Travel Guide Kimberley

The adventure begins in 1866 in the aptly named Hopetown. Farmer Schalk Van Niekerk was visiting his neighbor Daniel Jacobs when he caught a child handling a very shiny stone. The stone was sent to Grahamstown for analysis: it was a 21.25 carat diamond that was named "Eureka". Two years later, a native griqua found a huge diamond that he offered to Van Niekerk for ten oxen, five hundred sheep and a horse. The 83.5 carat "Star of Africa" was the real kick-off for the first rush to Hopetown. In 1871, it was the turn of Kimberley. The town named after a British Colonial Secretary did not yet exist. In May and July, stones were found on the De Beer brothers' farm and at Colesberg Kopje, a fantastic treasure that triggered the second and largest diamond rush ever. Thousands of prospectors compete for the natural fortune of Griqualand West by digging the world's largest hole, The Big Hole, in Kimberley. Today, Kimberley is an unattractive town, there is not much to do in the area and the accommodation is quite expensive and old-fashioned. Be warned if you spend a night on the road. You can go to the Mokala National Park, which protects endangered species, or visit the Kimberley Mine Museum, the McGregor Museum, go on a Karoo safari, visit the Wildebeest Kuil Rock Art Centre, and of course taste a biltong