
When someone says the word Namaqualand,
not many people immediately think of a wild and unspoilt stretch of coastline. But it’s here nonetheless – and it’s beautiful. Blinded by mental pictures of carpets of spring flowers, few would be able to list Namaqualand’s other attractions either.
Not far from the park, in the Rooifontein area east of Kamieskroon, you can see examples of quiver tree houses too. The trunks of dead trees are sawn into planks, planted into a foundation trench and secured to each other using wooden pegs. The roof is also made of quiver tree logs and these houses are so cool in summer that people use them to make simple fridges
These clever little buck aren’t dependent on water, but can soak up all the moisture they need from the plants they eat. They’re very nimble-footed too, with rubbery stuff under their hooves for added grip on steep and rocky mountainsides – the Pirellis of the animal kingdom. Their final natty trick is that the hair on their coat is hollow to insulate them against extremes of heat and cold, making them pretty well adapted to extremes of Namaqualand.
The kitchen has both microwave and full stove (with oven), there are ceiling fans in the living area and bedroom and an air con in the bedroom too – bliss when it’s hot enough to melt your face. And there’s a braai/fireplace in the living area so you can make a fire when it’s cold and not even have to forego the pleasure of your braai. Truly a place for all seasons. We spent two nights there and it wasn’t nearly long enough.
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