Namaqualand's secret canyon

It’s flower season in Namaqualand, but instead of heading into the wide-open wilderness, come disappear into the Schaap River Canyon. Don’t worry, you’ll still see plenty of flowers!

- EVAN NAUDE

Did you know that Namaqualand has its own canyon? The Schaap River Canyon is a distant cousin of the Fish River Canyon further north in Namibia and it’s in fullbloom in spring. I had no idea, but here I am, walking through it.

The directions to the start of the Namaqua Flower Hike, a five-day slackpacking trail, led me through Springbok to a turn-off 24km north of town. I drove through the settlement of Bulletrap and followed a dirt road for 30km to the farm Nigramoep – the canyon is on this farm.

I met the rest of the group around the dinner table. “Do you know Jopie Kotzé, owner of Springbok Lodge? His grandfather built this house many years ago,” said Suzette Louw. She lives on Nigramoep with her brother Marius Dirksen van Schalkwyk and his family.

“The farm dates from 1899 – the first owner was a man called Jac Kotzeé, with two ‘e’s. Somewhere along the way, it changed to Kotzé.”

Nigramoep, which means “place of the black water” in Nama, was an important farmstead in the area in the early years. “It had two shops, its own mail bag, a filling station and a school,” said Suzette.

Marius and his wife Johanna bought the farm from the Kotzés about 30 years ago. The plan was always to establish a guest farm – the Nigramoep Slowliving Guest Farm. They don’t farm at all and laid out the hiking trails on the property themselves.

The Dirksen van Schalkwyks are born and raised Namakwalanders; Suzette grew up in Bushmanland and lived in Stellenbosch before she also sought out this quiet corner of the country.

DAY 1 21KM

Nigramoep to Bakkranskloof