The Great Farini, otherwise known as William Hunt, was a famous Canadian showman, best known for crossing Niagara Falls on a high-wire in 1860. 

Having retired from acrobatics, the intriguing Farini continued his waterfall interests by coming here, an adventure that probably made him the first white man to cross the Kalahari. 

“My expedition has completely disproved the long-prevailing notion that the Kalahari is a barren wilderness.” Well, I completely agree. Now there’s just a small matter of finding those falls and I think it’s gonna get a bit tougher.

Farini’s drive to explore the Kalahari on foot was revolutionary. Today, walkers come here all the time, but the area still has to be respected. The National Park’s designated three-day trail isn’t for the faint-hearted. You need to carry all your own equipment, food and water. And there’s no electricity or showers on hand. 

This walk is closed for five months of the year because of the heat. And today I can understand why. 

And the further you climb away from the only water in the park, the more you realize how little shelter there really is. But the climb leads me to a high point called A*, the best possible view of the Orange River.

What a gorgeous gorge! She is a beauty! Definitely worth all that hard work to get up here.