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Where Nature paints the world with wildflowers October 7, 2008

Posted by dodo in : Accommodation, Africa, Europe, Trip , trackback

Swirling up from the frozen South Atlantic, the Benguela Current chills a shore where the remains of dead ships loom ghostlike in the mist, and diamonds sparkle on lonely beaches. There is little lasting evaporation from these icy waters, and few winds to sweep the fragile clouds inland to the great plains of Namaqualand. This is a world of dry river-beds, threading their way through huge outcrops of granite that have been stained by the percolation of copper salts and glitter with fragments of quartz and mica. On the plains beneath the mountains sheep and goats range far in their search for grazing — across sandy, arid landscapes.

But if there has been rain, a miracle occurs with the coming of spring. Millions upon millions of brightly coloured flowers appear, seemingly from the very rocks, to spread their petals wide beneath the sun. Namaqualand is in flower.

It is said that more South Africans have visited Europe than have ever been to Namaqualand. But a visit to this wonderland during a good flowering season is an experience never forgotten.

The flower area — although not all of it can properly be called Namaqualand — stretches roughly from the Darling district in the south to the Orange River in the north, and inland to include Calvinia and Aggeneys . The region can be divided into many districts, each with its own character and mix of flower types.

Travel Guidebook

Splendours of the Sandveld

In the south, one area that is particularly rich in flowers is the Sandveld, a 30km-wide strip of low-lying sandy country running along the coast in the region of Lambert’s Bay. The flora here consists mainly of semi- succulent scrub, the plants obtaining moisture from the mists that roll in from the sea. Here too you can see large patches of shimmering yellow grielum, or flat thorn, and wild flax (Heliophila) — the latter forming chains of azure lakes amidst the sands. A good route through this region leads from Clanwilliam to Lambert’s Bay, then along the coast to Doringbaai and Strandfontein, and back to Clanwilliam via Lutzville, Vredendal and Klawer. The section of this road that runs along the coast is sometimes in poor condition, but the flower displays at their best are splendid.

Inland from here, but still south of Namaqualand proper, lie the richly flowered landscapes of the Clanwilliam district and the Biedou Valley, and slightly further north there is the countryside around Nieuwoudtville. In these areas the various daisy species appear in great numbers and in a profusion of brilliant colours.

Kamiesberg and Springbok

North from here we enter the region properly called Namaqualand and the land rises to form the Kamiesberg range. The mountainsides support an evergreen fynbos flora, including Namaqualand’s only protea species (Protea sulphurea). Several rare wildflower varieties are to be found here, including the large-flowered, blazing orange Gladiolus equitans. The mission village Leliefontein (lily spring) takes its name from the Androcymbium, a ground-hugging plant with a deeply buried corm, whose white blossoms can be seen scattered thickly over the veld.

North of the Kamiesberg lies the boulder-mountain country around Springbok. The rainfall is higher here, and supports a greater variety of species. Springbok itself lies amid hills that are thickly clothed with blossoms.

Springbok is one of the best bases from which to take short flower- viewing trips. Alternatives are nearby Okiep or Nababeep — all three towns offer accommodation. The day-drive from Springbok will take you past many excellent displays in a good season, in addition to providing out standing panoramas from the Spektakel Pass and the Messelpad.

North of Springbok, and especially beyond Steinkopf, the quantity of wildflowers diminishes. But taking their place there are strange plants such as the Pachypodium namaquanum, or ‘halfmens’ (half man). The plant does resemble a man when seen from a distance or in poor light, and it is the subject of many legends among the Nama. It has a single trunk, swollen towards the base, and the head, which is always turned towards the north, is crowned by leaves that are shed during the scorching summer months. The tubular flowers are a delicate yellow tipped with red. Home for many of these ‘halfmense’ is the Richtersveld, stretching north from Steinkopf to the Orange River, and lying west of the N7 from the Cape to South West Africa/Namibia. This is an extremely arid region where only succulents can survive.

Desert displays surprise the traveller East of the N7, sandy flats stretch away to Pofadder, and south from here as far as Loeriesfontein. The wildflower show is restricted in these regions by the low rainfall, but fine displays are occasionally encountered. Sometimes the fortunate traveller is greeted by huge expanses of the pastel-shaded Arctotis canescens, or may see the scorched veld completely blanketed in the blue flowers of the low-growing Karoo violet (Aptosimum).

For anyone planning a springtime trip through the flower country, several practical tips may prove valuable. One is to book your accommodation early. Another is to find out in advance where the rains have been good and where fine displays are expected. A third point to keep in mind is that many of the flowering species present their petals to the sun — sometimes, especially when you are driving northwards, you must remember to stop and look behind you to see the flowers at their best

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Where Nature paints the world with wildflowers

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