0:00:04 > 0:00:08South Africa is a country that always creates an impression.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14We know of its diverse population.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16The troubled history of apartheid,
0:00:16 > 0:00:21and its rebirth as a global travel destination.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25I've been a fan of this country for many years,
0:00:25 > 0:00:31but this is my chance to go beyond the obvious South Africa. To explore on foot
0:00:31 > 0:00:36and take time to see how life and stunning landscape work today in the new South Africa.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40A country that's now keen to invite the world.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Hello and welcome to my final South African walk.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17This is the village of Riemvasmaak.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Now, it may not look like much, but this settlement is a significant settlement
0:01:21 > 0:01:25on the edge of the awesome and inhospitable Kalahari desert,
0:01:25 > 0:01:31and for me it's the beginning of by far and away my most remote adventure yet.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36Tucked away at the top end of the Northern Cape,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Riemvasmaak is in a quiet corner of South Africa's emptiest province.
0:01:42 > 0:01:49But despite appearances, there's plenty of life here and walking routes to be explored.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54The landscape enjoys one massive natural lifeline, the Orange River.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59At over 2,000km, it's South Africa's longest.
0:01:59 > 0:02:05Its vital water sustains a remarkable human population and a surprising agricultural industry.
0:02:07 > 0:02:13One river has single-handedly created what's known as the Green Kalahari.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17But my starting point is anything but green.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20This is true frontier country.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23That way is Namibia.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And there, well, desert emptiness.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Luckily for me, the Orange River has sculpted a wild and fascinating walking route.
0:02:32 > 0:02:38I'm here to explore the life, industry and surprising human activity that exists out here.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41It's going to be dry, dusty, it's going to be challenging.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47But this is about getting a bite of Africa that most visitors never get to taste.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55My final South African walk lies over 600km north of Cape Town,
0:02:55 > 0:03:00in a part of the country where few international visitors ever reach.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05But amongst the wild terrain there is one major natural attraction -
0:03:05 > 0:03:07the Augrabies Falls National Park.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12My two-day walk starts from Riemvasmaak, before heading west
0:03:12 > 0:03:16along the dry Molopo River to meet the mighty Orange.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22I then follow the river into the National Park, walking beside the famous granite gorge
0:03:22 > 0:03:26all the way to the Orange River's highlight -
0:03:26 > 0:03:28the massive Augrabies Falls.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37They call that the Kalahari Ferrari!
0:03:37 > 0:03:41When it comes to walking in Riemvasmaak, you can't just
0:03:41 > 0:03:44park your car and expect to pick up a guidebook.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48But with Namibia and the Kalahari becoming more popular,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50and with a National Park round the corner,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54there are private operators to help with accommodation and transport.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57This village is more accessible than you might think.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02Very little has come easily to the villagers of Riemvasmaak, though.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07The Nama people settled amongst these red rocks, as their traditional lands became
0:04:07 > 0:04:10consumed by a European diamond rush. Even here, their solitude was broken
0:04:10 > 0:04:14when the apartheid government forced the Namas to leave their homes,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18enabling the South African army to move in
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and train for operations in Namibia.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27But today Riemvasmaak is fully restored. An unlikely settlement with a famous past,
0:04:27 > 0:04:32and quite possibly a future full of visitors like me.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36But before I head out into the Green Kalahari,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40let's take an aerial look at the route I've prepared.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49From the centre of Riemvasmaak, I'll be heading west towards the Orange valley,
0:04:49 > 0:04:55over undulating ground until the way literally disappears beneath my feet.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03This is the Molopo Gorge,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08the dramatic path of a river that hasn't flowed here for generations.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20The cliffs eventually shorten, and the valley widens as the river bed
0:05:20 > 0:05:24makes its way downhill to join the consistent waters of the Orange.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Here is the lifeblood of the Green Kalahari.
0:05:34 > 0:05:40And this is where one of South Africa's least heralded fruit industries resides.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45The vineyards here produce masses of grapes, more even than the famous vineyards of the Western Cape.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53But the grapes give way to untouched wilderness
0:05:53 > 0:05:58as my walk enters the National Park and follows one of Africa's most remarkable stretches of river.
