奥赫拉比斯瀑布国家公园位于南非北开普省,距离厄平顿(Upington)大约120公里。公园核心区保护着沿橙河(Orange River)延伸的5.5万公顷干旱土地,其中最震撼的景观是落差达56米的主瀑布。这里不仅是地理意义上的荒原,更是南非自然地理中极具性格的一处。科伊桑(Khoi)语中奥赫拉比斯(Aukoerebis)意为巨响之地,每当橙河洪水爆发,那种雷鸣般的轰鸣声在几公里外就能听到。对于想要深度探索南非北部的自驾者来说,这里是避开常规旅游团、触碰古老花岗岩地貌的绝佳去处。
说真的,第一次站在奥赫拉比斯主瀑布前,你会被那种原始的力量感震慑。橙河作为南非最长的河流,全长超过2200公里,却在这里被迫挤入一个只有几米宽的花岗岩裂缝。主瀑布落差56米,但如果算上后续的急流,总落差接近90米。公园管理方在营地附近修建了多达六个观景台,步行即可到达。最推荐的是在日落前半小时前往,那时候夕阳光照在喷溅的水雾上,运气好能看到双彩虹。如果你是在夏季洪水期到访,虽然气温可能超过40摄氏度,但每秒几千立方米的水流量会让脚下的岩石都在微微颤抖。建议出发前查看官网最新信息,确认河水流量,因为干旱季节和洪水季节的景观完全是两个世界。
顺着瀑布向下游望去,你会看到一个深达240米、长达18公里的巨大峡谷。这是千万年来流水切割花岗岩基岩的杰作。公园内有一个著名的地标叫月亮岩(Moon Rock),它是一个巨大的花岗岩穹顶,看起来就像月球表面一样荒凉。你可以开车到岩石底部,然后步行爬上顶端。虽然坡度有点陡,但到了顶上能俯瞰360度的旷野全景。站在那上面,你会觉得自己极其渺小,周围除了枯黄的灌木和黑色的岩石,什么都没有。这片区域的岩石结构可以追溯到30亿年前,对于地质爱好者来说,这简直就是一本摊开的地质教科书。
说到这片荒原的灵魂,箭袋树(Aloe dichotoma)绝对排在首位。这种树其实是大型芦荟,当地原住民布须曼人曾经用它的枝干制作箭筒,因此得名。它们姿态奇特,像是一把把倒插在碎石堆里的扫帚,最高能长到七八米。除了植物,岩石上那些颜色艳丽、身体扁扁的小家伙也很有趣,那是奥赫拉比斯平头蜥蜴(Broad-headed Flat Lizard)。它们只在这个峡谷地带生存,雄性蜥蜴的肚皮是蓝绿色的,尾巴是黄色的,非常上镜。另外,在营地周围随处可见一种叫达西(Dassie)的小动物,学名岩狸。别看它们长得像大耗子,但在生物进化史上,它们竟然是大象的近亲。看它们在岩石缝里晒太阳,是这里的常态。
如果你体力不错,别整天待在车里。这里有三条难度不同的路径。最轻松的是达西徒步路径(Dassie Trail),全程5公里,大约两小时就能走完,非常适合清晨出发避开高温。它带你穿过小峡谷和箭袋树林。中等难度的是黑犀牛自驾路径中的短途步行。最硬核的是克利普斯普林格挑战(Klipspringer Hiking Trail),全长32.5公里,需要三天两夜。这条线路非常抢手,每天只允许一组人进入,且在最热的10月到次年3月是关闭的。如果你打算挑战它,必须提前在SANParks官网预订。记得带够水,这里的蒸发量极大,半小时不喝水就会感到嗓子冒烟。
从开普敦开车过来大约需要8到9小时,更省力的办法是飞到厄平顿,然后租车自驾1.5小时。路况整体不错,普通家用轿车可以到达营地,但如果你想去公园深处的一些观景台,高底盘的SUV会更稳妥。关于什么时候去,这点很重要。南非的冬季(5月至8月)是最佳季节,白天最高温在20度出头,非常舒服,晚上虽然会降到5度以下,但只要带够衣服就没问题。避开12月和1月,那时候北开普省就像个大火炉,气温经常飙升到45摄氏度,户外活动基本无法进行。
钱的问题也得算清楚。外籍游客的每日保护费(Standard Conservation Fee)目前是成人280兰特,儿童140兰特。如果你打算在南非玩多个国家公园,买一张野卡(Wild Card)可能更划算。园内唯一的住宿点是SANParks官方营地,提供简易别墅和露营位。营地里有小商店和餐厅,但品种有限,建议在厄平顿的大超市采购好充足的补给。另外,这里的猴子和狒狒非常聪明且胆大,千万不要给它们喂食,离开房间时一定要锁好门窗,否则它们会迅速翻乱你的行李寻找零食。晚上在营地散步记得带上手电筒,偶尔会有毒蛇或蝎子出没,虽然几率极低,但安全第一。
橙河的水位主要受上游德拉肯斯堡山脉降雨的影响,通常在夏季(1月到4月)水量最为充沛。历史上1988年大洪水时,每秒流量曾超过7800立方米,但具体流量每年差异很大,建议访问前查阅水利部门数据。
奥赫拉比斯并不以大型猛兽著称,你看不到狮子或大象。这里主要观察长颈鹿、大羚羊、岩羚(Klipspringer)以及罕见的黑犀牛,更多是体验地质地貌和独特的干旱区动植物。
北开普省是南非治安相对较好的地区。公园内部环境非常安全,主要风险来自于极端高温和野生动物骚扰。只要遵守不喂食动物、不独自偏离步道的规定,安全完全没有问题。
通往主营地和主瀑布观景台的路都是柏油路,普通轿车通行无阻。不过,前往回声角(Echo Corner)等深处景点的环行路是碎石路,虽然普通车小心驾驶也能走,但高底盘车辆的舒适度和安全性更高。
普通日期的别墅通常提前一个月即可,但如果是南非当地学校假期或复活节期间,建议提前半年预订。克利普斯普林格徒步线路则通常需要提前一年关注余票。
