Pixley Ka Seme: Karoo, starry skies and history

Starry skies and science near Carnarvon

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is located just outside Carnarvon. During site tours, visitors learn more about the technical operations and the processing of data collected by the dishes. They can also see the movable and fixed dishes up close. Check the current access requirements for tours before your trip. The night sky is another special experience around Carnarvon: the Carnarvon Astro Guides offer a stargazing experience that connects the stars with Indigenous groups’ stories about the night sky. A 2024 tourism map lists the SARAO Visitor Centre at the corner of Victoria and Hanau Streets as the place to book these tours. Check the latest arrangements in advance.

Karoo landscape and nature reserves

Pixley ka Seme is characterised by dry, semi-desert Karoo terrain. Scattered across it are flat-topped koppies—small hills that give the landscape its distinctive contours. Visitors are drawn to the Vanderkloof Dam for fishing and water-based sports. Two nature reserves help visitors explore this landscape: Doornkloof lies on the dam’s southeastern shore and has a hiking trail. Rolfontein borders the dam and is 16 kilometres north of Petrusville.

Rolfontein has a hiking trail with a specified length: the Piet Barbet Trail is four kilometres long; Doornkloof also has a hiking trail. Visitors can picnic at Rolfontein. Overnight accommodation is available at tented camps and in two hikers’ huts. Prior arrangements with the park management are required for further exploration.

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 sites from that period. Stops include Plateau Camp, Suffolk Hill, Grenadier Guard Rock, Memorial Hill and the military cemetery. Check local arrangements for the tour before you arrive.

The Colesberg Kemper Museum offers another historical perspective: it presents Erasmus Jacobs’s discovery of the “Eureka” diamond in Hopetown as the first documented diamond discovery in South Africa. In Vosburg, more than 22 buildings are protected as national monuments. History enthusiasts can therefore explore a range of points of interest—from a military history tour and the museum’s account to a collection of protected buildings.

Karoo Oasis Route and getting around the district

The Karoo Oasis Route includes Colesberg, Norvalspont, Vanderkloof, Oriana, Hopetown, De Aar, Britstown, Strydenburg, Petrusville, Philipstown and Hanover. It brings together history, adventure, nature and culture with traditional Karoo “slow food”. The route offers a broad thematic framework, while individual places have their own highlights, such as the museum in Colesberg, the nature reserves at Vanderkloof Dam or stargazing near Carnarvon.

The district’s national transport corridors include the N1 via Colesberg, the N10 via De Aar and Prieska, and the N12. De Aar also has long-distance rail connections. The railway junction there comprises 110 kilometres of railway lines with a total of 29 tracks and was considered South Africa’s second-most important railway junction. De Aar also offers a different perspective on the Karoo: an established paragliding school provides a bird’s-eye view of the landscape. The same region therefore offers transport infrastructure, local history, nature experiences and outdoor activities to suit a range of travel interests.

Discover more destinations: Carnarvon, Victoria West, Griekwastad, Noupoort, Britstown, Constantia, Hanover Road, De Aar, Kleinberg, Douglas.

For the broader travel overview: Northern Cape.