Notices
General Trip Reports Reports that don't fit in to the other categories

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 17 Nov 19, 10:02 PM  
Link to this Post
#1
ali-s
VIP Dibber
 
ali-s's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 04
Deserts and daisies days 8 - 10

Deserts and daisies days 8 - 10

I didn't sleep as well as I thought I would. After a week in the desert with no light pollution at night , an outside light caused me to wake at 1.30am thinking it was time to get up When we did get up at a more civilised time we were served breakfast on the decking overlooking the river. Lovely setting but very chilly with still no warm clothes. In the daylight I can appreciate the grounds, lots of birds , bird baths , lots of rustic garden ornaments. I wish we had been here on our first night instead of an airport hotel in Johannesburg.


We leave mid morning for our 4 hour drive to Springbok, Google maps does a good job of getting us onto the N14, basically 1 road all the way there, but I need to top up the fuel tank and unlike the UK, the petrol stations seem to be in the towns rather than on the outskirts. I have to turn around, much to Googles consternation , and spend about 20 minutes driving in circles through Saturday morning traffic in search of a petrol station.
Eventually we are on our way. It's a long, straight road, but the scenery again, is stunning .



The colours of the hills in the distance, purples, blues, orange. I give David my camera to take some photos, but they don't do it justice. Weaver birds have built their nest on the telephone poles, we get photos of some smaller ones, but some were quite large, wonder if they affect the phone line ?


We see our first , small ,quiver trees and as we get closer to Springbok I'm excited to see little patches of flowers on the side of the road, yellow and white, the patches increase in size the closer we get.
We arrive at our accommodation early afternoon . Lovely apartment , lots of tiled, shiny surfaces that look good but prove to be rather cold later in the evening.

I'm disappointed to hear that the flowers at the local nature reserve are poor to non existent this year , I was planning to spend the day there tomorrow. I try to search for alternative attractions but the wi fi isn't working because ' it's the end of the month' , lots of inconvenience seem to be blamed on the end of the month.
We cobble together some lunch then head into town for more supplies . We passed a sports shop as we were driving in, we will see if we can get new trainers . Town is one main street, very busy ( well it is the end of the month ) and I can't find the entrance to the supermarket, even though I drive by 3 times, I give up and park on a side road and we walk back to find the supermarket closed at 3pm, it's now 4.18, the same goes for the sports shop and most other shops, seems everywhere closes early on Saturday . There is a discount grocery store open selling an odd assortment of basics and random housewares. We manage to get bread, pop and milk, but no new shoes.
Back at the apartment I phone missing luggage again and finally get someone who seems interested in finding our bag. He scares me first by saying my brother has collected it from Johannesburg ! But then realises that our reference numbers don't match. When I give him the number from our luggage receipt he finds the last 2 digits have been transposed, the suitcase they have been flying back and forth wasn't even mine , mine has been sat in Johannesburg all along!
Dinner is at a cafe/ restaurant just around the corner from our apartment. Diners at a neighbouring table hear us telling the owner of our plans to visit Goegap nature reserve, they have already been and say though there are few flowers,the scenery is worth the visit, so our plans are back on track for tomorrow. The owner also gives me her wifi code so I can Google best places to see flowers. They actually have a 'flower hotline' you can phone for updates on where the flowers are blooming.
Back at the apartment I find I can still use the cafe's wifi if I sit facing the bedroom wall, so that is what I do for an hour
I discover I have an electric blanket on my bed, so opt for an early night reading in a warm bed . It's also useful for drying the socks and underwear that are still slightly damp
__________________
Crowne Plaza Universal, Pop Century Nov2004
Homewood suites,RPR,POFQ Oct06
California August 08California without a car trip index
Mexico 2010, Easter in Mexico Trip Index
ESD Pointe Orlando, Palm Pavilion Clearwater, RPR August 2012
Costa Rica July 2015 Pura Vida! trip report
South Africa 2017 trip report
ali-s is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 17 Nov 19, 10:27 PM  
Link to this Post
#2
ali-s
Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
 
ali-s's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 04
Deserts and daisies days 8 - 10

