Qacha's Nek

Qacha's Nek

Qacha's Nek is, since 1888, the capital city or camptown of Qacha's Nek District in Lesotho, only two kilometers from the South African border at 1,980 meters above sea level. It has a population of approximately 8,000 (2004). It is home to Machabeng Government Hospital, one of the two hospitals in the district (the other being the Lesotho Evangelical Church's Tebellong Hospital, which is about 40 km away, across the Orange River). The town is home to Lesotho's first and only Snake Park, which is conveniently situated at the foot of the historic Letloepe hill/rock formation, where the cave of Qacha, the son of Baphuthi's Chief Moorosi and after whom the town is named, is situated. ("Letloepe" means the cobra's defensive hood, and is the alternative name for Qacha's Nek). The locality may be the only place in Africa where California's Redwood trees grow (the area is visible on the photo, the right-hand side of the hill with trees, which is Letloepe hill itself). As one enters the town from Maseru (1 km from the road in the picture), one can see the famous lefika-motho ("man-rock"), which looks like a man's head with a cap on. There are several spots where San paintings can still be found. The Sehlabathebe National Park, home of the Sehlabathebe Water Lily, is about 2.5 hours away by gravel road. The people of Qacha's Nek are called "Melele" (Wanderers), and the colours of the place / district are maroon and white. Other than Sesotho and English, people speak Xhosa and Sephuthi.

Climate

The town has 900 mm precipitation per year, the highest annual rainfall of any Lesotho district capitals. From the nearby Indian Ocean clouds move up almost daily, so that in Qacha's Nek fog often prevails. In the summer, the average temperature is 17°C. Because of its climate, Qacha's Nek is green longer than most other places in Lesotho every year, and is very refreshing. There is an increasing population of fauna like snails, and the place has always had several species of rare flora.

External links

• Qacha's Nek travel guide from Wikitravel