The Kaaimans River ( af, Kaaimansrivier), also known as Keerom River, is a river in the
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. The mouth of the river lies near
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
. Further upriver, the Kaaimans River Gorge is popular for
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
and
whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is an adventure sport where a river is navigated in a decked kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles. River running; where the paddler follows a river and paddles rapids as they travel. Creeking usually involving s ...
.
The nearest large towns are
Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay ( af, Mosselbaai) is a harbour town of about 99,000 people on the Southern Cape (or Garden Route) of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province. Mossel Bay lies 400 kilometres east of the ...
and
George
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
.
History
The Kaaimans River was formerly an obstacle for travellers, whose wagons had to wait sometimes for weeks before being able to cross it safely when it ran full of water. It was also nicknamed "Keeromrivier" (Turnabout River) because, faced with the raging waters, some travellers had to turn and try to find another way to reach their destination. Finally this obstacle was overcome when the
Seven Passes Road was built by
Thomas Charles John Bain
Thomas Charles John Bain (29 September 1830, in Graaff-Reinet – 29 September 1893) was a South African road engineer. As a prolific road building pioneer, Bain was responsible for the planning and construction of more than 900 km of road ...
.
Idille History
/ref>
The tidal estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
at its mouth is crossed by a rail bridge. The Outeniqua Choo Tjoe
The ''Outeniqua Choo Tjoe'' was the last remaining continually-operated passenger steam train in Africa, ending operation in August, 2006. The line on which it operated links the towns of George and Knysna in the Western Cape, South Africa, and w ...
, the last passenger steam train
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
in Africa, crossed this bridge until the line was closed due to landslides in 2006.
See also
* List of rivers of South Africa
This is a list of rivers in South Africa.
It is quite common to find the Afrikaans word ''-rivier'' as part of the name. Another common suffix is "''-kamma''", from the Khoisan term for "river"
Meiring, Barbara"South African Toponymic Guideline ...
* Kaaimans Rivier Pass
References
External links
{{commons category
Wilderness’s Kaaimans river rescueSouthern African Mountain Passes - Kaaimans River PassKaaimans River - Accommodation
Rivers of the Western Cape