0:06:02 > 0:06:09The Orange has created an 18km gorge that gets ever deeper as it gets nearer to my walk's conclusion -
0:06:09 > 0:06:13the tumbling waters of Augrabies Falls.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35This is very peculiar. The tourist office is locked tight.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38It doesn't look as if it's been open for business
0:06:38 > 0:06:41for a very long time, if ever.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49There's a feeling that Riemvasmaak doesn't quite fire on all cylinders.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52They advertise walking trails, four-wheel drive routes
0:06:52 > 0:06:56and abseiling, but nothing seems very organised.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Hello Norbert, good to see you.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- Come and have a seat.- Oh, thank you.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09'Before I leave the village, I'm meeting one true Nama character,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13'now enthusiastically involved in developing the future of the area.'
0:07:13 > 0:07:16This must be a very challenging place to live.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19The environment is tough on human beings.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Yes, very, very tough people, really tough.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29The water supply is the biggest problem in Riemvasmaak.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33In summer, December, goes up to 40 degrees.
0:07:33 > 0:07:41And you must wash, you must wash your clothes, and sometimes our people stay in Cape Town or in Namibia
0:07:41 > 0:07:45and come for holiday so you have more people
0:07:45 > 0:07:49to use water and that time, no water sometimes.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54Riemvasmaak enjoys some genuine celebrity in South Africa.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Immediately following the first open elections in 1994,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02the area was a pioneering example of land restitution,
0:08:02 > 0:08:08with the Namas returning from 20 years enforced exile in their native land of Namibia.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'Norbert witnessed it all.' How many people?
0:08:11 > 0:08:15It was 200 households.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18And you, your family were one of those?
0:08:18 > 0:08:23I was going with my grandmother. You see, that time my mother was in Cape Town, she worked there.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29And I was staying with my grandmother. And my grandmother take me to Namibia. It was...
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Oh yes, I was nine years old at that time. I remember, nine years.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39In 1994, when land was given back to the South Africans,
0:08:39 > 0:08:45this village was the first bit of land to be returned.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- That's correct.- Your village?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49My village! Yes, and I'm very proud.
0:08:49 > 0:08:57When the government tell us that, the army they moved from Riemvasmaak, and the Riemvasmaakers can come back.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01I was the first one, I said, "Go to Riemvasmaak".
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Now as an adult? Does it make you angry?
0:09:04 > 0:09:06No.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08It's not my problem. It's not your problem.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It was this time. It's gone.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Let's me take hinds and go forward.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16What's the future for here?
0:09:16 > 0:09:23Oh, we are still but a growing seed but I can say our income for the community is the tourism.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- The potential?- The potential, yeah!
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Because I went to the tourist office here.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32I looked in.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Over there.- It was closed! - Oh, that's why!
0:09:35 > 0:09:41There's no electricity! Boxes you can see there, but it's not working yet.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42Needs to be plugged in.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Plugged in - you see? This is our problem.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51There's no doubting that Riemvasmaak has a hunger for change.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Norbert and others are keen to attract visitors
0:09:54 > 0:09:58in the way that many other parts of South Africa have already managed.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01- Hello!- Hello.- Hello.
0:10:04 > 0:10:10Just outside town, on the route of my walk, lies the newest tourist development yet.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13The hot springs project lies close to Norbert's heart.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17He remembers his own grandmother bathing in the natural warm waters
0:10:17 > 0:10:21and was keen to help turn the site into a proper spa attraction.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Well, there it is,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Molopo Gorge.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32And that has got to be Norbert's little project tucked away.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The Hot Springs were largely funded by a private benefactor,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42and designed to draw all Green Kalahari visitors to Riemvasmaak.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Ironically, the town with inconsistent water
0:10:45 > 0:10:49can now boast bathing as its number one attraction.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56The setting is undeniably jaw-dropping.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01150m cliffs that glow red in the afternoon sun.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08This place is a bit of a ghost town.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12I can see why it's not quite fulfilling Norbert's expectations and dreams.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16I mean, it would make a brilliant base camp for hiking or climbing.
