Wilfred Southey Ramke-Meyer

Limpopo River

The Limpopo River is the second longest river in South Africa and forms the borders between that country, part of Botswana (Bechuanaland) and Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia). The source is accepted as being the Crocodile River which rises near Johannesburg at Roode poort/ Witpoortjie. It is then joined by the Jukskei River where Brownie Ramke-Meyer was born.

As Brownies two younger sons grew up he used to take them and numerous cousins camping at the junction and several times he took Peter by canoe from close to the source down to and beyond the present Haartebeespoort Dam. One holliday they went as far as the Marico River which is on the Botswana Border. From this junction Onwards it was called the Limpopo River but some of the older maps show it as the Crocodile River.

The river then flows northwards then swings East and becomes the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Up to Beit Bridge it is fairly fast flowing with a few rapids and some small water falls or cascades. From Beit Bridge or Main Drift it then falls about 1000 feet over 70 Kms. So this section is where all the rough sections are until the Pafuri where it levels out and becomes wider and slower.

Map of the Limpopo River system and places referred to in Brownie's journals