24/07/2024
Following the recent good rains, the 2024 Spring flower extravaganza in Namaqualand promises once again to be spectacular!
Join me on one of two upcoming Namaqualand Flowers, Birds & Biodiversity tours during August, on the following dates:
1. 08-16 August 2024
2. 21-29 August 2024
This 8-night, 9-day Self Drive itinerary departs from and returns to Bloemfontein, which is my home base. The tour caters for small groups of 6-8 people only.
A 6-night, 7-day Self Drive version is also possible, departing from & returning to Cape Town.
While the focus of the tour is very much on the incredible Namaqualand spring flowers and some very special birds found in this area, the tour can easily be adapted to cater for other specific interests of guests as well.
The tour concentrates on the areas around Nieuwoudtville, Vanrhynsdorp, Clanwilliam & Lambert's Bay only, spending 3 nights in Nieuwoudtville, 2 nights in Vanrhynsdorp, and 1 night in Lambert's Bay. While in Nieuwoudtville, we'll visit nearby Matjiesfontein Farm, the Hantam National Botanical Gardens, the Nieuwoudtville Flower Reserve, as well as the Nieuwoudtville Waterfall and Gannabos Quiver Tree Forest, both not far north of town. To look for some very special Bushmanland / Karoo endemic birds, such as Red Lark, Karoo Eremomela, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler and Black-eared Sparrow-lark, we may also drive some distance north-west of Nieuwoudtville, past the small settlement of Kliprand towards Gamoep. In good rainfall years the flowers along the road towards Kliprand are amazing as well.
After spending time in the Nieuwoudtville area, we'll travel west, via the spectacular Vanrhyn's Pass to Vanrhynsdorp, from where we'll explore nearby Renosterveld habitat for endemic birds and spring flowers. We'll also visit the quartz gravel plains of the Knersvlakte, north of Vanrhynsdorp, home to many very special succulents that are found nowhere else. This is a highlight of the tour! We'll also spend a day exploring the nearby Gifberg / Maskamberg, just east of Vanrhynsdorp. This area not only has stunning scenery, but is also host to many excellent bird species and amazing flowering plants. We'll also head south to Clanwilliam, travelling up the nearby Pakhuis Pass in the Cederberg Mountains, en route to the picturesque Biedouw Valley, with it's amazing carpets of colourful flowers - an absolute spectacle. We'll then venture west to Lambert's Bay, to spend time at the Bird Island Cape Gannet colony, and enjoy a wonderful, fresh seafood lunch at Isabella's Restaurant at the harbour.
These - in a nutshell - are the core activities during our time in Namaqualand. This will be an immersive tour experience, focusing in the detail on the smaller things, as well as enjoying the more expansive vistas of colourful flowers. While flowers and birds are the main focus, we'll also be looking at insects, geology and anything else of interest that we might find.
There are still places available, so please contact Rick Nuttall (either DM me, or at [email protected]) as soon as possible to book on one of these exciting tours, or for further information.
