Tankwa Karoo National Park

Vital Information

General Information

Roodewerf Office GPS coordinates: S32°14’27.9” E20°05’44.5”
Last stops for fuel (measured from park offices) are Ceres (180km), Calvinia (110km), Sutherland (140km – closed from Saturdays 13:00 for weekend) and Middelpos (50km – only Lead Replacement and Diesel)
No shops, restaurants, public phones or ATM’s in the park
General Dealer and Bottle Store in Middelpos
No cellphone reception within the park as well as main access roads
No credit card or Wild Card facilities available at present
Prosopis Wood for sale in park
No pets allowed
No fire-arms allowed
Arrivals for accommodation from 14:00 only, departure at 10:00

Contact Information

For enquiries e-mail Tankwa Karoo National Park or phone us on the following numbers:

Tel:       +27 (0)27 341 1927
            +27 (0)27 341 2389
Fax:      +27 (0)27 341 2814

Climate and Vegetation

The duration and temperature of the growing season clearly separates succulent Karoo from other biomes. The Tankwa Karoo is one of the most arid sections of the Karoo. Isohyets of mean annual rainfall (mm) for the Karoo indicate that the Tankwa Karoo National Park falls into the 0-100 mm range (Venter et al. 1986), with 25% of the mean annual precipitation falling in summer. The mean July minimum temperature is 5,7°C, and the mean January maximum temperature is 38,9°C. The

Planning Your Visit

Birding

Spring is best: birding it at its peak from August to October, when the region may also unpredictably burst into flower. However, the majority of the specials (with the possible exception of Black-headed Canary, Ludwig’s Bustard and Black-eared Finchlark) are accessible year-round with a little effort.

Itineraries & Approaches

Those approaching the Tankwa Karoo from Cape Town will find that although it is certainly possible to visit the areas described here in a (long) day trip from Cape Town, this really requires a desperately early start and making a weekend of it is far preferable. The R355/P2250 junction is 103 km from Ceres, and takes over three hours to reach from Cape Town. Coming from the east, an attractive option is work your way down into the Tanqua over Ouberg Pass, having first taken the tarred R354 from the N1 towards Sutherland. The Tankwa Karoo also makes an excellent start to a Bushman Land trip: the R355 can be followed north all the way to Calvinia. The road surface is generally excellent and the scenery superb, but please make sure that you’re adequately prepared for the lonely drive (see below).

Roads

Please take care when driving in this region. The road gravel is sharp and often loose, and a great deal of caution needs to be taken with corners and sudden stops. Furthermore, please give some thought to your fuel and water requirements, bearing in mind that there are no towns in the Tankwa Karoo proper, and the closest refuelling points are Ceres, Sutherland Middelpos and Calvinia. Those with thirsty engines may consider packing a (full) jerry-can to guard against potential concerns over birding detours.

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