A later start today. We are visiting the Goegap nature reserve and Skilpad reserve to hopefully see flowers. The whole point of this trip was to see the spring flowers, but there is no guarantee ,when and if they bloom depends on so many conditions . South Africa has had several years of drought, but there were spring rains in the area we are visiting today and Skilpad at least is reporting a nice display.
The flowers only open on a sunny day and mid afternoon is the best viewing time. We head to Goegap first , as we've been told the flowers are poor here there's no point in waiting until afternoon. Goegap is a short drive from Springbok We buy a permit to enter, then park and walk around the succulent garden , which takes about 5 minutes. More impressive are the many quiver trees.



Back in the car we drive the 13km tourist route, this is mainly sand and gravel, but nothing like the Kgalagadi. There are a few lonely little clumps of flowers scattered around, several species all blooming in the same square foot of sand as though this spot and this spot only has all that is needed to grow.


The scenery is barren, but striking in places. There are more quiver trees and we see mountain zebra among the rocks up on the hillside. What on earth do they find to eat ?





We have to go back through Springbok to get to Skilpad , so we stop for coffee and petrol before heading south. The patches of flowers at the side of the road grow more numerous and varied in colour, and I'm excited to see what waits for us at Skilpad. My map has us turn off at the tiny settlement of Kamieskroon where I dubiously follow a battered Sanparks sign pointing up a dirt track. After a mile or so I decide this can't be right, we are on the wrong side of the highway for Namaqualand and there is no one else about. We go back to Kamieskroon where an ' Information ' sign leads us to a coffee shop set up in someone's house. There are lots of these informal information centres , usually set up by locals who give free advice to tourists and sell coffee, tea, cakes and almost always a selection of homemade preserves and knitted items, their ' shops' remind me of a 1980s WI stall



Anyway, we are told that the dirt track is the right route, we follow it for 20kms , it goes under the highway at one point, so my map was correct , eventually we arrive at the park entrance - a tiny shed manned by 2 sanparks staff who note our registration number and check our Wildcard ( the Wildcard gives us admission to all South African national parks) .


Then we are in the park and it's breath taking. This is what I've been waiting to see for over 30 years. So many flowers, carpets of them,predominantly orange, but many different colours when you look closer. There are 2 trails we can walk and one to drive. As it is now afternoon we opt to walk one trail and return tomorrow to do the other two.
















We leave the park late afternoon and stop for a drink and snack at the coffee shop/ information centre . The owner tells us of a field of flowers we can see from the roadside a few miles away, so we will go there first tomorrow. Back in Springbok we have dinner in the apartment and another early night with the electric blanket switched on.
__________________
Crowne Plaza Universal, Pop Century Nov2004
Homewood suites,RPR,POFQ Oct06
California August 08California without a car trip index
Mexico 2010, Easter in Mexico Trip Index
ESD Pointe Orlando, Palm Pavilion Clearwater, RPR August 2012
Costa Rica July 2015 Pura Vida! trip report
South Africa 2017 trip report
ali-s is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Old 18 Nov 19, 09:55 PM  
Link to this Post
#3
ali-s
Thread Starter
VIP Dibber
 
ali-s's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 04
Deserts and daisies days 8 - 10

Back to Skilpad reserve today, but first we go looking for the field of flowers the guy in the info/ coffee shop told us about. We find the road ok, but there are just a few patches of flowers by the roadside, a few cars parked up and people taking photos . I continue on until the road turns into steep descent down a mountainside, I do a hasty about turn and as we are now heading west I can see the flowers ( they turn to face the sun) the hillside has a light covering of luminous yellow, but they are a couple of fields away , too far to get a decent photo and I don't fancy walking.
Arriving at Skilpad there are 3 coaches parked up and dozens of Japanese tourists are disembarking all kitted out identically in hiking boots, trousers tucked into socks, long sleeved t shirts with short sleeved tees over the top and mini backpacks. Some carry Nordic walking poles, many are wearing gloves ! ( it's a gorgeously warm, sunny day ). They look like they mean business and David and I hurry to get to the trail before them, I don't want to be stuck walking behind a huge group. I needn't have worried. They walk a few metres down one trail, pose for photos, then go sit at the picnic tables where their guide is unpacking lunch boxes.
The flowers are more sparse on todays trail, but still enough for me to be stopping every two minutes to take a photo. The scenery is stunning, again.












