A personal journey of South African people and places by DIANE DE BEER:

Recently I finally made a dent in my few bucket list items – a west coast/Namaqualand flower trip.

For years now I have been dreaming of seeing this annual phenomenon, a desire I don’t really understand. I’m not your nature kind of girl. As explanation, these feelings have probably been fueled by a partner who feels once you have seen one dusty animal, you’ve seen them all.

I’m not quite that extreme but mostly I rely on others to supply me with these once-in-a-while nature excursions. Of course, living and traveling in South Africa, much of our lives is dominated by nature, and it’s hard to resist. I love spending time in my garden and a few years back, a cousin who is married to a Kiwi invited me along on their Kruger National Park trip. I loved every second.

I was fascinated by the evolution of the park which I had not visited for a few years and I loved going with a couple who travel to this country especially for one of these game park trips. It thrilled me to know that this was one of our best attractions luring many foreign visitors to this country.

Menues and memories at the Springbok Hotel

So when we set off via Springbok as our first stopover and initial sightings of the flowers, I had very specific pictures in my head. It was very different to what I had expected, yet I wasn’t at all disappointed.

I had always thought that the whole area was covered in flowers. I knew certain years were better than others and I have a special friend, Martie-Louise and her husband Albie Hunlun, warm and generous people, living in that area who had gifted us their holiday cottage in Strandfontein and who kept me posted on the date we needed to leave – which we did.

Our first glorious encounter with the Namaqualand splendour was the day we spent on a circular drive in the Springbok environment. It blew my mind and if these were the only sightings to be had, I would have been happy. But I knew there would be more.

The floral splendour of Namaqualand.

Apart from the flowers, geographically this part of our country is quite spectacular. With the sea always close by, the landscape has a constant backdrop and if nature dominates my life in any way, it is the sea that most enchants me. It’s part of my childhood and while I have lived in Gauteng for most of my life, my most dreamy times are always when I go bodysurfing, something I do whenever I have the chance. With this trip both the weather and the chilly seas were a deterrent, but I had known that would be the case.

Our second day filled with the magnificent sight of flowers was in the Posberg area. While the whole Namaqualand area has sightings of flowers, there are specific spots where an abundance is more visible – in my mind’s eye, I thought the whole Namaqualand would be covered in flowers like I witnessed in these specific areas. It was a revelation but no less spectacular than I imagined.

We were blessed in all kinds of ways. The area in which people travel is quite vast, so we were never overwhelmed by traffic or tourists. I suspect because it isn’t contained to one specific area, the adventure is relatively unspoilt and clearly focused on the flowers. All the amenities are available if you want, but Namaqualand hasn’t been turned into a theme park – yet – which could so easily have happened.

The magnificent west coast.

The people of the area are also unique. There is a spontaneous warmth and friendliness in every encounter and while my partner was flummoxed by the absence of his much loved cappuccinos, for me it underlined the charm of this spectacular part of our country which changes into a wonderland annually for a few weeks – and yet, they have kept it as untouched as possible in a world driven by financial opportunity.

Nature at its best.

Because of the distance we had to travel, I expanded our road trip, and our final destination before heading home was at Gert Van de Merwe and Jaco Jansen van Rensburg’s Die Langhuis. In 2020, en route to Cape Town, the couple took a detour and found themselves in Barrydale where they discovered, and impulsively bought, what is now their destination. Die Langhuis has changed into something quite breathtaking by these two creatives.

Gert and Jaco with their doe-eyed Weimaraner Alexia as well as their exquisite enterprise here and below.

I kept in touch with all the happenings around the evolution of their lives moving from the city to the Karoo, Gert’s letting go (almost) of his design business and Jaco managing to create a new hairdressing spot in quite marvelous fashion.

Not unexpectedly, the designer in Gert is unstoppable, yet he has shifted his gaze from couture to something more eclectic combining his love for exquisite objects and fabrics as well as the treasure trove he discovered in India, which they visit regularly.

An escape to dream of and if you’re blessed, experience. Die Langhuis in all its splendour.

All this is displayed in their new joint venture which culminates in Die Langhuis countrystore, café and magnificent bed-and-breakfast country cottages. It’s difficult to capture the essence of what they have created to share some of their new-found Karoo magic with the rest of the world. It’s the ultimate escape in what feels like the lap of luxury while all the time wallowing in the expansive creativity of these two artists, both in their own right.

The magic of Magpie, one of the exquisite treasure troves in a gem of a small town, Barrydale.

You leave Die Langhuius and Barrydale with a feeling of fulfillment, even if small-town living isn’t what you wish for yourself. It is exciting to witness others who have found the lifestyle they were craving without realising that’s exactly what they wanted. When it then turns into something they share with like-minded travelers and allow you to have just a taste of what they lost their hearts to, it’s something more than money can buy.

I’m almost reluctant to share too much of this special little town, but because it is quite hidden and you have to make a very specific detour, they’re probably safe from too much exposure. Keep it in your back pocket for a day when you feel like a breakaway weekend wrapped in a charm that feels as if it isn’t from these harried times.

It’s your chance to do some local time traveling. And if you’re blessed as I am, you will also be meeting some of the best people I know.