You have to really be lacking in rods and cones if you looked at the Orange River and thought it was named after the colour of the water. Sure, the water is muddy, but as far as we know it’s more an ochre colour.

The river was actually first named the Nu Gariep by the indigenous Nama (or Namaqualand) people, but when Colonel Robert Gordon, commander of the Dutch East India Company garrison in Cape Town, made a trip to the interior in 1779 and “discovered” the river, he named it after the Netherlands’ William of Orange.

The river’s source lies in the Drakensberg Mountains, and like a giant reptile it slithers its way through a great part of South Africa, and a bit of Namibia and Botswana too, to meet the Atlantic Ocean at Oranjemund. It is the 39th longest river in the world, measuring an impressive 2 092km from source to mouth.

Tucked away on the Atlantic coast, in the far north-west corner of South Africa, lies the driest place in the Namakwa. With less than 50 millimetres of rain per year and temperatures averaging at 50 degrees Celsius, the Richtersveld National Park is why factor 100+ sunscreen is made in South Africa.

It is also one of the most important conservation areas because it is South Africa’s first contractual park. This refers to the contractual agreement between South African National Parks and the local community, where both parties manage the best interests of the reserve.

As the Orange River flows through this region, it quenches the thirst of the scorched rugged landscape while quenching the adventure thirst of visitors too.

Four- and six-day river trips leave from a base camp in the Richtersveld Reserve, a place where you are thoroughly briefed, receive all necessary floating equipment and bid farewell to flushing ablutions and hot showers.

The first day on the river includes a guide inauguration where new guests are sent on a “nappy run”, where life jackets are strapped to you like a nappy and you and your fellow water-babies glide down the fast moving river with your bottoms well floated.

The water speed here changes according to the level of the river. Most of the time it is relaxed and offers you the opportunity to enjoy the breath-taking desert landscape and to spot springbok, some baboon, perhaps a Hartman’s zebra and maybe even a brown hyena… maybe.

But then there are other times when the river is at the mercy of the ragged rocks, and rapids form, promising an adrenaline flip or two. But don’t be afraid, the experience of the guides is second to none, and all heads are kept well above water.

Although the experience is no Amazing Race, it is important to cover some ground, or rather water, each day in order to reach your camp each evening.

Camps are set up on the sandy banks of the river, where all guests gather around “beach” bonfires for a drink, a chat and a well-deserved meal – complete with salads and all!

Sleeping in a tent beside the mighty (not so) Orange is a tranquil experience, except for the odd loud splash now and again. A local legend claims that a monster snake the width of a barrel lives in the river, but we’re pretty sure the noise is made by the massive barbel that hopeful fisher folk keep pulling out of the water.

For those who like to keep that extra eye out during the night, just in case, why not opt out of the tent and into the beauty that is the Milky Way? In this part of the country, where clean air is abundant and light pollution is not, the moon and the stars are so bright, you won’t even need a torch when trying to find an adequate loo spot.

Okay, so the ablutions are limited to a hole and a spade, and you have to bath in the river, but what this does give you is perspective. Nobody needs all the trappings of money, and being one with nature will not only help you realise this but will restore your energies in time for your return to the rat race.

Check out Umkulu Adventures on www.orangeriverrafting.com or call 021 853 7952 for more information.

Other things to do

Succulents are a girl’s best friend

It is said that the wealth of the Richtersveld desert is not diamonds but succulents. The reserve is only one of 25 biodiversity hotspots on the planet, and of the 2 700 species of succulents here, 600 exist nowhere else on earth.

The most impressive of these succulents has to be the giant Baster Quiver Tree (Aloe pilansii), which is highly endangered following reports that only a few hundred remain on the mountaintops.

This area also boasts a flower show every September, when all the succulent seedlings lying dormant beneath the soil germinate. Then this barren landscape is transformed into a tapestry of colour, and even rock crevices boast little petalled visitors.

Where to stay?

Between a Rock and a Cozy Space

If you’re exploring other areas in this region, head on up to the Fish River Canyon on the border between South Africa and Namibia. Here you will find the spectacular Cañon Lodge in Gondwana Cañon.

The allure of the resort is not just that the 25 en-suite chalets are built from natural stone and thatch but that they are nestled against massive granite boulders. The park here is breathtaking, and it’s up to you how you want to explore it – on horseback, foot or by 4x4.

When you get back to the lodge after absorbing all the natural beauty, a refreshing swim and sumptuous meal awaits.