Goegap Nature Reserve

Goegap covers about 15,000 hectares of Namaqualand outside Springbok - granite domes, sandy flats and a succulent flora that includes several hundred species, many of them small and unremarkable for most of the year. Then, if the winter rain has come at the right times, the annuals germinate and the whole reserve turns orange and white for a few weeks in August and September, which is the Namaqualand flower season people plan holidays around. The Hester Malan garden section concentrates succulents and aloes for people who want them labelled; the reserve, proclaimed in 1966 and first named after Hester Malan, takes its present name from the Khoekhoe word for a watering hole, and some six hundred plant and forty-five mammal species are recorded, with Carolusberg rising to 1,345 metres. Springbok, gemsbok and Hartmann's mountain zebra move through the reserve, and there are drive loops and walking and cycling trails. The flowers follow the sun: they open properly mid-morning and close by late afternoon, and a cold or overcast day keeps them shut, which catches out visitors who arrive on a tight schedule.

What you'll find

• The spring bloom - orange and white annuals covering the reserve for a few weeks.
• The granite koppies - domed outcrops rising from sandy Namaqualand flats.
• The succulent collection - hundreds of species, with a labelled garden section.
• The sun rule - flowers open mid-morning and close in the afternoon or in cloud.

When to go

August and September, and only in a year with good winter rain. Half a day, mid-morning to early afternoon.

Things to know

In a dry year the display fails completely, and no operator can promise it. Flowers do not open on cold or overcast days. Arriving early or late means seeing green. Gravel loops get slippery after rain. Accommodation in Springbok books out for the season.

Nearby

Springbok is the base for the whole flower route; the Richtersveld is north.

Key facts