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Nature
Reserve at the Fish River Canyon
Plateau mountains and sweeping plains with occasional
granite and dolerite hilltops are the scenic appeal
of Gondwana Cañon Park. The quiver tree, one
of Namibia’s national symbols, grows in photogenic
clusters in several places. And less than 20 km to the
west the Fish River has dug a huge system of meandering
gorges into Earth.
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Established
as a private nature reserve in 1995, when the first
farm was purchased, Gondwana Cañon Park now covers
an area of 1,120 km². Thus it is the oldest and
largest park within the Gondwana Desert Collection.
A Park Manager takes care of the game, and a programme
has been set up for reintroducing species which once
were indigenous to the area – including Hartebeest
and even Giraffe. |
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The
Cañon Collection consists of four accommodation
establishments: guests can choose between Cañon
Lodge, Cañon Village, Cañon Roadhouse
(with camping site) and Cañon Mountain Camp.
And they have the opportunity to not only experience
the Fish River Canyon but to also get to know the fascinating
desert world of the Nama Karoo – on a scenic drive,
on horseback or on a hiking trip. |
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The Nama Karoo
is a desert system at the south-western fringe of the
summer rain area. Annual precipitation is 220 mm at
the most, with heavy fluctuations between different
places and years. By contrast, however, Gondwana Cañon
Park only averages 80 mm of rain per year. The western
parts of the park, by the way, around Cañon Lodge
and Village, are drier than Mountain Camp situated just
6 km to the east. The culprit is the canyon: it heats
up the air which then rises, cools off and descends
outside the canyon’s rim. This causes cloud moving
in from north-east during the day to be pushed back
constantly. Every couple of years the park also sees
a bit of winter rain (April to September). |
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Two
vegetation types of the Nama Karoo are represented
in the park: the dwarf shrub savannah and the
desert dwarf shrub transition zone. Large areas
are dotted with hemispherical milk bush (Euphorbia
damarana) which grows up to about 2 m tall, and
often there are stem succulents like the candelabra
euphorbia (Euphorbia virosa) or the well-know
quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma). Typical animals
of the Nama Karoo – such as Mountain Zebra,
Springbok, Gemsbok, Kudu and Ostrich – clearly
enjoy this habitat, and there are also Hartebeest
and Giraffe. Some decades ago these two species
were hunted to extinction in southern Namibia,
but recently they have been successfully reintroduced.
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Those interested
in geology will find ample opportunity for exploration,
not only at the Fish River Canyon but also among the
numerous rock formations of Gondwana Cañon Park.
Ancient dolerite hilltops testify to the disintegration
of the primeval continent of Rodinia 750 million years
ago, while massive layers of sandstone and limestone
reveal that 600 years ago this area was covered by a
shallow sea. |
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But
the more recent history, characterised by man,
is highly fascinating as well. Rock engravings
in the canyon depict mysteriously looking figures.
Most probably they were done by ancestors of the
San (Bushmen). Much later the area of Gondwana
Cañon Park became part of the domain of
the Bondelswart Nama who came to settle north
of the Gariep/Orange River and established their
headquarters in Warmbad. After they had lost the
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war (1904 –
1908) against the German colonial forces the land was
divided into farms and given to German settlers. This
was the time when two brothers from Bavaria built the
house which today serves as the reception and restaurant
of Cañon Lodge. Both men - together with thousands
of their German compatriots - were deported by the country’s
new South African rulers after the First World War,
in 1919. During the next decades the land at the canyon
was used for farming with cattle, sheep and goats. |
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When Namibia
gained independence in 1990, tourism started to increase.
From 1995 onwards, farms east of southern Namibia’s
main attraction, the Fish River Canyon, were gradually
purchased by a group of businessmen with a love for
the country’s south. Livestock farming was discontinued,
internal fences were dismantled, watering places suitable
for game were set up and game which had once been indigenous
to the area was reintroduced. Nature conservation efforts
are financed with the income derived from the hospitality
business, for which less than 5 percent of the park’s
area is used. Furthermore, Gondwana Cañon Park
is the source of a regular income for its employees,
by now more than 100, and holds out future prospects
to them. |
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