History
Saartjie Baartman - the "Hottentot Venus" - was born around 1789 in the vicinity of the Gamtoos river.
In 1877 during a severe drought in the region, the Gamtoos River dried up completely. During the floods of October 1867, the level of water in some parts of the river rose by up to 70 feet (21 m).
Two bridges cross the Gamtoos close to its mouth in the Kouga. The original 600 foot (180 m) bridge on the R102 was opened in 1895 in order to replace the ferry that had been in use up to that time. A modern concrete bridge was built during the construction of the N2 in the early 1970s.
Read more about this topic: Gamtoos River
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