Overview of the Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls also known as "Mosi oa-Tunya" ("the smoke that thunders") is positioned almost exactly half way along the mighty Zambezi River's 2700 km journey from it's source to the sea.
Here the river plunges headlong into a 100m vertical chasm spanning the full one-and-a-half kilometre width of the river, creating the biggest curtain of falling water in the world and also one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
The power of the falls is awesome with the highest ever flow recorded in 1958 (read more about this flood and the mythology surrounding it) when it reached more than 700 000 cubic meters of water a minute. The water in the gorges rose 18 metres (60 feet) above its normal flood level.
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This constant pounding by the currents of the mighty Zambezi has, over the millennium, cut through the rock faults and fissures and carved out not one but eight successive precipices (and now the ninth has begun).
When our early ancestors inhabited this area some 1.5 million years ago, they would have seen a different Victoria falls to he one we see today.
Being one of the greatest physical spectacles in Africa, it stands to reason that it has attracted so much interest from us humans over time and therefore the area is steeped in history and mystery.
In November 1855, Dr David Livingstone was transported in a canoe by the local Makalolo people to the very edge of these falls.
The sensitive Scotsman was so overwhelmed by his first sight of these spectacular falls, that he momentarily abandoned his scientific observations and recorded.
"It has never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so wonderful must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight".
Loyally the good missionary, whose heart lies buried in Africa, named this great wonder of the world after Victoria, his British queen.
Victoria Falls Rainforest
Historically, Zimbabwe has always been considered the best country to view The Victoria Falls, especially as 75% of the falls can be seen from the Zim side and, when the flow reaches its zenith ( Feb to May ) after high summer and rainy season, nothing can compare to the rush you get as you watch a million litres per second pour into a gaping void deep below and the postcard-perfect views the Zimbabwe side offers of the Main Falls. The spray from the falls is so dense it causes rain in every direction. Raincoats are provided, but do wear comfortable clothes, as you’ll most likely get wet.
Delve into the history, biology and mythology of ‘The Smoke That Thunders’ and explore a network of paths to no less than 16 awe-inspiring viewpoints over two fact-filled hours. Your local guide shares traditional tales and trivia about the different seasons, why the Main Falls and Devils Cataract never dry up even at the height of the dry season; and how the rainforest micro-climate supports the diverse rainforest flora even if, in ecological terms, it’s not a real rainforest but rather an extension of the natural riverine bushlands.
As you wander the pathways, your local guide will keep an eye out for tell-tale signs of the small mammals – velvet monkeys, mongoose, bushbuck and warthog. Encouragingly, development on the banks of the Zambezi River upstream from this World Heritage-listed site has been carefully controlled. Almost the entire stretch of river from Victoria Falls to Kazungula is pristine National Park filled with wildlife.
The Mighty Zambezi River
Africa's fourth-largest river after the Nile, Niger and Congo rivers. Its source is a small, bubbling spring 1500m above sea level in the remote Mwinilunga district of far north-western Zambia, close to the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.It first flows as a small stream westward into Angola before it swings back into Zambia 240km later. Here the river leaves the flood plains and drops in elevation through a series of rapids from Cholwezi to the Chavuma Falls.
From here, the Zambezi crosses the Barotse flatlands, once the northern extension of the Kalahari Desert. At times in the rainy season, the river turns into a 25km-wide swamp on these flood plains, before it narrows again turning southeast into rocky country from where it tumbles over the broad, low Ngonye Falls.
The river then cuts through the Caprivi Swamps where it is joined by the Chobe River. By the time the Zambezi reaches Victoria Falls, 1 200km from its source, it is a great watercourse 2km wide. The Falls divide the upper and middle Zambezi Rivers. Below the Falls the river rages over a number of rapids in the 8km of zig-zag canyons that were the previous incarnations of the Victoria Falls.
For the next 100km the Zambezi flows through the wild Batoka Gorge, one of the most inaccessible parts of Africa. Here the river has carved its way deep into the ancient basalt - at times the water level is 350m below the surrounding plains.
There are many other waterfalls on the tributary rivers that join the Zambezi during its course through the Batoka Gorge. Among the most impressive are the Masui Falls, a 110m drop where the Masui River flows over the sixth Zambezi gorge from the Zimbabwean side, and the Songwe Falls where the Songwe River drops into a gorge of the same name on the Zambian side of the river.
Thirty-six kilometres below Victoria Falls are the Chimamba Rapids, where the gorge is barely 20m in width and the river thunders through the channel with an awesome force.
At the eastern end of Batoka Gorge, the Zambezi is released into the broad Gwembe Valley, an area dammed in 1959 to form Lake Kariba.
Below Kariba, the Zambezi is joined by the Kafue and Luangwa Rivers where it enters Mozambique. It passes over the Cabora Bassa Rapids into a dam of the same name. The Cabora Bassa dam wall marks the start of the Lower Zambezi.
From here to the coast, 600km away, the river is shallow, although navigable during the rainy season as it passes across broad flood plains, often breaking up into several watercourses, before depositing its waters into the Indian Ocean, some 2 700km from its origins.
Brett Hilton-Barber and Lee R. Berger. Copyright © 2010 Prime Origins.
The Victoria Falls Bridge
Fast Facts about the Bridge
• It spans 156.50 meters across the Zambezi River, just below the Victoria Falls.
It joins the Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls and the Zambian town of Livingstone.
• The bridge is impressive 128 meters high and 198 meters in length.
• 1,500 Tons of steel work was used to construct the Bridge.
• The bridge was originally referred to as the Great Zambesi Bridge.
• At one time during construction, there were 400 people working on the bridge.
• In 1930 the deck was raised by 5 feet and widened to accommodate a road for motor vehicles.
What can you do at the Bridge now?
• A thrilling 111-metre Bungee Jump off the bridge for the adrenaline junkies.
• A visit to the railway museum near the Victoria Falls for railway enthusiasts.
• A historical tour of the Bridge where you learn about the history and construction behind the bridge. The tour includes a guided walking under the main deck.
• Hop aboard an authentic steam train, sip champagne and journey above the bridge in colonial splendor surrounding by spectacular view.
