The South African National Parks have announced that the Augrabies Falls National Park is still open; they have just closed some of their platforms to ensure the public’s safety.
Northern Cape, South Africa (26 January 2022) – The Orange River has been swollen for several days, which has meant that the Augrabies Falls has experienced high volumes of water. The Augrabies Falls National Park (AFNP) shared that they are still open and expect water levels to drop over the next two weeks.
The Khoi people called Augrabies “Aukoerebis”, or the place of Great Noise due to the powerful flow of water. The volume of water currently measured at the falls is over 3000 cumec (cubic metre per second).
According to information received from the Department of Water and Sanitation, it will remain at this flow until the weekend and then slowly decline over the next two weeks. This means that there will be high water levels for approximately the next three weeks.
“Due to these high levels, South African National Park’s (SANParks) management has temporarily closed three(3) of the seven(7) viewing decks at the falls as a safety precaution and to ensure all guests enjoy the waterfall with peace of mind. Guests are requested to be cautious due to the slippery and wet conditions cause by the mist from the waterfall.
AFNP remains open to the public and is accessible for day visitors and those who wish to overnight in the park. The other four (4) viewing points still offer a close-up experiences of the 56 meter high main falls that cascade into the granite abyss of the Orange River Gorge.”
The photos below and above have been shared by Odette Huysers, who was at the falls on the 24th of January 2022.
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