We came for the beautiful, expansive landscapes! And we also saw a few animals and birds during our four days in Tankwa Karoo National Park. 

Comprising almost 147,000 hectares, the park was named after the Tankwa River which passes through the park and is the dividing line between the Western Cape and North Cape Provinces. The meaning of the word Tankwa is unknown, but historians believe it might mean turbid water or thirsty land. The second possible translation seems more fitting because the park is in one of the most arid regions of South Africa. Some areas of the park get less than 100 mm of average annual rainfall. 

The grassland area of the park looked very barren during our late autumn visit, except for the occasional tree. And the dessert portion included sparse shrubs and healthy-looking succulents. 

A portion of Tankwa Karoo National park land was previously owned by sheep farmers. Some farm structures still remain. 

We stayed in the seven-unit Elandsberg Wilderness Camp. Our cottage, made from rock and plaster-covered bricks, included large windows facing the expansive Roggeveld Escarpment. 

Quite a few visitors experience flat or damaged tires due to park roads made from sharp gravel rocks.  Surprisingly our rental car coped just fine, but we did see at least two other more rugged-looking vehicles with flat tires. The park rangers drive trucks equipped with heavy-duty tire jacks and are very helpful and efficient changing visitor’s flat or damaged tires.

One afternoon we decided to drive up the twisty, six kilometer-long Gannaga Pass. The road, built in the 1930’s and supported in places by stone walls, steeply climbs 700 meters on the Roggeveld Escarpment up to Middelpos. This very small town consists of a store, school, a few houses, and an uncovered, one-pump fuel station. Very heavy rain started just as we reached the plateau at the top of the escarpment. The fuel station attendant was still smiling when he finished filling our car with petrol, even though he was soaking wet. Fortunately our drive back down to the rest camp was uneventful. The road had not washed away and we did not get stuck while driving through puddles.

After the national park service purchased the land for Tankwa Karoo National Park, rangers reintroduced game that originally lived in the area. These animals include: gemsbok, springbok, klipspringer, eland, duiker, red hartebeest, and Cape Mountain zebra. 

Due to very limited rainfall, park rangers maintain several watering holes for the animals.

Even though we didn’t visit Tankwa Karoo National Park during peak birding season in the spring, we did see and hear a few small birds, mostly in the scrub brush near our cabin. Maybe on a return visit we can photograph more of the 188 species of birds in the park.