Travel Information About The Namaqua National Park South Africa by Gerald Crawford

Travel Information About The Namaqua National Park South Africa
by: Gerald Crawford

Escape to the land of contrasts where the fresh smell of daisies, colourful spring flowers and sweet melodies greet you. Namaqua National Park boasts with a kaleidescope of indigenous flora species every spring time and it is for this reason alone that people are drawn to the area.

- Breathe in the fragrant aromas of spring flowers
- Find your own secluded oasis of tranquility
- Enjoy camping out under the African sky
- Situated 495km from Cape Town South Africa

Namaqua is famous for its display of wild flowers in spring and a rich diversity of succulent plants, with an estimated 3500 species. Escape to the land of contrasts, where the rigorous climate has created a myriad of life forms superbly adapted to their specific habitat.

Observe the fragrant aromas fields of flowers, starry nights, quiver trees, enormous granite outcrops and the icy Atlantic are few wonders that await you to what is truly the Creator's playground. Namaqua is home to bulb flora of any dry region in the world and more than a 1 000 of its estimated 3 500 species are found nowhere in the world.

Amphibians and reptiles are well represented, with a number of endemic species. The mammal species that have adapted to these harsh conditions include Klipspringer, Aardvark, Baboon, Steenbok, Duiker, Porcupine, Black-Backed Jackal and Leopard. Birds are typical of the dry arid western regions of the country.

Accommodation can be arranged at nearby establishments in the region. Enjoy circular drives with viewpoints during the flowering season and short nature trails.

Climate:

Namaqualand falls within the winter rainfall region of South Africa. The highest rainfall period is from June to August. Average winter temperatures vary between 7°C and 19°C, while the winter temperatures vary between 20°C and 32°C.

Rules and Regulations:

- Pets are not allowed in a national park.
- It is an offence to pick flowers or to remove plants or any other material from the park.

There are limited toilet facilities in the park.

General services are available at Kamieskroon. Medical services are only available in Springbok, which is 67 km away.

The topography is characterised by granite outcrops with large round or flat exposed rock separated by sandy alluvial valleys. Namaqua National Park is situated some 495 km from Cape Town off the N7 route to Namibia, and 67km from the town of Springbok in the north. The nearest town is Kamieskroon, which is some 22km from the reserve and park offices.

The reserve is open during the spring flower season from 8am to 5pm. The flowers are at their best between 10:30am and 4pm. A fee is payable at the start of the 5km ciruclar drive.

If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on gerald@12234455.co.za or call me on +27-0720390184.

About The Author

Gerald Crawford: born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in South Africa and the United Kingdom. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: gerald@12234455.co.za Website Address: http://www.12234455.co.za