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In
the north-west corner of South Africa is Namaqualand
- famous for an extraordinary springtime transformation
of the lifeless scrubland, into a veritable explosion
of colours from a multitude of small flowers.
People
come from all over the world to witness this
spectacle, which usually peaks anytime from
mid- August to mid-September. If you are driving
towards the sun you may not see what the fuss
is all about, but as soon as you turn your back
to the sun, the full impact of thousands of
yellow, white, orange or purple flowers, will
astound you.
The
flora is characterised by a phenomenal variety
of daisies, but there are also violets, pelargoniums,
mesembryanthemums, gladioli and numerous other
species
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Aloes also puncture this landscape of the Northern
Cape and you know you are in an area of very low
rainfall when you start seeing 'Quiver Trees' (Kokerboom
- aloe dicotema), so named because the bushmen used
the fibrous branches as a quiver for their arrows.
Namaqualand
is home to the Nama people, who are direct descendants
of the Khoikhoi bushmen, as can be seen in their
pale skin and fine features. Their culture suffered
when the apartheid regime prohibited their strange
multi-click language from being taught in schools
and forced them to re-locate to other areas. However,
their cultural heritage and customs are slowly
returning and their language - which is classified
by UNESCO as Endangered - is being taught again
and they hope to add it to the school curriculum
in the area.
Spring
flowers carpet the route all the way down the
west coast of South Africa almost to Cape Town,
so even if you don't make it up to Namaqualand,
whose capital is the isolated town of Springbok,
there other opportunities to see the flowers.
NATURAL HISTORY
Most of the plants of Namaqualand are indigenous
and some succulents are so rare they are found
nowhere else in the world. Antelopes such as springbok
and bontebok are at home in these areas and can
be found in some of the reserves and you may also
see tortoises and chameleons - the masters of
camouflage.
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SEASONS
Summer: Namaqualand is hot and
dry with an average of 86°F (30°C) during
the mid-summer months of December to February.
Winter: in the winter the north-westerly
wind brings rain which may fall between May and
September but the coldest months are June, July
and August where temperatures can drop below 40°F
(5°C).
Days are often clear and bright but the wind can
be very chilly.
Spring: the spring flowers emerge
in force from July through to September but there
are no guarantees as to when they will peak, although
late August is a good bet.
NAMAQUALAND
SPECIALITIES
· Walking through carpets
of spring flowers
· Flower shows all along
the West Coast
· Quiver trees
FACTS
This is not a malarial area.
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