Namaqualand, and area of about 48,000 square kilometres, from the Orange River in the north to the mouth of the Olifants River in the south, is a region of sharp contrasts. In spring, this scrub-covered, arid land blazes with colour – from fuchsia pinks to neon yellows and oranges – as a myriad daisies and flowering succulents open their petals to the sun. The seeds of the drought-resistant plants lie dormant in the soil during the dry months, but if the first rains are good, they burst into bloom from August to October.

Lying 17 kilometres west of Kamieskroon, the Skilpad Wild Flowers Reserve was purchased by World Wide Fund for Nature in South Africa in 1993 to protect the area’s plant life. The higher rainfall resulting from the reserve’s proximity tot eh West Coast guarantees excellent displays. Bright orange daisies and gazanias are at their most spectacular here.

Nieuwoudtville Wildflower Reserve contains the world’s largest concentration of geophytes. Of the 300 plant species, the more prominent ones are the irises and lily families.