- Noordwes
- Taung
Taung, Noordwes
- Inligting
- Winkels & Dienste (18)
Place of the Lion
Taung, “place of the Lion”, is a tiny town along the N18 between Vryburg and Jan Kempdorp in the North West Province.
Taung may be tiny, but it is a very pretty settlement on the map due to an anthropological discovery of International renown – the 1924 discovery of the juvenile skull of Australopithecus Africanus meaning “southern ape of Africa” – a hominid species that lived in Southern Africa eons ago. The skull became known as the Taung Child, and the Taung site was duly granted World Heritage Status. A monument to the discovery is at the site.
The area is a great place of peace and tranquillity and there are a few places in and around Taung where you can enjoy a picnic which includes a spot called the Blue Pools at the Buxton Lime Quarry and the Taung Dam. The Boipelo Game Reserve is close enough for day visits and even though it is only 150 hectares in size, it supports a number of game species and over 100 species of bird.
Beautiful local art - sculptures, beadwork, quilting and pottery – can be sourced at the Mmbana Cultural Centre and wonderful examples of San Rock paintings can be found just 20 km from the town.
Taung and the surrounding vicinity offers a wide range of accommodation which includes B&B’s, Guest Houses, self-catering facilities and the well-known Tusk Hotel.
Things to do and see
- Dinkgwaneng Archaeological Site
- Taung Dam
- Mmabana Cultural Centre
- Taung Skull Heritage Site
- Leon Taljaard Nature Reserve
- Buxton Blue Pools
- Taung Shopping Centre
Climate
Taung receives approximately 528 mm of rain annually with most of its annual rainfall during summer.
Summer months, November to March will have average temperatures of between 13˚C and 29˚C.
Winter months, May to August will have average temperatures of between 5˚C and 24˚C.
Transport
There are daily flights into Kimberley Airport, approximately 146 Km’s away via the N18 and N12 and into O R Tambo International Airport approximately 428 km’s away via the N12. Car hire facilities are available at the Airport.
History
Taung is named after Tau, the chief of the Legoya or Bataung people, who made his headquarters here during the 18th century. The town’s name means “place of the lion”.
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