0:11:16 > 0:11:22But it seems to be a victim of mismanagement, or no management,
0:11:22 > 0:11:23which is a shame.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Rather like the tourist office,
0:11:27 > 0:11:32the stunning springs lack the support and infrastructure to match the ambition.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37They lie largely unused, unmanned, and alarmingly inaccessible,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40some 30km from the nearest tarmac road.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46But the springs do mark the point where my walk joins the Molopo River.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51For those of us from greener and wetter climes,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55the idea of a waterway with no water is a little odd.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59But thousands of years ago, this was one of southern Africa's great rivers,
0:11:59 > 0:12:05running for 960km from its origins on the Botswana border.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The river hasn't flowed here for at least a century.
0:12:09 > 0:12:16Lands upstream are simply too arid, and plant life clings to what moisture remains on the riverbed.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23I've been with enough experts to know that that
0:12:23 > 0:12:25is a leopard print.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30And this is known as leopard country, so it's not completely unfeasible.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35But having seen prints like these in the Garden Route and the Kruger,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40I know it's one thing to see some tracks, quite another to actually see the elusive leopard.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I've just come across some friends en route - a troop of baboons up there.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07And they're making that warning noise.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Don't worry, I'm not coming to join you.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30I don't want to be alarmist, but there are leopard tracks all around here.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And they're quite close to the monkeys.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37So where do I fit in the food chain?
0:13:40 > 0:13:45In reality, this is probably one territorial leopard patrolling the gorge at night.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49By day, you'd be better advised to watch for any basking snakes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:59The Molopo Trail is perfectly carved out for the walker - a fascinating geological adventure,
0:13:59 > 0:14:04but, like most attractions connected with Riemvasmaak, it's quite beautifully under-sold.
0:14:06 > 0:14:13As day one of my walk draws to a close, the deep-sided Molopo Canyon gives way to the Orange Valley.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22In winter, the sun may still burn, but the wind is cool, helping to sculpt the shapely sand dunes.
0:14:26 > 0:14:32And finally there's the point at which one mighty river meets an even mightier one.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38At last - the Orange River!
0:14:38 > 0:14:40The famous Orange River.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43And it's nice to see one with water in it.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It is looking a bit low, though.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04After the bare rock and sand of my first day,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07the Green Kalahari finally begins to live up to its name.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13But the Molopo River mouth isn't renowned for places to stay, and so
0:15:13 > 0:15:18I've arranged to be picked up - an overnight just upstream.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Distances here, though, are rarely short.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The new day means a return to the lush banks of the Orange
0:15:28 > 0:15:33and it's an opportunity to learn about what the Green Kalahari is really capable of.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Gawie here is helping me plot my walk, but I found out last night, he's also a grape farmer.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Grapes are big business along this stretch of the Orange River,
0:15:43 > 0:15:49and the ideal place to see the industry in action is looking down on where I left off last night.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55There can't be a lot you don't know about this river, Gawie?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58This river is the life of this area.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Without this river there's nothing here.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05This is the lifeline and supports all the economic activity around this area.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07It's an incredible landscape, isn't it?
0:16:07 > 0:16:11When you look behind us here at these really arid, dry rocks,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14it seems incredible that a grape can grow here.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17This is ideal for them. You can't get better.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19There's very good soil, very low rainfall, so you have
0:16:19 > 0:16:26a desert climate with a lot of water, which is ideal for growing grapes, fresh grapes specifically.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32This is not to be mistaken for the wine that we enjoy - that's not where they go.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37No, this area very famous for table grapes, and exporting grapes.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40So grapes that we might eat back in the UK?
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Yes, indeed. I think 50% of all these grapes will go to the UK.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50And you can buy that around Christmas time in Tesco and Sainsbury's.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53My dad started with the grapes.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59And he's actually the first guy that started the export grape business in this area.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02In the beginning of the '80s there was a big movement
0:17:02 > 0:17:06from the consumer side from seeded grapes to seedless grapes.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The UK only takes seedless grapes.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12What are we like as grape eaters, are we fussy grape eaters?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Yeah, I think you're a bit too fussy!
