Augrabies Falls, Granite waterfall in Northern Cape, South Africa.
Augrabies Falls forms where the Orange River drops 56 meters (184 feet) through a gorge of dark granite, creating a wide curtain of spray. The water flows into a deep basin surrounded by smooth rock walls carved over thousands of years by the current.
Swedish mercenary Hendrik Jakob Wikar documented the falls in October 1778 as the first European during his travels through southern Africa. The area became a national park in 1966 to protect the landscape and wildlife along the river.
The indigenous Khoikhoi used the name Ankoerebis, describing the roaring sound created when water hits granite rock. Visitors still hear this sound today, especially when the river carries more water after rainfall.
The park has several viewpoints along the edge of the gorge, with the main platform offering the best view of the main drop. Early morning or late afternoon hours bring soft light that highlights the rock walls and makes the spray more visible.
During the 1988 floods, the flow reached 7,800 cubic meters per second, temporarily surpassing Niagara Falls. Below the drop sits a basin more than 130 meters (430 feet) deep, carved by thousands of years of erosion.
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