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Where are the flowers?
In springtime the flowers stretch from as far south as Yzerfontein and as far north as Springbok. If you’re after brilliant carpets of daisies then the West Coast, Bokkeveld, Knersvlakte, and Namaqualand are the places to go. True Namaqualand is actually a 48 000 square kilometre region north of the Olifants River. It integrates the little towns of Kliprand, Gamoep and Loeriesfontein on the eastern side and the Atlantic coastline on the west. When is flower time?
Peak season is from the beginning of August till the end of September. The lower-lying areas of the West Coast and Knersvlakte usually bloom first because the weather warms up quicker there. Sometimes these places have finished flowering already and only then do the higher spots around Nieuwoudtville, Kamieskroon and Springbok start budding. Certain places flower through October and even until November if the rain keeps falling and there are no withering berg winds.
Hot tips for flower gazers
Get up close and personal. Explore on foot and go down on your hands and knees! Closer inspection reveals a multitude of little floral treasures that hide among the daisies. Take a magnifying glass along. Happy flower gazers have pollen dusted noses and grubby knees.
Plan to drive with the sun behind you, westwards in the morning, eastwards after noon and generally from north to south. On a sunny day the flowers are fully open for five hours between 11h00 and 16h00. Two days is ample for a region if you have good weather but don’t rush it. Get a multi-day weather forecast at www.weathersa.co.za
* Darling Renosterveld Reserve behind the Darling Primary School * Tienie Versfeld Reserve on the R315 road between Darling and Yzerfontein – small and densely flowered * Oudepost Reserve along the R307 between Darling and Mamre * Rondeberg Private Nature Reserve - to book call 022 492 3099 (guided tours only) * Buffelsfontein Game Reserve - to book game drives call 022 4512824 (guided tours only) * Waylands Reserve * Contreberg Wildflower Reserve
Contact for information? Darling Museum Information Office 022 492 3361 www.darlingtourism.co.za and www.darlingwildflowers.co.za
Contact for information?
* Postberg Nature Reserve in the West Coast National Park is the most amazing place to see flowers, whales and bokkies while sniffing the fresh sea breeze. If you take the Route 27 from Cape Town it's only 120km. Read our recent account - Beach Walk in Postberg. * Tietiesbaai in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve outside Paternoster. * Cape Columbine Nature Reserve 022 752 2718
Where can I stay? Beds in Langebaan, Yzerfontein, Saldanha, Paternoster, St Helena Bay, Britania Bay, Elandsbay, Lambert’s Bay, Vredenburg, Jacobsbaai, Dwarskersbos, Doringbaai and Stompneusbaai. Although inland on the N7, Picketburg is a great base for this region.
Grey skies? Geelbek Restaurant in the West Coast National Park is a great place for lunch. Langebaan has some good eating and drinking spots and there is so much to do on and around the lagoon. Paternoster has a few good restaurants, an eccentric pub and guided flower walks and sea kayaking trips from the Beach Camp in the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.
Clanwilliam and Cederberg Wilderness
Rooibos tea country splashes out in the Botterkloof Pass and Biedouwvallei. The annual Clanwilliam Wildflower Show is on till the 29th August 2007.
* Biedouwvallei – from Clanwilliam drive to the Pakhuis pass and down the Hoek-se-Berg Pass turn left at Biedouwvallei sign. * Loop de Loop! Drive a circular route by taking the R364 over the Botterkloof Pass via Calvinia, Nieuwoudtville and Vanrhynsdorp, and then back to Clanwilliam. * Ramskop Nature Reserve
Visit Clanwilliam coffee shops, art galleries, Louis Leipold Museum in the old gaol, the rooibos tea-processing factory and the traditional veldskoene factory.
Saddle up? Go on a guided horse trail along the river and into the mountains of the Boskloof at Karukareb Lodge to experience the flowers in a lovely wild valley. Where can I stay? Beds in the Cederberg Knersvlakte vetplante On the road to Kliprand
Once you get to Vanrhynsdorp you are very close to true Namaqualand. This area is known as the Knersvlakte where a third of the world’s succulents live, many of which only occur here.
Where are flowers? Take the Koebee road, which starts 9km outside Vanrhynsdorp on the R27 in the direction of Calvinia. Head up the Koebeepas until you get to the far-flung Koebee valley. The Gifberg Route with its tumbling waterfalls and Urionskraal Route are also worthwhile.
