Karoo National Park

A blast from the past

Long before dinosaurs ruled the Earth, the semi-arid grasslands of South Africa’s Karoo were once verdant swamps, not unlike that which you’ll find today in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

Strange beasts, such as big-headed herbivorous dicynodonts and wolf-like predatory therapsids, roamed these wetlands, chewing on papyrus, or else, on each other in the eternal circle of life.

These creatures have long since disappeared, supplanted by dinosaurs, who were eventually succeeded by modern birds and mammals. But they left behind evidence of their existence through fossils, thousands of which have been discovered within this 750-square-kilometer park.

You can see many of them on display alongside a 400m fossil trail situated close to the park’s rustic Dutch colonial-style accommodation camp.

These days, there are obviously no living prehistoric creatures to be seen in the Karoo National Park, but a guided hike or a game drive might very well lead to an encounter with a black rhino, lion, or brown hyena.

I don’t really come to the Karoo for the wildlife though. It’s the big open scenery, the clear starry nights, and the sense of isolation and peace that makes places like this so incredibly special.