies, Fish River Canyon and Northern Cape Bound by the Orange River and the Kalahari. It is to the Augrabies Falls which is arguably the king of South African Waterfalls. As the Commercial and Educational centre of the Green Kalahari, Upington is much larger than any of the surrounding Villages. Upington is a favorite hotspot for thrilling Outdoor Activities such as; hunting, boating, fishing, golfing as well as water skiing. For all the wine connoisseurs, spend the day at The Orange River Wine Cellars. This is a five-cellar Co-Operative. It is the largest in the Country and the second largest in the World. It offers fantastic wine-tasting tours and tours of the facility. The South African Dried Fruit Co-Operative is a rather modern co-operative and the second largest of its kind in the world. Freshly packed dried fruit can be bought on the premises. Popular attractions in Upington include Die Eiland (“The Island”), Spitskop Nature Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kalahari Kuierfees, The Raisin Festival and the SA Dried Fruit Co annual triathlon. Die Eiland is a Holiday Resort situated on an Island, in the middle of the Orange River. It boasts a gorgeous Date Palm entrance avenue of 1 041 metres of Palms planted 9 m apart, which makes it one of the longest and the most dense palm avenues in the Southern Hemisphere. The Raisin Festival is great fun for all travelers and locals in the Area. This festival boasts: a colourful parade of floats, beauty competitions, craft building competitions, potjiekos, pancakes and plenty of fun for family and visitors. Upington's Central Business District is a buzz with business activities. Its Economy greatly relies on Agriculture, Tourism and the Services Industry. Its modern shops, excellent facilities and easy accessibility to popular hotspots make it the centre of this vast City. Upington boasts a fantastic Transport system including an Airport. Upington Airport may be small, but it is by no means quiet! In fact, it does a brisk business in cargo including everything from live sheep and goats, to cars and mining equipment. Not to mention grapes! Approximately 1 million tons of grapes leave this beautiful City, every Year. This Airport also boasts the longest Runway in Africa at 4.9 km, (NASA has this as a Backup Runway for its Space Shuttles!) Upington may seem arid and desolate, but it is in fact a bustling area boasting great beauty, fun and adventure. There is plenty to see, do and enjoy here!
Geolocation
-28° 26' 6", 21° 3' 36"
References
https://www.upington.co.za/ https://www.experiencenortherncape.com/visitor/citiesandtowns/upington http://southafrica.co.za/upington.html https://www.sa-venues.com/attractionsnc/upington.php https://www.experiencenortherncape.com/visitor/citiesandtowns/upington https://www.saairforce.co.za
Further Reading

https://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/northerncape/kalahari-oranje-museum/

https://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/northerncape/wine-tour-at-orange-river-wine-cellars/

https://www.sa-venues.com/visit/rivercityinn/

https://web.facebook.com/100044174032530/posts/pfbid02aJpPxqyakZjxjoLYH7BdHk3n374zJwYHE4SFBGkhDDvaE6vF2UeSCcpFMctLpAqtl/?sfnsn=scwspmo&mibextid=6aamW6&_rdc=1&_rdr

Bitterfontein, Western Cape

In the Northernmost part of the Western Cape, along the Northwestern plain, lies a relatively isolated Village located in the Knersvlakte Region, called Bitterfontein. Bitterfontein forms part of the Southern section of Namaqualand and its name is derived from the bitter and brackish-quality of its water. Knersvlakte, translated from its original Afrikaans, means ‘gnashing flat’ or ‘gnashing plain’, which references the sound made by the wagons of bygone days as their wheels traversed across the quartz gravel stone - a distinct feature of the region’s arid terrain.

Located on the periphery of the Western Cape, Bitterfontein derives much of its significance as the railhead of the rail system to Cape Town. In 1915, prior to the development of the railhead at Bitterfontein, Klawer served as the established terminus. The railway at the small town of Klawer, however, struggled to cope with the demands of serving the expansive hinterland beyond its own borders. The railway was thereby extended further north-westward towards Lutzville in 1926. The line was extended and the railhead at Bitterfontein was developed in 1927. The first train  arrived on 27 April of that year. The railway at Bitterfontein was used for the transportation of granite blocks, copper ore and other goods. Since the continued development and improvement of roads, the railway at Bitterfontein has lost much of its importance, and with it, this almost forgotten village on the fringe of the Western Cape has faded into relative obsolescence. This has also led to the economic decline of the village. Though of diminished significance today, Bitterfontein does attract train and railway enthusiasts, and people touring these regions of the Western Cape.

Bitterfontein is governed under the Matzikama municipality. Spanning an area of 39.90 km², according to a 2011 census, Bitterfontein is inhabited by a meagre 986 people and has 231 households. [1] Inhabitants of Bitterfontein predominantly speak Afrikaans as a first language. A halfway point between Cape Town and Namibia, Bitterfontein has a modest hotel, a farmer’s market, an Agrimark and a petrol station. Though inhabited by few and obscure to non-inhabitants, the village of Bitterfontein boasts of a vast array of flora and fauna.  The region is home to a rich diversity of bird life - the martial eagle being one of its finest hallmarks. Its terrain is roamed by the black-backed jackal and Cape honey badgers. An arid area, Bitterfontein’s landscape is adorned with a vast variety of species of succulents that enhance the dry land with hues of green, red, purple and maroon.         

A region renowned for its bitter water, in 1990, Bitterfontein became the location of South Africa’s first desalination plant which provides fresh water for its own inhabitants and for those in its neighbouring settlement, Nuwerus. This desalination plant was also the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere. According to D. A. Still, Bitterfontein has ‘groundwater salinities [this refers to the degree to which it contains salt] of over 4000 mg/l but now benefits from a state-subsidised Reverse Osmosis desalination plant.’ [2]  Bitterfontein is therefore also significant for reasons beyond its railway.

This significance traversed into the cultural sphere in 1997 when Zak van Niekerk released an Afrikaans folk song called ‘Die Bitter van Bitterfontein’. The song evokes the relevance of the train terminus and the scant opportunities available to the inhabitants of the region. 

Once an integral train terminus and the location of South Africa’s first desalination plant, though forgotten today, Bitterfontein’s historical significance should not be understated.

End notes

[1] These figures would have since changed. See ‘Main Place: Bitterfontein,’ Census 2011 at https://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/160004 accessed on 20 March. ↵

[2] D. A. Still, ‘Small scale desalination in South Africa with particular reference to solar desalination,’ PhD diss., University of Cape Town, 1991. ↵

Geolocation
18° 15' 54", -31° 2' 24"
References
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