Grey skies? Go to the wacky and wonderful Latsky Radio Museum - dedicated to the nostalgic sounds of the radio valve. There’s even a rare Russian spy ship radio used to encrypt messages back to Moscow during the Cold War and a British spy receiver used by the MI5 during World War II (Call 027 219 1032 before visiting).
Even wackier is Traut’s Tie Collection, housed at the Namaqualand Country Lodge. (I met the grabatologist, Cecil Traut, when he was still alive and working as a barman at the Commercial Hotel in Calvinia. He gave me his business card, which read ‘Tycoon of Calvinia: World famous Tie Collector.’)
Walk the Gifberg trails to see beautiful waterfalls. Walking with Kokerbooms 25km north is a 3km succulent hiking trail. Get permits from the succulent nursery, Kokerboom Kwekery in Voortrekker Street 027 219 1062.
Contact? Vanrhynsdorp Tourism: 027 219 1552; Vredendal: 027 201 3376 Where can I stay? Beds in Clanwilliam and Cederberg. Bokkeveld bling Life can't be better in the slow lane - Goegap Nature Reserve
50km northeast of Vanrhynsdorp is Nieuwoudtville, an atmospheric village known as the “bulb capital of the world” and an area that flowers late into the season due to its higher altitude and rainfall.
Where are flowers? Go to the Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve (1 km from town), visit the farm *Glenlyon (closed until 2008) and drive along the Louriesfontein and Matjiesfontein roads. The Quiver Tree forest and its 30m waterfall is found 7km north along the Louriesfontein Road.
Grey skies? Visit a quiver tree forest just a few kilometres further along the R357 towards Gannabos. You will find thousands of South Africa’s tallest specimens of Aloe dichotoma (the kokerboom) with wildflowers strewn at their feet in spring. If you have more time go exploring the natural swimming pools and ravines in the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve – 46km from Nieuwoudtville. Contact Cape Nature for a map and brochure 027 218 1159.
Where can I stay stay? Beds in Doringbaai, Lamberts Bay, Clanwilliam and Piketburg.
Wondering what happenned to the old Bedford bus called Flora and farmer conservationist Neil MacGregor of Glenlyon Flower Tours? (Neil formerly got behind the wheel to share his passion and knowledge of the botanical marvels of the land he farmed all his life. David Attenborough is just one of the famous visitors who came out to Glenlyon with a BBC crew to film the Private Life of Plants. Neil recently retired and the farm has been purchased by the Botanical Society - the good news is that it was opened again in 2008).
Whacky windmills? 65km from Nieuwoudtville lies the small dorp of Louriesfontein and a bizarre sight – a gathering of windmills breaking the flat Karoo landscape. This is the Fred Turner Museum, one of only two museums in the world devoted to the development of windmills. It is a fascinating collection and if you’re there when the wind blows you’ll hear the spine chilling sounds of metal scraping and cutting into the Karoo silence.
Garies goud
Garies is the first village you will encounter on the N7 after Vanrhynsdorp. When the daisies arrive this sleepy dorp bursts into life and becomes a hub of activity. Where can I see flowers? Take the routes to Groenriviermond and Hondeklipbaai and the Karas road, which takes you to Kamieskroon. Where can I stay? Beds in Namaqualand. Grey skies? Visit the town hall that is transformed into a flower information centre and country market. Contact? Garies Tourism Exhibition: 027 652 1220 Rapping Granny! A great granny from Garies thought that her advancing years shouldn’t stop her from having some fun, so she started rapping. She wears a bright pink Namakwalandse kappie and her name is Grietjie van Garies. She gave her first performance at the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, and became an instant hit! Lekker Ou-Jan se Ma, her first CD, was launched when she was 76. Her playful lyrics are sung to the rap-like rhythm of the riel, the ancient cultural dance of the Nama and KhoiSan, and relate her experiences of farm life in the apartheid years.