0:17:14 > 0:17:22- Why, why?- In the UK, you like big berries, but green, you don't like yellow on it.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25So it's normally a bit sour in our opinion.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30When in Europe, they can have a smaller berry, bit more yellow on the skin.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32And it's a better taste - it's sweeter.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36- But yeah, the consumer is obviously always right. - Of course, of course!
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Now, we're going to the national park next. How we getting there?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42We got a boat waiting for you at the bottom.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And we're going to paddle across and have a gander into the park.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I was frightened we were swimming.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00OK, crocodiles, hippos?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02No crocodiles or hippos.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07Legend has it that there's a big river snake in this part of the river.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Snakes I do not do.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15Well, if you leave the diamonds alone it probably won't be a problem for you.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Diamonds? What diamonds?
0:18:17 > 0:18:22This river takes all the diamonds down to the Atlantic coast,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26which is very rich in diamonds.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28So if I had a little paddle in here
0:18:28 > 0:18:30I might find some diamonds?
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Well, this is the first time I've resorted to canoeing on one of my walks.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43But bridges on this part of the Orange, like tourists, are few and far between,
0:18:43 > 0:18:49so with people like Gawie to assist, there's an opportunity to fashion your own walk.
0:18:49 > 0:18:55My route now crosses the Orange and enters the Augrabies Falls National Park through the back door.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Bizarrely for such a remote area, this was the location for
0:18:59 > 0:19:01South Africa's very first conservation area.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07But in 1893, it wasn't the river or the geology that was to be protected,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11rather the local antelope herds.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Policing methods proved inadequate, though.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19Hunting remained widespread and the antelope population remains a fraction of what it once was.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Today, the entire park is named after its central feature -
0:19:25 > 0:19:30the massive and thundering waterfall, which the indigenous people had named Augrabies.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37Augrabies might mean, "Place of Great Noise" but this spot is deliciously quiet.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Some 12km from the falls, birdsong and a gentle breeze
0:19:53 > 0:19:57are all that accompany me along this sedate river walk.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03After wandering through swaying grasses, bleached white by the sun,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07the river slowly winds its way round a bend known as Echo Corner.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Right, let's test out the name of "Echo Corner".
0:20:16 > 0:20:18SHE SHOUTS: Hello!
0:20:18 > 0:20:21HER VOICE ECHOES
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Not bad.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29Echo Corner is where the Augrabies Gorge starts in earnest.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Upstream towards the Falls, the valley tightens and the cliffs rise up.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38So this might be the last chance to see the Orange River in such a peaceful state.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Long before this was a National Park it held the fascination
0:20:49 > 0:20:53of the man who wrote this rather lovely old book, Mr GA Farini.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59And he fell in love with this place when it was undiscovered, wild frontier-land.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The Great Farini, otherwise known as William Hunt,
0:21:04 > 0:21:10was a famous Canadian showman, best known for crossing Niagara Falls on a high-wire in 1860.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Having retired from acrobatics, the intriguing Farini continued his waterfall interests by coming here,
0:21:19 > 0:21:24an adventure that probably made him the first white man to cross the Kalahari.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28"My expedition has completely disproved the long-prevailing notion
0:21:28 > 0:21:31"that the Kalahari is a barren wilderness."
0:21:31 > 0:21:32Well, I completely agree.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Now, there's the just the small matter of finding those falls,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and I think its going to get a bit tougher.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46Farini's drive to explore the Kalahari on foot was revolutionary.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47Today walkers come here all the time,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51but the area still has to be respected.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56The National Park's designated three-day trail isn't for the faint-hearted.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59You need to carry all your own equipment, food and water
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and there's no electricity or showers on hand.
0:22:03 > 0:22:09This walk is closed for five months of the year because of the heat -
0:22:09 > 0:22:11and today I can understand why.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22And the further you climb away from the only water in the park,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25the more you realize how little shelter there really is.
