Probus West Coast and Namaqualand Meander

15-22 September 2024

Our adventure, about 1500 km and often off the highways, takes us along the West Coast Spring flower routes. These areas vary geologically, botanically, climatically, and have fascinating historical stories. After leaving Cape Town the towns have predominantly coloured populations and are largely Afrikaans speaking. We then pass through the Swartland. At Gifberg we are on the plateau of the Matsikamma Mountains. Our journey then takes us to Namaqualand (“Nama Kwa” is derived from Nama Khoi people’s land). The Namakwa District Municipality, with its seat at Springbok, is geographically the largest district in the country. Returning along the coast we encounter the Sandveld.

What to take: Travel lightly! Casual clothes: warm clothing for the cold, walking gear hat, sun protection, water etc. rain gear, costumes (dipping in the Gifberg Farm pool or in the river pools - brrrr), torch, books, cash as some places may not take cards.

Each day has a set of photographs on a separate page. A link to the  relevant page is provided in each Day heading but can also be found from the main Menu/Sub-menu navigation.

The photographs were all taken by Sally Lavender and are part of a beautiful curated scrapbook she has put together for all the tours we have been on.  The scrapbook is the "real McCoy"! These webpages are a pale imitation, so ask Sally to show it to you. 

Geology

The Cape Fold Mountains are along our route to Clanwilliam. The Cape Supergroup rocks were laid down as sediments in a rift valley in southern Gondwana 510 - 350 million years ago. Closure of this valley by the Falklands Plateau moving into Africa caused the raising and folding of the mountains. It comprises several differing layers including the Table Mountain Sandstone. Younger deposits (400 m years) are usually more shale-like and are seen in the valleys and inland. The Bokkeveld group has many fossils such as trilobites. The rounded Cape Granite Suite plutons, such as the Paarl Rock, are older than the Cape Supergroup. These were formed by melting near the base of the continents, the magmas rising like balloons and solidifying and crystalizing near the crust. They were exposed later by uplift and erosion of the overlying rock. The shale-like Malmesbury group is older sedimentary rock, forming the rump of Lions Head (Signal Hill), Robben Island, and the Swartland fertile areas. The Swartland is the region between Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north, Moorreesburg in the middle, and Riebeeck West and Riebeeck Kasteel in the east. It is named Swartland because of the dark colour after rains of the endemic Renosterbos. Beyond Vanrhynsdorp, the mountains are made up of much older granites and gneiss (>1000 m years). Gneiss is granite-like rock, distinguished by intricate banding patterns, which was formed through the metamorphic transformation of existing igneous or sedimentary rocks. The Sandveld sand, gravel, alluvium, calcrete and silcrete is along the coast. This recent Quaternary geological period dating from 2.58 million years ago to the present, is the result of the cyclical continental ice sheets and their associated climate and environmental changes.

Copper was known to exist in the north as the early settlers encountered locals with copper ornaments. In 1686 Simon Van Der Stel led an expedition and found copper ore from Garies to Springbok. Large scale copper mining started in the 1830’s and played a big role in developing the infrastructure of Namaqualand. The first diamonds in Namaqualand were discovered in 1925 in Port Nolloth, a small harbour town that was built to export the copper ore mined at Okiep and Springbok. Port Nolloth is about 150 km north of Koingnaas, and between them is Kleinzee that became one of the centres of the diamond mining industry in Namaqualand.

Botany

We experience two main regions: The Western Cape Fynbos (including Renosterbos). The Namaqualand Succulent Karoo is an arid winter rainfall area. The Knersvlakte Reserve is one of the richest and most diverse succulent regions in the world. Heavy grazing associated with communal rangeland (sheep, goats etc) has resulted in degradation and loss in biomass especially of palatable species.

Passes

• Piekenierskloof Pass

• Kransvleikloof Gravel pass 7.8 km to N7

• Gifberg Pass Up the escarpment to the Gifberg Holiday Farm.

• Ouberg Pass (there are several Ouberg passes in SA) Down the escarpment to Bagdad Café.

• Garies Hoogte Pass (1970) Just north of Garies.

• Brakdam se Hoogte Pass1(970) Between Garies and Kamieskroon.

• Darters Poort Pass Minor pass 14 km south of Kamieskroon. Named after Lt Darter a British sharpshooter, who was ambushed and killed nearby in 1902.

• Burke’s Pass (1995) 24 km from Springbok.

• Messelpad and Wildeperdehoek Passes In the Namaqua National Park

• Kamiesberg Pass Close to Kamieskroon en route to Leliefontein.

• Draaiklip Pass Short steep pass 14 km from Kamieskroon

• Leliefontein Pass https://www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za/find-a-pass/northern-cape/1084-leliefontein-pass-p2943.html

• Groenkloof Pass 5.9 km traversing narrow valley between granite mountains

• Studer’s Pass between Leliefontein and Garies - long with reasonable gradients.