GREEN KALAHARI ACCOMMODATION OLIFANTSHOEK
OLIFANTSHOEK

Olifantshoek lies in a valley on the eastern slopes of the Langberge. From Upington in the west, the road follows the Orange River northeast along its northern bank, clinging close to the river for the first 40km of the N14. The vegetation improves gradually towards the Langeberge mountain range that forms the western perimeter of the vast plateau on which the mining towns of Kuruman, Postmasburg and Danielskuil are located.

Olifantshoek originated as a police post in 1897. The area was home to large numbers of elephants a century or more ago, accounting for the name. The villiage was formaly founded in 1912.

The area is cattle-ranching country, but iron ore is also mined. Water is derived from a dam on the Olifantsloop flowing through the town.

The Main Attractions are:

* San (Bushmen) Rock Art
Some of the finest galleries of ancient San rock art have been preserved on the farm "Meerlust", about 50km nortwest of the town.
* Witsand Nature Reserve
The Witsand nature reserve with its flowing white dunes cradled by contrasting red Kalahari dunes, the smokey grey Langberge mountains and Acacia woodland is the home of the famous Kalahari Roaring Sands and over 150 bird species.
* War graves
War graves from the 1897 Galeshewe's War when inhabitants of the old Transvaal died in skirmishes with Tswana groups on the western perimeter of the old Transvaal Republic.
* Hiking
Go hiking in the Langberge mountains.
* Hunting
Elephants were once a common sight in the area of Olifantshoek.
The typical red dunes of the Kalahari with the white dunes of the Witsand Nature Reserve. The Roaring Sand or Brulsand is probably the most well known feature of the Witsand Nature Reserve, and one of the main attractions visitors hope to experience. In order to emit their characteristic sound, which may vary from a hum to a roar, the sand needs to be warm, dry and clean. This effect is the result of the intense friction build-up as the fine, even grains of sand are scoured together expelling the air trapped between them.Fulgurites are shafts of fused silica varying in shape and size, which are created by lightning strikes into the sand. Because of the high water table, and the elevation of the dune system, lightning frequently strikes in the dunes, and visitors are cautioned to keep out of the dunes during thunderstorms, which occur most often during summer afternoons.Many visitors to Witsand are intrigued by the apparent separation of the different coloured sands. However, this is quite easy to understand when one considers that the varying sand colours indicate the amount of leaching to which the sand has been exposed. This process would leave the white sand (virtually free from oxide deposits and therefore lighter than the other sand) on the surface, while the darker sand below the surface is occasionally exposed by wind.
©South African Tourism
Green Kalahari | Green Kalahari guest houses | Green Kalahari accommodation | Accommodation in Olifantshoek | Green Kalahari attractions | Green Kalahari bed and breakfast | Green Kalahari tours
ACCOMMODATION IN OLIFANTSHOEK
Want to see your Guesthouse advertised here?
Contact us for the best prices ever on the Internet.
Nobody can beat our prices!
Get details HERE
SPONSORED LINKS
_______________________

Click Here for Great Service and the Best Car rent