Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg

The Limpopo carves its way slowly through the sandstone landscape of Mupungubwe National Park.

The Limpopo finds its source in Botswana and curves through Zimbabwe and South Africa before empyting into the Indian Ocean on Mozambique's coast.

The Limpopo can be seen as the brown line top right. Though it is one of the longest rivers in Africa, only 200km can be navigated due to the water's high silt content.

The Limpopo is also known as Crocodile River for its abundance of the ancient reptile.

In spite of its lazy reputation, the Limpopo River supports a huge amount of life, with a complex ecosystem existing within the Limpopo Valley.

Dawn on the Limpopo. The river is one of Africa's longest, though much of its length is unnavigable due to shallow silty water.

The Limpopo River is brown with sediment. Though it flows slowly, flooding during the rainy season can cause unpredictable currents that make it dangerous.

Since Zimbabwe's economic crisis, up to five million Zimbabweans have made their way across the Limpopo River at Beitbridge border post to South Africa.

A man prepares to cross a barbed wire fence beside the Limpopo River. Although crossing the Limpopo is dangerous, some are prepared to take the risk to make it into South Africa.

High silt concentration in the water turns the Limpopo "greasy grey-green" as described by Rudyard Kipling in his Just So Stories.

Either side of the Limpopo is lined with electric and razor fences to prevent illegal border crossing between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Limpopo cuts a winding route through Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and is one of southern Africa's largest rivers.

Beitbridge border post is the only border crossing point between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Huge sandstone formations break up the flat savannah at Mapungubwe and create a moon-like landscape.

A pair of zebras blend in with the landscape of the Mapungubwe National Park.

The Big Five can be easily seen at Mapungubwe National Park, including plenty of giraffes.

A viewing platform over Mapungubwe National Park. The park was opened in 2004 with the purpose of preserving the unique ecological and cultural heritage contained within it.

Eland drink from a waterhole in the Mapungubwe National Park. The eland is the largest species of antelope in Africa.

An elephant family in Mapungubwe National Park. Elephants are common in the park.

The Limpopo Valley is scattered with sandstone formations and baobab trees.

The confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers marks the boundaries between South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and also the boundary of Mapungubwe National Park.

A herd of elephants in Mapungubwe National Park.

Waterbucks and a Kori Bustard in the Mapungubwe National Park.

Mapungubwe National Park is located at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers.

Zebras drinking from a waterhole at Mapungubwe National Park.

Baobabs line a track through the Magungubwe National Park.

The king lived atop Mapungubwe Hill, secluded from his subjects on the plains below, who regarded him as sacred.

Mapungubwe Hill was the capital of the Mapungubwe Kingdom. This was thought to be the first heirarchical society in southern Africa.

Mapungubwe culture used these depressions in the rock for grinding corn to make flour.

Archaeological evidence such as these grinding stones have been found across the Mapungubwe region.

Mapungubwe Hill is now accessible to tourists who wish to view the site. Steps have been constructed to navigate the 30 metre high mound.

A statue in Johannesburg depicts the golden rhino found at Mapungubwe Hill. The rhino has become the symbol of South Africa's first kingdom.

Mapungubwe Hill was home to the king, and is the location of several important burial sites. The grave of the king has not yet been discovered.

The view from the top of Mapungubwe Hill. The king would have looked out over his kingdom from here.

Tourists viewing an excavation site at Mapungubwe. Artefacts were first discovered here in the 1930s, but the park only opened to the public in 2004.