Go Slow, Be The Flow

There’s a place in the Northern Cape where a city slicker feels like he’s between nothing (Hopetown) and nowhere (Douglas). Here, the Orange River has carved a deep trench out of black basalt, polished smooth by centuries of sun, wind and water. Come paddle with us through this ancient landscape.

- Pierre Steyn

The Orange River snakes through the arid heart of South Africa, its water a source of life and grace for those who live along its banks. From where it rises, high in Lesotho’s Maluti Mountains (where it’s called the Senqu), to where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean 2200km west, the river also offers a sanctuary.

My wife Ronel and I had some of our best family holidays paddling and drifting down the Orange, blissfully cut off from the frantic buzz of city life. Many of those holidays were spent on the border between South Africa and Namibia, between Onseepkans and Pella, or between Vioolsdrif and Aussenkehr.

As the winter of 2020 ebbed and the days became longer and warmer, we heard the call of the river again. But this time we wanted to explore a different section, a part I’d only read about. It was time to pack the Toyota Fortuner and aim for the middle of the country. We were going to Vanderkloof!

River fever

It’s early on a Wednesday afternoon and the Vanderkloof Dam comes into view. It’s the second-largest dam in the country, with the highest dam wall – an impressive 108m. But the fact that we’re driving into the tiny town of Vanderkloof at all means we’re lost.

I somehow missed the turn-off to Stoney Rapids Lodge, which is about 3km downstream from the dam wall. It’s the gathering place for the paddlers on this trip – where we’ll meet the guides from Adventure Kayaking and where we’ll spend our first night.

“This gives us the chance to explore the town!” I declare happily.

My wife Ronel sighs, and in the rear-view mirror I watch as my 25-year-old daughter Rebecca rolls her eyes.