The Karoo

The Karoo is a broad, mostly sandy expanse of plains divided between the Little Karoo, nearer the coast and the Great Karoo, which seems to stretch into the interior forever. The broad plains are enlivened by flat-topped mesas and kopjes (conical hills) while the area between the Great and Little Karoo can be quite mountainous.

The Karoo receives little rain and the vegetation is characterised by low-growing succulents and aromatic shrubs which, upon closer inspection are very beautiful and many of which flower spectacularly for a short season.

Visitors to the Karoo National Park near Beaufort West and the Mountain Zebra National Park near Graaff-Reinet will see typically wonderful Karoo scenery, as well as some interesting game. There are Black Rhinos in the Karoo National Park and, not surprisingly, many of the beautiful, endangered and rather rare Cape Mountain Zebra in the Mountain Zebra National Park.