Highway rest stop

The N7, also known as the Cape-Namibia Route, has a constant flow of traffic. Many drivers turn off at Vanrhynsdorp to pull in at one of the two excellent service stations near the highway for a break, and many truck drivers stop here to catch fourty winks before getting back behind the wheel in the morning to complete their journey to Cape Town or Windhoek – which are 1 600 km apart. In the background is Gifberg.

VANRHYNSDORP was founded in the 1700s after trek farmers settled here, but the area first became known from the journals of Pieter van Meerhof, a Danish doctor who explored the Knersvlakte in 1661. The village was first called Troe-Troe, but the name was changed in 1881 in honour of Hendrik van Rhijn, a church and community leader who established mission stations here and in other settlements such as Steinkopf and Leliefontein.

Today the town has an NG church, a high school, a hotel and a large modern prison. There’s also the Old Gaol Museum to visit, but the Latsky Radio Museum has unfortunately closed its doors.

And although it might appear that the surrounding plains are bare, this is one of the most unusual places imaginable when it comes to plant life. The town is considered the gateway to Namaqualand, which means that, come spring, the landscape is transformed into an almost miraculous carpet of colour. But did you know the Knersvlakte is also home to one-third of the world’s dwarf succulents?

If you are in Vanrhynsdorp on a weekday, the Kokerboom Nursery at the bottom end of Voortrekker Street is worth a visit. Here you can buy quiver trees and a variety of succulents with names that will bring smiles to your lips: bababoudjies (baby bottoms), horse’s teeth, button plants,

kameelvoetjies (camel’s feet), krapogies (crab’s eyes), baby-toes, jakkalsoortjies

(jackal’s ears), fairy elephant’s feet… And once you’ve loaded your plants into the boot, you can continue your journey with peace of mind because the nursery supplies the permit you need in order to transport and plant them.

Don’t be put off by the potholes. Or the high temperatures in summer. Come take a walk through Vanrhynsdorp! >