Few sights are as spectacular, or a sound as deafening, as water thundering down the 56m Augrabies waterfall when the Orange River is in full flood. 'Augrabies' comes from a local korana name 'Oukurubi' meaning 'place of great noise'.  The Orange River thunders through the 18 km gorge and is then unleashed to plunge down into a seemingless endless rockpool below. (According to legend a fortune in diamonds lies at the bottom of the pool washed down by the river but the sheer weight of water cascading down prevents confirmation!)

The best time to visit the falls is in the autumn/early winter (March to July) after the summer rains in Lesotho which provide water for the falls. The small National Park is fascinating with its spectacular moonscape scenery and views over the Orange River gorge. Picturesque names such as Moon Rock, Ararat and Echo Corner are descriptive of this unique rocky region. 

Klipspringer and kokerboom (quiver trees) stand in stark silhouette against the African sky. Temperature fluctuations in the region have resulted in unique adaptations in animals. The animals in Augrabies can survive in extreme high and low temperatures. They include springbok, gemsbok and giraffe. Predators in Augrabies come in the form of leopard, black backed jackals, caracal, the bat eared fox, and the African wild cat. The most characteristic plant in the park is the giant aloe called quiver tree (kokerboom), which gets its name from the fact that the Bushmen (San) used the soft branches to make quivers for their arrows.