Between August and September every year, the West Coast, Namaqualand and parts of the Cederberg erupt in blazes of colour. But where does one go to see a decent variety of spring flowers, and at least a few swathes of the dazzling colour that these areas are famous for?
Many first-time “bloomers” get caught out by searching for flowers from a southerly to northerly direction when, of course, the blooms in the southern hemisphere face north. But, as most flower watchers start in Cape Town, this is an understandable mistake to make.
The bulk of “West Coast” spring flowers generally occur from about Darling up to Springbok, and around 100km east of the coastline. Of course, there are notable exceptions, such as the Tankwa Karoo and Roggeveldberge further east where I’ve seen spectacular displays on occasion.
On a recent trip I covered nearly 1,000km from my home in Bot River over four days but due to a number of cloudy days, I only captured the most impressive blazes of daisies three days into my journey, 400km from home (near Hawerland guest farm, between Graafwater and Clanwilliam). But your route and the number of biomes and flower hotspots you are able to engage with will depend on time available and the size of your wallet.
Postberg in the West Coast National Park: This flower- and granite-covered peninsula only opens in August and September. Just 115km from Cape Town and only R100 per head per day (SA ID holders and children R50) during flower season, it’s the best place to start.
Sandveld meander: Head for Velddrif and after fish and chips from Doepie's, best enjoyed while looking at the fishing boats at Laaiplek, wind your way on the back sand roads (doable in a normal sedan car, just deflate your tyres to 1.4 bars all round) through Aurora, Redelinghuys, Leipoldtville onto Graafwater and overnight in one of the delightful “hippie” caravans or chalets at Hawerland guest farm. Roedolla Smit will direct you to the blooms.
The Knersvlakte and Nieuwoudtville: After getting onto the N7 at Clanwilliam, head north and take the Vanrhynsdorp turn-off, then head through town towards Nieuwoudtville. Over the 40km to the Vanrhyns Pass, there are normally wonderful floral displays in the Knersvlakte, which roll towards the Matsikammaberge to the south. Once in Nieuwoudtville, the tourism officers will direct you to the best flowering bulbs. These are often at the wild flower reserve, but there are also flower hot spots on farmstays to the north, such as Grasberg guest farm and Papkuilsfontein guest farm to the south.
Biedouw Valley: Following the Rooibos Tea heritage route south from Nieuwoudtville, the beautiful Biedouw Valley (succulent Karoo country with adjacent fynbos regions) will be reached after transiting Hoek-se-Berg Pass. If you have an AWD SUV or 4x4 you can proceed either through Uitspankraal Farm into the Tankwa Karoo (often only passable between November and February, due to seasonal flooding) or south to Wupperthal and through Eselbank to the Koue Bokkeveld outside Ceres.
What to take with you: Slingsby road maps; Arne and Pat Schaeffer’s Lagoon: A companion to the West Coast National Park ; Braam van Wyk’s Wild Flowers of South Africa; Vincent Carruthers’ The Wildlife of Southern Africa; the excellent brochure “Discover the Flower Splendour of the Cederberg”, compiled by the Clanwilliam Wild Flower Society. also pack a tyre compressor, puncture-repair kit, binoculars, camera, water, snacks, spare tyre, insect repellent and a first-aid kit.
What sort of vehicle you need: Most of the West Coast’s back roads and sandy tracks can be driven in a normal sedan with reasonable ground clearance and slightly deflated tyres (1.4 bars all round) in good weather, but an AWD SUV or hard-core 4x4 provides flexibility.
Strandveld: Closest to the shoreline (yet its width varies from a few hundred metres to up to 25km inland in places), it stretches from around Yzerfontein in the south to just south of Doringbaai in the north. With between 50mm and 300mm rainfall per year, the biome mainly showcases Mesembryanthemaceae (vygies), Crassulaceae (crassulas) and Euphorbias.
Sandveld: A kind of unofficial transition zone between the strandveld and fynbos regions, which starts a little west of the Olifantsrivier Mountains and extends to just short of the Cederberg range. It was here (next door to Hawerland guest farm, between Graafwater and Clanwilliam) that I saw the most prolific spreads of daisies (Asteraceae) this spring.
Fynbos: By far the largest biome (from Cape Town to just south of Loeriesfontein), it’s largely defined by soils from eroded Table Mountain sandstone which receive in excess of 400mm rain per year. The vegetation types that dominate here are Restionaceae (Cape reeds, commonly known as restios), Ericaceae (ericas) and Proteaceae (proteas).
Renosterveld: The smallest and most scattered biome (+300mm rainfall per year), it showcases a lower spread of vegetation species in clayey soils, which originate from the Cederberg and Bokkeveld shale formations. Named after the prevalence of the greyish-green renosterbos (Elytropappus rhinocerotis), the region is also rich in bulbous plants (Nieuwoudtville is particularly well known for these) including Iridaceae (irises), Asphodelaceae (aloes), Hyacinthaceae (mostly deciduous, sizeable perennials with lance-shaped leaves), Colchicaceae (includes bobbejaanskoen) and Orchidaceae (orchids).
Succulent Karoo: A dry region (20mm-290mm rain per year), it unfolds east of the Cederberg and north of Ceres to Springbok. The vegetation mainly comprises Mesembryanthemaceae (vygies), Euphorbia (melkbos), Crassulaceae (plakkies or stonecrops) and Asteraceae (daisies).
Read more at the SA government's online coronavirus portal or use the 24-hour public hotline: 0800 029 999