Advertisement
Published: November 5th 2012
In the morning it is getting warmer and after packing we first walk around the house and then do a short hike on the hiking trail near the house. The flowers are opening and it looks beautiful as we walk through the meadows.
There are quite a few different flowers but most of them are drowned out by whatever dominant flower is in the area - in this case yellow flowers.
We stop a few times to take close ups of some of the more interesting flowers on the trail.
After the short hike we drive to the main building for breakfast and again watch the weaver birds at work as they build and improve their homes.
Before breakfast we check out so we don't have to return to our room afterwards. The breakfast is the usual and is quite good and filling. We can also enjoy the great view of the gardens compared to dinner when it was already dark outside.
Today we intend to visit the spring flower preserves in the area and see if we can see any good blooms. But first we stop in the town of Springbok to fill up the tank and to get some South African currency (rands) from one of the few banks in the area. We also make a few photos of the city as we pass through it on our way Goegap Nature Reserve.
Goegap is really close to Springbok and we arrive in about 10 minutes. However it takes some time to pay for the entrance as again we have to fill out some forms but we also receive information about the hiking and driving trails. In the end we decide to stop at the succulent garden and then drive the 2WD auto loop through the reserve. On the road we notice quite a few oryx on the meadows which are unexpectedly white until we identify that the color is given by a multitude of white flowers.
As we stop at the end of the paved road we walk to the visitor center which is under construction so we can visit the succulent garden. On the way we find a weaver nest on the ground not sure if it is because of the construction or because the bird didn't build it correctly. There are also quite a few quiver trees in the area - this is the last time we see them on our trip.
The garden is quiet and there are quite a few succulents in flower which we enjoy and snap pictures off.
After the succulent garden we start the loop drive and it takes us close to the white meadow with the oryx. It is really impressive and quite a few of the cars in front of us stop to take pictures multiple times so the going is really slow until we can finally pass them.
The road goes through a pass and descends on the other side and almost immediately we see an oryx close to the road. It seems undecided but just as we pass it it decides to run in front of the car so we stop and wait for him to finish crossing. This happens a couple more time...either the oryx are suicidal or they are really dumb.
On this side of the mountain the majority of the flowers are purple but there are still quite a few orange daisies in the mix.
The road now curves back over another pass and we get into orange flower territory. There are also a lot of oryx on the meadow that are enjoying the abundance of food in the area.
Leaving Goegap we stop on the roadside to rest and to take a few more pictures of the multitude of flowers in the area. Our next goal is Namaqualand National Park - Skilpad Wildflower Reserve section which is one of the most reliable flower areas even though we cannot think of anything that could top what we have already seen. As we start on the dirt road towards it we rapidly change our opinion - the views of the orange daisies are mesmerizing and they are everywhere.
After arriving at the National Park and paying the entrance fee we stop at the visitor center and discover a hiking trail which is not described neither on the park map nor in our printed information. We start to hike and almost immediately we are in the middle of the flowers and the views are spectacular..it feels we stepped in a Van Gogh painting.
We stop almost at every step to take pictures of the flowers both as an ensemble and also individually.
After some hiking we turn around and return to our car but continue snapping pictures all along the way especially of the picturesque bridge on the trail.
Next we drive on the loop road through the preserve which is short if you are in a 2WD vehicle...with a 4WD there are multiple longer roads which probably are also less packed with people. Still the views are impressive even on this short loop and we still have some ways to go till our next accomodation.
On the return trip we notice a few sheep near a water tank - almost everywhere the grazing animals seem exhausted from the overabundance of food.
We return to the paved road and continue south and relatively fast enter a different South African province which is marked as usual with a sign where we stop and take a few pictures.
As we approach Clanwilliam where we will stop for the night the mountains become more impressive and the road more curvy. Given the number of trucks this means multiple times that we have to wait a lot to pass, South Africans however are passing even with blind spots using death defying maneuvers.
We arrive just as darkness is falling and the room at the B&B looks great. The host is really friendly and has even reserved a table at the nearby restaurant for us..which we have to decline as we are still full and then just eat from our provisions. This is the last night outside of the Cape Town area and we enjoy the sounds of the birds nesting in the trees outside before falling asleep.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.331s; Tpl: 0.026s; cc: 11; qc: 171; dbt: 0.1463s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
