Take
a tour of the dam wall Stay
in the luxury chalets Game
viewing in the reserve Go
sailing or powerboating Canoing
and water skiing A
round of golf? Swimming
& relaxing in the sun
The Gariep Dam in the Freestate is
the
largest dam in South Africa and is just off
the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape
Town about 200km south of Bloemfontein.
This 370 square kilometer expanse of water is a major catchment
area for the
Orange and
Vaal
rivers
and
a
source
of domestic water and farm irrigation.
The dam
borders on the Gariep Dam
Nature Reserve which is home to antelope, springbok, klipspringer,
black wildebeest, red hartebeest and ostrich as well as the
Cape Mountain Zebra. Accommodation in the reserve consists
of chalets and a caravan park with 106 sites with power and
also a number of luxury caravan
sites with
their own ablution facilities. There is also a restaurant and
ladies bar.
Gariep Dam is a water sport paradise providing fantastic opportunities
for sailing, jet skiing, canoeing and power boating. It is
also a very popular fishing destination.
Closer to the Gariep Dam Wall, is
the privately owned Aventura Resort, with an extensive range
of sporting and entertainment facilities including swimming,
tennis, golf, trampolines, bowls, mini golf and water sports.
The 90m high wall is an impressive feat of engineering and
incorporates two huge outlet structures on the upstream side
of the wall. The one on the left flank supplies water
under pressure to the hydroelectric power station while both
can be used for controlled release of water into the river.
There are also six enormous radial gates, three on each side
of the dam which form a striking feature of the dam.
Find out more when you take a tour of the Gariep Dam
Wall!
Take
a tour of the dam wall
Freestate 
