Flower Power in Namaqualand

There’s nothing as rewarding as a trip to Namaqualand in spring. The question is when spring has sprung. Traditionally, we “celebrate” spring day on the 1st of September.  

Our experience has been that the best flowers are seen in August. Last year, we went during the first week of August and weren’t disappointed. This year, we went on the last weekend of August. Although we saw huge swaths of beautiful flowers, especially along the West Coast, I think we missed that first flush of magnificence.  

We started our road trip early Saturday morning, headed up into the Ceres mountains to see the snow, but the rain had washed it all away. It's hard to believe, but the pass had closed on Thursday due to heavy snowfall. It goes to show, you snooze, you lose. We meandered to Citrusdal through the Kouebokkeveld and Op-die-Berg on the dirt road, never a dull drive and always beautiful. Breakfast was our first stop in Citrusdal at a super little coffee shop on the Main Rd. I encourage you to explore these scenic routes and discover hidden gems along the way.

After a hearty breakfast, we headed up to Clanwilliam, avoiding the National Road and traveling on the gravel road on the right side of the river. The views were stunning, and it was a treat to be on the other side of the river; we scooted right past all the roadwork. We picked 4 fresh oranges off a tree; the smell and taste were fabulous.

We headed into Clanwilliam, which was overflowing with weekenders enjoying the Clanwilliam flower festival. The streets were packed with stalls and pedestrians—such a nice vibe on a gorgeous sunny day. We didn’t linger; we kept going to our destination in the Namaqualand National Park in the Sandveld.

This is always a treat; I catch my breath every year when I see those acres and acres of orange Namaqua Daisies. Our room for the night was at the Skilpad Camp, which had adequate accommodations. The staff are hilarious; here, you truly experience West Coast stoicism at its very best. Precious bought us some biltong and droëwors at the farm stall.

When asked what it was, the lady said “Boerbok” – goat. That’s not possible; it could be venison, but not goat. But it did it for me; there’s no way on earth I could eat goat. She also knew all the flowers’ colloquial names; the one I remember is a particularly yellow flower, which she called Piet Snotjie, gorgeous.

The wind howled and kept howling for the rest of our West Coast meander. The next day, we set off early. The flowers open only when the temperature reaches 18°C, around 10h00 in the morning, so it’s wise to wait and not leave too early. We made our way to the coast, seeing lovely flowers, especially along the way to Lambert’s Bay; the vygies were magnificent. We spent Sunday night in Lambert’s Bay at the Eureka Holiday Apartments.

We enjoyed the sunset at the harbour and had supper there as well. On Monday morning, we returned to the harbour to photograph the Gannets at the bird sanctuary, which is always an experience. Here, one can see conservation at its very best through the successful breeding programs. I’m not crazy about wind, but this time we relished the east wind as it changed the course of the Gannets’ flight patterns! It's inspiring to see how dedicated efforts help protect these amazing birds.

The rest of the day was spent at the West Coast National Park after lunch. We took a slow drive around the park, saw a herd of Oryx and Bontebok, and enjoyed some good flowering. Our last stop was at the beach, which I’ll go back to next time. It’s a perfect picnic spot.

One day I'll make a reservation on a houseboat!