MDF Magazine Issue 62 7 August 2020 (7)

A STEPPING STONE INTO
THE WILDERNESS
TRAVEL
By Hilton Purvis
The town of Upington, located in the Northern Cape
on the banks of the Orange River, was founded in
1873. Originally called Olijvenhoutsdrift ('Olive wood
drift') due to the abundance of olive wood trees in
the area, it was later renamed after Sir Thomas
Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of
the Cape. It originated as a mission station and now
houses the town museum, home of a donkey statue that
recognises the enormous contribution this animal made
to the development of the region during the pioneering
days of the 19th century.
The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile. With
the Orange River fl owing through the town’s heart at an
average rate of 50 000 litres per second (it has been
known to exceed 1.5 million litres per second when in
full fl ood), it is little wonder that this region has been
turned into an oasis. The area is best known for its
export-quality grapes, raisins and wines, which are
cultivated on the rich fl ood plains of the river, some of
them stretching as far as the horizon. It is a little bit like
adding Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek together,
and then multiplying them a couple of times over. They
grow a staggering amount of grapes! Upington's most
famous wines are produced by the Orange River Cellars,
the bulk of which is exported, inter alia to Europe
and the USA.
Upington is the closest large centre to the Augrabies
Falls National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier
Park, and it is primarily for this reason that it features
on our travel radar. Our route from Cape Town takes
us up the R27, and on the 660 km journey between
Calvinia and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park there
are, incredibly, only three towns to pass through, with
Upington being the last major stop before the fi nal 270
km journey to the park. There are a lot of vast open
spaces up there! Upington therefore becomes an
important stopover for travellers routing through the
Northern Cape, and this is evident from the number of
bed and breakfast establishments that are available.
Sadly most of them are not wheelchair accessible, but
fortunately Liesel and Hannes provide an oasis of
accessible accommodation at their "Libby's Lodge".
Libby's Lodge, with its tranquil garden fi lled with visiting
wild birds, crystal clear pool and bush-styled gazebo,
offers warm hospitality and professional service at an
affordable rate. There are seven spacious, air-conditioned
double rooms with en suite bathrooms, three
well-equipped self-catering family bungalows (sleeping
three to four people) and on-site lock-up parking.
A full English breakfast is served, but breakfast packs
for early bird travellers can be arranged on prior
request.
The wheelchair accessible room has level access from
the parking area (with one very small step on to the
veranda, no more than 5 cm high). There is easy
access into the dining area and a ramp leading down
into the garden. The bathroom is spacious, with
sufficient room for transfers onto the toilet and access
to the handbasin. There is an accessible bath and a
large shower with one step over the door edge. Whilst
there are no grab rails, there is sufficient room to
position a wheelchair safely.
Upington is a large town these days, and after resting
up at Libby's Lodge you can fi nd numerous dining
opportunities and the chance to view the Orange
River, and maybe even enjoy an early evening cruise,
depending on your level of disability. All of the major
retailers are represented in the town, so it is an easy
task to stock up for the next leg of your journey in the
Northern Cape, whether you are heading east to the
Augrabies Falls National Park or north to the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park. Either choice will certainly be an
unforgettable experience!
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