Namaqualand Never Gives Up

The drought is taking a toll on the wildflowers of Namaqualand and you might be wondering if this region has anything else to offer. Of course it does! Take it slow and watch your step – beauty grows everywhere.

- Sophia Van Taak

I ’ve never been this deep into the Kamiesberg before. I had no idea there were such beautiful granite koppies tucked away between the N7 and the flats of Bushmanland. And just look at all the quiver trees! But I shouldn’t get distracted – the other hikers are way ahead of me. Before I catch up, though, I’ll just duck behind that rock for a quick nature break… Cobra! Inky black, with its hood raised. I leap back onto the farm road. My hands are shaking from fright.

Now I’ve fallen even further behind. Thank goodness I can still see the orange bibs of the rest of the group in the distance. Most of my fellow hikers on this week-long walking tour of Namaqualand hail from Gauteng; two are from KZN and there are a handful from Cape Town. Frik Olwage and Luan Fourie are our guides. The third member of the support team, Karen de Wet, crawls along in the minibus.

Last night we arrived on the farm Pedroskloof, about 20 km east of Kamieskroon, and we’ll spend the next five days walking in different parts of the greater Namaqualand area – the Kamiesberg, Namaqua National Park, the Knersvlakte and the Olifants River Valley. Some days will be shorter, and a minibus will take us from one beautiful spot to the next; other days we’ll walk as far as 20 km.

The Kamiesberg

The tour kicks off with a 20 km day. This morning, Frik dropped us off on the Arakoop/ No Heep road near Kamieskroon, about 10 km east of the N7. From there, we’ll be walking almost directly south.