From Kamiesberg to the coast
The annual explosion of orange daisies around Skilpad rest camp in Namaqua National Park is stunning, but drive deeper into the park and you’ll see even more wildflowers, all the way to the windswept waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Izip open my tent and a light sea breeze puffs its salty breath inside. The waves pound the rocks metres away, the sound fading into static, like a radio looking for signal. I get out of the tent, and then I see it: a clear, blue sky. Nothing. Not a whisp of cloud. “Sam!” I yell. “The sun’s out, we’ll see flowers today!”
It’s our third morning of four in Namaqua National Park, and until now the sky has been low and overcast – not great for seeing wildflowers. You never complain about rain in this arid part of the country, but this morning I’m ecstatic about its absence.
We set off and drive north along the coast to the mouth of the Spoeg River. The dark blue sea is on our left for kilometres on end. Closer inshore, foamy waves and dark rocks. At the river mouth, we turn right and drive into the northern section of the park at the Hondeklip Bay gate, following the Caracal Eco Route. A jeep track leads over the succulent Karoo plains in shades of green and brown, until we reach the deserted Riethuis farmstead. We pull over to look at the wheel of an old horse mill in the shed, then drive on.
From Riethuis, we climb to the plateau via Wildeperdehoek Pass (no wild horses, but there were once mountain zebra here). Behind us, shafts of sunlight fall on the plains of Namaqualand.
Do you see those spots down there? They’re known as heuweltjies and are made up of old termite nests that have changed the composition of the soil over time. Different plant species grow in these spots, compared to what you find in the surrounding veld. In spring, the heuweltjies are often bright yellow when sorrel is in bloom.
After this pass we turn right and travel past the ruins of Kookfontein and Koeroebees – old farmsteads predating the park. Along the way we see a handful of gemsbok, a curious meerkat family, and pale chanting goshawks in the sky.
We encounter other vehicles for the first time at Skilpad. Orange Namaqua daisies cover the shrubland like lava. People are walking among the flowers with their plant guides in hand; long lenses point out of open windows. It’s definitely a spectacle!
But it’s also busy and overwhelming. I’m longing for the sound of the ocean again, the simplicity of our days at Skuinsbaai Noord campsite, and the dirt roads that looked like they might take you to the end of the earth… Namaqua National Park is known around the world for its annual wildflower bloom. And it is truly beautiful, but the park also offers so much more. It’s a place where you can get lost, with a stretch of coastline so wild you’re more likely to see a castaway than a tourist. Bring your wildflower guide and camera, but also your fishing rod, mountain bike, hiking boots, bird guide and binos. Once your flower fever has died down, the rest of the park awaits.