Maarten VanderWalt Camped for 2 nights and did the Klipspringer hiking trail over 3 days. Camp grounds are spotless. Well maintained. Ablusion blocks are clean and well maintained. Friendy reception and shop stocks most things that you usually forget.
Grant Insley This park is not really a big game viewing park, but it is very much a park for spectacular scenery. Also, one of the few parks where you are virtually guaranteed to see the Klipspringer up close, and also a good park to see Raptors. Good facilities, friendly staff, and great park. Not all viewing points were available when we were there due to flood damage. If camping, be careful with food, as baboons and vervet monkeys can be a problem. Worth another star if the viewing points are all open.
Louise Rowan Wow! Amazing place to visit. Very quiet when we visited (a weekday in late April) and it felt like we had the park almost to ourselves. The self drive tour on the farthest loop - Quiver Loop - took 4.5 hours at a leisurely pace on a quiet day. The Waterfall is a short walk from the reception, the first platform is on a flat path, the others are a short walk over uneven rocks.
Willi von Borstel Camped for two nights in the middle of March. Temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius! Be prepared to spend lots of time in the pool. Day visitors have their own section with braais and a pool. A drive through the park is well worth the effort as well as going on one of the numerous hiking trails.
Emeralda Els What a fantastic experience to finally have visited the place of great noise. Yes, the more rain and heavier the falls, the greater the noise from even a distance away. I was very impressed with how Sanparks are managing the park. From the first security checkpoint at the main gate, to the visitors center at reception. Everything is clean, neat and well maintained. Friendly staff greet visitors as you walk through. Toilets are in good repair and nice and clean. There is a curio shop offering a variety if curios and light snacks and drinks. There is also a restaurant, but we only ordered takeout coffee and tea. The pathways to the falls are well marked and offer a wheelchair friendly option. The viewing decks are safe and provide beautiful views of the falls and gorge. I hope that the parks board will repair the section closed to the public that was damaged in the recent floods. A beautiful place to visit and the small fee is worth every penny!