Just outside Carnarvon is the Square Kilometre Array, or SKA for short. During site tours, you can learn about the technical operations and processing of the data collected by the dishes; you can also see the steerable and fixed dishes up close. Check the current access requirements before your visit.
Starry Skies and Technology
Carnarvon Astro Guides also combine views of the night sky with stories told by Indigenous groups about the stars. The SARAO Visitor Centre, at the corner of Victoria Street and Hanau Street, is listed as the place to book tours. Ask about the current arrangements in advance. This means Carnarvon offers two distinct ways to experience the sky: culturally framed stargazing and a technical insight into the work of the SKA.
Karoo Landscapes, Water and Nature Reserves
The Karoo in Pixley Ka Seme is characterised by dry, semi-desert terrain. Scattered across the open landscape are flat-topped koppies—small hills that give the terrain its distinctive profile. The Vanderkloof Dam offers a different landscape experience, attracting visitors for fishing and water sports.
The Doornkloof Nature Reserve lies on the dam’s southeastern shore and has a hiking trail. Rolfontein Nature Reserve also borders the dam and is 16 kilometres north of Petrusville. Its four-kilometre Piet Barbet hiking trail leads through the reserve. Visitors can picnic there; overnight accommodation is available at campsites and in two hikers’ huts. Anyone wishing to explore beyond the hiking trail must arrange this in advance with the park management.
The two protected areas also differ in how specifically a visit can be planned: a hiking trail is designated at Doornkloof, while Rolfontein also offers picnic spots, overnight accommodation and arrangements for further exploration. At Rolfontein, check what arrangements are required if you plan to do more than the Piet Barbet Trail.
History in Colesberg and Vosburg
From November 1899 to February 1900, Colesberg was the southern front of the Anglo-Boer War. The Information Office in Colesberg offers a tour of historic sites: Plateau Camp, Suffolk Hill, Grenadier Guard Rock, Memorial Hill and the military cemetery. Confirm local arrangements before your trip. The Colesberg Kemper Museum focuses on a different aspect of history: it presents Erasmus Jacobs’ discovery of the “Eureka” diamond in Hopetown as the first documented diamond find in South Africa.
Architectural heritage also shapes the townscape in Vosburg: more than 22 buildings are protected as national monuments. History enthusiasts will find different points of interest across the district, from the events of the war in Colesberg to the protected buildings in Vosburg.
Places, Routes and Transport
The Karoo Oasis Route includes Colesberg, Norvalspont, Vanderkloof, Oriana, Hopetown, De Aar, Britstown, Strydenburg, Petrusville, Philipstown and Hanover. It offers travellers a blend of history, adventure, nature, culture and traditional Karoo “slow food”. The route provides a broad thematic framework, with each place offering a different focus.
De Aar is particularly shaped by its railway junction. It was regarded as South Africa’s second most important railway junction and comprised 110 kilometres of railway lines with a total of 29 tracks. De Aar also has long-distance rail connections. The national transport corridors listed in the district include the N1 via Colesberg, the N10 via De Aar and Prieska, and the N12. De Aar is also home to an established paragliding school, which offers a bird’s-eye view of the Karoo landscape.
Choosing the Right Focus
When choosing accommodation, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: the night sky and SKA technology, the history of Colesberg, or nature and water at Vanderkloof Dam? The places in the district offer a range of themes. Tailor your search to the experiences that interest you most, and check which options suit your travel plans.
Discover more destinations: Constantia, Hanover Road, De Aar, Kleinberg, Douglas, Carnarvon, Victoria West, Griekwastad, Noupoort, Britstown.
For the broader travel overview: Northern Cape.
