ON ARRIVAL

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Revision as of 19:48, 15 November 2022 by Kirk (talk | contribs) (Removed street names from StoneHenge)
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Arriving at the gate, and being funnelled into rows. Image by Jonx Pillemer

You made it! Are you at the right place? Take a deep breath and take in your surroundings. The first thing that will usually happen as you arrive is the gifting of a loving welcome from a volunteer or marshall who will funnel you into a lane where you can park, so you can go and check in at the ticketing and entrance gate. Your car may also be checked for stowaways and safety, towing etc. before you drive through into Tankwa Town.

If you arrive with someone in your car who doesn’t have a ticket, it will be your responsibility to transport that person back home, so please make sure everyone in your vehicle has a ticket. This includes anyone you pick up along the way, and offer to transport into the event!

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Tankwa Town is usually laid out in a horseshoe shape, with two projecting ‘horns’ at the top, and a long tail that stretches down. In our new home at Quaggafontein it's likely that the design of Tankwa Town will be quite different and change from year to year as we grow and explore our new surroundings. The centre of Tankwa Town is always called the Binnekring (not the Playa!), and it’s where a lot of the art is placed.

The Tankwa Town map for 2022, (click to enlarge)

The road that fronts this central space is called the 'Binnekring Road', and the streets that radiate off the Binnekring are numbered like the hours on a clock, from 1-ish through to 11-ish. This way, once you’ve found your camping spot for the event, you’ll have an address if you get lost. For example, you could be living at ‘Buitekring and 3:30-ish’. We have signs and street lamps to help you figure out where the hell you are. The roads are also named in alphabetical order radiating outwards from Binnekring. These names do change every year according to the theme of that year (except for Binnekring Rd and the radials.)

Lots of participants also make sure that their campsites are easily recognisable from afar. You'll find that all the tents and camps start to look the same when they are covered in dust. Why not bring a flag or Eiffel Tower along to AfrikaBurn to help you find your way home?

RESPECT THE TANKWA

The Tankwa Karoo is the unique habitat of many species, including the endangered Riverine Rabbit, the poisonous Thick-tailed Scorpion, the lazy but lethal Puff-adder … and just when you thought it couldn't get any more 'bitey' there is also the potential to see a Cape Cobra. Those signs that state ‘NO CAMPING BEYOND THIS POINT’? They’re there to protect the Tankwa, and to protect you!

The aftermath of the storms in 2012 ... A lake instead of a desert.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Days can hit the high 40s, nights can be freezing, there are spectacular storms and gale-force winds can cause whiteouts.

Be prepared for extremes in Tankwa Town: the weather is unpredictable, and rain far away can cause instant flash floods. In 2012, rapid flooding saw many tents and vehicles damaged.

Avoid natural selection - please camp in the designated area, or stand the risk of your camp being washed away ... Not so lekker.

A good(ish) long term weather forecast can be found here or try Tankwa weather forecast. (Note that we do not sanction or approve any external websites!)