Wildflowers and Daisies in South Africa
Spectacular Annual Flower Display in Namaqualand National Park
Jun 1, 2009
Namaqualand is a region in found on the Western Coast of South Africa. For 160 kilometers along this stretch of coastline, before reaching Namaqualand National Park, one will find the wheat lands of South Africa and groves of citrus trees such as oranges and lemons.
As one travels along the road further north, the scenery changes into mountains and valleys, on the eastern side is the Cedarberg range of mountains which was the first protected wilderness area in South Africa.
When do the Namaqualand Daisies Bloom?
Springtime in the Southern Hemisphere is during the months of August and September. The colorful daisies are out in full bloom in the Postberg National Park that forms part of the West Coast Nature Reserve, an easy hour and a half drive North from Cape Town. Then daisies will put on their colorful show and the whole region is transformed into a large garden. It is impossible to predict when there will be a good year since everything depends on a delicate balance of winter rain and absence of hot winds.
Animals, Wildlife and Birds in Namaqualand
Besides daisies, it is possible to see various mammals, birds such as ostriches and even whales driving through this coastal national park. The Postberg Nature Reserve offers excellent fauna viewing as well as its blooming flora. The reserve boasts a high number of antelope and is a birdwatching haven, including flamingoes on the lagoon. The herbivores and wildflowers are to be watched from the comfort of your vehicle so as to prevent enthusiastic nature lovers from trampling the flowers and scaring off the wildlife.
When is the Best Time to Visit the Cape in South Africa
The winter months are between May and August, with cold fronts up to October of each year. The Cape winters are cold and wet, usually windy.
To view the Namaqualand daisies the months of late August up to October are the best time to visit. For general tourist activities in the Cape region, the summers (November to May) are warm and pleasant, but the weather can be hot in December.
December and January are the country's principal end-of year summer holidays, and prices of accommodation and food are usually higher than the rest of the year, although some people feel the holiday mood makes it the best time to visit.
What can be Seen Further North in Namaqualand
Beyond the granite mountains, the legendary copper mountains of the Nama people, the road crosses a great plain. To the north west, the Namib desert lies along the coast in Namibia, the Skeleton Coast of diamonds and shipwrecks can be seen and the cold water of the Bengela current washes an oven-hot shore where clammy fogs roll in from the ocean.
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