0:22:28 > 0:22:35But the climb leads me to a high point called Ararat - the best possible view of the Orange River.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38What a gorgeous gorge!
0:22:40 > 0:22:42She's a beauty!
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Definitely worth all that hard work to get up here.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58The canyon has a power and attraction, compelling the visitor to gaze into its depths.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07This view points to a time when rainfall here would have been significantly greater
0:23:07 > 0:23:12and the river ever more able to carve its channel through the granite landscape.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20This volcanic rock would have been formed many kilometres underground
0:23:20 > 0:23:23and pushed to the surface by the movements of Earth's crust.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28In geological terms, the weird and wonderful rock forms
0:23:28 > 0:23:34are the recent results of searing temperatures, shattering frosts, eroding winds and flash floods.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Hello.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Most distinctive are the park's prominent domes of granite.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Weather and chemicals erode the domes in layers,
0:23:59 > 0:24:05like the skin of an onion, making ideal retreats for the park's local rock dassie residents.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11The biggest dome of all is called Moon Rock.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32So I've come from all the way over there, beyond those mountains,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37and then followed the river, snaking through here to Moon Rock.
0:24:37 > 0:24:44And what you can make out just there is the rim of the gorge, which goes all the way to that point.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49Everything on the south, those flashes of green
0:24:49 > 0:24:50are the grape farms.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52And everything there,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54is the national park.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Quite a walk.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03After a beautifully isolated walk, the rock cairn on top of Moon Rock
0:25:03 > 0:25:06is the first clear sign that others have enjoyed my route before me.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15And before all of us, a certain G Farini was here in 1886.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19His aim was to track down and photograph the massive falls.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Local white farmers spoke of the great mist that could be seen from a distance,
0:25:25 > 0:25:30but warned that previous visitors had failed to even get close to the cause of the spray.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37But the Falls are an awful lot easier to witness today than they were for Farini.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41For those of us who've walked a fair way, it's a little bit galling
0:25:41 > 0:25:45to find so many national park chalets just metres from the plunging gorge.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I can hear them.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53There they are at last!
0:25:53 > 0:25:55The thunderous falls.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11When Farini was here, in 1886, it was clearly wet season. Look at that!
0:26:11 > 0:26:14It's quite piddly by comparison today.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21On days like Farini's, Augrabies can become a broad horseshoe of water.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25But this is the height of dry season,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and the Falls are a well-contained torrent.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33It's been over 20 years since Augrabies last flooded,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36when enough water passed over here to dramatically fill
0:26:36 > 0:26:39the 100 metre-deep canyon and engulf most of the chalets.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45But such events are becoming more unlikely, as, far upstream,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49numerous dams and irrigation systems have appeared.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51The force of nature that carved out this gorge,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54has to a certain extent, been brought under control.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01So there it is, the Orange River resplendent in all its glory.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It journeyed all the way across South Africa
0:27:03 > 0:27:05before making this dramatic plunge.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07The lifeblood of the area.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16This has been my most remote walk so far,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and we've crossed some pretty harsh terrain.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23In Mussel Bay on Walk 1 I said I'd always wanted to make a series here,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I didn't think it would be a walking series.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29But actually, what better way to explore the geography, the colour,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33the history of South Africa, than on foot, under your own steam?
0:27:33 > 0:27:38My walks in this country have taken me on an evolutionary curve.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41From the rich history and bustling tourism of the Garden Route,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45to the colourful majesty of the Drakensberg,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49the wonderful isolation and wilderness of the Kruger Park,
0:27:49 > 0:27:54and now, on my final walk, this wild, desert adventure.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00I've seen just why South Africa really is "a world in one country".
0:28:00 > 0:28:04I thought I knew this place pretty well, but each of my four adventures
0:28:04 > 0:28:08has taught me and shown me something completely new.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12They have an expression here,
0:28:12 > 0:28:17"Don't tickle the lion's beard, otherwise you might get bitten."
0:28:17 > 0:28:19It's too late for me.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:32 > 0:28:35E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk