across a vast area that is actually the floor of an
ancient volcanic crater.
NORTHERN CAPE
ome to diamond mining in South
Africa,
Kimberley
attracts visitors
from around the world who come to
gaze into, well, a
Big Hole
. The unassuming
hole has yielded some massive diamonds over
the years, replicas of which can be seen in the
adjacent mining museum. You can also visit the
recreated diamond mining village built around
the museum, or step out on a walkway extending
over the Big Hole. Then, just outside the city,
Kamfer’s Dam is home and breeding ground
to thousands of lesser flamingos, which add a
beautiful pink glow to the dam.
For three months during spring, the Northern
Cape is ablaze with a tapestry of colourful
daisy
carpets.
The Goegap Nature Reserve, just outside
Springbok, is a favourite daisy destination to
see mixed colours and plenty of pink flowers
with zebra grazing in between. At Okiep and
Nababiep the daisies are orange, but as you move
around the area different towns ‘specialise’ in
different colours. However, where and when the
daisies appear is anyone’s guess and depends on
the winter rains. They appear when they choose
to, but only open in full sunshine. When daisy
viewing, keep the sun on your back to see the
daisy faces, as they follow the sun through the day.
If you’re intrepid and love extremely wild and
remote areas, the
Richtersveld
is your happy
place. It’s a rock desert transfrontier park that
extends all the way into Namibia, and it’s home
to bizarre plants and succulents. The strange
‘halfmens’ trees grow here along with peculiar
miniature cacti and tiny succulents, including
stone plants that look exactly the same as rock
pebbles lying on the sand. August is generally the
best month to visit here to see the otherworldly
plants in full flower.
20
WINTER | 2014
RCI.co.za
August usally welcomes a tapestry of colour to the Northern Cape
H
With so much to see and do
WITHOUT
CROSSING THE BORDER,
it’s easy to plan
an enticing holiday without packing your
passport. South Africa is after all the world in
one country, so any holiday you can imagine
can be found right here.
Photo: Thinkstock