By the time we get back to the carpark and sit down at the picnic tables with our lunch, the coachloads of Japanese have gone. What a shame to come all this way and not venture more than a few feet from the carpark.
In the trees by the carpark a colony of masked weaver birds are busy building nests . It's fascinating to watch them literally weaving long grasses into little round dwellings that dangle from the tips of the branches.





After lunch we did the driving route, which was really just circling the trail we walked yesterday. We walked a little bit of yesterday's trail again, for good measure. We find a gemsbok/ oryx skull amongst the flowers.


Back in Springbok we walk into town for dinner. I've chosen the restaurant from online reviews and it is reassuringly busy, there is a large book/ souvenir/ map shop alongside the dining area , unfortunately the 3 coachloads of Japanese are here and it is rather chaotic. We are seated quickly ( it seems the Japanese are shopping, not eating )but then we are ignored. For a little while I assume our waitress is busy, but when she chats to and serves the people behind us, who were seated after us, it becomes clear she is ignoring us. It was a very strange experience, it felt as though we had offended her somehow. I noticed the owner/ manager was watching us, he came over and asked if we'd been served, he had the waitress take our order immediately and the food was served shortly afterwards, then I had to ask for the bill, which she grudgingly brought, but she disappeared before I could open my purse. Again we waited and waited. In the end I took the bill, cash and tip ( to prove a point incase she was ignoring us because she thought we wouldn't tip) and dumped the lot on the counter infront of the manager and walked out.

Back at the apartment I have a message on my phone which lightens my mood. Our suitcase will be delivered to our accommodation in Clanwilliam tomorrow and I have the name and phone number of the courier who will be delivering it. I dare to feel optimistic that in 24 hours I can change my shoes.
__________________
Crowne Plaza Universal, Pop Century Nov2004
Homewood suites,RPR,POFQ Oct06
California August 08California without a car trip index
Mexico 2010, Easter in Mexico Trip Index
ESD Pointe Orlando, Palm Pavilion Clearwater, RPR August 2012
Costa Rica July 2015 Pura Vida! trip report
South Africa 2017 trip report
ali-s is offline Girl Mouse Click to view Members Trip Plans Add Member to Ignore List
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin - Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
DIBB Savings
AttractionTickets.com

Get £10 off each Disney Ticket with the code ATDIBB10

Get up to £50 off per room at Disney or Universal with the code DIBBHOTELS


theDIBB Blog
One of the the five worlds found in Epic Universe, How to Train Your Dragon... Read More »
Disney announced that a new nighttime show, “Disney Dreams That Soar,” will run nightly at... Read More »
Walt Disney World Resort guests can get ready to have a “glowing’’ good time when... Read More »


theDIBB Menu


Exchange Rates
US Dollar Rates
ASDA  $1.2354
CaxtonFX  $1.2299
Covent Garden FX  $1.2544
FAIRFX  $1.2350
John Lewis  $1.2380
M&S  $1.2178
Sainsburys  $1.2354
TESCO  $1.2364
Travelex  $1.2353
Updated: 21:30 28/03/2024
Euro Rates
ASDA  €1.1447
CaxtonFX  €1.1401
Covent Garden FX  €1.1512
FAIRFX  €1.1432
John Lewis  €1.1457
M&S  €1.1263
Sainsburys  €1.1440
TESCO  €1.1445
Travelex  €1.1435
Updated: 21:30 28/03/2024

DIBB Premium Membership
Did you know you can help support theDIBB with Premium Membership?

Check out this link for more information and benefits, such as...

"No adverts on theDIBB Forums"

Upgrade Now



X