Kamieskroon garden of the gods Kamieskroon carpet
Kamieskroon is a pretty village situated on the N7 50km north of Garies and 67km south of Springbok. Set beneath the kroon, the rocky pinnacle of the Kamiesberg Mountains from which it takes its name, it really gives a feeling of being the crown of the garden of the gods. Heading deeper into the mountains towards Nourivier and Leliefontein, you’ll be rewarded by the sight of amazing rock formations and stunning flower strewn slopes. The charming old Moravian mission station of Leliefontein is the oldest village in Namaqualand and has National Monument status. Here you enter Nama community owned farmlands and you’ll find families living in matjieshuise – traditional dome-shaped huts made out of reed mats.
Where are the flowers? Visit the Namaqua National Park (particularly Skilpad) and also take the Kamieskroon and Studer passes to Nourivier and Leliefontein. Shutterbug? Improve your technique and join one of the amazing photographic workshops held at the Kamieskroon Hotel: 027 672 1614.
Adventurous? Stay overnight in a matjieshuis and eat local food like asbrood en bloodpap. Contact the Leliefontein community project on 027 672 1808.
Contact? Namaqua National Park: 027 672 1948 Padlopers, birds, butterflies and blomme!
Just 17km northwest of Kamieskroon is the Skilpad section of Namaqua National Park. Twitchers and butterfly afficionados love it and it's worth spending a few days here - even in ‘bad years’ its sandy plains are plastered with vivid orange. The dirt road that circles the reserve takes you an overwhelming five kilometres through magnificent blooms. Halfway through is the “Roof of Africa” viewpoint, an area of huge granite domes affording panoramic views of the reserve and Kamiesberg mountains. Skilpad is situated on a ridge of hills that capture most of the rain blowing from the west coast. Because of this the flowers are consistently spectacular, even when other areas are not. Outside of springtime much of this area is used as grazing land for sheep, clearing the bushes that would suppress the growth of the annual daisies and break the continuity of colour.
Adventurous / energetic? Try the new 50 km 4x4 eco-route and 6 km mountain bike trail. Bikes can be hired in the park. Skilpad? Namaqua National Park is home to the world's smallest tortoise, the Namaqua Speckled Padloper! Springbok & Goegap kaleidoscope A bat eared fox soaks up the sunshine - Goegap Nature Reserve
The riot of colour in Goegap Nature Reserve is a magnet for artists and photographers. Kaleidoscopic fields of vivid purple mesembryanthemum, yellow Namaqua daisies and orange gazanias all turn their happy faces towards the sun. Lying about 70 km north of Kamieskroon and 15 km southeast of Springbok, Goegap is a fantastic place to kick off your flower trip. “Goegap” derives its name from the Nama word for waterhole and there are plenty supporting the bird and animal residents. The Wild Flower Garden has an interesting selection of Namaqualand succulents. There’s a 17 km drive that sedans can negotiate and an 80km 4x4 route.
Where are the flowers? Goegap Nature Reserve, the Spektakel, Wildeperdehoek and Messelpad passes and the roads to Nababeep and Concordia. Funky feathers!
Look out for the Namaqualand Sandgrouse which has an amazing ability – it can store water in its breast feathers and fly as far as 40 km to quench the thirst of its nestlings.
Saddle up? Ride on the wild side in this magnificent landscape. Contact Namaqua Horse Trails Tel: +27 27 718 3583
Grey Skies? Visit the Namaqua Museum occupying the old synagogue or drive to Nababeep Mining Museum. Hang out in the kroeg at the Okiep Hotel. Where can I stay? Beds in Namaqualand Contact? Tourist info 027 712 8035; Namaqua National Park 027 672 1948; Goegap Nature Reserve 027 718 9906.
In an effort to help put this glorious region more firmly on the map, we have pulled together as much information as we can, accrediting authors where necessary and providing links to websites or email addresses. If we have inadvertantly used your article or photograph without giving you full accreditation, we apologise and if you notify us we will rectify this immediately.
n springtime the flowers stretch from as far south as Yzerfontein and as far north as Springbok. If you’re after brilliant carpets of daisies then the West Coast, Bokkeveld, Knersvlakte, and Namaqualand are the places to go. True Namaqualand is actually a 48 000 square kilometre region north of the Olifants River. It integrates the little towns of Kliprand, Gamoep and Loeriesfontein on the eastern side and the Atlantic coastline on the west.
Get up close and personal. Explore on foot and go down on your hands and knees! Closer inspection reveals a multitude of little floral treasures that hide among the daisies. Take a magnifying glass along. Happy flower gazers have pollen dusted noses and grubby knees.
