SOUTH AFRICA

Located in the Northern Cape region of South Africa, about 500 km from Cape Town, between the Orange River and the wild coast of the Atlantic Ocean, near the towns of Springbok and Kamieskroon, the Namaqualand area is arid and dry for much part of the year, but at times during the short spring, between August and September, a few drops of rain incredibly transformed the arid landscape by vast expanses of wild flowers of every color. Undoubtedly one of the most impressive and evocative natural performances in the world. The Namaqualand is the most arid area in the world rich in bulbiferous flora, are about 3500 species of plants, over 1,000 of which can be found only here. The plants on sunny days have the flowers open approximately between 10 and 16 and are always facing the sun; in cloudy days instead they remain closed.

Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, is among the most spectacular places to admire the flowering in South Africa, it lies about 25 km from Kamieskroon, the reserve is part of Nama National Park, a park of about 60,000 hectares, with a topography characterized by round granite outcrops separated by alluvial sand, much of the territory is made up of the typical South African veld and by the hills and mountains of Kamiesberg Range, whose peaks reach 1,700 meters with the Rooiberg, the highest peak. The park has a wide variety of succulent (Crassula spp., Adromischus spp. , Pelargonium spp., Stapeliands and Cotyledon spp.), as well as annual plants and bulbous. The park is open from 8.00 am to 17.00 pm, during the short spring enormous expanses of Nama daisy colour the soil of orange, and to better see the blooms there is a circular path with point of views, and several short hiking and nature trails.

At around 15 km from Springbok is the Goegap Nature Reserve, a wild flowers reserve of about 15,000 hectares, in this reserve live 45 species of mammals, including springbok, gemsbok and mountain zebras (Hartmann zebra), 94 species of birds, as well as reptiles, amphibians and about 600 varieties of flowers. Also in the reserve it's possible to visit the Hester Malan Wild Flower Garden, a garden full of succulent of Namaqualand with a rock garden.

In the most arid area of Namaqualand along the border with Namibia lies the Richtersveld National Park, a wilderness park of about 160,000 hectares, added in 2007, in the list of World Heritage sites by UNESCO, which represents the unique mountain desert park of South Africa, this park is full of succulent (hosts about 30% of all species in South Africa).

Climate: The Namaqualand is part of the region of South Africa characterized by rainy winter, the rainy season falls between June and August. Average winter temperatures range between 7°C and 19°C, while in summer temperatures vary between 20°C and 32°C.

Springbok	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average Maximum (°C)	29	30	29	25	21	17	17	18	21	24	26	28	24
Average Minimum (°C)	16	17	17	14	12	9	8	8	10	12	13	14	12
Average Precipitations (mm)	6	4	11	16	22	28	25	23	16	10	7	3	171

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Namaqualand flowers (Bottergousblom or Arctotis gumbletonii), Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, Namaqua National Park, South Africa

Namaqualand flowers (Geelkatstert o Bulbinella latifolia), Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, Namaqua National Park, South Africa

Namaqualand flowers, Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, Namaqua National Park, South Africa

Namaqualand flowers (Pelargonium incrassatum), Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, Namaqua National Park, South Africa

Granite outcrops and Namaqualand flowers (Namaqua daisy), Skilpad Wild Flower Reserve, Namaqua National Park, South Africa

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