Hello Cape Town Magazine September 2021

a carpet of colour

Namaqualand is a winter-rainfall desert of some 50 000 km²,

themselves in order to draw tourists and maintain business.

located in north-western South Africa. For a desert ecosystem,

But in fact, it’s all attributed to bees and other insects that

the region is characterized by a unique selective regime,

perfectly perform their pollinating duties. In fact, every year

namely highly predictable annual rainfall and a moderate

the area seems to bear different flowers, and it’s always a sort

temperature regime throughout the year. This is responsible for

of intrigue and surprise for the keepers themselves.

regular and spectacular spring flowering displays. It is the only site in the world where a vast dry area annually transforms into

For more information, contact Namaqua National Park on:

a lush orange flowerbed, but only for a few short weeks. The

027 672 1948.

best time of year to visit is early August–mid-September. During this time, the desert explodes with no fewer than 4000 species of flowers, 1000 unique to the region, painting the desert in colours that astound and amaze visitors without fail.

Namaqualand daisies never cease to delight residents and visitors of the region. Normally, it’s a rare occasion to find a desert abloom. Arid areas transform into a flowering garden only once in a while. But Namaqualand is the world’s only

The Namaqualand flower season is relatively short: it usually

exception that flourishes every spring. With just 150 mm of rain

begins in the second week of August and is over by the

per year, this large arid area turns into a lush flowering field.

second week of September, yet it varies from year to year,

From a distance, one might presume these are the same

depending on the amount of rainfall and temperatures. Also,

orange daisies all over, but when you take a closer look,

flower season depends on the location: the further north, the

you’ll discover an endless variety of flowers. Not only daisies

earlier the blooming starts.

themselves occur in various shapes and shades of orange, but also other rare flowers pop out amongst the prevailing daisies:

The flowers open up in the morning and close in the

lilies, aloes, and perennial herbs.

afternoon, at about 4 pm. So you have to get up early not to miss the orange nature show. Generally, local tour operators

Owing to such a unique natural phenomenon, the area has

suggest arriving with an attitude of acceptance as the flowers

been protected as the Namaqua National Park. Locals make

are elusive and might not be as abundant as one expects

a living from tourism based on the flowering desert. Hence, it’s

One of the most popular options is a car rental combined with

often mistakenly assumed that the keepers plant the flowers

local tour operator recommendations and accommodation

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l Hello Cape Town September 2021